And we end the Kishore Kumar journey (at least for this month) with this - his last beautiful and very popular song - this song was #5 in 1988 - there were two other songs sung by Kishore Kumar in the top 10 of that year (one year after he passed away) - however this is my favorite of those three.
We cant really go through November - the Kishore Kumar month without a Kishore Kumar song that is sung for himself :D - well here it is - of course from Padosan. This R.D.Burman composition was the #2 song of 1968.
Unrequited Love !! Amitabh falls in love with the girl who will never reciprocate his feelings ... hence this song (the Amitabh Rekha angle in this movie was just Amitabh playing around :P) - this song started playing on the weekly charts in December 1978 and climbed and stayed at the weekly top spot for 12 weeks and was the number 1 song of the year 1979. Interestingly enough this movie had the number 1, 6 and 7 songs of 1979 and yet failed to even be nominated for the filmfare best music director award (which eventually was won by Laxmikant Pyarelal for Satyam Shivam Sundaram - one of his weakest scores) - tells you the role that politics played in these awards.
tujh bin jogan meri raatein tujh bin mere din banjaare
mera jeevan jalti dhooni bujhe bujhe mere sapne saare
tere bina meri mere bina teri yeh zindagi zindagi na
Happy Thanksgiving everyone - the day we (officially) give thanks to everything and everyone that have helped our lives become more perfect :D. Today we have two songs - both of these songs were released in late 1978 - this one made its appearance on the weekly charts around mid October and continued till mid March of 1979. Both of these songs are beautifully sung and the mood in both these songs are about love loss and separation. This song climbed to the number one spot on the weekly charts 5 times, and together this and the next song occupied the top two spots on the weekly charts for a total of eight weeks! Eventually this song was the #3 song of 1979.
Here we go - the Jhingalala song :D
kitni akeli thi woh raahein hum jinpe
ab tak akele chalte rahe
tujhse bichhar ke bhi o bekhabar
tere hi gham mein jalte rahe
tu ne kiya jo shikwa
hum woh gila kar na sake
Just as an FYI ... the entire bewafaai and bichharna was because Dharmendra was an undercover intelligence agent :P
Sometimes the simplest words can convey the deepest feelings - this beautiful love song was #9 in 1980 (even though the movie released in 1981, it had already run through its max quota of 25 weeks on the weekly charts) - there is always something about Kishore Kumars songs that make it almost impossible to recreate - I have heard many other singers attempt this song and no one can convey the depth that this song does.
The next quartet of songs are some of my favorite love songs - covering the entire range of emotions from exhilaration to separation to longing to unrequited feelings. This beautiful song based on the raag Shivranjani is from the movie Mehbooba and was the #3 song of 1976
The second Bollywood pair that defines chemistry is of course Amitabh and Rekha - their intense stares at each other just sizzle - and their is a soft playfulness in their interactions that of course point to deep and intense feelings :D. This wasnt the most popular song of the movie ( we will hear the most popular song from this movie in December) but it was very very popular nevertheless - this was #21 in 1979 and #7 in 1980.
Ah Chemistry - the subject of my next two posts :D - chemistry between human beings can be defined as that inexplicable bond that forms between two people whence they can almost read each others minds - "soul siblings" have chemistry, great friends (or gf s as i call them) have chemistry and of course love always has to have chemistry as one of its main foundations. Something that I've realized over the years is that chemistry once present very rarely goes away - you could run into someone that you used to share great chemistry with but whom you havent seen for a while - and the chemistry almost instantly comes back. Last week I was watching a late night talk show ( a uniquely American concept) where its host Jimmy Kimmel was interviewing (and meeting after a long time) his ex girlfriend Sarah Silverman (one of the best stand up comedians around) - and just watching them interact on the show brought the idea of having a couple of posts dealing with chemistry to my mind.
As far as Bollywood goes (apart from the golden oldies Raj and Nargis) no one embodies chemistry better then these two couples that are the subject of the next two song posts. The first of them of course is Rishi and Neetu - the movie is Khel Khel Mein and this superhit song from that movie was #14 in 1975.
What a great way to start the weekend after a really long and exhausting week at work :D - This superhit song was #4 in 1982, and I already posted the Asha version a few months earlier - this is the Kishore version
Absolute classic song although the tune and part of the words (om shanti om) were lifted straight out of Lord Shorty's Om Shanti Om (1976) - Karz was the first movie where the music director won tha Filmfare Award after lifting TWO songs from other sources (the other song was Ek Haseena Thi where the basic theme music was lifted straight from George Benson's We as Love) - anyways this song was the #1 song of the year 1980 and got Kishore Kumar a nomination as best male playback - unfortunately for him he was beaten to the award by Kishore Kumar for Thodisi Bewafaai :D
O saathi challllllll :D - the quintessential Hemal Malini movie (which was later remade into Chaalbaaz with an equally brilliant Sridevi) - this song was #2 in 1973
Just as an FYI both Sanjeev Kumar and Dharmendra were in love with Hemal Malini ... apparently for the movie Sholay, Dharmendra really wanted the role of Thakur - but he was told then that it would result in Sanjeev Kumar getting the role of Veeru (who would romance Basanti aka Hema) ... Dharamendra promptly took the role of Veeru LOLLL
By popular demand the chooha billi song :D - a great example of the Kishore Kumar Amitabh Bachchan combo - with Amitabh taking over the vocals for the narration like antaras :D This song was #2 in 1984.
And yes ... the trunk of Amitabh car had a bar in it :D
Tina Munim trapped in a fishing net :rolleyes ... the imagination wanders :P .... anyways we are back to more lively songs. This song was #1 in 1983, although that positioning was helped by the fact that the other big hit song of 1983 "Jab Hum Jawaan Honge" only played for 21 weeks in 1983 and 4 in January 1984 - thus as far as total points went the latter overtook the former in mid Jan ... we will see that song in December :D
The last of the soulful Kishore Kumar songs for the month of November - I have a feeling we have had enough of these tearful songs ... and definitely at least from my point of view I want to move on to some raucous songs and some out and out romantic songs :P
This is from the movie Souten - which also had the number 1 song of the year 1983 (we will see that song soon) - but this one a tandem song sung by Lata as well as Kishore Kumar was #13 for the year.
zindagi bewafaa hai to kya
apne roothe hai humpe to kya
haath mein haath na ho to kya
saath milkar nibhana parega
... there used to live a brilliant but troubled human being, who was finding it very difficult to navigate the pathways of life - and had completely lost himself in the nothingness that is mediocrity. This all time classic (based on Raag Bhairavi) is dedicated to that human being of long time ago :D ... and yes to "Pushpa" also.
This song was #5 in 1972, and to this day I cannot understand why neither Kishore Kumar or R.D.Burman werent winners of the Filmfare Awards for that year - this entire music score would arguably be rated as R.D. Burmans best.
Another great and soulful song - this one definitely more upbeat than the Kora Kagaz song - this was the Number 1 song of 1974 seperated from Jai Jai Shiv Shankar by just 1 point !! A must among train songs :D
:O what an amazing song - yes its a sad song but we've all encountered sadness in our lives :P - this song was #3 in 1974 and won Kalyanji Anandji his first (and only) Filmfare Award
Prakash Mehra's last superhit combo with Amitabh had an all hit soundtrack with 3 songs in the top 10 for the year 1984 (albeit a poor year for Hindi film music) - this song was #6 for the year with 278 points (the song Mujhe Naulakha Manga De/Log Kehte Hai Main Sharaabi Hoon which I posted earlier was #7 with 273 points - and we will meet the most popular song of the movie - yes chooha aage peeche billi - in a week or so) - by the way this song is almost completely lifted from Allah Megh De from Guide - this is the second instance of a movie with two lifted songs winning the Filmfare Award for best music director (Bappis Lahiri's only win) - the other was Karz.
From the stable of Manmohan Desai comes this song of Amitabh chasing Hema in a lungi LOLL ... kinda explains the behavior patterns of some folks over at the Spice Channel :D - this song was #18 in 1982
Ah yes -we are back to "chemistry" and no two stars exhibit this type of screen igniting dazzling chemistry better than Amitabh and Rekha - watch Rekha stare at Amitabh when he decides to jump in in the middle of her dance performance - and she instantly melts at Amitabhs words. Definitely one of Amitabh best performance - and three songs of this movie made it to the top 10 songs of the year - this song was #7 with 263 points from 25 weeks (the song Rote Huwe Aate Hai Sab which I've posted before was #8 with 250 points) - and the unquestioned #1 song of 1979 was also from this movie - and we'll see that song in a couple of weeks. For the moment enjoy this song.
tu maseeha mohabbat ke maaro ka hai
hum tera naam sunke chale aaye hai
ab dawa de mujhe ya tu de de zehar
tere mehfil mein yeh dil jale aaye hai
ek ehsan kar apne mehman par
de duwayen tujhe umr bhar ke liye :D
Dream Merchant Manmohan Desais classic tale of lost and found brothers who grow up to be of three different religions - this movie was also a comedy masterpiece especially with respect to Amitabh's character. This movie had great songs, and won Laxmikant Pyarelal the Filmfare Award for best music director in 1977 (although most people at that time felt that the award should have gone to R.D. Burman for Hum Kissise Kum Nehin because the songs especially one of them were bigger hits and the music was better). This song was #7 for the year with 202 points from the maximum of 18 weeks on the weekly shows.
This classic song from the hilarious movie Namak Halaal won the Filmfare Award for Kishore Kumar, his 5th, and this song was also mega popular ending up at #2 for the year (Angrezi mein kehte hai from Khud Daar was #1, it has already been posted in May of this year:D).
During the period of 1977-1985 producer directors Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra were considered the "dreammakers" in Bollywood giving the audience a bunch of movies that proved to be very very popular and also had great and popular music (sort of like Yash Chopra in the 90s and 2000s). This is one of those movies directed by Prakash Mehra - Kishore Kumar songs from these two directors movies is now the theme for the next week.
I love it how Amitabh berates some random guy "parayi naar pe nazar mat daalo buri aadat hai yeh adaat badal daalo" ... and then catches a glimpse of Smita Patil and blurts out "dil yeh kehta hai aap apni hai parayi nehin" LOLLL
This movie had a bunch of great songs - this song is a very beautiful and popular romantic duet - Dev Anand is a clown, but Mumtaz looks awesome. This song was #14 in 1972, and the top song of the year 1972 was also from this movie - but we will see that trailblazing song in December.
More of celebration songs - this one with bhaang :P - this movie and song came out at the peak of Rajesh Khanna's fame - this song was the #2 song of the year with 249 points out of the max 18 weeks on the charts - the #1 song of the year had 250 points - and we will see that song soon this month.
So after a long weekend of celebrations what could be better than heading out to a beach, hanging out and meeting a hot girl and kissing her and following that up with a song buaahahhaah :D - for all my female readers you can of course substitute the hot girl with a hot guy :P
This absolutely beautiful song ( I had a posted another version of this song earlier) won Kishore Kumar his 8th and last Filmfare award (the 8 Filmfare awards are still a record) - and this song was #20 on the annual Binaca Geetmala list with 98 points out of 13 weeks on the charts. This movie btw had five songs on the top 50 songs of the year (as did Ram Teri Ganga Maili - kinda unique having two movies in the same year with 5 songs each on the top 50) - we will meet the most popular song of this movie in December :P
One of the most beautiful love songs ever written - what simple words and what profound feelings they express. Definitely one of my favorite songs :D. This was a huge hit in the year 1983-84 - you would hear this song blaring from every paan shop LOL :D - This song was #23 in 1983 but played for a majority of weeks out of its maximum 25 in the 1984 weekly countdowns and was # 8 in 1984 with 240 points. Kishore Kumar won the Filmfare Award for best male playback singer for the year 1983 for this song.
humme jo tumhara sahara na milta
bhanwar mein hi rehte kinara na milta
kinare pe bhi to leher aa duboti
agar tum na hote
Here is a dhamakedaar song, and one of the biggest hits of the years 1978-79. After all we have to celebrate Diwali with some dhamaka eh :P. This song was #9 for the year 1978(with 256 points from 21 weeks) and #4 for the year 1979 ( adding 47 more points from its last 4 weeks of play, for a total of 303 points from 25 weeks). Kishore Kumar also won the Filmfare award for best male playback for the year 1978 for this song.
ik kanya kunwari humri surat pe mar gayi haye haye hayeee
ik meethi katari humri dil mein utar gayi haye ahye hayee
kaisi gori gori woh teekhi teekhi chhori
karke jora jori kar gayi humre dil ki chori
mili chhori to huwa nihaaal :D
Oh what an absolutely gorgeous love song - and talk about "bedroom eyes" in the picturization LOLL :D. The music for this movie won Rajesh Roshan his first Filmfare Award for best music director and this song was the #5 song (played for the max of 18 weekly programs for a point total of 227) in 1975.
itna bhi door mat jaao ke paas aana mushkil ho
itna bhi paas mat aao ke door jaana mushkil ho :D
Ah Welcome November - my favorite month of the year where the air is cool and crisp, the leaves are orangish red, and a lot of the more important people in this world were born :P
In keeping with the favorite theme - November will blend two of my favorites - my favorite singer and my favorite radio program that I grew up listening to religiously. The favorite singer of course is Kishore Kumar so we will get to listen to 30 Kishore Kumar songs over the course of this month - both solos and duets. However there is a caveat and that concerns the connection with my favorite radio program which used to be called Binaca Geetmala. This beloved program used to be aired from Radio Ceylon (later Sri Lankan Broadcasting Corporation), and was India's first and longest running weekly countdown show. It ran every week from 1954 till mid 1994 after which it was discontinued due to its inability to compete with a burgeoning TV industry. It was broadcast every Wednesday night from 8 pm till 9pm and I used to listen to it every Wednesday between mid 1980 until I left for the US in mid 1992. I was an occasional listener between mid 1978 until mid 1980. There were plenty of people that used to list every single weekly countdown songs in their order of popularity - Yes I did it for a while to (from abt 1983 end till 1989 end). The broadcaster of this beloved program was Ameen Sayani with his magical voice and his entertaining style of presentation.
The idea of the program was very simple - every week Mr Sayani would broadcast the top 16 songs of the week (based on sales and ratings of listeners). He would assign points to the songs with 1 point to song number 16, 2 points to song number 15, ... and 16 points to song number 1. At the end of the year he would add up all the points and during the last two weeks of the year he would broadcast the top 30-35 songs, with glimpses (what he would call jhalaks) of some of the songs that just missed the cut.
There were some interesting modifications to the rules of the program over the years. Prior to 1965, songs would be broadcast on weekly shows as long as they were popular, so a song could conceivably play for the entire year. However in 1964 music director Shankar (of Shankar Jaikishan) got incensed that the song composed by him Dost Dost Na Raha was always getting lower popularity ratings than a Jaikishan composed song Yeh Mera Prem Patra Padhkar (both from Sangam) and accused the program of favoritism - the long and short of this hissy fit was that at the end of the year an extra group of people over and above the total points accumulated would decide the raning of the songs - thus this obviously meant manipulated lists. This continued till 1977 after which it was abolished. Additionally only a maximum of two songs per movie would be allowed to be played in a weeks' program regardless of whether there were more songs from the same movie that were popular or not. And songs could play for a maximum of 18 weeks after which they were retired (Sartaj Geet).
Starting in 1978, songs were retired after 25 weeks rather than 18, if a song played more than 18 weeks, they would be played as a short glimpse or jhalak. Every week there would be 16 songs on the program that had played 18 or less weeks in the weekly programs, and an additional number of songs that had played more than 18 weeks but less than 25 i.e. there could be weeks where the program would play the top 23 songs and another week where only 19 songs were played. Also starting in 1978, the year end annual popularity charts would be ranked solely on the basis of points collected in the weekly popularity charts. The math nerd in me of course immediately found out the serious flaw in this rule - the points a song collected in a week depended on the number of songs played that week - i.e. in a week that 23 songs are played the top song would get 23 points but in a week that 19 songs played the top song would get 19 points - thus the year end total points would be affected by the number of songs playing in the different weeks. The program also figured this out so starting in 1980 this rule was done away with - there would be only 16 songs played each week and the annual program would be a straightforward addition of total points. Once again for a math nerd, it shoudnt be difficult to figure out that songs that started playing in 1977 and continued playing in 1978 would be at a serious disadvantage with respect to the total points accumulated, while songs that started playing in 1979 and continued to 1980 would be at a serious advantage.
Just as an FYI a long time e friend of mine has a collection of every weekly program list from 1971 till 1980 - using his lists we have recaculated the top 50 songs for the years 1973 till 1979, we have been working on 1980 for the last year and half without a lot of progress (obviously work creates a significant lack of time :D) - by the way it took us about 10 years to do all the recalculations till now LOLLLL, and there were plenty of differences with the official lists. So I can defintely tell you the popularity of a song during this period, pre 1965 period as well as 1981 onwards with some idea about 1980. However for the period of 1965-1972, as well as 1980 it wont be the exact accurate popularity but I have a pretty good idea :D
Wow - that is a pretty detailed explanation.
Back to songs - here is a great song from Aradhana to kick off the month. This song was actually composed by R.D. Burman who took over composing the music for Aradhana when his dad fell ill. R.D also convinced Kishore Kumar to sing for Rajesh Khanna which would explain the Aradhana album having two Rafi and three Kishore Kumar songs. Of the three Kishore Kumar songs, this was the only one that was completely somposed by R. D., the other two were mostly composed by his dad with some final tuning done by R.D. This song was #32 in 1969 and #15 in 1970.
Ei To Jibon - Ogo Bodhu Shundori (1980)
Katra Katra Milti Hai - Ijaazat (1987)
Tumi Koto Je Doore - Asha Bhonsle and R. D. Burman
Le Gayi Le Gayi - Dil To Pagal Hai (1997)
Laga Chunari Mein Daag - Dil Hi To Hai (1963)
Tu Mile Dil Khile - Criminal (1995)
Jahan Teri Yeh Nazar Hai Meri Jaan - Kaalia (1981)
100!
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