It will (Paudw)always touch (Man)h(e)arts

When one is discussing the music of Ram Lakhan, the romantic track picturised on its P(y)ar(el)allel leads – Jackie Shroff and Dimple Kapadia – (Laxmi)kan’t (and shouldn’t) be forgotten.

Tera Naam Liya was a relative shortie on a soundtrack that was chock full of lengthy numbers – it was five minutes and 58 seconds long.

But that’s (Man)hardly the reason why Hindi film music aficionados remember the song, which was penned by Anand Bakshi and rendered by Udhas.

This song earned Anuradha Paudwal a nomination in the Best Female Playback Singer category at the Filmfare Awards in 1990.  

Ms Mangeshkar’s pLa(ta)int became immortal

O Ramji Bada Dukh Dina – the six-minute, four-second long track from Ram Lakhan – was a song Lata Mangeshkar was expected to take to like a du(c)k(h) does to water. So it wasn’t surprising that she rendered it beautifully.

The Laxmikant-Pyarelal composition was penned by Anand Bakshi. And because he loved to KISS (keep it simple, stupid), his use of Ramji didn’t border on the ambiguous.

Ram – the name of Jackie Shroff’s character in the film – was suffixed with the honorific ji (used across India as a term of respect), because he was Lakhan’s older brother.

MAN, the introduction was fantabulous!

While my last two posts were a build-up of sorts to My Name Is Lakhan, here’s a post on the track from Ram Lakhan, which was penned by Anand Bakshi and was seven minutes and ten seconds long.

The film’s soundtrack earned Laxmikant-Pyarelal a nomination in the Filmfare Best Music Director category in 1990.

And Mohammed Aziz was nominated in the Filmfare Best Male Playback Singer category for the song, which began with the catchy Dhina Dhin Dha and contained the nonsensical phrase One Two Ka Four.

Anuradha Paudwal and Nitin Mukesh were his co-singers.

Amit and Aziz (Chi)nailed it

Main Hoon Woh Hero, from Ram Lakhan (1989), is about a role reversal of sorts, in which the baddie claims to be the hero, while Lakhan (played by Anil Kapoor) seems to have no qualms about referring to himself as a zero.

Their banter, which was nine minutes and seven seconds long, was penned by Bakshi (An)and set to music by Laxmikant-Pyarelal.

While Amit Kumar fit the bill as the voice of the cocky ‘hero’, they couldn’t have ‘zero’ed in on a better singer than Mohammed Aziz for Kapoor.

They were joined by Alisha Chinai.       

Aziz definitely made his (Bee)mark

There’s no denying the fact that Mohammed Aziz was (Kavi)talented. This was evident from his rendition of numerous songs in the second half of the 1980s and the early 1990s.

One of them was Tera Beemar Mera Dil, the duet with Ms Krishnamurthy from ChaalBaaz.

By some quirk of fate, there was a surfeit of Mohammed Rafi clones, who emerged during the decade following the legend’s demise.  

Aziz was among those upon whom that unenviable label was bestowed.  

But he enjoyed the patronage of Laxmikant-Pyarelal, who composed this track, which was penned by Anand Bakshi.

  

Ms Krishnamurthy was certainly (Premk)alivewire

When translated, the (Premk)alias used by Sridevi in Naam Mera Premkali, the song from ChaalBaaz, means a bud of love.

Was (Kav)ita surprise that this bud blossomed into one of the most mind-blowing performers of our times? No, it certainly wasn’t.

At that point, a number of tracks picturised on the actress, including this one, were rendered by Ms Krishnamurthy.

It was penned by Anand.

While there’s no doubt about the fact that (Baks)his partnership with composers Laxmikant-Pyarelal was prolific, they deserved credit for their ability to keep up with the times, which were a-changing.     

The inAmitable Kavita rocked it

Na Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai remains, to date, the most popular song on the soundtrack of ChaalBaaz.

Sridevi’s dance in the rain fetched Saroj Khan the Filmfare Best Choreography Award in 1990.

The track was penned by Bakshi (An)and composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal.

Since Bollywood music directors have been full-time seekers of inspiration for eons, it’s little Wonder that the duo succumbed to the temptation, sampling Stevie’s 1985 single Part-time Lover.

(Am)It was sung by Kumar and Kavita Krishnamurthy, who was nominated for a Filmfare Award in the Best Female Playback Singer category in 1990.

Amit and Kavita were Jolly

Circa 1989, many a biggie was saying, “Gadbad ho gayee”. But the makers of ChaalBaaz, a film that released that year and was a hit at the box office, realised that humour invariably helps tide over (G)a(d)bad phase.

Hence, a phrase used to rue the fact that things were in a state of disarray became the hook of a Laxmikant-Pyarelal composition.

Penned by Bakshi, it gave the listeners a great deal of Anand.

(Am)It was sung by Kumar and Kavita Krishnamurthy. And since the mood was Jolly, it featured the vocals of Mukherjee as well.

(N)Itindeed boosted a slumbering career

It wouldn’t be (Nit)incorrect to say that So Gaya Yeh Jahan, from Tezaab, was Mukesh’s son’s redemption song.

He was nearing the end of the second decade of his career – which, by no stretch of the imagination, was remarkable – when the Laxmikant-Pyarelal composition came his way.   

Fortunately, Kumar, the other man who lent his voice to it, didn’t do too Shabb(ir)y a job. They were joined by Yagnik, who could be (Al)kalled Ms Dependable.

The six-minute, four-second-long track – which will P(and)e(renniall)y be associated with Chunky (on whom it was picturised) – was penned by Javed Akhtar.

(Am)It earned Paudwal a nomination

Let’s hark back to the days when the protagonist’s threat to his beloved was a treat for the listeners’ ears.

“Keh do ke tum ho meri warna jeena nahin, mujhe hai marna” (Say you’re mine, or else I don’t want to live; I’ll die) – which was seven minutes and 57 seconds long – was the longest song on the soundtrack of Tezaab.

Penned by Javed Akhtar, the track was composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal.

(Am)It was rendered by Kumar and Anuradha Paudwal, who was nominated for a Filmfare Award in the Best Female Playback Singer category in 1989. 

That’s (Al)kalled an awesome ‘number’

To say that Alka Yagnik’s seven-minute, 37-second-long song from Tezaab (1988) became a chartbuster would be an understatement.

(Dix)It made the twinkle-toed Madhuri an overnight sensation and earned her a moniker – the Ek Do Teen girl.

Those who wanted to know the Hindi words for numbers (1-26) simply had to listen to this number, which was penned by Javed Akhtar and composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal (who were nominated for Filmfare Awards in the Best Lyricist and Music Director categories, respectively, in 1989).

Yagnik bagged the first of her seven Filmfare Awards for Best Female Playback Singer.       

This duet was Jolly good

Chaahe Meri Jaan Tu Le Le – the song from Dayavan – was sung by a pair who shared a surname.

While Mr Mukherjee’s name gave Hindi film music aficionados ample indication of his disposition [and, of course, the mood of the track, which is, in fact, punctuated by a woman’s laugh and several repetitions of Haiya Ho, a Jo(ll)yous cry], what Ms Mukherjee was living at that point was nothing short of a Sapna.

It’s Indee(var)d mandatory that everyone associated with a song R(a)ises to the occasion, as did Shyamalal Babu, who penned this Laxmikant-Pyarelal composition.  

This track was (Udh)asaving grace

Before Dayavan (1988) released, the excitement prior to the release of the soundtrack of a film produced and directed by Feroz Khan would be palpable.

And with good reason – many a track from his previous ventures (Ud)has gone on to become a chartbuster.

The same was expected of Aaj Phir Tumpe Pyaar Aaya Hai, sung by Pankaj and Anuradha. (Paudw)Alas, that wasn’t to be.

So while India’s Clint Eastwood didn’t become lal in the face, the fans wished he’d realised that Kalyanji-Anandji kan’t be replaced.

However, the Laxmi-Pyare composition, penned by Aziz Qaisi, wasn’t bad. 

Kishore couldn’t be reeten off

August 4, 2017 is the 88^th birth anniversary of Kishore, and there can be no better song to (Ku)mark the occasion than Zindagi ki yehi reet hai, haar ke baad hi jeet hai (This is the way of life; there’s victory only after defeat) from Mr India.

A line of the track, penned by Javed Akhtar, went, “Thode aansoo hain, thodi hansi”, but the last two words did no justice to the aforementioned maverick, with whom a substantial dose of laughter left the building.

The solo, which had a sad version, was composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal.   

This title track was K(ic)K(as)s

Karte hain hum pyaar Mr India se – the title track of the superhero film – depicted the female lead professing her love for the invisible alter ego of the protagonist, a lovable loser.

Of the handful of songs on the soundtrack, that ranged from the unabashedly saucy to the philosophical, this one certainly stood out, because it was possibly the most pleasing to the ear.

It was penned by Javed Akhtar, composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal, and gave Kavita Krishnamurthy an opportunity to showcase her versatility. Kishore Kumar shared singing credits, and of course his initials, with her.

They (Alis)had a (Ku)marvellous time

Fifty-eight was no age to die, but Kishore Kumar bade the world adieu in 1987, leaving a treasure trove of melodies and memories behind.

One of them was Kaate Nahin Katte Yeh Din Yeh Raat from Mr India, which released five months before the legendary all-rounder’s passing.

To say that the Laxmikant-Pyarelal composition oozed sensuality would be an understatement.

Also billed as I Love You, it was penned by Javed Akhtar. Alisha was the co-singer. It wouldn’t be surprising if this song were picked as the top song to listen to on a rain-soaked (Chi)n(a)ight.        

  

This was certainly (K)avital track

Such was the gusto with which Kavita Krishnamurthy rendered Hawa Hawai from Mr India (1987) that even a goof-up by her was okayed. One of the lines went, “Jeenu jo tumne baat chhupayi” (it should have been, “Jaanu jo tumne baat chhupayi”).

The film was Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar’s last collaboration. The famed screenwriting duo, known as Salim-Javed, split five years before its release.

Akhtar, who continues to be active as a Hindi film lyricist, penned this Laxmikant-Pyarelal composition, which starts with a string of random nouns like Honolulu and Mombasa, interspersed with gibberish.