BlogAdda’s Spicy Saturday Picks – Jun. 2, ’12What makes Bollywood films stand apart in World Cinema is the song and dance sequences used generously in these films. Thousands of songs have been recorded for Bollywood movies in past 80 years since cinema started "talking" in India. It is a mammoth task of listing 10 "Special" from this gigantic collection. The list provided here is not in any particular order. Please feel free to report if you find any discrepancies. These are the songs which I know and found some interesting facts about them on internet, magazines like Screen, Filmfare and various music forums.
1. Om Shanti Om Title track
Movie: Om Shanti Om (2007)
Composer: Vishal-Shekhar
Lyricist: Javed Akhtar
Singer(s): Shaan, Udit Narayan, Shreya Ghoshal, Sunidhi Chauhan and Rahul Saxena (Indian Idol Fame)
What's Special: It is the first song of Bollywood filmed on maximum number of stars on screen. Total 30 leading actors and actresses featured in this one song including Rani Mukherjee, Karishma Kapoor, Kajol, Zayed Khan, Arbaaz Khan, Preity Zinta, Vidya Balan, Malaika Arora-Khan, Bobby Deol, Jeetendra, Dino Morea, Rekha, Tusshar Kapoor, Amrita Arora, Ritesh Deshmukh, Priyanka Chopra, Juhi Chawla, Salman Khan, Shilpa Shetty, Aftab Shivdasani, Saif Ali Khan, Dharmendra, Tabu, Sanjay Dutt, Shabana Azmi, Govinda, Lara Dutta, Urmila Matondkar, Mithun Chakraborty and Sunil Shetty.
2. Hum To Aap ke Deewane Hai
Movie: Aap ke Deewane (1980)
Composer: Rajesh Roshan
Lyricist: Anand Bakshi
Singer(s): Mohammad Rafi, Kishore Kumar and Amit Kumar
What's Special: This is the song with shortest lyrics; comprising of just 10 words!! It goes like "Hum Toh Aapke Deewane Hai. Bade Mastane Hai. Aaha... Ohho". The song runs for almost 7-8 minutes with the same line repeating. However it does not get boring at any point.
3. Aake Seedhi Laagi Dilpe
Movie: Half Ticket (1962)
Composer: Salil Choudhuri
Lyricist: Shailendra
Singer(s): Kishore Kumar
What's Special: Kishore Kumar sang this song in male as well as a perfect female voice. It was originally planned as a duet by Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar. But Lata Mangeshkar conveyed her inability to attend the recording due to ill health. The recording was about to be canceled when Kishore Kumar showed his interest in singing both the male and female parts. Salil Choudhuri was initially reluctant. But he gave a green signal after listening to a few lines. Kishore Kumar has done a brilliant job here singing in a female voice. Considering the way songs used to be recorded those days (with live orchestra without any patch-ups), this is the toughest job performed easily. A master stroke indeed!!
4. Kavi Raaja Kavita Ke
Movie: Navraang (1959)
Composer: C. Ramchandra aka Ramchandra Chitalkar
Lyricist: Bharat Vyaas
Singer(s): Bharat Vyaas
What's Special: It is considered as the first Rap song used in Bollywood.
5. Duniya Rang Rangili
Movie: Dharti Mata (1938)
Composer: Pankaj Mullick
Lyricist: Pandit Sudarshan
Singer(s): K.C. Dey, Uma Shashi & K.L.Saigal
What's Special: It is the first song where all 3 leading actors sang their lines in their own voices. Thanks a lot Songs of Yore for providing your valuable correction on this.
6. De De Khuda ke Naam Paar Pyaare
Movie: Alam Ara (1931)
Composer: Firozshah M. Mistry and B. Irani
Lyricist: Not known
Singer(s): Wazir Mohammad Khan
What's Special: This is the first popular song of bollywood. "Alam Ara" was the first indian movie with sound. Produced by Imperial Movietone and directed by Ardeshir Irani. The movie had 7 songs. It was shot with a single system camera which recorded the sound and video at the same time.
7. Doli Mein Bithaike Kahar
Movie: Amar Prem (1972)
Composer: R.D. Burman
Lyricist: Anand Bakshi
Singer(s): S.D.Burman
What's Special: It was the first song sung by a father under son's composition in Bollywood history. Later on Asha Bhosle sung for her son Hemant Bhosle's compositions in films. Kishore Kumar also sung under his son Amit Kumar's compositions. But that was for bengali non-film albums.
8. Ek Do Teen Chaar Baagon Mein Bahar
Movie: Muqaddar (1950)
Composer: James Singh, Khemchand Prakash, Bhola Sreshtha
Lyricist: Bharat Vyaas
Singer(s): Asha Bhosle, Kishore Kumar
What's Special: This is the first ever song of Bollywood where yodeling was used. As per Wikipedia, yodeling is a technique that involves singing an extended note which rapidly and repeatedly changes in pitch making a high-low-high-low sound. Remember Kishore Kumar's famous Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana? This technique originated in Central Alps as a method of communication among herders. It went on to be a part of Alpine Folk Music and spread worldwide. Jimmie Rodgers popularized this technique in American Country Music. He was Kishore Kumar's idol. Kishore Kumar did the same in India what Jimmie Rodgers had done in America - pioneered yodeling. Till date Kishore Kumar is the sole flag bearer of yodeling in Bollywood. No one else had used it so extensively and perfectly in Bollywood. Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle sang together for the first time in their careers for this movie.
9. Mera Naam Hai Jameela
Movie: Night In London (1967)
Composer: Laxmikant-Pyarelal
Lyricist: Anand Bakshi
Singer(s): Lata Mangeshkar
What's Special: This is the first cabaret song sung by Lata Mangeshkar. For some reason Lata Mangeshkar was not keen on singing cabaret songs. That department was headed by her sister Asha Bhosle. The only other cabaret song by Lata Mangeshkar was Aa Jaan E Jaan which is one of the best cabaret songs of Bollywood and was a superhit number those days. Coincidentally she sang both these songs under the composition of Laxmikant-Pyarelaal.
10. Dil ke Armaan Aasuon Mein Beh Gaye
Movie: Nikaah (1983)
Composer: Ravi
Lyricist: Hasan Kamaal
Singer(s): Salmaa Aagha
What's Special: This is the first song for which a Pakistani singer won a Filmfare Award. Those days singers across the border singing in Bollywood was not very common. Salmaa Aagha went on to win the best female playback singer award when Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle were ruling the Bollywood music scene. A noteworthy feat!!
Image Courtesy: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
