With Valentine’s Day coming up, it’s time to present flowers and sing love songs. To set the mood, we have chosen 10 songs with flowers as the theme.
We begin with the early 1960s and wind up in 1974, in chronological order.
1 Ae Gulbadan – Professor (1962)
Shammi Kapoor and Kalpana appeared in this Mohammed Rafi song composed by Shankar-Jaikishen. Hasrat Jaipuri wrote the lyrics, “Ae gulbadan, ae gulbadan, phoolon ki mahek, kaanton ki chuban, tujhe dekh ke kehta hai mera man, kahin aaj kisise mohabbat na ho jaaye”. Shammi’s energetic persona was the highlight.
2 Paon Choo Lene Do Phoolon Ko – Taj Mahal (1963)
The film was based on Emperor Shah Jahan’s love for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. The characters were played by Pradeep Kumar and Bina Rai, with Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar singing. Music was by Roshan, with Sahir Ludhianvi writing, “Paaon choole do phoolon ko, inaayat hogi; warna humko nahin, inko bhi shikayat hogi”.
3 Ae Phoolon Ki Rani – Arzoo (1965)
Rajendra Kumar and Sadhna appeared on this song in a garden. Music was by Shankar-Jaikishen. Rafi sang Hasrat Jaipuri’s lines, “Ae phoolon ki rani, baharon ki mallika, tera muskurana gazab ho gaya; na dil hosh mein hai, na hum hosh mein hain, nazar ka milana gazab ho gaya”.
4 Ek Tha Gul – Jab Jab Phool Khile (1965)
A fairytale song about a rose and a bird, this was sung by Rafi and filmed on Shashi Kapoor and Nanda. Kalyanji-Anandji gave the music, and Anand Bakshi wrote, “Ek tha gul aur ek thi bulbul, donon chaman mein rehte the, hai yeh kahani bilkul sachchi, mere nana kehte the”. The song was shot in Kashmir.
5 Baharon Phool Barsao – Suraj (1966)
Shankar-Jaikishen and Hasrat combined again on this evergreen classic, sung by Rafi. It was filmed on Rajendra Kumar and Vyjayanthimala in a garden. The words were, “Baharon phool barsao, mera mehboob aaya hai, mera mehboob aaya hai; hawaaon ragini gao, mera mehboob aaya hai, mera mehboob aaya hai”. The song has been regularly played at wedding receptions.
6 Kaliyon Ne Ghoonghat Khole – Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya (1966)
One of the ultimate flower-themed songs, this was composed by Sonik-Omi and penned by G.L. Rawal. Rafi’s singing was outstanding. Dharmendra and Nutan starred in the film, which was also known for its title track. The lines were, “Kaliyon ne ghoonghat khole, har phool pe bhanwra dole, lo aaya pyaar ka mausam, gul-o-gulzar ka mausam”.
7 Phool Tumhe Bheja Hai – Saraswatichandra (1968)
Kalyanji-Anandji composed this song filmed on Nutan and Manish. It was sung by Lata and Mukesh. Indeevar wrote the lyrics, “Phool tumhe bheja hai khat mein, phool nahin mera dil hain, priyatam mere mujh ko likhna, kya yeh tumhare kaabil hai”.
8 Phoolon Ke Rang Se – Prem Pujari (1970)
A classic filmed on Dev Anand in a train abroad, this Kishore Kumar song was composed by S.D. Burman in raag Pahadi. Neeraj wrote the lyrics, “Phoolon ke rang se, dil ki kalam se, tujhko likhi roz paati” which flow in free verse form to “Baadal bijli chandan paani jaisa apna pyaar, lena hoga janam hamein kai kai baar”.
9 Khilte Hain Gul Yahaan – Sharmeelee (1971)
Another song featuring the combination of S.D. Burman, Neeraj and Kishore, it was filmed on Shashi Kapoor and Raakhee, who was seen with a group of girls. The lines were, “Khilte hai gul yahaan, khilke bikharne ko, milte hain dil yahan, milke bichadne ko”. The song, based on raag Bhimpalasi, also had a version by Lata.
10 Rajnigandha Phool Tumhare – Rajnigandha (1974)
This gem was sung by Lata and filmed on Vidya Sinha, with Amol Palekar appearing in an imagined situation at the end. Music was by Salil Chowdhury with Yogesh writing, “Rajnigandha phool tumhare, mehke yoon hi jeevan mein, yun hi mehke preet piya ki, mere anuragi man mein”.
https://youtu.be/_j5dRsWevdM
As they say, there’s nothing like saying it with flowers. These songs can play in the background.
