Though Indeevar wrote some really memorable tunes in the 1960s, he was never spoken of in the same manner as some of his contemporaries. He had a hit as early as 1951 with ‘Bade Armaanon Se’ in the film Malhar. After that, he penned some great romantic, sad or philosophical songs.
To mark his 26th death anniversary on February 27, NARENDRA KUSNUR selects 10 songs that represent his style. The order is chronological.
1 Roshan Tumhi Se Duniya – Parasmani (1963)
Mohammed Rafi sang this gem picturised on Mahipal, posing with a sitar as Geetanjali did a dance. Parasmani was Laxmikant-Pyarelal’s first official release. Indeevar wrote the romantic lines, “Roshan tumhi se duniya, raunak tumhi jahaan ki, phoolon mein palne waali, raani ho gulistan ki, salamat raho, salamat raho”.
2 Kasme Vaade Pyaar Wafaa – Upkar (1967)
One of the masterpieces sung by Manna Dey, it featured an iconic performance by Pran, with Manoj Kumar also appearing on screen. Kalyanji-Anandji composed the music. Indeevar wrote the memorable words, “Kasme vaade pyaar wafaa, sab baate hain, baaton ka kya; Koi kisiki ka nahin hai, jhoothe naate hain, naaton ka kya”.
3 Waqt Karta Jo Wafaa – Dil Ne Pukara (1967)
Indeevar penned this pathos-filled song which began, “Waqt karta jo wafaa aap hamaare hote, hum bhi auron ki tarah aapko pyaare hote”. Sung expressively by Mukesh, it was composed by Kalyanji-Anandji. Shashi Kapoor was featured on the piano, with Sanjay Khan and Rajshree in the party crowd.
4 Phool Tumhe Bheja Hai – Saraswatichandra (1968)
A beautiful duet by Lata Mangeshkar and Mukesh, it was filmed on Nutan and Manish. The heroine sent a flower in her letter, and her partner replied, “Pyaar chhupa hai khat mein itna, jitne saagar mein moti; Choom hi leta haath tumhara paas jo tum mere hoti”. Once again, music was by Kalyanji-Anandji.
5 Oh Re Taal Mile – Anokhi Raat (1968)
This song was a huge hit when released, and is popular even today. Roshan composed the tune using many choruses and Mukesh’s voice. Indeevar wrote, “Oh re taal mile nadi ke jal mein, nadi mile saagar mein: Saagar mile kaun se jal mein, koi jaane na”. Sanjeev Kumar was shown riding a bullock cart with Zaheeda and Mukri seated behind.
6 Zindagi Ka Safar – Safar (1970)
Kishore Kumar sang this gem for Rajesh Khanna, with Sharmila Tagore also on screen. Kalyanji-Anandji created the tune, and Indeevar wrote the poignant words, “Zindagi ka safar, hai yeh kaisa safar, koi samjha nahin, koi jaana nahin: hai yeh kaisi dagar, chalte hain sab magar, koi samjha nahin, koi jaana nahin”.
7 Hai Preet Jahaan Ki Reet Sada – Purab Aur Paschim (1970)
In this song sung by Mahendra Kapoor, Indeevar wrote the patriotic lines, “Hai preet jahaan ki reet sada, main geet wahaan ke gaata hoon; Bharat ka rehne waala hoon, Bharat ki baat sunaata hoon”. Music was by Kalyanji-Anandji. Manoj Kumar was the protagonist, and Saira Banu the heroine.
8 Dil Aisa Kisi Ne Mera Toda – Amanush (1975)
There was a lot of pain in Indeevar’s lines, “Dil aisa kisine mera toda, barbaadi ki taraf aisa moda; Ek bhale maanush ko, amanush bana ke chhoda”. Sung brilliantly by Kishore, it was composed by Shyamal Mitra, famous Bengali music director. Uttam Kumar and Sharmila Tagore formed the lead pair.
9 Hum Tumhe Chahte Hain – Qurbani (1980)
Indeevar wrote very simple lines, beginning with “Hum tumhe chaahte hain aise, Marne waala koi zindagi chaahta ho jaise”. Kalyanji-Anandji’s tune was sung by Manhar Udhas, Kanchan and Anand Kumar C., and filmed on Vinod Khanna and Zeenat Aman. The film also had the hits ‘Aap Jaisa Koi’, ‘Laila Ho Laila’ and ‘Kya Dekhte Ho’.
10 Honton Se ChhooloTum – Prem Geet (1981)
This unforgettable love song was composed and sung by Jagjit Singh, and picturised on Raj Babbar and Anita Raj. Indeevar’s lines were, “Honton se chhoolo tum, mera geet amar kar do, ban jaao meet mere, meri preet amar kar do”. Jagjit invariably sang it at his concerts.
Six of these songs have been composed by Kalyanji-Anandji. Their other hits together included ‘Jis Dil Mein Basa Tha’ from Saheli, ‘Meri Pyaari Bahaniya’ from Sachha Jhoota and ‘Samjhauta Ghamon Se Karlo’ from Samjhauta. It was one of the best composer-lyricist combinations.
