Page 34 - Seniorstoday June 2022 Issue

aa gaya hai, mujhe who gulbadan yaad aa
gaya hai”. Mehdi Hasan rendered Saleem
Gilani’s poem, “Phool hi phool khil utthey
mere paimane mein, aap kya aaye bahaar
aa gayee maikhane mein”. Jagjit and Chitra
Singh had the duet ‘Uski baatein bahaar ki
baatein, vaadi-e-lalazaar ki baatein’ written
by Saeed Raahi.
Songs for springtime
That brings us back to chai-pakoda time.
There’s a long list of songs associated with
the rains. Some don’t even have a single
word associated with rain in the lyrics. An
example was ‘Pyaar Hua Ikraar Hua’ from
Shree 420 (1955), but we think of the song
because it was filmed on Raj Kapoor and
Nargis in a pouring rain sequence. Then
there are songs like ‘Yeh Raat Bheegi Bheegi’
(Chori Chori, 1956), which don’t have any
rainfall, but talk of ‘mast fizayen’ and ‘chand
pyaara pyaara’.
Earlier, there was ‘Barsaat Mein Humse
Mile Tum’ (Barsaat, 1949), where Nimmi
sings for Raj Kapoor on a rainless day. In
1967, the Milan song ‘Saawan Ka Mahina’
was filmed on Sunil Dutt and Nutan in a
boat. Obviously it wasn’t raining. Add the
gems ‘Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi Si’ (Chalti Ka
Naam Gaadi, 1958) and ‘Zindagi Bhar Nahin
Bhoolegi’ (Barsaat Ki Raat, 1960). One can
also tune in to ‘Bole Re Papihara’ from
Guddi (1971), sung by Vani Jairam, written
by Gulzar and composed by Vasant Desai in
raag Miyan Ki Malhar.
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‘Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi Si’ (Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, 1958)
Among the songs depicting rain, there are
‘Dum Dum Diga Diga’ (Chhalia, 1960), ‘O
Sajna Barkha Bahar Aayi’ (Parakh, 1960),
‘Rimjhim Ke Tarane Leke’ (Kala Bazar,
1960), ‘Rimjhim Ke Geet Saawan Gaaye’
(Anjaana, 1969), ‘Barkha Rani Zara Jamke
Barso’ (Sabak, 1973), ‘Bheegi Bheegi Raaton
Mein’ (Ajnabee, 1974) and one of the version
of ‘Rimjhim Gire Saawan’ (Manzil, 1979).
Other songs shot in the rain included ‘Aaj
Rapat Jaaye’ (Namak Halal, 1982), ‘Lagi
Aaj Saawan’ (Chandni, 1989), ‘Rimjhim
Rimjhim’ (1942: A Love Story in 1994) and
‘Ghanan Ghanan’ (Lagaan, 2001).
Among thumris, Mehdi Hassan sang
‘Umad Ghumad Ghir Aayo Re Sajni Badra’
in raag Desh. The song ‘Ab Ke Sawan
Ghar Aaja’ was recorded earlier by Ustad
Barkat Ali Khan, and later by Pandit Ajay
Pohankar. On the Indipop side, Shubha
Mudgal’s ‘Ab Ke Saawan’ should suit the
mood. And, only if your family members
and guests insist, play Anu Malik’s ‘Dekho
Baarish Ho Rahi Hai’.
Obviously, rain songs far outnumber
tunes created for other seasons. But that’s
the beauty of the season, as long as the
downpour is within limits. Till winter
comes, you have plenty on your playlist.