It is Monsoons The streets look washed. There skies look silver and grey. The trees are swaying. The air smells fresh. There is a cool breeze that refreshes. The world looks great.
The monsoons have always been my favourite season. Traffic jams, water logging not withstanding — the moment i see a rain cloud my heart sings. The smell of fresh earth at this time of the year drives away any irritation at being stuck indoors. I am known to do silly things like walk in the rain to get wet …. it is almost like the rain is renewing me along with renewing the earth.
And of course, there is hot masala chai, pakodas – grandma used to make these great rava pakodas – and hindi film music. There is not much else you need in life :).
My favourite rain songs from Hindi films — in no particular order of preference
Aaj Rapat Jaaye to Hame Na Uthayo – Amitabh Bachchan and Smita Patil sizzle in this rain song from Namak Halal. Making out on a hand cart never seemed more appealing :). Brilliant music by Bappi Lahri and great lyrics by Anjaan.
Barsaat Mein Humse Mile Tum Sajan – A very young Lata Mangeshkar singing for a even younger Nargis. The film is the classic Barsaat. Music by Shankar Jaikishen, lyrics by Shailendra.
Dil Tera Deewana Hai Sanam – Thunder, Lightening and Rain seem to be a good combination for hormones to start acting up. In this song Shammi Kapoor declares undying love for Mala Sinha. The film is Dil Tera Deewana. Music is by Shankar Jaikishen, Lyrics are by Shailendra
Dum Dum Diga Diga – from the movie Chaliya. The director was Manmohan Desai – who gave blockbuster hits like Amar Akbar Anthony, Naseeb, Dharam Veer etal. It was loosely based on Dostovesky’s White Nights but set in the post Partition refugee space. Nutan and Raj Kapoor Star. Rehman has a wonderful cameo as Nutan’s husband. Music is by Kalyanji Anandji, and lyrics by Qamar Jalalabadi.
Ek Ladki Bhigi Bhagi Si – Kishore Kumar and Madhubala and a broken down car. The chemistry between the actors is sweet and playful. An indicator of a much more innocent era. Music by SD Burman, lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri.
Ghanana Ghanana Ghir – The fabulously energetic rain song from Lagaan. A.R.Rehman as his best. The song is relief, joy, yearning, all melded together with great melody, rythmn and a folksy quality that translates to the people’s link to rain. Lyrics are by Javed Akhtar
Koi Ladka Hai – from the film Dil to Pagal hai. The song has a great sense of innocence and reflects a great sense of the joy of life that has been rejuvenated by rains. The singers are Lata Mangeshkar and Udit Narayan. Music is by Uttam Singh and lyrics by Anand Bakshi. SRK and Madhuri and a gaggle of kids feature in this feel good song on the rains.
Mujhe Jaan Na Kaho Meri Jaan – a lovely romantic song by Geeta Dutt. Music is by Kanu Roy and Lyrics are by Gulzar. There is something about a rain drenched Mumbai and romance. The film features Sanjeev Kumar and Tanuja and their post marital ups and downs. The film is Anubhav and the director is Basu Bhattacharya who has the recurrent thread of marital discord running through his films.
O Sajna Barkha Bahar Aayi – Lata Mangeshkar at her sweetest best for this song from the Bimal Roy film Parakh. Music by Salil Choudhary.
Rhim Jhim Gire Sawan – there are two variations of this song, one by Lata Mangeshkar – featured on Amitabh Bachchan – who looked so yummy in this song – & Moushmi Chaterjee and Mumbai in the rains. and the other by Kishore Kumar. The film is Manzil, the music is by R.D.Burman, and lyrics by Yogesh ( not Majrooh Sultanpuri as posted earlier. Thankyou Vinay)
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The Kishore Kumar variant.
and the Lata Mangeshkar variant
Zindagi Bhar Nahi Bhooli woh Barsaat ki Raat – Bharat Bhushan serenading a woman he met in the rain. And, a very wet Madhubala is the object of his music. The music is by Roshan Sahaab, and lyrics by Sahir Ludhianvi. The movie is Barsaat ki Raat.
That’s a lovely collection of songs! It rained here last night, and the rains might well wash out the weekend 🙁 These songs may help me feel better 😀
Really liked your description of Monsoons … My 2 cents 🙂
I think you missed “Sawan Barse… Tarse Dil”
@lekhni -thankyou … love the rains…..
@blue bike – thankyou – that was wonderful
@harshad – thankyou …. i am accused of not knowing toomany songs from the last 10 years 🙂
Great compilation, thanks for posting!
wow! wonderful list. Its actually raining here so listened to all the songs with a cup of chai!. But I would like to nominate “rim jhim rim jhim” from 1942 a love story , and “tip tip tip baarish” from an amir khan movie I forgot the name ,too.
Nice list. Good to see the Anubhav song there. For me, Lata’s version of ‘?????? ???? ????/rimajhim gire saawan’ tops the list as much for its picturisation as for the song. The words are by Yogesh, not Majrooh.
@madhav – thank you
@ Krishna – thank you. glad you enjoyed the compilation. i like rim jhim from 1942. there is also roop tera mastana ….
@vinay – i love the simplicity of the Anubhav song. i really cannot make up my mind on which version of rim jhim gire sawaan i like more 🙂 . thankyou … have made the change.
Hey, you missed my favourite! Lagi Aaj saawan ki …
I had had a list made of the best 10 rain songs, a year or so ago.
http://l-i-s-t.blogspot.com/2007/10/on-roof-in-rain.html
Nice to see most of my favourites (but not the favourite, alas) in here as well…. and thanks for the videos too…
Hey, nice list. Very comprehensive.
Was it by chance or by design that you omitted “Hai Hai yeh mujboori” from “Roti, Kapda Aur Makan”, with sexy Zeenat getting drenched in a saree, trying to seduce Mr. Bharat? 🙂
i have been noticing from a long time now that u really, really love the basant ritu . 🙂
Thanks for that… I really needed it today 🙂
hmm nice list! Inspires me to complie a list of my favorite rain songs as well! 🙂
But I would like to list Geeta Dutt-Mohd. Rafi’s classic rendition of “Rimjhim ke taraane leke aayi barsaat” from the movie Kala Bazaar, as the top song on my baarish ke gaanonka list. It doesn’t even have to be the rainy season you know, ou just hear the song and FEEL the rain, in you and around you! 🙂
@sinfully pinstripes – thankyou for introducing me to that song. really enjoyed it. i of course love pyar huva, but i have put it up in so many posts that i needed to find new songs 🙂
@rada – thank you very much. somehow the vision of Manoj Kumar’s close up in that song – and the thought of a zeenat having to try that hard to seduce Manoj Kumar – prevents me from hearing it too often 🙂
@prax – and varsha ritu… adore both. especailly the classical ragas based around them
@amrita -glad to help
@ Amruta – rhim jhim ke tarane is a blast, i love garjat barsat sawan aayo re …. and choti si kahani liltingly sung by Asha in Ijazat .
List will be incomplete if not included Raj Kapoor and Nutan
Pyar hua ekkrar hua AND
Kishore Kumar Ek ladki bhi gi bhagi se soti raho mein jagi si AND Rimzim Rimzim from 1942 a lovestory
great collection
some more songs
barso re megha megha guru
chori chori chora chora masti
Very similar to my list, some suggestions for additions – Aaj Ki Kaali Ghata – Geeta Dutt (Kanu Roy Composition), Saawan Ke Baadlo – Zohrabai Ambalawali & Karan Divan, Thandi Hawa Kaali Ghata – Geeta Dutt, Zara Tham Ja Tu – Geeta Dutt (from Jogan) – as you can see I am a huge Geeta Dutt Fan – 🙂