In the 1960s, Sunil Dutt had some great songs picturised on him. What’s interesting is that the five most prominent male singers of that era – Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh, Talat Mahmood, Kishore Kumar and Mahendra Kapoor – sang hit songs for him.
To mark Dutt’s 93rd birth anniversary on June 6, we choose 10 songs from that period, with all five singers being featured. While the earlier gems were sung by Talat Mahmood, Mahendra Kapoor sang some great songs later. The list is chronological.
1 Jalte Hain Jiske Liye – Sujata (1959)
Dutt was shown singing this song to Nutan over the telephone. The great Talat Mahmood sang it in his signature style, and S.D. Burman composed the music. Lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri wrote, “Jalte hain jiske liye, teri aankhon ke diye, dhoondh laya hoon wohi, geet main tere liye”
2 Aaha Rimjhim Ke Yeh – Usne Kaha Tha (1960)
Talat teamed up with Lata Mangeshkar on this extremely melodious duet picturised on Dutt and Nanda. Music director Salil Chowdhury began with western orchestration. Shailendra wrote the lines beginning with, “Aaha rimjhim ke yeh pyaare pyaare geet liye, aayi raat suhani dekho preet liye”.
3 Aansoon Samajh Ke Kyon Mujhe – Chhaya (1961)
Once again, Talat proved how well his voice suited Dutt. Rajendra Krishan’s intense lyrics began, “Aansoon samajh ke kyon mujhe aankh se tumne gira diya, moti kisike pyaar ka mitti mein kyon mila diya”. The music was composed by Salil Da, and Asha Parekh was the female lead. The film also had the hit ‘Itna Na Mujhse Tu Pyaar Badha’.
4 Radhike Tune Bansari Churayi – Beti Bete (1964)
Dutt and B. Saroja Devi appeared in this song sung by Mohammed Rafi. Shankar-Jaikishan composed the music, and Shailendra wrote, “Radhike tune bansari churayi, bansari churayi kya tere man aayee, kaahe ko raar machayi re”. The film also had the song ‘Gori Chalo Na Hans Ki Chaal’ filmed on Mehmood and Shubha Khote.
5 Hum Jab Simat Ke Aapki – Waqt (1965)
In this romantic song, Dutt and Sadhna made a wonderful couple as they were filmed in a flower-decked garden. Ravi composed the tune sung by Mahendra Kapoor and Asha Bhosle. Sahir’s words were, “Hum jab simat ke aapki baahon mein aa gaye; laakhon haseen khwaab nigaahon mein aa gaye”. It was a ghazal set in raag Pahadi.
6 Tum Hi Mere Mandir – Khandan (1965)
Lata’s voice sounded mint-fresh as she sang Rajendra Krishan’s words, “Tumhi mere mandir, tumhi meri pooja, tumhi devta ho, tumhi devta ho; koi mere aankhon se dekhe toh samjhe, ke tum mere kya ho, ke tum mere kya ho”. Composed by Ravi, the song was filmed on Dutt and Nutan.
7 Saawan Ka Mahina – Milan (1967)
The song famously shot in a boat after the initial indoor scene featured Dutt and Nutan again. Mukesh and Lata sang the duet composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal. Anand Bakshi wrote, “Saawan ka mahina, pawan kare sor, jiyara re jhoome aise jaise ban ma naache mor”.
8 Tum Agar Saath Dene Ka – Humraaz (1967)
The film Humraaz had some excellent compositions by Ravi. This song, featuring Dutt and Vimi, was sung beautifully by Mahendra Kapoor. Sahir wrote the words, “Tum agar saath dene ka vaada karo, main yunhi mast naghme lutata rahoon, tum mujhe dekhkar muskurati raho, main tumhe dekhkar geet gaata rahoon”.
9 Kehna Hai – Padosan (1968)
While Dutt appeared in other great songs in Padosan, notably ‘Mere Saamne Waali Khidki’ and ‘Ek Chatur Naar’, the number ‘Kehna Hai’ was a special favourite of Kishore Kumar fans. Saira Banu and Kishore were the co-stars. R.D. Burman composed the tune, with Rajendra Krishan writing, “Kehna hai, kehna hai
10 Teri Aankhon Ke Siva – Chirag (1969)
Madan Mohan composed this raag Jhinjhoti masterpiece filmed on Dutt and Asha Parekh. Rafi was in his element in the main version, with Lata appearing briefly. The song also had a female version by Lata. Majrooh wrote the lines, “Teri aankhon ke siva duniya mein rakha kya hai, yeh utthe subah chale, yeh jhuke shaam dhale, mera jeena, mera marna inhi palkon ke liye”.
Interestingly, three of these songs have been written by Rajendra Krishan, whose birthday also falls on June 6. For 10 Rajendra Krishan classics, check, https://seniorstoday.in/music/10-songs-of-the-very-versatile-rajendra-krishan
