Karwa Chauth has a ritual where the wife holds a fast to pray for the health and long life of her husband. The fast is only broken after she sees the moon, followed by the husband feeding her some food. This festival This one-day festival is celebrated in the Northern part of India but Thanks to the Bollywood, Karwa Chauth isn't limited to be a North Indian or Punjabi festival anymore. It is now glamorized and widely popular function in India.
Many songs and scenes were created in Bollywood to attract audiences. The first time a song on Karwa Chauth was created in 1965 film Bahu Beti.Another old song I remember Aaj Hai Karwa Chauth Ka Vrat from the film Karwa Chauth released in 1978. The trend started in the 1990s with the movie Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam,1992,Hum Apke Hain Kaun 1994, later it was Punjabitised by Yash Chopra from DDLJ.
The fast is traditionally celebrated in the states of Rajasthan, parts of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab.Every state has his own style of celebrating this fast but in films only Punjabi style is shown.In 1994 film Chand Ka Tukda a song was picturised in Gujarati style. Here are some of the best Karwa Chauth songs from some of our favourite Hindi movies.
.The first railway on the Indian sub-continent ran over a stretch of 21 miles from Bombay to Thane. The formal inauguration ceremony was performed on 16th April 1853, when 14 railway carriages carrying about 400 guests left Bori Bunder at 3.30 pm Since then 163 years have passed. Today Indian Railway is one of the largest railway networks in the world. This Gigantic engineering marvel has also been a fascination for the Indian Film Industry. since the 1930s. Bollywood has always imbibed and used Railways as a character themselves in the movies.Way back in 1934, ``Toofan Mail" started off a romance between films and trains which is still going strong.
In1936 Achut Kanya, Ashok Kumar, and Kanan Devi film has Kanan Devi playing the role of a level crossing gatekeeper's daughter who averts an accident towards the end of the film. Miss Frontier Mail was another film released in 1936 starring Nadia.She played Savita whose father is the station master framed for a murder committed by a masked man.The highlights are Nadia's stunts on top of a speeding train fighting a gang of rail-road bandits.
The train and its associated emblems (the station, the railway tracks and even the sound made by it) have actually been a steady presence in Indian cinema across decades.
There was a 1942 film Station Master The film was about a girl who is a daughter of a station master, who wants her to to marry a man who is also a railway employee but she wants to marry another person who is a train guard.
A 1953 film starring Shammi Kapoor and Madhubala called 'Rail Ka Dibba' was about a young man living in an abandoned Rail coach.,Railway Platform was a 1955 Indian film about Passengers from all backgrounds who get stranded on an isolated railway platform when a natural disaster delays their train for 24 hours. a love triangle between a princess, a poor man, and his lover at a train station The film marked the debut of Sunil Dutt,
Bollywood and trains have had a long and most affectionate relationship. In fact, Bollywood has a lot to thank the Indian Railways for giving us memorable scenes and songs. Today's youth remembers thefantastic scene from Dilwale Dulhunia Le Jayenge, My generation remember the train scene from Pakeezah when Salim, played by Raaj Kumar sees just Meena Kumari's feet peeping put from the train berth and is instantly smitten."Aapke paao dekhe. Bahut haseen hai.. Inhe zameen par mat utariiyega. Maile ho jaayenge," wrote Salim in a letter to the gorgeous Sahibjaan (Meena Kumari).
Many murder thrillers associated with train or love stories took shape in ans around trains were made in Bollywood A few of them like The Train(1970), Parwaana(1971), Do Anjane(1976),The Burning Tratn,(1980), Baaton Baaton Mein (1979), Zamane Ko Dikhana Hai (1981) andJab We Met(2007)
Let us recall those moments when Bollywood movies gained an advantage from railways that started their journey in India on the day of 16th April 1853,
Song from Jawab 1942
In 1942 this Toofan Mail was used in a song in the film Jawab sung by Actress-singer Kanan Devi.The same year another song of Pankaj Mullick
Aayi Bahar Aajfrom the film Doctor is a beautiful Train song.
Song from Doctor 1942
Song from Dilruba 1950
The 1954 film Jagriti song Aao Bachcho Tumhe Dikhaye Jhankee Hindustan Kee was shot on a train and it chugs away while the teacher in the scene shows a group of children the various sights and sounds of India.
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Song from Jagriti (1954)
There was a film in 1955 Railway Platformthe story of this film is entirely railway oriented and much of it has been shot on an actual Railway Platform, As the title song plays along with credits at the beginning of the film, the camera shows the view from the last coach as the train moves along.
Songs from Railway Platform 1955
In 1956 Bhowani Junction film released. This film was based on the masterpiece from John Masters, this film is about Anglo Indian community in pre-partition India. Set at an imaginary railway town called Bhowani Junction.A large part of the film is set around railways that played an all-important role during war years, before and after partition and were 100% powered by steam. The railway scenes in the film were shot in Lahore and other parts of North-west Pakistan
A scene from Bhowani Junction 1956
Dev Anand would have lost his most memorable songs if he hadn’t got a chance to romance on trains. From serenading Waheeda Rahman in the song Hai Apna Dil To Awara Na Jaane Kispe Aayega and Apni To Har Aah Ek Toofan to attempting a jig with Asha Parekh in the song Jiya o, Jiya o Jiya Kuch Bol Do.
Song from Solva Saal 1958
Song from Kala Bazar 1960
Song from Jab Pyaar Kisi Se Hota Hai 1961
The Kishore Kumar song Cheel Cheel Chillake from 1962 film Half Ticket is a good example of a railway song. Many scenes of the film were on a Railway Platform or on a train.
Song from Half Ticket(1962)
A scene from Half Ticket(1962)
Song from Hum Sab Ustaad Hain (1965)
Song from Mere Huzoor (1968)
Song from Aashirwaad (1968)
In the 1969 film Aradhana Rajesh Khanna in a jeep, trying and succeeding in regaling Sharmila Tagore who was on a train in Mere sapno ki rani kab aayegi tu It was the repeat of Jiya Ho Jiya Kuchh Bol Do type picturization.
Song from Aradhana 1969
By this time Indian Railway modernized itself from Steam to Diesel and to Electric Engine,in this song from Honeymoon 1973, a group of students shown singing and dancing in an electric train
Song from Honeymoon (1973)
This beautiful song from Ajnabee was shot in a Good's Train which I think the first song picturized on a Goods Train
Song from Ajanabee (1974)
Like the Darjeeling train, this song was picturized on a Toy Train in a Heritage site Kalka Shimla Train Route
Song from Dost (1974)
In the 1975 film Julie an Anglo Indian family living at Shoranur. The father played by Om Prakash is a goods driver while Julie is the eldest daughter who falls in love with a Hindu boy who is visiting his family. There are several scenes depicting AWC, HPS WG & WP class at Sholapur.station, yard, roundhouse
A scene from Julie 1975
Sholay1975There are several railway sequences in the film. Two of these show the inspector and a jailor arriving at a rural station aboard a YP hauled train. The most famous one of course is of the dacoits trying to hijack a goods train hauled by H/4 class No. 026472. Jai and Veeru are prisoners of inspector Sanjeev Kumar and after he agrees to let them help him, Jai and the inspector take charge of the fighting from the guard's van while Veeru mans the engine and runs its through the barrier laid on the rails by dacoits.
Song from Rafoo Chakkar (1975)
This song was picturized inside a steam engine on Dilip Kumar and Shammi Kapoor
Song from Vidhaata (1982)
Railway Coolie is an important component of the Indian Railway, this song is picturized on Amitabh Bachchan
Hindi Films are known for their songs. Sometimes it happens that a very melodious song is either badly picturized or on relatively unknown actors. In this blog, I have selected a few of such songs that were very popular at that time and are still hummed but we have forgotten on whom these were picturized
The first song I have taken is 'Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki' from the 1949 film Dulari. This song established Mohammad Rafi, it was picturized on Suresh, who went to Pakistan and acted in two films in 1950 and 1951, but then returned to India soon after. By that time Dilip Kumar. Dev Anand and Raj Kapoor captured the top slot.
Song of Dulari 1949
Next song in my ;ist 'Na Yeh Chand Hoga Na Tare Rahenge' sung by Hemant Kumar and Geeta Dutt from the 1954 film 'Shart'.This song was picturized on young actress Shyama with an actor from Bengal named Dipak, who was specially brought over for the role,
Song of Shart 1954
This immortal song 'Tasveer Banata Hoon tasveer Nahin Banti. sung by Talat Mahmood and composed by Nashaad, not Naushad from the 1955 film Baradari was picturized on Chandtadhekher.He was the leading man in films like Surang (1953), Kavi and Mastana (both 1954), Baradari (1955), Kali Topi Lal Rumal (1959), Street Singer, and in a negative role in Basant Bahar. It was after 1968, that Chandrashekar was not getting offers to act in a leading role, and he subsequently moved into character roles.
Song of Baradari 1955
This hit song 'O Leke Pehla Pehla Pyar' from CID (1956) was picturized on Shyam Kapoor and Sheela Vaz. Sheela Vaz was a good dancer she appeared in many hit songs. Shyam Kapoor was seen only in this song. He was one of the assistant of Guru Dutt.
Song of CID 1956
This song from Dekh Kabira Roya (1957) is an immortal song sung by Talat Mahmood. It was picturized on Anoop Komar, brother of Kishore Kumar and Ashok Kumar.
Song of DEKH KABIRA ROYA -1957
This super hit song was sung by Mohammad Rafi and composed by Madan Mohan for the 1958 film Aakhri Dao, 'Tujhe Kya Suno Mein Dilruba' picturized on an actor Shekhar, he was active in the 50s.He appeared in movies, Ankh Michouli (1962), Hum Matwale Naujawan (1961), Aakhri Dao (1958), Abhimna (1957), Chhote Babu (1957), Sangam (1954), Chandni Chowk (1954), Toothe Khilaune (1954), Darwaza (1954)
Song of Aakhri Daao 1958.
This song is from the 1960 film Baraat, sung by Mukesh and composed by Chitragupt. This song was picturized on Ajit, who is known as Villain, For your information, he was a hero in many films. Here he is singing a heartbroken song.
Song of Baraat 1960
'Jab Gham E Ishq Sataata Hai' is a sad song from the 1963 film Kinare Kinare.directed by Chetan Anand. This song was composed by Jaidev and was picturized on Chetan Anand.
Song of Kinare Kinare 1963
Dosti was a 1964 film,. It was declared a "Super Hit" at the box office. The highlight of this film was its music composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal. Music director R.D. Burman played the harmonica on film scores and soundtracks. Dosti stands as a landmark in the career history of the musical duo as this won them their first Filmfare Award and made them popular in the film industry. Mohammed Rafi is the main vocalist for the songs.The film features Sudhir Kumar Sawant and Sushil Kumar Somaya. I
Song of Dosti 1964
You would be surprised to know that this romantic song was sung by Mohammad Rafi for the well-known comedian Jagdeep.
Song of Punar Milan 1964
Song of Waqt 1965
Another such song 'Jane kaisa hai mera deewana'. Film Aansoo ban gaye phool. Sung by Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle. Music composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal.. It was picturized onDeb Mukherjee, brother of romantic hero Joy Mukherjee. But heroin is very unknown. Her name for screen is Alka.
Bollywood songs, along with dance, remained a characteristic motif of Hindi cinema In the 50s and 60s club songs were the flavor of Bollywood lovers. Almost every film had one or two club songs. This became a genre in itself. If we look into those songs, we will see a girl or boy singing in a restaurant or a gambling den along boys and girls wearing skirts.with an orchestra playing western instruments.
The first popular club song was 'Patli Kamar Hai Tirchhi Nazar Hai' from Barsaat (1949) was picturized on Premnath and Cuckoo composed by Shankar Jaikishan. The next 'club' song that started a trend of this genre was from 'Baazi'(1951), 'Tadbeer Se Bigdi Hui Taqdeer Bana le' sung by Geeta Dutt and picturized on Geeta Bali.
In this blog, I have selected a few of such popular Club Songs
Meeting someone for the first time may be the best thing that happened to you. It is him or her that changes your life and brings it meaning. I recall a quote by someone "We don't meet someone by accident but they are meant to cross our path for some reason. Many romantic songs on this situation were written by almost all the great lyricist of Bollywood. Recall the song 'Chup Chup Khade Ho Zaroor Koi Baat Hai, Pehli Mulakat Hai' from 1949 film 'Badi Behen', written by Rajendra Krishan and composed by Husna Lal Bhagatram and ' Ek Ajnabee Hasina Se Mulakat Ho Gayi' written by Anand Bakshi for 1974 film Ajnabee, starring Rajesh Khanna In this blog, I have selected a few such songs The first song in my list is from the film '1857' released in 1946, written by Pandit Ankur, composed by Sajjad Hussain, picturized on Surendra and Suraiya
In one of my earlier blog-posts, I had explored the Raga ‘Pahadi & Thumri in Hindi Film songs. In this post, I am looking for the songs based on this one of the most popular ragas among our music composers. As per the classical text, Bhimpalasi is a rag that is very much associated with a hot Indian afternoon. It evokes a feeling of deep-rooted love and yearning for the lover. Usually, it is sung in the late-afternoons when the harshness of the sun rays recedes. It has five notes ascending and seven notes descending.This Raaga is also used in Carnatic Music where it is called 'Abheri'. It is more used in South Indian languages. This raga is one of the favorite ragas of A R Rehman. The scale of Bhimpalasi is equivalent to the Western scale Blue scale. Many western Pop songs look similar to this raga. If you listen carefully to the very popular song of Ed Sheeran 'Shape Of You'. This song is influenced by Bhimpalasi.
