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10 songs of the pretty and prolific Nanda

Most of the hit songs filmed on actress Nanda were sung by Lata Mangeshkar. Of the 10 songs we have chosen to mark her 84th birth anniversary on January 8, nine feature the Nightingale.

The daughter of actor-director Master Vinayak, Nanda Karnataki was pretty prolific in the 1960s, doing films with Dev Anand, Sunil Dutt, Manoj Kumar and Shashi Kapoor, among others. This list is chronological.

1 Bhaiyya Mere – Chhoti Bahen (1959)

The song became synonymous with Raksha Bandhan. Here, Nanda tied rakhi to Balraj Sahni. Lata sang the song composed by Shankar-Jaikishan. Shailendra wrote the lines, “Bhaiyya mere, rakhi ke bandhan ko nibhana, bhaiyya mere, chhoti bahen ko na bhulana, dekho yeh naata nibhana, nibhana”.

2 Aaha Rimjhim Ke Ye Pyaare – Usne Kaha Tha (1960)

Salil Chowdhury composed this wonderful duet in his trademark style, with Talat Mahmood singing for Sunil Dutt and Lata for Nanda. Shailendra’s opening lines were, “Aaha rimjhim ke yeh pyaare pyaare geet liye, aayi raat suhaani dekho preet liye”. The chemistry between the lead pair was wonderful.

 

3 Allah Tero Naam – Hum Dono (1961)

This song is surely among Lata’s most memorable tunes, with Sahir Ludhianvi talking of religious harmony through the lines, “Allah tero naam, ishwar tero naam, sabko sanmati de bhagwan”. Jaidev composed the tune, and the use of back-up singers was fantastic. The film was a huge musical success.

4 Yeh Waadiyan Yeh Fizaayen – Aaj Aur Kal (1963)

Nanda’s beauty was captured in close-up shots in this song also featuring Sunil Dutt. It was a Mohammed Rafi solo composed by Ravi. Sahir wrote the lines, “Yeh waadiyan yeh fizaayen bula rahi hain tumhe, khamoshiyon ki sadaayein bula rahi hain tumhe”.

 

5 Likha Hai Teri Aankhon Mein – Teen Deviyan (1965)

Nanda and Dev Anand teamed up on this frothy duet shot against the backdrop of open fields. Lata and Kishore Kumar sang this tune composed by S.D. Burman. Lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri wrote, “Likha hai teri aankhon mein kiska afsana, agar isey samajh sakey, mujhe bhi samjhana”. 

6 Yeh Samaa – Jab Jab Phool Khile (1965)

Nanda looked very glamorous in a shiny white western outfit, with Shashi Kapoor looking on. Another beauty by Lata, it was composed by Kalyanji-Anandji. Anand Bakshi wrote, “Yeh samaa, samaa hai yeh pyaar ka, kisike intezaar ka, dil na chura le kahin mera, mausam bahaar ka”.

7 Gumnaam Hai Koi – Gumnaam (1975)

Nanda was in a woody location with a large team that included Manoj Kumar, Pran and Helen. Lata sang Shankar-Jaikishan’s melodious tune. Lyrics were by Hasrat Jaipuri, who began, “Gumnaam hai koi, badnaam hai koi, kisko khabar, kaun hai woh, anjaan hai koi”.

 

 

8 Waadiyan Mera Daaman – Abhilasha (1968)

The song was in two versions, sung separately as solos by Rafi and Lata. R.D. Burman composed the tune, with Majrooh writing, “Waadiyan mera daaman, raaste meri baahein, jaao mere siva, tum kahaan jaaoge”. While Nanda appeared with Sanjay Khan in the Rafi song, the female version featured her with Dr Kashinath Ghanekar.

9 Kis Liye Maine Pyar Kiya – The Train (1970)

Another gem composed by R.D. Burman, this was filmed on Rajesh Khanna and Nanda. Lata sang it beautifully. Anand Bakshi’s words were, “Kis liye maine pyaar kiya, dil ko yun hi bekaraar kiya, shaam savere teri raah dekhi, raat din intezaar kiya”.

 

10 Ek Pyaar Ka Nagma Hai – Shor (1972)

Most film music buffs have identified Nanda with this song, which was a huge hit for Laxmikant-Pyarelal. Manoj Kumar and Master Satyajit also appeared on screen. It was sung by Lata and Mukesh, and was also known for Pyarelal’s violin. Santosh Anand wrote, “Ek pyaar ka nagma hai, maujon ki rawaani hai, zindagi aur kuch bhi nahin, teri meri kahaani hai”.

Nanda passed away in 2014 at the age of 75. Some of these songs bring back memories of her.

Narendra Kusnur
Narendra Kusnur is one of India’s best known music journalists. Born with a musical spoon, so to speak, Naren, who dubs himself Kaansen, is a late bloomer in music criticism. He was (is!) an aficionado first, and then strayed into writing on music. But in the last two decades, he has made up for most of what he didn’t do earlier.

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