This was a MemorabLe duet

Sanyasi released in 1975.

My collection contained a couple of songs from the film (including the subject of this post).

If they were arranged in the alphabetical order, Sun Baal Bramhachari would be the second.

Both the tracks from the film in my collection had a couple of things in common.

Firstly, the two people who sang them were Lata Mangeshkar and Mukesh.

And secondly, they were composed by Shankar Singh Ram Singh Raghuvanshi (Jaikishan Dayabhai Panchal had died by then).

The only difference between the two was the songwriter – Verma Malik wrote this one.

Rafi’s voice, indeed, was divine

There is no two ways about the fact that the voice of the legendary Mohammed Rafi was aptly described as ‘Khuda ki Awaaz’ (or ‘The Voice of God’).

Even when he was no longer at his peak, he managed to stay relevant with underrated hits like the subject of this post.

It was titled Khuda Bhi Aasmaan Se.

And it happened to be the only song from Dharti (1970) in my collection.

It was written by Rajinder Krishan.

The two men who composed the song were Shankar Singh Ram Singh Raghuvanshi and Jaikishan Dayabhai Panchal.

Sharda sang it with Rafi

Composer Shankar Singh Ram Singh Raghuvanshi was raised in Hyderabad, so it was fair that he (and Jaikishan Dayabhai Panchal) had a ‘Duology with Telugu Phrases’.

While one was Ramaiya Vastavaiya [from Shree 420 (1955)], the other was the subject of this post.

It was titled Badkamma Badkamma Ekkada Potav Ra.

That could be translated to, “Badkamma, where are you going?”

And it happened to be the only song from the 1969 film Shatranj in my collection.

Sharda Rajan Iyengar joined Mohammed Rafi behind the microphone for the song, which was written by Kiran Kalyani.

It was among Rafi’s best

My collection contained a couple of songs from Mere Huzoor, which released in 1968.

These included the subject of this post – Gham Uthane Ke Liye Main Toh Jeeye Jaoonga (which would be the first if they were arranged in the alphabetical order).

It was rendered by the one and only Mohammed Rafi (who sang the majority of the songs in the film).

As far as their mood was concerned, the contrast between the two songs couldn’t have been starker.

But there were a couple of similarities – Hasrat Jaipuri wrote the song,  which Shankar Jaikishan composed.

Mukesh sang this title track

Rishi Kapoor was one of the three leading actors in the 1992 film Deewana.

And his father, Raj Kapoor, starred in a film titled Diwana, which released a quarter of a century earlier.

My collection contains just one song from the latter (chronologically the former).

And it was aptly titled Diwana Mujhko Log Kahen.

Indeed, people believed the showman was obsessed with and passionate about everything he did.

No prizes for guessing that Mukesh sang the song.

It was written by Hasrat Jaipuri, and composed by Shankar Singh Ram Singh Raghuvanshi and Jaikishan Dayabhai Panchal.

They promoted interestional touriSM then

Back in the day, only the wealthy travelled.

And in 1967, when Around The World released, eight dollars (the sum referenced in the song) was about Rs 60 (a princely sum).

My collection contained just one song from the film – Duniya Ki Sair Kar Lo.

The song reference three US cities (Los Angeles, Washington, and New York) and five European ones (London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, and Venice).

Sharda Rajan Iyengar and Mukesh Chand Mathur lent it their voices.

Shailendra wrote the song, which was composed by Shankar Singh Ram Singh Raghuvanshi and Jaikishan Dayabhai Panchal.

It completed Mukesh’s ‘Sajan’ duology

Teesri Kasam released in 1966.

My collection had five songs from the film, including the subject of this post.

If they were arranged in the alphabetical order, it would be the last.

And if they were arranged in the descending order of their durations, it would be the third – it was three minutes and 51 seconds long.

The film’s soundtrack had two songs that begun with Sajan.

And Sajanwa Bairi Ho Gayi Hamaar was the second of those.

Mukesh rendered it.

The song was written by Shailendra, also the film’s producer.

Shankar Jaikishan composed it.

It was Sharda’s signature song

Sharda Rajan Iyengar – mononymously credited as Sharda – was born in the Madras Presidency on October 25, 1933.

She died at the age of 89 on June 14, 2023.

Her signature song was Titli Udi.

It was the third song from the 1966 film Suraj (if they were arranged in the alphabetical order).

And if they were arranged in the ascending order of their durations, it would be the first – it was three minutes and 47 seconds.

The song was written by Shailendra.

It was composed by Shankar Singh Ram Singh Raghuvanshi and Jaikishan Dayabhai Panchal.

Playback’s Shahen‘shah’, Rafi, rendered it

My collection contains five songs from Love In Tokyo (1966).

Eighty per cent of those were written by Hasrat Jaipuri.

These include the subject of this post – the male version of O Mere Shah-E-Khuban*.

That, by the way, is an Urdu phrase, which could be translated to beloved.

Mohammed Rafi lent his voice to the song.

Was that even a surprise? After all, he sang the majority of the male solos in the film.

Shankar Singh Ram Singh Raghuvanshi and Jaikishan Dayabhai Panchal composed the song.

(*Note: The female version was sung by Lata Mangeshkar.)

Nobody could question theiR taLent

Earlier, my collection had just one song from Sasural, which released in 1961.

From an alphabetical point of view, the second song from the film in it was the first – it was titled Ek Sawaal Main Karoon.

But one certainly could not ask any sawaal (question) about the talent of the two people who lent their voices to it – Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi.

The song was written by Shailendra, and composed by Shankar Jaikishan.

By the way, I first read about this song in an article about Rajendra Kumar, on whom it was picturised.

Lata’s solo contained a synonym

The last word in the title of the subject of the previous post was Deewana, which means crazy.

Pagal is a synonym of that word.

What were the odds of the last word in the title of the subject of this post being Pagal?

The track in question was O Basanti Pawan Pagal, and it was from Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai.

The Lata Mangeshkar solo was the third song from the film in my collection – it was three minutes and 52 seconds long.

Shailendra penned the song, which was composed by Shankar Jaikishan.

A popuLar idioM was referenced

My collection contains five songs from Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1960), including the subject of this post and the next one.

If they were arranged in the alphabetical order, Begaani Shaadi Mein Abdullah Deewana would be the first.

Shailendra referenced the Hindi proverb, which translated to, “A person who is more interested in poking his nose into others’ affairs than minding his own business”.

Lata Mangeshkar and Mukesh lent their voices to it.

Shankar Singh Ram Singh Raghuvanshi and Jaikishan Dayabhai Panchal composed the song, which was three minutes and 29 seconds long.

Apparently, this song was ReMedial

In Ujala (1959), Raaj Kumar was the antagonist, and Shammi Kapoor was the protagonist.

Those were the days the baddies didn’t sing and dance in Hindi films.

But Kumar’s displeasure about not having any tracks picturised on him led the inclusion of Yaaron Surat Hamari Pe Mat Jao on the film’s soundtrack.

It was a friendship song, to which Mukesh and Mohammed Rafi lent their voices.

I sat down to write this post on December 14, 2023 (which happened to be the 57^th death anniversary of Shailendra, who wrote the song).

Shankar Jaikishan composed it.

Lata sang this one too

If one put 1956 and The Magnificent Seven – with respect to the soundtracks of Hindi films – in the same sentence, it could just as well sum up the songs from Chori Chori in my collection.

That, of course, when I decided to add the subject of this post to my collection.

The track in question was Us Paar Saajan.

Its alternative title was Le Chal O Majhi Kinare.

It was the fifth consecutive Lata Mangeshkar solo in this playlist.

Hasrat Jaipuri wrote the song, which Shankar Singh Ram Singh Raghuvanshi and Jaikisham Dayabhai Panchal composed.

This was Ms Mangeshkar’s hat-trick

Basant Bahar released in 1956.

As far as my collection was concerned, there is no two ways about the fact that the soundtrack of the film was ‘The Magnificent Seven’.

A couple of those were sung by Lata Mangeshkar, but they were duets.

And the third of her contributions to the soundtrack – the subject of this post – happened to be a solo.

It was titled Ja Ja Re Ja Balamwa.

The song happened to be the only female solo from the film in my collection.

Shailendra wrote the song, which was composed by Shankar Jaikishan.

It completed Lata’s Seema hat-trick

If the five songs from Seema in my collection were arranged in the alphabetical order, the happy version of Suno Chhoti Si Gudiya Ki would be the penultimate one.

And if they were arranged in the alphabetical order of their durations, it would be the first – it was a couple of minutes and 40 seconds long.

Therefore, the song that completed Lata Mangeshkar’s hat-trick of solos on the soundtrack of the film was the opposite of the second song in said hat-trick.

The song, which was written by Hasrat Jaipuri, was composed by Shankar Jaikishan.

It continued Lata's Seema hat-trick

Seema released in 1955.

With the addition of the subject of this post, and the next one, there were five songs from the film in my collection.

If they were arranged in the alphabetical order, Baat Baat Mein Rootho Na would be the first.

And if they were arranged in the descending order of their durations, it would be the penultimate one – it was four minutes and eight seconds long.

The song was rendered by Lata Mangeshkar.

Hasrat Jaipuri wrote the song, which was composed by Shankar Singh Ram Singh Raghuvanshi and Jaikishan Dayabhai Panchal.

Mukesh didn’t just sing it

Aah released in 1953.

Spread across my playlists, there were four songs from the film in my collection.

If they were arranged in the alphabetical order, as well as in the ascending order of their durations, the subject of this post would be the second.

The track in question was Chhoti Si Yeh Zindagi, and it was three minutes and 53 seconds long.

It was not just sung by Mukesh Chand Mathur, but also picturised on him.

The song was written by Shailendra, and composed by Shankar Singh Ram Singh Raghuvanshi and Jaikishan Dayabhai Panchal.

Shamshad Begum sang this ‘number’

Before I added the subject of this post to my collection, there were teen (three) tracks from the 1951 film Awaara in it.

Ek Do Teen was the fourth song.

If they were arranged in the alphabetical order, it would be the penultimate one.

As was the case with the other songs from the film in my collection, it was penned by the one and only Shailendra.

It happened to be the only contribution of Shamshad Begum to the soundtrack of the film.

Shankar Singh Ram Singh Raghuvanshi and Jaikishan Dayabhai Panchal composed the song.