The percentage of memorable songs in Sanjay Dutt films may be lower than that of some of his contemporaries. But he had some big hits in the 1980s and 1990s.
The actor turns 62 on July 29. To mark the occasion, we choose 10 songs pictured on him. Some of these are love songs and the others are situational, keeping with the script and his character. The list is chronological.
1 Kya Yehi Pyaar Hai – Rocky (1981)
The first hit filmed on Sanjay also featured Tina Munim. The classic duet was sung by Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar, and R.D. Burman composed the tune. Anand Bakshi’s line “Ho, dil tere bin kahin lagta nahin, waqt guzarta nahin” became a catch phrase. The song made it to many 1980s compilations.
2 Tu Kal Chala Jaayega – Naam (1986)
A drunken party song with the theme of friendship, the song featured Kumar Gaurav and Sanjay. Playback was by Mohammed Aziz and Manhar Udhas, with Bakshi writing, “Tu kal chala jaayega toh main kya karoonga, tu yaad bahut aayega toh main kya karoonga”. Laxmikant-Pyarelal gave the music, and Aziz sang the solo sad version.
3 Roz Roz Aankhon Taley – Jeeva (1986)
This gem composed by R.D. Burman was written by Gulzar, and picturised on Sanjay and Mandakini. The opening lines were, “Roz roz aankhon taley, ek hi sapna chaley, raat bhar kaajal jaley, aankh mein khwab ka jis tarah diya jaley”. Asha Bhosle sang a large section after which Amit Kumar took over.
4 Aur Is Dil Mein – Imaandaar (1987)
Suresh Wadkar sang this beautifully, as Sanjay was shown rendering it at a restaurant, with Farah looking on. Prakash Mehra wrote the lines, “Aur is dil mein kya rakha hai, tera hi dard chhupa rakha hai”. Kalyanji-Anandji provided the music, and Asha sang the female solo version.
5 Tamma Tamma Loge – Thanedaar (1990)
This song stands out for the dancing by Sanjay and Madhuri Dixit, with choreography by Saroj Khan. Bappi Lahiri blatantly lifted the tune from a Mory Kante song ‘Tama Tama’. Lyrics were by Indeevar, and the song was sung by Anuradha Paudwal and Bappi.
6 Mera Dil Bhi – Saajan (1991)
Sanjay and Madhuri teamed up on this wonderful love song, composed by Nadeem-Shravan and sung by Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik. Sameer’s lines were, “Mera dil bhi kitna paagal hai, yeh pyaar toh tumse karta hai, par saamne jab tum aate ho, kuch bhi kehne se darta hai”. The songs of Saajan were a huge success.
7 Tumhe Apna Banane Ki – Sadak (1991)
Kumar Sanu and Anuradha Paudwal got together on this song, where Sameer wrote, “Tumhe apna banane ki kasam khaayi hai, khaayi hai; Teri aankhon mein chaahat hi nazar aayee hai, aayee hai”. Music was by Nadeem-Shravan and the song featured Sanjay and Pooja Bhatt.
8 Nayak Nahin – Khalnayak (1993)
Sanjay’s costume seemed to be inspired by Zorro minus the mask. This song had a lavish set with Ramya Krishnan joining in the dance routine. Laxmikant-Pyarelal composed the song sung by Vinod Rathod and Kavita Krishnamurthy, with Bakshi writing, “Nayak nahin, khalnayak hoon main”.
9 Meri Duniya Hai – Vaastav: The Reality (1999)
Sanjay appeared with Namrata Shirodkar in this song sung by Sonu Nigam and Kavita Krishnamurthy. Jatin-Lalit gave the music and Sameer wrote, “Meri duniya hai tujh mein kahin, tere bin main kya kuch bhi nahin, meri jaan mein teri jaan hai, o saathi mere”.
10 M Bole Toh – Munna Bhai MBBS (2003)
A list of Sanjay Dutt songs would be incomplete without a tapori number or something from the Munnabhai films which many fans admire him for. ‘M Bole Toh’ was a fun song where lyricist Rahat Indori expanding on the abbreviation MBBS. Music was by Anu Malik, and Vinod Rathod sang the main lines with support singers.
There were a few other hits like ‘Aisa Samaa Na Hota’ in Zameen Aasman, ‘O Bhavre’ in Daud and ‘Pal Pal Har Pal’ in Lage Raho Munna Bhai. But since a large chunk of his films were action-oriented, the number of songs were fewer.
