Category Archives: Music

Music Directors Who Sang For Other Music Directors

This post documents the work of music directors who have sung Hindi film songs for other music directors. I’ve limited the scope of this exercise by considering only those music directors who meet the following criteria:

  1. They are relatively well known.
  2. They are known mainly for their work as music directors even though they have sung songs.

As a result, I’m not including artists like Shankar Mahadevan, Hemant Kumar and Vishal Dadlani who are music directors in their own right but have sung extensively for others. The list includes only one song for each MD-singer pair even if they have collaborated on more than one song. I’ve also excluded recreations, If MD1’s song is recreated by MD2 and the recreated song is sung by MD1, it is not counted. The MySwar Advanced Search featured can be used to further explore artist collaborations.

Aadesh Shrivastava for

Ajay Gogavale (Of Ajay-Atul) for

Amit Trivedi for

Anand Raj Anand for

Anil Biswas for

Anu Malik for

A.R. Rahman for

Bappi Lahiri for

Bulo C. Rani for

C. Ramchandra for

Chitragupt for

Gyan Dutt for

Hridaynath Mangeshkar for

Jagmohan Bakshi (Of Sapan-Jagmohan) for

Jatin Pandit (Of Jatin-Lalit) for

Jigar Saraiya (Of Sachin-Jigar) for

Khayyam for

Khemchand Prakash for

Lalit Pandit (Of Jatin-Lalit) for

Manohar Lal Sonik (Of Sonik-Omi) for

Omi (Of Sonik-Omi) for

Pankaj Mullick for

Ram Sampath for

Ravi for

Ravindra Jain for

R.D. Burman for

Sachin Sanghvi (Of Sachin-Jigar) for

Sajid Khan (Of Sajid-Wajid) for

Salim Merchant (Of Salim-Sulaiman) for

S.D. Burman for

Shankar Singh Raghuvanshi (Of Shankar-Jaikishan) for

Shekhar Ravjiani (Of Vishal-Shekhar) for

Shyamal Mitra for

S.N. Tripathi for

Sneha Khanwalkar for

Snehal Bhatkar for

Sudhir Phadke for

Usha Khanna for

Vasant Desai for

Vishal Bhardwaj for

Wajid Khan for

Relatives Collaborating In Hindi Film Songs

This blog post started as a Twitter thread. The idea was to create a list of Hindi film music artists who are related in real life and share credits in a song. There were many artists who were related but didn’t share credits in any Hindi film song. These artists were not included in the list. The post focuses on just the three main music credits – Singer, Music Director, and Lyricist. Relatives who collaborated in roles beyond these are not in this exercise’s scope. The intent was not to create an exhaustive list of songs in which relatives shared credits. Instead, it was to share as comprehensive a list of relationships as possible using the fewest number of songs.

I focused only on “close relationships” which I defined as direct relatives – Father/Mother, Husband/Wife, Son/Daughter, and Siblings; and their direct relatives – Grandfather/Grandmother, Grandson/Granddaughter, Uncles/Aunts, Father-in-law/Mother-in-law, Brother-in-law/Sister-in-law, Son-in-law/Daughter-in-law, and Nephews/Nieces.

I used MySwar’s Advanced Search feature to identify these associations. This feature can be used to further explore the breadth (roles in a song) and depth (number of songs for a given combination) of the relationships listed here.

The original list featured about 100 posts. The list has expanded considerably since then thanks to the inputs from the members of the RMIM music group as well as from Twitter acquaintances. I have added an Addendum at the end to list a few examples of artists who are related and share credits in non-film songs. The Addendum is not intended to be comprehensive.

  1. Umrazia Begum sang Tum Bin Naiya Mori Kaun Tarave (Swarg Ki Seedhi, 1935) for her husband Ghulam Haider. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSS0N_8Wo5g
  2. Brothers K.L. Saigal and Mohinder Saigal sang Nis Din Barsat Nain Hamare (Bhakta Surdas, 1942). This was probably Mohinder Saigal’s only Hindi film song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs2TjiKNFtI
  3. The debut Hindi film song of playback singer Manna Dey (born Prabodh Chandra Dey) was composed by his mentor and uncle KC Dey – Jaago Jaago Jaago Aayi Usha (Tamanna, 1942)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXSxIxraG80
  4. Parul Ghosh, nee Biswas sang Papiha Re Mere Piya Se Kahiyo Jaye (Kismet, 1943) for her brother Anil Biswas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_yA1Kg4DNg
  5. Parul Ghosh sang Aaj Pehloo Mein Dard Sa Kya Hai (Sawaal, 1943) composed by her husband Pannalal Gosh. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtNdatbrnKk
  6. Kalyani Das sang for her husband Kamal Dasgupta in Papiha Papiha Tu Piyu Ko Pukar (Zamin Asman, 1946)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GUcqQfIV_M
  7. Husband-wife Arun Kumar Ahuja and Nirmala Devi sang Naa Maaro Ji (Sehra, 1948). Film actor Govinda is their son. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-1IyO1u7TM
  8. Ashalata Biswas had a few spoken words in Aagre Ko Ghaghro Mangwa De Raja (Ladli, 1949). She produced the film and her husband Anil Biswas composed its music. They divorced later and Anil Biswas married singer Meena Kapoor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rd5_qo-NhQ
  9. Brothers Husnlal and Bhagatram Batish formed the first music director duo in Hindi films, Husnlal – Bhagatram. Husnlal sang Ae Chaand Zara Sun Le (Pyar Ki Manzil, 1950), a Husnlal – Bhagatram composition. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoG2cwI3PTc
  10. Before meeting success with Boond Jo Ban Gayee Moti (1967), Satish Bhatia composed the music of obscure Maldar (1951). His sister Usha, a well-known AIR singer, sang a few songs in the film including Aji Hamari Pehli Mulaqat Ban Gayi Prem Kahanihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44QwXLz4r_s
  11. Premlata sang Yeh Raat Chandni Badi Suhani (Ghazab, 1951) composed by her husband Nashad (Shaukat Dehlvi). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHW4MdcTKcI
  12. Aayi Bahar Kiye Solah Singaar (Nav Durga, 1953) was possibly the only Hindi film song sung by sisters Geeta Dutt and Laxmi Roy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2JVedG5XW4
  13. Lalita Phadke, nee Deulkar sang Hisab Zara Sunte Jana Ji (Pehli Tarikh, 1954) composed by her husband Sudhir Phadke. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kglM0gha9cQ
  14. Kaumudi Munshi sang Baansuriya Bajaye Re Saanwariya (Teen Tasveeren, 1954) composed by her husband Neenu Majumdar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIm0z3C-Uhk
  15. OP Nayyar’s wife Saroj Mohini Nayyar wrote the lyrics of his song Preetam Aan Milo (Mr. & Mrs. ’55, 1955). OPN had originally recorded it as a non-film song sung by C.H. Atma. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wyRHrKtVdo
  16. Geeta Dutt sang Yeh Rut Yeh Raat Jawan (Sailaab, 1956) composed by her brother Mukul Roy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-Dg05I_k5U
  17. Laxmi Roy, the sister of Geeta Dutt and Mukul Roy, sang Baje Dil Ki Taar Kare Yeh Pukar (Sailaab, 1956) composed by Mukul. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAU4RX3iz8k
  18. Duniya Mein Hum Hain To (Mother India, 1957) was sung by the Mangeshkar sisters Lata, Meena and Usha. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjYhUk6M0iM
  19. Sulochana Vyas sang Maalik Ki Marzi Ke Aage (Bhakt Raj, 1960) for her husband Avinash Vyas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIFRS5rO8wA
  20. Brothers Shankar and Shambhu Qawwal sang Nigah-E-Naaz Ke Maaron (Barsaat Ki Raat, 1960)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzUPvANvsq8
  21. Sabita Chowdhury sang Chand Kabhi Tha Baahon Mein (Sapan Suhane, 1961) composed by her husband Salil Chowdhury. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk7S2cRqSNws
  22. Mujhe Tumse Mohabbat Hai (Bachpan, 1963) was composed by Sardar Malik and written by his brother-in-law (wife’s brother) Hasrat Jaipuri. Lesser heard beauty! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIefoTwgn4s
  23. Sisters Suman Kalyanpur, nee Hemady and Shyama Hemady sang Jhankti Hai Meri Aankhon Se Qaza (Dooj Ka Chaand, 1964)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFpRXKmDGAg
  24. Jagjeet Kaur sang the lovely Tum Apna Ranj-O-Gham (Shagoon, 1964) composed by her husband Khayyam. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smVd3lcLc_k
  25. Meena Kapoor sang Kuchh Aur Zamana Kehta Hai (Chhoti Chhoti Baten, 1965) composed by her husband Anil Biswas. This was his last film as a music director. He focused on his career in All India Radio after that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5a0hB0bbHU
  26. Bela Mukherjee sang Ae Deendayal Daya Do Hamen (Faraar, 1965), a bhajan composed by her husband Hemant Kumar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0KAxo4SW3o
  27. Manohar Lal Sonik aka Master Sonik partnered with his nephew Om Prakash Sonik to form the music director duo of Sonik – Omi. The title song of Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya (1966) is probably their best-known work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRk15scBE0o
  28. Brothers Kishore and Anoop Kumar sang a song composed by Kishore – Do Dino Ki Hai Kahani (Hum Do Daaku, 1967)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc3jZUw0cps
  29. Music directors Kalyanji – Anandji were brothers. Anandji was credited as a singer in this chorus song composed by them – One Two Three Four Everybody Go (Parivar, 1967)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kERIvmT7w0U
  30. Ranu Mukherjee sang Ab To Muskuraiye Zara (Do Dooni Chaar, 1968) composed by her father Hemant Kumar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otFFu-09ZqA
  31. Hum Jiyen Ya Maren (Harishchandra Taramati, 1970) was composed by Hridaynath Mangeshkar and sung by his sisters Lata, Asha and Usha. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNuo_FoLEME
  32. Raina Soyi Soyi Naina Jaage Jaage (Ye Gulistan Hamara, 1972) was the only Hindi film song in which father and son S.D. Burman and R.D. Burman were credited as singers. The song was composed by S.D. Burman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bkaxx1W5eJ0
  33. Brothers Rajan – Nagendra composed Aisa Gaana Gaaoon (Miss Chalbaaz, 1972). Miss Chalbaaz was the Hindi-dubbed version of the Kannada film Kulla Agent 000 (1972). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-Ve4wvIpzA
  34. Four brothers, collectively called the Sharma Bandhu, sang the Doordarshan favourite Jaise Suraj Ki Garmi Se (Parinay, 1974)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqHM7h0Jkjo
  35. Jane Kahan Gaye Tum (Aaja Sanam, 1975) was composed by Usha Khanna and its lyrics were written by her father Manohar Khanna, who used the pen name M.K. Javed in this film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzwJ2oI0YJA
  36. Gitanjali Singh wrote the lyrics for Kyon Hum Tum Rahen Akele (Kadambari, 1975) which was sung and composed by her husband Ajit Singh. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyBWrwyYTI4
  37. Ram Shankar, the son of Shankar of Shankar-Shambhu, was credited as a singer in Yeh Khuda Wale Mustafa Wale (Hind Ke Wali, 1975) which was composed by the qawwal duo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izvHYkkIFfk
  38. Husband-wife A.V. Ramanan and Uma Ramanan sang the Hindi film song Haay Ek Buddhu Chhora (Play Boy, 1975)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn2epGkSKJk
  39. Winnie Paranjpe sang lyrics penned by her mother Sai Paranjpe in Achhe Bachche Nahin Jaagte (Sikandar, 1976). She was credited as Vinita Joglekar in it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30G-CTk25PM
  40. Bansari Lahiri sang Bhool Gaye Hum Sab Kuchh (Tere Pyar Mein, 1977) composed by her son Bappi Lahiri. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efhaLYvsVmE
  41. Antara Chowdhury sang Teri Galiyon Mein Hum Aaye (Minoo, 1977) composed by her father Salil Chowdhury. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-2Ktatrab4
  42. Sisters Padmini Kolhapure and Shivangi Kolhapure (Shakti Kapoor’s wife and Shraddha Kapoor’s mother) sang Masterji Ki Aa Gayi Chitthi (Kitaab, 1977). Gulzar’s quirky lyrics mention “agarbatii Kachhua chhaap” and “VIP underwear banian”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hxmbkoJStw
  43. Saraswati Rane sang Mondar Baaju Re (Bhumika, 1977) with her granddaughter Meena Phatarpekar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioXLeskRmo0
  44. Siblings Yogesh and Rachana, the children of playback singer Meena Khadikar (nee Mangeshkar), sang Chanda Chhode Chandni (Khel Kismat Ka, 1977)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h21rA0k-blA
  45. Amit Kumar sang Daur-E-Khizan Tha Dil Ke Chaman Mein (Shabash Daddy, 1978) his father Kishore Kumar’s composition. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjM136f6Mlo
  46. Buddhe Teri Chaal Buddhe (Ek Baap Chhe Bete, 1978) credited father-son Mehmood and Lucky Ali as singers (Lucky had a few spoken words at the end of the song). The film, directed and written by Mehmood, was apparently autobiographical and featured Mehmood along with his family members, including Lucky. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGVcTQKvxwQ
  47. Usha Khanna and Saawan Kumar Tak were married for about 7 years between the mid-70s and early 80s. The song O Jaani Jaani Tum Roothe Roothe (Saajan Bina Suhagan, 1978) was composed by Usha Khanna and written by Saawan Kumar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvoTv52Xr7Q
  48. Pandit Jasraj’s daughter Durga Jasraj acted in the film Raja Raneeko Chahiye Paseena  (1978) and was also credited as a singer. The film’s songs were composed by her brother Sharang Dev. Atkan Chatkan – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73_ctMqmNng
  49. Bansari Lahiri sang Nahin Maane Jiyara Hamaar (Subhash Chandra, 1978) for her husband Apresh Lahiri. Music director Bappi Lahiri was their son. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lTK5-wV2DI
  50. Sagarika, playback singer Shaan’s sister, debuted at the age of 9 with a song composed by her father Manas Mukherjee – Khushboo Hoon Main Phool Nahin (Shaayad, 1979)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOqt1Pl10Vs
  51. The song Saqiya Tu Koi Shayar Nahin Hai (Sansani, 1981) was composed by Hemant Bhosle and sung by his mother Asha Bhosle and his sister Varsha Bhosle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sdbZ7M1FyA
  52.  Anu Malik showed early promise in Poonam (1981) with songs like Mohabbat Rang Layegi Janab Ahista Ahista. This song was written by his uncle/mama Hasrat Jaipuri. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScrOw2UfTJQ
  53. Babla struck out on his own with Khara Khota (1981) after assisting his brothers Kalyanji-Anandji for many years. His wife Kanchan sang Achha Hai Tera Nishana Toh Kya in his debut film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlngoK34LTo
  54. Laxmikant Kudalkar’s daughter Rajeshwari was the child’s voice in Laxmikant – Pyarelal’s Hey Raju Oh Daddy (Ek Hi Bhool, 1981)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-c6GwI5mgA
  55. Sisters Sulakshana, Vijayeta and Rashi Pandit sang Tum Jo Hamen Itni Pyari Lagti Ho (Raaz, 1981)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtvjXBnwWSs
  56. Chandrani Mukherjee sang Koi Bhi Dil Mein Naa Aaya Tha (Laparwah, 1981) composed by her brother-in-law (sister Chitrani’s husband) Bappi Lahiri. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29HhSdQqEwo
  57. Amitabh Bachchan sang Rang Barse Bheege Chunarwali (Silsila, 1981) whose lyrics were credited to his father Harivansh Rai Bachchan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf92MOkrbEw
  58. Husband and wife Jagjit and Chitra Singh sang Tum Ko Dekha To Yeh Khayal Aaya (Saath Saath, 1982)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GRqHkV9Bls
  59. Sulakshana Pandit sang Tere Bina Jiya Naa Lage (Dil Hi Dil Mein, 1982) composed by her brothers Mandheer-Jatin. Mandheer-Jatin lasted only a few films. After they parted ways, Jatin Pandit partnered with younger brother Lalit to form the Jatin-Lalit duo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDbDo9HSrOUSiblings Nazia and Zoheb Hassan sang Jaana Zindagi Se Na Jaana (Star, 1982)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCWYRrTX7yQ
  60. Real-life couple Parveen Sultana and Dilshad Khan were credited as singers (along with others) in Shubh Ghadi Aayi Re (Razia Sultan, 1983)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhTyKV45hy8
  61. Anu Malik sang Khushiyon Ke Kuch Pal Aise Hain (Nigahain, 1983) composed and written by his father Sardar Malik. The shelved film Nigahain involved the senior Malik, his three sons Annu, Abbu and Krish/Daboo and his brother-in-law Hasrat Jaipuri in various capacities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pycx_dWshp4
  62. Naushad’s son Raju Naushad composed the song Dil Kyun Hai Beqarar (Yahan Se Shahr Ko Dekho, 1983) whose lyrics were written by his father-in-law Majrooh Sultanpuri. Raju Naushad was married to Majrooh’s daughter Saba. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1z3Fu9YpGw
  63. Bhaj Man Ram Naam (Prerana, 1984) was sung by Moti Sagar with his daughters Preeti Sagar, Namita Sagar, and Niti Sagar in the chorus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIhzAOuRv-c
  64. Husband and wife Rajendra and Nina Mehta not only sang Taj Mahal Mein Aa Jana (Yahan Wahan, 1984) but also appeared on screen for it. The song first appeared in their 1980 non-film album Humsafar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyX2UXSSVJo
  65. Brothers Rajan and Sajan Mishra were credited as singers in the songs of Sur Sangam (1985), a remake of Sankarabharanam. However, some point out that one can hear the voice of only one singer in each of these songs. Aaye Sur Ke Panchhi Aaye  – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLpcOiAyq3g
  66. Vijayeta Pandit sang Ek Dil Mera Kanwara (Bhai Ka Dushman Bhai, 1986) with brother Jatin. The song was composed by her brothers – Mandheer – Jatin. (The song will remind you of a Jatin-Lalit song). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh1Wpcn5rAk
  67. The lyrics of Saat Phere (Wahem, 1987), Vishal Bhardwaj’s debut Hindi film song as a music director, were written by his father Ram Bhardwaj. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9b1iKVfnvU#t=6m13s
  68. Sonali Jalota sang Haathon Pe Mere Mehndi Lagi Hai (Jhuke Jhuke Naina, 1987) composed by her husband Anoop Jalota. She divorced him later and got married to Roop Kumar Rathod. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojycbuycC08
  69. Pandit Jasraj sang Jheeni Jheeni Beeni Re Chadariya (Susman, 1987) composed by his son Shaarang Dev. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7H9hBhENoA
  70. Leena Ganguly, née Chandavarkar sang Naa Re Naa Mujhse Door Na Jaana (Mamta Ki Chhaon Mein, 1988) for her husband Kishore Kumar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIpVh6VOW-0
  71. R.D. Burman composed Seeli Hawa Chhoo Gai (Libaas, 1988) sung by his sister-in-law Lata Mangeshkar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_i0uCP9SmM
  72. R.D. Burman composed Dhak Dhak Jiya Kare (Joshilaay, 1989) sung by his wife Asha Bhosle and sister-in-law Usha Mangeshkar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9HEeVbzJrE
  73. Brothers Anu Malik, Abu Malik and Daboo Malik (Krish Malik) sang Dushman Kya Maarega Humko (Zordaar, 1989). The mukhda’s tune was taken from It’s A Sin by Pet Shop Boys. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgYzfdMPkkk
  74. Anjaan and his son Sameer were jointly credited as lyricists in Paap Ka Ant (1989)Saari Raat Hum Tum Dance Karenge – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fggQyxKAafA
  75. Siblings Shaan and Sagarika sang in two versions of Kitni Hai Pyari Pyari (Parinda, 1989)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f8_udZ1AQo
  76. Anuradha Paudwal sang Mere Liye Zaroori Pyar Tera (Meera Ka Mohan, 1992) for her husband Arun Paudwal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtMYy0M3jSw
  77. Shravan Rathod of Nadeem – Shravan was the brother of singers Vinod and Roop Kumar Rathod. The popular Nadeem-Shravan song Aisi Deewangi Dekhi Nahin Kahin (Deewana, 1992) featured Vinod Rathod’s voice. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwpqME_Cmpc
  78. Dilip Sen collaborated with his nephew (brother Shambhu Sen’s son) Sameer to form a music director pair. Dilip Sen – Sameer Sen composed Goriya Re Goriya Re Mera Dil Chura Ke Le Ja (Aaina, 1993)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3szeLDA3hk
  79. A.R. Rahman had his nephew G.V. Prakash Kumar (son of sister Raihanh) sing the title track of Chor Chor (1993)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ka_LvDGJIA
  80. Actress Bhagyashree’s father Vijay Singh, the king of the erstwhile princely state of Sangli, was a music director and filmmaker. He had his daughter Purnima Patwardhan sing Chidiya Bole Chun Chun Chun (Ghar Aaya Mera Pardesi, 1993)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMtNx5uTS_Y
  81. Brothers Neeraj and Uttank Vora teamed up to compose the music for the film Pehla Nasha (1993). Aaj Raat Bas Mein Nahin Dil – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNyH5Ttq-Ks
  82. Music director Pandit Shivram’s sons got together to form the music director duo of Jugal Kishore – Tilak Raj. Their sister Jayshree Shivram sang Jhoomta Gaata Mausam (Birjoo, 1993) composed by them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpyOnafyIlU
  83. Anuradha Paudwal sang Dhadkanon Ko Khabar Na Hone Di (Aajaa Sanam, 1994) in which her daughter Kavita Paudwal was credited as the music director. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5TyZmQDZMQ
  84. Udit Narayan sang the title song of Akele Hum Akele Tum (1995) with his son Aditya Narayan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHsccf8Embs
  85. The Indian Sabri Brothers, Aftab and Hashim Sabri, sang Nahin Hona Tha (Pardes, 1997)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rt8UxyAlpE
  86. Vijayeta Pandit sang Jab Se Mile Do Dil (Deewana Hoon Pagal Nahin, 1998) composed by her husband Aadesh Shrivastava. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4xkdlFO8qk
  87. Jaswinder Singh sang Saanu Aa Mil Yaar Pyareya (Train To Pakistan, 1998) with his father Kuldeep Singh, who also composed the song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpOxid9jfVY
  88. The Punjabi lyrics in Sukhwinder Singh’s Thayya Thayya (Dil Se, 1998) were written by his wife Tejpal Kaur. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SthPfdRyi4Y
  89. Sanjeev-Darshan, the sons of Shravan Rathod (of Nadeem – Shravan), composed Mera Mann Kyun Tumhen Chahe (Mann, 1999)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQJzmqVlaY4
  90. Kamal Haasan shared singing credits with daughter Shruti Haasan in the title song of Hey Raam (2000)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G_sWEBfp4s
  91. Preeti Uttam sang Musafir Jaane Wale (Gadar – Ek Prem Katha, 2001) for her father Uttam Singh. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2nQfiux2sk
  92. Brothers Vinod Rathod and Roop Kumar Rathod sang Ho Aaj Mazhab Koi (Censor, 2001). (Does it remind you of another Jatin-Lalit song – just a bit?) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR4U9-t0OBI
  93. Sisters Shraddha and Shweta Pandit sang Hansaata Hai Rulaata Hai (Soch, 2002) composed by their uncles Jatin – Lalit. Their father Vishwaraj Pandit aka Mandheer is Jatin and Lalit’s elder brother. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTCBc3FoTLU
  94. Hum Hain Indian (Mission Mumbai, 2003) was sung by the married couple Roop Kumar and Sonali Rathod. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Btv_LXQwUxk
  95. Franco Simon sang Kya Takdir Likhi Hai Likhne Wale Ne (Freaky Chakra, 2003) for his uncle (mother’s brother) Ouseppachan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2yjg_jCYvo
  96. Sons of Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, Murtuza and Qadir Mustafa, sang Noor-Un-Ala-Noor (Meenaxi: A Tale Of Three Cities, 2004)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0onEDnB3KV4
  97. Brothers Ahmed Hussain and Mohammed Hussain sang Aaya Tere Dar Par (Veer Zaara, 2004)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_ShYllfh9I
  98. Father and daughter Ajoy Chakrabarty and Kaushiki Chakraborty sang Vaishnava Janato (Water, 2005)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs9UMm16avc
  99. Shobha Gurtu sang her son Trilok Gurtu’s composition Expression Of Love. The track was originally released in the album Remembrance and later included in the film Dor (2006). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_y94x0CytQ
  100. Bappa Lahiri used the voices of his father Bappi Lahiri and sister Rema Lahiri in the song Khoka (C Kkompany, 2008)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4GFxv5XbIU
  101. Father-son Kishore Kumar and Sumit Kumar were credited as singers in Bachna Ae Haseeno (Bachna Ae Haseeno, 2008). Kishore Kumar’s lines from Bachna Ae Haseeno (Hum Kisise Kum Naheen, 1977) were mixed with newly recorded lines by Sumit Kumar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4PMUZ055vc
  102. Farhan Akhtar sang Tum Ho Toh (Rock On, 2009) with lyrics by his father Javed Akhtar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3rQkFFqCiI
  103. Salim Merchant and Sulaiman Merchant of the Salim-Sulaiman duo are brothers. Salim sang Pankhon Ko (Rocket Singh – Salesman Of The Year, 2009) composed by Salim – Sulaiman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox-d84A3tuw
  104. Bhavatharini sang this well-known tune composed by her father Ilaiyaraaja – Gumm Summ Gumm (Paa, 2009)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESQJh7dFmc8
  105. Jolly Mukherjee, the playback singer, and his wife Romilla were credited as the music directors of Detective Naani (2009). Romilla also wrote the songs’ lyrics, wrote/directed the film and co-produced it with her husband. Jolly Mukherjee was also credited as a singer in its title track Hey Nani.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mykTr2Ywn0c
  106. Antara Chowdhury sang Zindagi Uljhano Se Bhari (Suno Na: Ek Nanhi Aawaz, 2009)composed by her brother Sanjoy Chowdhury. Antara and Sanjoy are music director Salil Chowdhury’s children. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xuKATUiEz4
  107. Father and daughter Loy Mendonsa and Alyssa Mendonsa got singing credits in Oh Girl You’re Mine (Housefull, 2010). Loy probably just sang the chorus lines. He’s part of the Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy trio who composed the song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxfTgQNwywU
  108. Rekha Bhardwaj sang Ab Mujhe Koi Intezar Kahan (Ishqiya, 2010) for her husband Vishal. Ishqiya was the only instance of a husband and wife winning National Film Awards in the music category. Vishal Bhardwaj won the National Film Award for Best Music Direction (Songs) and Rekha Bhardwaj won it for Best Female Playback Singer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9oVHgKBEso
  109. Hrithik Roshan sang Kites In The Sky (Kites, 2010) for his uncle Rajesh Roshan (brother of his father Raakesh Roshan).  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY5LnvIPYGc
  110. Abhishek Bachchan performed rap in this song sung by his father Amitabh Bachchan – Go Meera Go (Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap, 2011)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGxUo_XsoFw
  111. RDB (short for Rhythm, Dhol, Bass) was a UK-based band comprising brothers Kuldeep, Manjeet and Surjeet Ral. Saadi Gali (Tanu Weds Manu, 2011) is probably their best-known work in Bollywood. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_HaezV0DqI
  112. Brothers Puranchand Wadali and Pyare Lal Wadali are brothers. The Wadali Brothers sang Ae Rangrez Mere (Tanu Weds Manu, 2011)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwhUGiKZVVU
  113. Husband-wife Kunal and Gayatri Ganjawala, nee Iyer sang Take It Easy (My Friend Pinto, 2011)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnu3AxGm-bA
  114. Brothers Sangeet and Siddharth Haldipur, sons of music director Amar Haldipur, composed the song Aa Zara Kareeb Se (Murder 2, 2011)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UHSYC_8YQs
  115. Gurdeep Mehndi composed the song Dil Ne Maana (Meri Shadi Karo, 2012), co-wrote its lyrics with his mother Nikki, and sang it with his sister Ajit. (Gurdeep also starred in the film, which was produced by his father Daler Mehndi). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On3u43irWhY
  116. Swanand Kirkire not only wrote the lyrics for Navrai Maajhi (English Vinglish, 2012) but also sang it along with his mother Neelambari. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEHNef66HT0
  117. Anmol Malik sang Suno Suno (Gali Gali Chor Hai, 2012) composed by her father Anu Malik. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAK_8A67g4I
  118. Sisters Neha Kakkar and Sonu Kakkar sang Good Boys Bad Boys (Mr. Bhatti On Chutti, 2012) composed and written by their brother Tony Kakkar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNlxssI1qYs
  119. M.M. Kreem had his son Kaala Bhairava record Sapnon Ki Ek Duniya Hai (Makkhi, 2012)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srY-B7d6yMU
  120. Brothers Daler Mehndi and Mika Singh sang Chal Hand Uthake Nachche (Besharam, 2013)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw1xL7g8ij8
  121. Sona Mohapatra sang Ambarsariya (Fukrey, 2013) composed by her husband Ram Sampath. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1-af46DoqM
  122. Sonu Nigam not only composed the title song of Singh Saab The Great (2013) but also sang it with his sister Teesha. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHE4S0xQm6E
  123. Preeti Pillai sang and wrote the lyrics for Ishq Ki Ada (Sixteen, 2013) composed by her brother Prashant Pillai. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpeGZIRNbZs
  124. Shankar Mahadevan sang the chorus in Bol Beliya (Kill Dil, 2014) sung by his son Siddharth. The song was composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3l6c1aPeyU
  125. Palak Muchhal sang Tu Hi Hai Aashiqui (Dishkiyaoon, 2014) composed by her brother Palash. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hGPFU2z1rA
  126. Sisters Jyoti and Sultana Nooran sang Patakha Guddi (Highway, 2014)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cprez2G15LI
  127. Madhuri Dixit sang Rangi Saari Gulabi (Gulaab Gang, 2014) with her mother Snehalatha Dixit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9GJQV_kg6k
  128. Brothers Harmeet Singh and Manmeet Singh sang Selfiyaan (Sharafat Gayi Tel Lene, 2014). Harmeet & Manmeet are Meet Bros. Selfiyaan was composed by Meet Bross Anjjan, the brothers’ collaboration with Anjjan Bhattacharya. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bETAiMfQgKk
  129. Brothers Sajid – Wajid composed Joganiyan (Tevar, 2014)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyLVu753XJw
  130. Daboo Malik composed Aana Nahi (W, 2014) sung by his sons Armaan and Amaal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbxDTBqvkms
  131. A.R. Rahman sang with his sister Raihanah in his song Aye Jawaan (Kochadaiiyaan, 2014)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI56AKA4cjY
  132. Kavita Krishnamurthy sang Vaishnava Janato (Gour Hari Dastaan, 2015) composed by her husband L. Subramaniam. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej3vapUtsHc
  133. Bindu Subramaniam sang and wrote the lyrics for Right Now (Gour Hari Dastaan, 2015) composed by her father L. Subramaniam. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdm3o-zZNWY
  134. Priya Saraiya nee Panchal is married to Jigar of Sachin-Jigar. She sang and wrote the lyrics for Sachin-Jigar’s Sun Saathiya (ABCD: Any Body Can Dance – 2, 2015)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGpG56pg3UU
  135. Husband-wife Clinton and Dominique Cerejo sang Iss Tarah (Meri Pyaari Bindu, 2017)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3o4lt-56hI
  136. Mujtaba Aziz Nazan sang Chadhta Sooraj Dheere Dheere (Indu Sarkar, 2017), a qawwali that was originally sung and composed by his father Aziz Nazan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4MAjGv0TsM
  137. Brothers Ajay and Atul Gogavale sang their own composition Zingaat (Dhadak, 2018), the Hindi version of a song they had originally composed for the Marathi film Sairaat (2016). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd9wF5fAnVw
  138. When playback singer Akriti Kakar made her Hindi film debut as a music director for the song Jobless (Milan Talkies, 2019), she roped in her sisters Sukriti and Prakriti to sing with her. Akriti also wrote the song’s lyrics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_0bG6V1IAU
  139. Shankar Mahadevan sang Rezgaariyaan (Mere Pyare Prime Minister, 2019) with his son Shivam. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWhqxvsdsCI
  140. Sachin Sanghvi, of the music director duo Sachin-Jigar, had his daughter Tanishka sing Ek Zindagi Meri Sau Khwahishan (Angrezi Medium, 2020)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05DrDxjMEbU
  141. A.R. Ameen recorded Never Never Say Goodbye (Dil Bechara, 2020) for his father A.R. Rahman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftJODeE_qg8
  142. Arijit Singh composed the songs of Pagglait (2021) and used his sister Amrita’s voice in a few songs in it. He also sang the film’s title track with her. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLtOcPbjCF0
  143. Khatija Rahman sang Tum Bhi Raahi Hum Bhi Raahi (Mili, 2022) for her father A.R. Rahman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuhKuTduAuY
  144. Rangi Saari Gulabi Chunariya Re (Jugjugg Jeeyo, 2022) was sung and jointly composed by Kavita Seth and her son Kavish. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSAlE_WgHxY
  145. Palak Muchhal sang Yun Tere Hue Hum (Salaam Venky, 2022) composed by her husband Mithoon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOEs6Ggs5xA
  146. Neha Bhasin sang Yeh Jo Sang Ho Rahin Hain Tafriyan (Jogi, 2022) composed by her husband Sameer Uddin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja5mA82IOqE
  147. Brothers Altamash and Shadab Faridi sang the qawwali portions in Tere Vaaste (Zara Hatke Zara Bachke, 2023)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5WZLO8BAC8
  148. Sunidhi Chauhan sang Yeh Raat Hi Subah Bulayegi (Zwigato, 2023) composed by husband Hitesh Sonik. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSCg_MEfaQM

Addendum: Collaborations in non-film/unreleased songs

  1. Meera Dev Burman sang Daali Daali Phool Khile (1947) for her husband S.D. Burman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRg3WqWGwIo
  2. Kalyanaji – Anandji recorded Hey Re Dayamay for the film Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani (1970) but the song was not used. It is probably the only song in which Mukesh sang with his son Nitin Mukesh. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZz77xt8MsI
  3. Husband-wife Bhupinder and Mitalee Singh sang Aaj Ki Raat (Aao Aise Mohabbat Karen, 1984). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7xgtC6MFGw
  4. Trilok Singh Loomba composed the music for his daughter Raageshwari’s debut pop album Duniya (1997). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=994kJP-_O6k
  5. Norah Jones sang Traces of You (2013) co-written by her half-sister Anoushka Shankar. They are daughters of the sitar maestro Ravi Shankar. Anoushka performed the sitar in the song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEJSWIftX98

Rise Of Recreated Songs

[This is an excerpt from the chapter “2011 – 2020: Review of a Decade of Hindi Film Music” from the e-book BollySwar: 2011 – 2020.]

The Hindi film industry had tried to come up with new ways of mass-producing hit songs ever since the 1990s. In the 1990s, they experimented with Jhankaar Beats and in the 2000s with remixes. The objective of both these strategies was to leverage film songs to produce dance numbers. Plagiarism became a mainstream trend during this period as the industry tried to overcome the constraints placed by the finite amount of creativity available to it. Studio recordings, that had started giving way to digitally mixed and produced songs in the 2000s, became a thing of the past in the 2010s. Songs were now produced by assembling voice and instrumental recordings with music samples and programmed beats and loops. The trend of recreated songs in the 2010s was a part of this larger phenomenon. As the decade progressed, canned remixes fell out of favour and cover versions of previously recorded songs gained popularity.

The terms remix, recreations and covers are often used interchangeably. In this section, we will use the term remix only to refer to the process of mixing an existing recording with newly produced music, usually electronic music. Let’s define some terms precisely:

The decade produced more than 250 recreated songs – over 3 percent of all the Hindi film songs recorded during the period. The trend of recreated songs saw an uptick in 2016 and rose steadily after that. It peaked in 2019 with over 50 recreated songs – almost 8 percent of the songs recorded that year. The label and producers of “Luka Chuppi” (2019) went all the way. All five songs in the film were recreations – 1 of a Hindi film song, 1 of a Hindi non-film single, and 3 of hit Punjabi songs. The Filmfare Award for Best Music Album for “Gully Boy” (2019), a film with 5 recreated songs, was another indicator of the industry’s acceptance of this phenomenon. The trend’s dip in 2020 was perhaps the result of fewer film and music releases following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Covers formed the bulk of recreated songs and came in many flavours. Conventional cover songs retained the tune and lyrics of the original song and differed only in the treatment. Mikey McCleary’s “Khoya Khoya Chand (The Bartender Mix)” (“Shaitan”, 2011) re-imagined S.D. Burman’s classic from “Kala Bazar” (1960) while retaining its essence. However, such covers were exceptions in the 2010s. The most common cover version took only the tune and lyrics of its hook line from the original song – the rest was newly created. Chirantan Bhatt’s “Har Kisi Ko Nahin Milta” (“Boss”, 2013), for example, used the mukhda of Kalyanji – Anandji and Indeevar’s original song from “Janbaaz” (1986) as its hook line but had newly written lyrics by Manoj Yadav for its antaras.

An analysis of the original versions of recreated songs revealed that R.D. Burman continued to remain one of the most influential yesteryear composers in the industry. 25 recreated songs produced in the 2010s were based on R.D. Burman songs. He was followed by Laxmikant – Pyarelal with 18 recreated songs, Kalyanji – Anandji with 15, Bappi Lahiri with 13, and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Anand – Milind with 9 each.

As expected, a vast majority of recreated songs – more than 60 percent – used Hindi film songs of the past as their source material. In the second half of the decade, Punjabi non-film music also became a favourite hunting ground of music labels and producers. Around 15 percent of the recreated songs were sourced from popular Punjabi artists like Malkit Singh, Sukhbir, Dr. Zeus, Guru Randhawa, Garry Sandhu, and Badshah among others. Hindi and Pakistani non-film songs were other significant starting points of recreated songs.

Recreated songs derived inspiration from almost every decade of Hindi film history but seemed to be most partial to the songs of the 1980s and 1990s. Together, these two decades were represented in about half the recreated songs recorded between 2011 and 2020.

More than a hundred music directors produced recreated songs during the decade but there was none as prolific as Tanishk Bagchi. With more than 50 recreated songs to his credit, he contributed to about 20 percent of all the songs in this genre. He was so prolific in this niche that he had only a dozen more original compositions than recreated songs to his credit. His credential as the go-to composer for recreated songs catapulted Bagchi to becoming one of the most discussed Hindi film artists of the decade, although it was often in unflattering terms. He ended the decade as one of the top 10 most prolific Hindi film composers.

The rise in the number of recreated songs resulted in a spurt of copyright infringement lawsuits. There were legal cases filed over “Pyar Mein Dil Pe Maar De Goli” (“Tamanchey”, 2014)“Bhar Do Jholi Meri Ya Muhammad” (“Bajrangi Bhaijaan”, 2015)“Pichhe Ho Ja Soniye Saaddi Rail Gaddi Aayi” (“Tutak Tutak Tutiya”, 2016)“Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast” (“Machine”, 2017), and “Amma Dekh Dekh Dekh Tera Munda Bigda Jaye” (“Nawabzaade”, 2018) among others. Some cases were settled out of court and others resulted in the withdrawal of the songs from the films and music albums. The lawsuits pushed the music labels to use songs from their own catalogue for recreations. When a song from a different label was used, the recreated version was often released as a single by the other label. For example, while “Queen” (2014) was released by T-Series, the sampled cover in the film “Hungama Ho Gaya (Remix)” was published separately by Saregama.

The trend of recreated songs polarised the Hindi film industry in more than one way. The phenomenon was universally condemned by the artists. After Tanishk Bagchi recorded “O Saki Saki Re” (“Batla House”, 2019)based on Vishal – Shekhar’s “Saaki (Psychedelic Insomnia Mix)” (“Musafir”, 2004), Vishal Dadlani threatened to sue filmmakers and musicians if their songs were used without their permission going forward. Pritam walked out of “Raabta” (2017) when T-Series insisted on including in the film a recreated version of a song composed by another music director. Ram Sampath quit working for Hindi films altogether after “Raees” (2017) for which he was forced to record a recreated version of Kalyanji – Anandji’s “Laila O Laila” (“Qurbani”, 1980). The voices against recreated songs attained crescendo when Tanishk Bagchi recreated A.R. Rahman’s much-loved “Masakali” (“Delhi-6”, 2009) for a music video featuring the actors of the film “Marjaavaan” (2019). Without any reference to the recreation, Rahman posted a link to his song on Twitter along with a message – “Enjoy the original #Masakali”. He further elaborated in an image in the tweet – “No short cuts, properly commissioned, sleepless nights, writes and re-writes. Over 200 musicians, 365 days of creative brainstorming with the aim to produce music that can last generations. A team of a Director, a Composer and a Lyricist supported by actors, dance directors and a relentless film crew.”. Prasoon Joshi and Mohit Chauhan, Rahman’s co-creators in the song, also supported the composer’s stand. However, the music labels saw nothing wrong in trawling their back catalogues for easy hits. T-Series’ Gulshan Kumar was an outspoken backer of this trend and even held music directors responsible for it. When told that Amit Trivedi had blamed music labels for the trend of recreated songs, Kumar responded, “Tell him to make songs that work with public.”.

Listeners also seemed to be divided on the issue. On one hand, the trend was periodically run down by music lovers on social media. On the other, recreated songs consistently found a place on the music charts. The Mirchi Top 20 of 2019, for example, featured as many as 7 recreated songs – “Coca Cola” and “Duniya” from “Luka Chuppi” (2019)“The Jawaani Song” (“Student Of The Year 2”, 2019)“O Saki Saki Re” (“Batla House”, 2019)“Bala Bala Shaitan Ka Saala” (“Housefull 4”, 2019)“Meri Gully Mein” (“Gully Boy”, 2019), and “Ankhiyon Se Goli Maare” (“Pati Patni Aur Woh”, 2019).

The public reaction to recreated songs was delightfully captured in two Hindi film songs. In “Aankh Maarey” (“Simmba”, 2018), a recreated version of a song from “Tere Mere Sapne” (1996), co-producer Karan Johar made a cameo appearance to make a tongue-in-cheek remark, “Oh God! One more remix?!”. He made a similar appearance again in the song “Chandigarh Mein” (“Good Newwz”, 2019), this time with the line “Oh my God! This is original?”.

[Get the BollySwar e-book for more such analysis: Amazon India, Amazon US, Amazon UK]

BollySwar: 2011 – 2020 is now available

As you may be aware, four volumes of the BollySwar e-book have been released so far – BollySwar: 1971 – 1980 (Volume 5), BollySwar: 1981 – 1990 (Volume 6), BollySwar: 1991 – 2000 (Volume 7), and BollySwar: 2001 – 2010 (Volume 8).

I am happy to inform you that the new volume – BollySwar: 2011 – 2020 (Volume 9) – is now available on Amazon.

This volume has been, by far, the most challenging yet. While working on the previous volumes, one of the main challenges was the difficulty in getting information about the films and songs of those decades. The problem while working on this volume was that – thanks to the age of the internet and social media – there was too much information available! It took more than a year to sift through all this information and make sense of it.

If you appreciate our work on MySwar, please do consider buying this book and the previous volumes. The BollySwar book series has information available on MySwar and a lot more (trivia, trends, milestones, stats, etc) – information you can now access offline. Each purchase goes a long way in keeping MySwar up and running. I would love to hear your thoughts on the book if you purchase it.

Links for BollySwar: 2011 – 2020 (Volume 9):
Amazon India
Amazon US
Amazon UK

(The e-book is available in Amazon stores of other countries as well – just search for BollySwar. You can read the e-book on a Kindle device or on the Kindle app available on various platforms.)

Film Music’s Shift from Melody to Sound Design

Music composer Kaushal Inamdar recently posted an insightful Twitter thread about how film music had changed in recent decades. The crux of the point he made was that technological advances in music production had shifted the focus of music directors from music composition to sound design. He argued that creating interesting sounds was becoming more important than creating beautiful compositions. The singer’s voice, which traditionally delivered the main melody in film songs, had become just another element in the sound the composers were looking to create. As Inamdar described it – “More and more singers sang less and less”.

A few years ago. I had talked about these concepts a little bit while comparing the music of the films “Raanjhanaa” (2013) and “Lootera” (2013). I had found A.R. Rahman’s music for “Raanjhanaa” (2013) to be more textured and intricate but had enjoyed Amit Trivedi’s “Lootera” (2013) more since it was more melodic and hummable. To borrow Inamdar’s words, while “Raanjhanaa” (2013) had more interesting sounds, the composition was better in “Lootera” (2013). For me, “Lootera” (2013) has stood the test of time significantly better than “Raanjhanaa” (2013).

The shift from a melody-centric to a sound-centric music-making process was enabled by technological advancements in music production. Synthesizers and software programs made it easy for music directors to create new sounds (even those mimicking live musical instruments, like the sarod in “Mitwa” (“Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna”, 2006)), use newly recorded or pre-recorded samples and loops, and manipulate and assemble them into a song. Recording songs live in a studio with singers and session musicians coming together became obsolete. Composers increasingly channeled their creativity in creating catchy hooks and danceable rhythms that drew listeners in. Melody – the crucial element of film songs that creates a lasting impact – took a back seat. Music production became less organic and reminiscent of assembly-line productions. 

The use of technology to improve the sound of film music is not a new phenomenon. The celebrated “Been” theme of “Nagin” (1954) created by Kalyanji Virji Shah (of Kalyanji – Anandji) on a keyboard instrument called clavioline is among the earliest uses of electronic music in Hindi films. Kalyanji – Anandji (and their brother Babla) went on to push the boundaries of film music with their use of synthesizers. The use of the mini Korg synthesizer in “Yeh Mera Dil Yaar Ka Deewana” (“Don”, 1977) was a significant milestone and made electronic instruments more popular than ever before. R.D. Burman was another music director who embraced technological innovations in music production. His efforts to use technology to improve the sound quality of his recordings set him apart from his peers.

However, the biggest technological shift in music production happened in the 1990s with the rise of A.R. Rahman. As sessions musician Shankar Indorkar points out in Gregory Booth’s book “Behind the Curtain: Making Music in Mumbai’s Film Studios” – “He’s the one who changed [the sound and the production process of film music] because if you see Roja [1993], there’s hardly any acoustic instrument and hardly any Indian instrument also. And that was his first picture.”. Rahman’s pioneering use of sampling in music production was poignantly described by Indorkar through a personal experience:

It is important to note that Rahman himself cannot be held responsible for the erosion of melody from film music. While his sound design gave him an edge, his biggest strength was always his ability to create exquisite melodies. Lesser composers could emulate Rahman’s use of technology to produce music but could not match his music-making genius. Technology became a crutch for them. The changing tastes of music listeners also caused sound design to be prioritized over melody. As attention spans of music listeners reduced, the demand for instant gratification increased, leading to the proliferation of songs with repetitive and catchy hooks. In the 2010s, as songs started losing their place as storytelling devices in films, melodies were replaced by dance numbers that could be used to promote the film. The rise of hip-hop also served to extricate melody from Hindi film songs.

A.R. Rahman himself lamented about the disappearance of melody from film songs in a 2014 interview. On being asked to comment about Amit Trivedi and Sneha Khanwalkar as “offshoots of the ARR movement”, the maestro said – “They have their own sound, I like what they do but it’s also important to have that classic film melody in your repertoire. That’s missing nowadays, which is sad. Like something Laxminkant-Pyarelal employed or what Nadeem-Shravan did. The bread and butter songs.

While melody has been the soul of Hindi film music since its inception, it cannot necessarily be equated with quality. Even the “classic” era of Hindi films had plenty of terrible songs. Also, musical genres like hip-hop and electronic music are not melodic but are enjoyed by millions of listeners across the globe. It follows that the loss of melody does not represent a loss of quality; it represents a change in the character of film music. There is no denying the fact that this shift is leaving many Hindi film music lovers disappointed. However, it can be argued that their disappointment stems not from the poor quality of today’s music as some of them claim but from a misalignment between their tastes and what’s on offer. While many melodic songs have been recorded in the past decade – “Phir Le Aaya Dil” (“Barfi!”, 2012), “Sawaar Loon” (“Lootera”, 2013), “Yeh Moh Moh Ke Dhaage” (“Dum Laga Ke Haisha”, 2015), “Agar Tum Saath Ho” (“Tamasha”, 2015), and “Ae Watan Watan Mere Aabad Rahe Tu” (“Raazi”, 2018) to name a few – there has also been an rising number of songs that may not be bad but are not very melodic, like “Chaar Baj Gaye Party Abhi Baaki Hai” (“F.A.L.T.U”, 2011), “Teri Keh Ke Loonga” (“Gangs Of Wasseypur”, 2012), “Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai” (“Khoobsurat”, 2014), “Kar Gayi Chull” (“Kapoor & Sons (Since 1921)”, 2016), “Aisi Dhaakad Hai Dhaakad Hai Aisi Dhaakad Hai” (“Dangal”, 2016), “Coca Cola” (“Luka Chuppi”, 2019), and the songs of “Gully Boy” (2019).

It remains to be seen if this shift is permanent or if melody stages a comeback at some point in the future. Also, will Hindi film music listeners warm up to this trend eventually or move on to greener pastures (non-Hindi film music or independent music)?

For more on this topic, check out this video:

Change in MySwar domain – Again

About two years ago, we had had to shift the domain of MySwar from .com to .in due to ISP-level blocks on our website, which was most likely the result of a court order secured by an entity citing copyright infringement. We’re dismayed that our .in domain has also been blocked now and we have now shifted to http://myswar.co.

The process of blocking websites through ISPs, using court orders backed by Section 169A of the IT Act, 2008, is arbitrary and opaque. Affected websites are not informed about the block in advance, there is no scope for appeal ahead of the block, and the blocked websites are not told the reason for the block or the entity that got the court order.

Along with this shift of domain, we have removed the feature to listen to previews of songs. This is the only feature on MySwar that allows users to listen to music (30-second preview clips) directly on our website. We provide this feature using a widget provided by Apple to its music affiliates and these clips reside on Apple’s servers. However, it is possible that these links are being construed as copyright infringement. We hope that removing the preview links will ensure that MySwar does not get wrongly identified by labels for ISP blocks.

Thanks for staying with us.

The Pick Of Composer Nashad’s Songs

Shaukat Hussain Dehelvi, known commonly as Nashad, was a music director who composed music for 29 Hindi films from 1947 to 1963. He moved to Pakistan in 1964 and continued to make music for Pakistani films till the 1970s. He passed away in 1981. For his work in India, Nashad is best remembered for his music for the film “Baradari” (1955) which included hits like “Tasveer Banata Hoon”, “Bhula Nahin Dena Ji” and “Mohabbat Ki Bas Itni Daastan Hai”. Here are five of my picks by this forgotten music director.

Jadugar Baalma (Naghma, 1953)

“Naghma” was the first film in which Shaukat Hussain Dehlvi was credited as Nashad. He wasn’t actually the first choice of the film’s producer/director, Nakshab Jarchavi. It was only when the in-demand Naushad declined to compose for the film that Shaukat landed the film and the Nashad moniker. Nakshab Jarchavi was apparently getting back at Naushad by giving Shaukat a name similar to his. The film’s music was reasonably successful and the name Nashad stuck. My pick from the film is the Shamshad Begum solo “Jadugar Baalma”.

Ek Dil Do Hain Talabgar (Darwaza, 1954)

Talat Mahmood was one of Nashad’s favorite singers. Talat’s low-key singing style went well with Nashad’s understated compositions. “Ek Dil Do Hain…” is a fine Talat Mahmood-Suman Kalyanpur duet. A slide guitar and a saxophone, atypical instruments for the time and genre, featured prominently in the song.

Tasveer Banata Hoon (Baradari, 1955)

“Baradari” was Nashad’s most accomplished work and the album that he is best remembered for. At one end of the spectrum was “Bhula Nahi Dena Ji”, a playful, foot-tapping duet by Rafi and Lata filmed on a strapping Ajit, who was still playing lead roles, and one of the leading actresses of the time, Geeta Bali. At the other end was my “Tasveer Banaata Hoon”, a melodious ghazal in Talat Mahmood’s silken vibrato. One of the things that stood out for me in the score for “Baradari” in general and “Tasveer Banaata Hoon” was the more elaborate arrangement used by Nashad, giving the music a fuller and richer sound. While Nashad’s assumed name may have helped him get more attention, it also led to people attributing his popular songs to his more famous peer. Sadly, even Saregama wrongly attributes “Baradari” to Naushad and not Nashad.

Aaj Gham Kal Khushi (Jawab, 1955)

“Jawab” was another film in which Nashad and Khumar Barabankvi got together. Khumar’s lyrics for “Aaj Gham Kal Khushi” are simple but effective. In a song that does not require him to do much, Rafi emotes with his voice like only he can.

Rafta Rafta Woh Meri (Zeenat, 1975)

Nashad continued to compose for Hindi films but couldn’t quite strike a chord with the audience. He migrated to Pakistan in 1964 and continued to make music for films across the border with limited success. Memories of Nashad in India were fading when things turned around and his song “Rafta Rafta Woh Meri Hasti Ka Saaman Ho Gaye” sung by Mehdi Hassan for the Pakistani film “Zeenat” became immensely popular. The ghazal, written by Tasleem Fazli, became a staple in Khan Sahab’s concerts and sustained its popularity over the years. The song’s success unearthed the fact that Tasleem Fazli had actually based his lyrics on a song written by Qamar Jalalabadi for the Hindi film “Hum Kahan Ja Rahe Hain” (1966). The original version sung by Asha Bhosle and Mahendra Kapoor perhaps had better lyrics (or at least more original!) but Nashad’s music won more hearts that Basant Prakash’s original. Interest in the song was resurrected in 1995 when Anu Malik adapted the music of “Rafta Rafta…” for “Dheere Dheere Aap Mere” in the Aamir Khan starrer, “Baazi” (1995). Nashad’s song continues to spawn covers and his music stays alive.

[This post originally appeared here.]

C. Ramchandra’s 10 Most Memorable Songs

Ramchandra was one of the most talented composers to make music for Hindi films, equally comfortable with raag-based songs and the Western music idiom. While O.P. Nayyar is commonly known as the Rhythm King, C. Ramchandra was instrumental in giving rhythm an important role in Hindi film music. The composer is best remembered for his songs sung by Lata Mangeshkar.

In this post, I pick 10 of C. Ramchandra’s most memorable film songs.

Shehnai (1947)

After being introduced by actor, director Bhagwan in “Sukhi Jeevan” (1942), C. Ramchandra composed music for more than 20 films before getting his first hit song for “Shehnai”. But what a hit that was! “Sunday Ke Sunday” was probably the first use of swing music in Hindi films. C. Ramchandra, credited as Chitalkar, himself sang the swing portions of the song filmed on Mehmood’s father, Mumtaz Ali. The new-fangled music and whacky lyrics worked its magic on audiences and the song became a big success. The song apparently earned him a reprimand from Anil Biswas, but this was just the first of the many genre-bending Hindi film songs he would go on to compose.

Patanga (1949)

To C. Ramchandra’s credit is what’s probably the first “telephone song” in Hindi films, “Mere Piya Gaye Rangoon”. Chitalkar and Shamshad Begum’s playful banter, penned by Rajendra Krishan, on the travails of a long distance relationship is delightfully quirky. Sample this – “Aji lungi baandh ke karen guzaara bhool gaye patloon”. While critics panned the lowbrow lyrics, filmgoers lapped up the song.

Sargam (1950)

The quality of the Lata – C. Ramchandra collaboration had grown steadily over the years and showed signs of maturing in 1950. “Sargam” was perhaps the best example of what this duo was capable of. There are some beautiful melodies in the film, although I have an issue with how classical songs and artists are lampooned in some of them. Unfortunately, this was fairly common in the films of the time. My pick from the film is the Raag Jaunpuri based “Jab Dil Ko Sataave Gham”. One of the things I love about this song is the jugalbandi between a young Lata Mangeshkar and the more accomplished Saraswati Rane, who would go on to break new ground in Hindustani classical music singing jugalbandis with her elder sister Hirabai Barodekar in the 1960s. The other delightful thing about the song is its instrumentation, specially the use of the solo violin. One wonders why the instrument didn’t gain popularity in Hindustani music as it did in Carnatic.

Albela (1951)

When we talk about classic film albums, “Albela” tends to get overlooked by all but the die-hard film music buffs. One of C. Ramchandra’s key contributions was bringing in modern Western influences into Hindi film music – jazz, swing, rock n’ roll and in “Albela” even Hawaiian and African sounds. In this post however, I pick a a fairly conventional song but one which reveals a different facet of C. Ramchandra – his ability to compose songs very quickly. The story behind “Dheere Se Aaja Ri Ankhiyan Mein Nindiya” is that C. Ramchandra received Rajendra Krishan’s lyrics just two hours before the song was to be recorded. He is said to have finalized the tune in the car on his way to the studio! There are two version of this song – a Lata solo and a Lata – Chitalkar. My pick is the duet.

Parchhain (1952)

This is one of C. Ramchandra’s lesser known albums but worth picking for a genre he wasn’t usually associated with – ghazal. “Parchhain” was C. Ramchandra’s best offering of ghazals till that point – the Talat solo “Mohabbat Hi Na Jo Samjhe” and the Lata solo “Katate Hain Dukh Mein Yeh Din”. My pick is the Talat song.

Anarkali (1953)

“Anarkali” was the C. Ramchandra’s career-defining album and widely regarded as one of the finest albums in the annals of Hindi films. Fending off producer Sashadhar Mukherjee’s insistence to use Geeta Dutt, C. Ramchandra recorded as many as nine songs in Lata Mangeskar’s voice. The only Geeta Dutt song in the film (yes there was one!) was composed by another music director, Basant Prakash. My pick from the film is the evergreen Lata solo “Yeh Zindagi Usi Ki Hai”. This is probably the most flawless Lata Mangeshkar has ever sounded. The song has a happy and a sad version. My favorite is the happy one with sitar by Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan.

Nastik (1954)

The songs of “Nastik” were as much about Kavi Pradeep’s biting lyrics as they were about C. Ramchandra’s folksy tunes. The film’s most popular song, “Kitna Badal Gaya Insaan” sung by Pradeep himself, is a seething critique of religious hypocrisy and does a great job of encapsulating the theme of this critically acclaimed film. Such was the impact of this song, that the very next year Sahir Ludhianvi wrote a song riffing its lyrics “Kitna Badal Gaya Bhagwan” (“Railway Platform”, 1955). The film itself recovered from an initial ban and went on to become a golden jubilee.

Azad (1955)

Ramchandra wasn’t the producer’s first choice for “Azad”, a remake of the hit Tamil film “Malai Kallan” (1954). They turned to him when Naushad said he couldn’t record the songs for the film in the time specified by the producers. C. Ramchandra, of course, had no such qualms and had nine songs wrapped up in two months. My pick from the film is the Raag Bageshri based Lata solo “Na Bole Na Bole Na Bole Re”.

Navrang (1959)

Towards the late 1950s C. Ramchandra’s relationship with Lata Mangeshkar got strained and he had to shift to Asha Bhosle for female vocals in his songs. Asha made the most of the opportunity and sang her heart out for “Navrang”. Her duet with Mahendra Kapoor, “Aadha Hai Chandrama Raat Aadhi” became very popular. Mahendra Kapoor had C. Ramchandra to thank for giving him his first hit song after his debut in 1953. The song of the album for me, however, is Asha’s solo “Aa Dil Se Dil Mila Le”. For some reason, Asha sounds quite different in this film, in general and this song in particular. There is a kind of exaggerated playfulness in her voice that is a little distracting but works well overall. Also notable in the song are the interludes that make lovely use of sitar and sarangi.

Bahurani (1963)

Ramchandra’s breakup with Lata took its toll on him. It was as if he had lost his muse. Although he did record a few more songs with Lata, “Bahurani” was his last significant music release. The film was also his only collaboration with Sahir Ludhianvi. My pick from the film is the effervescent Lata, Hemant Kumar duet, “Umr Hui Tumse Mile”.

Bonus: After several behind-the-scenes twists and turns Lata Mangeshkar, performed “Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon” live for the first time on January 27, 1963. The song, written by Kavi Pradeep, gained iconic status over the years and came to be known as the song brought tears to Nehru’s eyes. What many don’t know is that the song was composed by C. Ramchandra.

[This post originally appeared here.]

The Best Of The Naushad – Rafi Partnership

This post commemorates the birth anniversaries of two stalwarts – Mohammed Rafi (December 24) and Naushad (December 25) – each a great artist in his own right while being an important part of the other’s career. Mohammed Rafi dominated the music charts in the 1950s and 1960s, singing for all the leading music directors and actors of the time and making the careers of the new ones. It was Naushad who have him his first big break in “Mela” (1948) and shaped and nurtured his voice to it full potential. Naushad is counted as one of the most influential music directors in Hindi films who defined the sound of Hindi film music in the 1950s. He is credited with drawing classical music into Hindi films. It was using Rafi’s voice in “Baiju Bawra” (1952), that Naushad brought classical music into the mainstream.

Here are my top 10 picks of this legendary duo.

Yeh Zindagi Ke Mele – Mela (1948)

After debuting in a Punjabi film “Gul Baloch” (1944), Rafi got his first break in Hindi films for music director Shyam Sunder’s “Gaon Ki Gori”. However, “Gaon Ki Gori” was released only in 1945. His first Hindi film release was for Naushad’s “Pehle Aap” (1944). A few collaborations including a Rafi cameo in a Saigal song followed before Rafi got his first hit – the title song of “Mela” (1948). Rafi’s voice was unlike any other and he had the conviction to stay true to it. Unlike his peers, Mukesh and Kishore Kumar, Rafi refused to adopt K.L. Saigal’s singing style despite being a big fan.

Suhaani Raat Dhal Chuki – Dulari (1949)

Despite the success of “Yeh Zindagi Ke Mele”, Naushad continued to be tentative about Rafi, using him sparingly. With each song, Rafi got better at his art and his stature as a singer grew. If there was one song that signaled Rafi’s transformation from raw talent to leading playback singer, it was “Suhaani Raat Dhal Chuki” from “Dulari”. Even today, this Raag Pahadi song retains its appeal and sounds as fresh as it must have in 1949.

Taara Ri Yaara Ri  – Dastan (1950)

Naushad himself was experimenting with his music and was yet to find the sound that came to define him. It is from this period that one can find songs that sound nothing like what we have come to expect a Naushad song to sound like. One of my favorites of such songs is “Taara Ri Yaara Ri” from “Dastan” (1949). This waltzy Rafi-Suraiya duet is utterly charming and Raj Kapoor and Suraiya cavorting onscreen is a sight for sore eyes.

Man Tarpat Hari Darshan Ko Aaj – Baiju Bawra (1952)

In “Baiju Bawra”, Naushad found the perfect subject for using a base of classical music for his songs. Ustad Amir Khan became the voice of Tansen and Rafi, the voice of Bharat Bhushan’s Baiju Bawra, except for “Aaj Gawat Man Mero” where the two face-off. Another esteemed classical singer D.V. Paluskar was brought in to make the loss of Ustad Amir Khan’s Tansen palatable, even credible!. In the six songs Rafi sang, he demonstrated impressive range across scales and genres. My favorite Rafi song from the film is the lovely Raag Maulkauns based bhajan “Man Tarpat Hari Darshan Ko Aaj”. The spectacular success of the film and its music proved skeptics wrong and ushered in a wave of films seeped in classical music.

Maan Mera Ehsaan Arey Naadan – Aan (1952)

With several successes under his belt, Rafi became the most sought playback singer of the Hindi film industry. All the stars of the time wanted him to be their voice. This adulation never went to his head and he remained a genial and humble being. It did make him a more self-assured singer. Even in a relatively mellow song like “Maan Mera Ehsaan Arey Naadan”, the vitality of his voice is discernible.

Madhuban Mein Radhika Naache Re – Kohinoor (1960)

One might wonder why seven years separate this pick from the previous one. The answer lies in the rate at which Naushad signed films. He was considerably less profilic than his peers. In these seven years, Naushad worked in just five films – less than a film per year. He was very picky about the films he worked on and when he did work, he took his time recording songs. Which brings us to “Kohinoor” (1960) and my pick from it – “Madhuban Mein Radhika Naache Re”. For this brilliant Raag Hameer based song, Rafi does a fantastic job that includes a well-executed tarana. The icing in the cake is Ustad Amir Khan’s rapid-fire taan (unfortunately portrayed on Mukri’s onscreen antics) and an energetic sitar solo by Ustad Halim Jaffer Khan wrapping up the song. If we could determine the greatness per note of Hindi films songs and rank them, “Madhuban Mein Radhika” would appear very near the top.

Mere Mehboob Tujhe Meri Mohabbat Ki Kasam – Mere Mehboob (1963)

With new music directors gaining foothold and changing trends in film music, the 1960s saw a decline in Naushad’s career. His music tended to be heard in films in which one of his close associates was involved – Dilip Kumar and Mehboob Khan. Additionally, a new partnership with the rising star, Rajendra “Jubilee” Kumar, emerged. Unfortunately for Naushad, even huge hits like “Mere Mehboob” didn’t do much for his career. This was a travesty because its musical score was evidence of how much more Naushad had to offer. Keeping with the film’s “Muslim social” theme, the film was replete with ghazals and qawwalis. With three superb solos, Rafi demonstrated the towering form he was in. My pick from the film is “Mere Meboob Tujhe Meri Mohabbat Ki Kasam” with Pandit Shivkumar Sharma on the santoor.

Tere Husn Ki Kya Tareef Karoon – Leader (1964)

While Rafi’s songs for other music directors grew louder and, to put it mildly, more exuberant, he always had sweet melodies to sing for Naushad. “Leader” might have had Naushad working with Sahir Ludhianvi for the first time but an ego clash of the two veterans resulted in Sahir’s exit and the entry of Naushad’s staple lyricist, Shakeel Badayuni. My pick, “Tere Husn Ki Kya Tareef Karoon”, is a melodious song enhanced by an elegant Dilip Kumar and Vyjayanthimala onscreen.

Koi Sagar Dil Ko Bahlata Nahin – Dil Diya Dard Liya (1966)

The 1960s also saw a decline in Dilip Kumar’s career. Film after film made little impact on the box-office. “Dil Diya Dard Liya” was another such film. That the film had some very good music did nothing to salvage Naushad’s declining reputation as a saleable music director.

Kaisi Haseen Aaj Baharon Ki Raat Hai – Aadmi (1968)

By the late 1960s, the writing was on the wall for both Dilip Kumar – despite a comeback of sorts with “Ram Aur Shyam” (1967) – and Naushad. They continued to work in a limited capacity but their releases in 1968, “Sunghursh” and “Aadmi” were there last together. Even Rafi had started sounding a little laboured, as in the most popular song of “Aadmi”, “Aaj Purani Raahon Se”. His position as Bollywood’s leading male playback singer was about to be usurped by Kishore Kumar with the release of “Aradhana” the next year. He recorded a handful of songs with Naushad in the 1970s before his untimely death in 1980. My pick from “Aadmi” is the lesser heard Rafi duet with Mahendra Kapoor “Kaisi Haseen Aaj Baharon Ki Raat Hai”. The original recording of the song had Rafi singing with Talat Mahmood. Talat’s replacement with Mahendra Kapoor was an indication of the changing times.

A longer list of the Naushad and Rafi’s best collaborations can be found here.

[This post originally appeared here.]

The Best of Shailendra

Shailendra is regarded as one of the best lyricists Hindi films have produced. While many of his peers were regarded as poets who also wrote lyrics for Hindi film songs, Shailendra set himself apart with his commitment to the medium. His ability to connect with film audiences with simple but impactful words was unparalleled. Considering that he started off as a dedicated member of the leftist Progressive Writers’ Association who looked down on the commercial world of cinema, his transformation from an idealistic poet to the consummate lyricist was remarkable.

Shailendra died an untimely death almost half a century ago on December 14, 1966 but his songs are timeless. To commemorate his death anniversary, I pick 10 films that showcase his brilliance. Given the large number of films he did with Shankar – Jaikishan, I’ve normalized the list to accommodate his work with other music directors.

Barsaat (1949)

Shailendra first met Raj Kapoor at a kavi sammelan. Raj Kapoor asked him to write a song for “Aag” (1948) but not wanting to sell his poetry, Shailendra declined. Later when Shailendra’s wife developed a medical complication, he approached Raj Kapoor for financial assistance and got Rs. 500 from him. When Shailendra went to Raj Kapoor to return the loan, he refused the money and asked him to give him two songs instead. It was in these circumstances that Shailendra started working for Hindi films. The resounding success of Barsaat coupled with the fantastic chemistry of the team consisting of Raj Kapoor, Shankar – Jaikishan, Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri established a winning formula that ruled Bollywood for several years. My pick from the film – “Barsaat Mein Humse Mile Tum Sajan”.

Awara (1951)

There are a few stories recounting how easily his songs’ words came to Shailendra. My favorite story is the genesis of the title song of “Awara”. In a script narration session by K.A. Abbas, Shailendra was in attendance along with Raj Kapoor. K.A. Abbas ignored the relative newcomer, Shailendra, for the two-plus hours of narration. After the narration was over, Raj Kapoor asked Shailendra, “Kuch samajh mein aaya, kaviraj?”. Pat came Shailendra’s reply “Gardish mein tha par aasmaan ka taara tha. Awara tha.”. His response left Raj Kapoor and K.A. Abbas awe-struck and formed the essence of not just film’s title song but Raj Kapoor’s onscreen persona of the good-hearted tramp. Such was the song’s appeal in Russia that it found a mention in Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s “Cancer Ward”.

Shree 420 (1955)

Raj Kapoor may have modeled his on-screen characters on Charlie Chaplin’s tramp but Shailendra’s songs were those characters’ soul. Shailendra’s unpretentious words for “Mera Joota Hai Japani” told Raj’s philosophy of life in a manner that rang true with audiences and had them humming the song long after they left the theatres. Over the years, the song took on a deeper meaning – of harmony despite differences and of staying true to our roots. With the growth of the Indian diaspora and due to its popularity in other countries, the song’s stature has grown over the years. Even the cesspool that is YouTube’s comments section, takes a refreshingly positive turn with people from all over world waxing eloquent about the song.

Madhumati (1958)

Other than Shankar – Jaikishan, the other music director with whom Shailendra had a successful relationship was Salil Chowdhury. Their partnership started with Salil Chowdhury’s debut fillm “Do Bigha Zamin” (1953). Salilda was widely respected but commercial success eluded him through films like “Naukri” (1954), “Jagte Raho” (1956) and “Musafir” (1957) but their partnership survived. Salilda persisted with Shailendra for “Madhumati” (1958) and this time he got his due. This magnum opus of an album is filled with delightful songs and considered as one of the best Hindi film albums ever. To get a sense of the level at which Shailendra was operating in 1958, consider the fact that despite his excellent work for “Madhumati” and even though “Madhumati” won Salilda and Lata Mangeshkar Filmfare awards that year, Shailendra received two nominations for a different film that year – “Yahudi”. He won the Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist for “Yeh Mera Deewanapan Hai”. My pick from “Madhumati” is the iconic “Suhana Safar Aur Yeh Mausam Hasin”. This is another Shailendra song that transcended the literal and became a metaphor for the journey of life.

Anari (1959)

“Anari” may not have been an RK Film production but with Raj Kapoor in another role of a likeable, ordinary man, it had all the sensibilities of one. With the film winning Filmfare awards for Shankar – Jaikishan, Mukesh and Shailendra, Raj Kapoor’s music team demonstrated once again why they were such a potent force in the industry. My Shailendra pick from the film, however, isn’t the award-winning “Sab Kucch Seekha Humne” – the film’s “character song”, but the “philosophy of life song” – “Kisi Ke Muskurahaton Pe Ho Nisar”. Like many Shankar – Jaikishan songs, this superb melody woven around accordions, strings, mandolin and whistles was conceived in the background score on an earlier RK Film, “Shree 420”.

Chhote Nawab (1961)

My pick of “Chhote Nawab” in this list is perhaps an anomaly and a reflection of my bias for R.D. Burman’s music. In my defence, this Pancham album is worth surfacing for its severely underrated gems and some uncharacteristic Pancham tunes. Shailendra excelled in the use of dialects that went very well in classical as well as folk-based songs. My pick from “Chhote Nawab” is one such song – “Ghar Aaja Ghir Aaye”. This was Pancham’s first song for Hindi films – he had composed it for an earlier film, “Raaz”, which got shelved. Pancham’s Raag Malgunji based melody is beautifully complemented by Shailendra’s musical lyrics. Ordinary phrases like “dhak dhak”, “tap tip” and “kas mas” have never sounded this pretty. Lata, of course, sings the song like only Lata can. It is said that it was this song that started the process of reconciliation between S.D. Burman and Lata Mangeshkar, who had stopped working with each other for some time.

Bandini (1963)

S.D. Burman and Shailendra partnered a number of times starting with “Buzdil” (1951) but somehow each album, with the possible exception of “Kala Bazar” (1960), was lesser than the sum of their greatness.  That changed in 1963 with two stellar albums – “Bandini” and “Meri Surat Teri Aankhen”. Unfortunately, while “Bandini” saw Lata Mangeshkar walking back into S.D. Burman’s recording studio after six years, it also resulted in a brief tiff between Dada Burman and Shailendra. There was a silver lining though. The selfless human being that he was, Shailendra, on his way out of the film after writing six songs for it, helped Gulzar get a chance to write a song for “Bandini” and thus began the career of another great lyricist. My pick from “Bandini” is the poignant climactic song sung by S.D. Burman, “Mere Saajan Hain Us Paar”.

Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein (1964)

Among the wide variety of themes Shailendra wrote lyrics to, the theme that stands out for me are his songs about life and the spirit of those songs – determined, positive, hopeful. This spirit is at its brightest in Kishore Kumar’s title song of “Door Gangan Ki Chhaon Mein”. Kishore’s lullaby-like music, Hemant Kumar’s soothing voice and Shailendra’s warm lyrics are beacons of hope for lost souls.

Guide (1965)

After a break of two years, S.D. Burman and Shailendra came together again for “Guide”. It was a quirk of fate that made this happen. The Anand brothers had engaged Hasrat Jaipuri for the film but turned to Shailendra when they were disappointed by the lyrics of the opening lines he offered for “Din Dhal Jaye”. Miffed at being the second choice, Shailendra quoted a fee that was very high for the time. The Anand brothers acquiesced and had the lyrics for the mukhda of “Gaata Rahe Mera Dil” by the end of the meeting. For the first time, S.D. Burman and Shailendra created a film album that truly reflected their combined greatness. Many consider “Guide” as the most iconic Hindi film soundtrack. My pick from the film is the song that Hasrat started (the first line is his) and Shailendra completed. Rafi’s voice is a lovely as it has ever sounded in a film song.

Teesri Kasam (1966)

Shailendra turned producer with “Teesri Kasam”. Fascinated by Phanishwar Nath Renu’s short story “Maare Gaye Gulfam”, Shailendra decided to make a film based on it and brought on board as director the man who had introduced him to the story, Basu Bhattacharya. The film won him the National Film Award for Best Feature Film and went on to be considered a classic. Sadly, Shailendra did not live to enjoy his accomplishments. The challenges he faced during the film’s making and it’s poor reception broke his spirit and he passed away soon after the film’s release. For his own production, Shailendra took help from his long-time associate Hasrat Jaipuri, who wrote three of the ten songs in the film. In his songs for the film, Shailendra brought in the texture of Hindi dialects with songs like “Chalat Musafir” and “Sajanwa Bairi”. My pick is the more accessible “Sajan Re Jhooth Mat Bolo” – another superb, philosophical take on life by Shailendra.

It’s impossible to distill greatness in ten songs so I’ll end this post with a much deeper list of Shailendra’s best songs.

Bonus: “Chali Kaun Se Desh” (“Boot Polish”, 1953) has one of Shailendra’s few onscreen appearances. He plays the character singing this song.

[This post originally appeared here.]