To mark lyricist Anand Bakshi’s 21st death anniversary on March 30, we choose 10 songs he wrote for composers Laxmikant-Pyarelal. They had worked together on 303 films, creating many memorable numbers.
Choosing 10 wasn’t easy, obviously, but we covered a 25-year span beginning in 1964. The order is chronological.
1 Mere Mehboob Qayamat Hogi – Mr X In Bombay (1964)
This film marked the beginning of the great combination, and this song was a huge hit for Kishore Kumar, who also played the lead role. Many solo scenes were shot near Mumbai’s Gateway Of India, besides indoor shots featuring Kum Kum. The opening line was, “Mere mehboob qayamat hogi, aaj rusva teri galiyon mein mohabbat hogi”.
2 Suno Sajna Papihe Ne – Aaye Din Bahaar Ke (1966)
Lata Mangeshkar excelled on this tune filmed on Asha Parekh and Dharmendra. It was shot against picturesque backdrops. Bakshi’s lines were, “Suno sajna papihe ne kaha sabse pukaar ke, sambhal jaao chaman waalon ke aaye din bahaar ke ”. Santoor exponent Shivkumar Sharma and flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia played on this, in the early part of their career.
3 Hum Tum Yug Yug Se – Milan (1967)
When one talks about Milan, the first song that comes to mind is ‘Saawan Ka Mahina’. However, the film had another big hit which began, “Hum tum yug yug se yeh geet milan ke gaate rahe hain, gaate rahenge”. Mukesh and Lata sang for Sunil Dutt and Nutan. The song featured car and boat rides.
4 Mere Naseeb Mein Ae Dost – Do Raaste (1969)
This sad Kishore gem was filmed on Rajesh Khanna with Mumtaz as the co-star. Laxmikant-Pyarelal came up with a beautiful melody, and Bakshi wrote, “Khiza ke phool pe aati kabhi bahaar nahin, mere naseeb mein ae dost tera pyaar nahin”. The film also had Lata’s famous ‘Bindiya Chamkegi’.
5 Khilona Jaan Kar – Khilona (1970)
Mohammed Rafi sang this pathos-filled song picturised on Sanjeev Kumar, who played a person with mental illness. Mumtaz appeared on screen too. The words were, “Khilona jaan kar tum toh mera dil tod jaate ho; Mujhe is haal mein kiske sahaare chhod jaate ho”.
6 Main Shayar Toh Nahin – Bobby (1973)
This was Rishi Kapoor’s first film as hero, and Shailendra Singh sang for him. The song was shot in a party scene, where Rishi was thinking of Dimple Kapadia but Aruna Irani was dancing. Bakshi came up with the iconic lyrics, “Main shayar toh nahin, magar ae haseen, jabse dekha maine tujhko, mujhko shayari aa gayee”.
7 Gaadi Bula Rahi Hai – Dost (1974)
Bakshi used a train as a metaphor for life in this song, picturised on Dharmendra in a rail compartment. Kishore sang the unforgettable song, with Laxmikant-Pyarelal sticking to a simple tune. The lyrics were, “Gaadi bula rahi hai, seeti baja rahi hai; Chalna hi zindagi hai, chalti hi jaa rahi hai”.
8 Dard-e-dil – Karz (1980)
Featuring Rishi Kapoor and Tina Munim, this golden number was sung by Rafi. The words were, “Dard-e-dil, dard-e-jigar, dil mein jagaaya aapne, pehle toh main shayar tha, aashiq banaya aapne”. In the film, Kishore sang the other hits like ‘Om Shanti Om’, ‘Ek Hasina Thi’ and ‘Paisa Yeh Paisa’, filmed on Rishi.
9 Tere Mere Beech Mein – Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981)
There were two versions, with Kamal Haasan and Rati Agnihotri in the lead. The peppy one was sung by Lata with S.P. Balasubramaniam doing a cameo. The words were, “Tere mere beech mein kaisa hai yeh bandhan anjaana, maine nahin jaana, tu ne nahin jaana”. The sad version was a solo by Balasubramaniam.
10 Bada Dukh Deena – Ram Lakhan (1989)
Madhuri Dixit did a fantastic dance number in this well-choreographed sequence. Lata was backed by chorus singers, and the main lines were “Bada dukh deena mere Lakhan ne’. The ensemble cast on screen included Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Dimple Kapadia, Amrish Puri, Anupam Kher and Saeed Jaffrey.
This is only a small fraction of the enormous amount of work they’ve done together. There could be many other spin-off lists, of songs they did with Lata, Kishore or Rafi.
