Music In The Mountains: Ban Ke Panchhi Gaye Pyaar Ka Tarana

Today's song will surely bring a smile to viewers' lips. It is from "Anari" (1959). Raj Kapoor and Nutan starred in this film that tells the story of an innocent young man.

This number is a celebration of youth. The leading lady and her friends are on an outing on their bicycles. Nutan is amazing in personifying the happiness, hopes and dreams of a young lady. Her beautiful face, twinkling eyes and the swinging of her pony-tail as she moves her head left and right are all very delightful. Shubha Khote as one of the young cyclists is very charming too. Raj Kapoor makes a brief appearance riding a bicycle. All in all, a very refreshing and enjoyable song!

Singer: Lata Mangeshkar
Lyrics: Hasrat Jaipuri
Music: Shankar Jaikishan

Music In The Mountains: Ye Parda Hata Do

The story of "Ek Phool Do Mali" (1969) is set in the mountains. The male lead is a mountaineering enthusiast, and the leading lady works at an apple orchard. Sanjay Khan and Sadhana form the lead couple, while Balraj Sahni provides the third dimension to the twosome. It is a fairly successful film of its time, with romance, action, sacrifice, song and dance, comedy, and emotion; all thrown in good measure to appeal to a large cross-section of viewers.

Presenting a delightful duet from this film today. The song not only takes us to beautiful mountainous locations, but to an apple orchard also where the beginning sequence is shot. We have had many songs featuring flowers, parks and gardens; but very few with the backdrop of trees laden with fruit!

Singers: Asha Bhosle, Mohammad Rafi
Lyrics: Prem Dhawan
Music: Ravi

Music In The Mountains: Pyaasi Hirni Ban Ban Dhaye

Rajshree is the daughter of legendary filmmaker V. Shantaram and his actress wife Jayshree. She quit her successful career in films after marrying an American gentleman decades ago. Presenting a haunting solo from "Do Dil" (1965) in which she starred with Biswajeet. Hrishikesh Mukherjee directed this beautiful film. The story revolves around the theme of palace intrigue in royal families.

The song has been shot artistically with the lovely Rajshree sprinting across hills and valleys.The camera follows her, giving us breathtaking views of the landscape. Biswajeet is drawn to her mesmerising voice, and he follows her too. In the midst of all this running, we are treated to a superb melody. Kaifi Azmi as the lyricist is a surprise. Someone like Bharat Vyas would have been my guess!

Another song Saara mora kajara from the same film has appeared in this space earlier under a different theme.

Singer: Lata Mangeshkar
Lyrics: Kaifi Azmi
Music: Hemant Kumar

Music In The Mountains: Ja Ja Ja Mere Bachpan

Saira Banu debuted in Hindi films with "Junglee" (1961). It was one of the early films in colour. Also, it was shot extensively on location in Kashmir. Presenting a sweet solo from this film today. It is a 'coming of age' song. The leading lady is on the threshold of adulthood, eager to say goodbye to her childhood/adolescence. Lata Mangeshkar croons for this young lady very delicately in a soft, almost hushed tone.

Two other songs from the same film have appeared in this space. They are Din saara guzara tore angana under a different theme and Chahe koi mujhe junglee kahe in the ongoing theme.

Singer: Lata Mangeshkar
Lyrics: Hasrat Jaipuri
Music: Shankar Jaikishan

Music In The Mountains: Humne Jo Dekhe Sapne

Here is a pleasant duet from "Parivar" (1968). It is a family drama starring Jeetendra and Nanda. The film underlines the importance of keeping one's family small. It was well-timed too, considering India had introduced its family planning program in the early fifties. But somehow it remained just a routine potboiler instead of being a film with a powerful social message. This song however stood out, and it is because of this that we are even talking of the film today.

Singers: Lata Mangeshkar, Mahendra Kapoor
Lyrics: Gulshan Bawra
Music: Kalyanji Anandji

Music In The Mountains: Phir Miloge Kabhi

"Yeh Raat Phir Na Aayegi" (1966) is a gripping suspense thriller with a good story and excellent music. It has been shot in black and white, and that adds to its appeal and mystery. Prithviraj Kapoor plays an eminent archaeologist whose team unearths something sensational at an excavation site. There is a skeleton in the closet (both, literally and metaphorically)! How it affects the lives of his near and dear ones forms the rest of the story.

Presenting a lovely duet from this film today. The scenic location and brilliant cinematography enhance the beauty of the song.

Singers: Asha Bhosle, Mohammad Rafi
Lyrics: S. H. Bihari
Music: O. P. Nayyar

Music In The Mountains: Jai Jai Shiv Shankar

Enjoy this super-hit number from "Aap Ki Kasam" (1974) today. This is supposed to have been sung by a group of devotees under the influence of bhang, which is associated with Lord Shiva. It is commonly consumed in the form of a delicious drink on festivals such as Shivaratri and Holi, and often has hallucinogenic effects on people. That explains the erratic steps of Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz! It is a fun-filled, no holds barred performance by both of them.

This song has an interesting story attached to it. R.D. Burman had to use extra musicians and chorus for recording it in order to give it the special effect that its picturisation demanded. As a result, the budget for this song went up from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 50,000. Obviously producer director J. Om Prakash was not happy and started lamenting about it by saying pachas hazar kharch kar diye. When Kishore Kumar came to know this, he decided to have fun by singing that phrase towards the end of the song. And surprisingly, something which was meant to be a prank was retained in the final recording. You can listen to it as bajao re bajao imandari se bajao pachas hazar kharch kar diye after 5.05.

Two songs from the same film have appeared in this space earlier. They are Suno kaho kaha suna under another theme and Karvaten badalte rahe in the ongoing theme.

Singers: Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Music: R. D. Burman