Of all the male singers who ruled the 50’s and 60’s, the one I’ve usually tended to ignore is Mukesh—and for what I must admit is a somewhat prejudiced reason: the most recognisable Mukesh songs, at least for me, are the ones he sang for Raj Kapoor, and nearly all of them just don’t appeal to me. Is it the fact that they’re picturised on RK (whom I, being the iconoclast I am, don’t much like)? Who knows?
But for Mukesh’s birth anniversary (he was born on July 23, 1923), I decided to explore Mukesh’s songs in greater detail—and realised that a lot of songs I really, really like are in his voice.
So here they are: my ten favourite Mukesh songs, all from the 50’s and 60’s, from films that I’ve seen. Beginning with my favourite.
1. Woh subah kabhi toh aayegi (Phir Subah Hogi, 1958; with Asha Bhonsle): Having started off by saying that I don’t like most of what Mukesh sang for Raj Kapoor, I’ll name this song as one of the exceptions. It’s hard to describe the power of this song: Sahir Ludhianvi’s lyrics are a bitter comment on the misery of the present, but also a hopeful dream for the future; Khayyam’s music is beautiful, almost caressingly gentle—and Mukesh’s voice, low, languid yet superbly controlled, never fails to give me gooseflesh. One of the most moving songs ever, as far as I’m concerned.
2. Saaranga teri yaad mein (Saranga, 1960): I first heard this song when I was about 10 years old. A colleague of my father’s sang it at a party, and to this day, I can recall how beautifully he sang. No wonder, hearing the original is such an experience for me. Mukesh’s voice, filled with anguish and heartbreak, is perfectly suited to Sardar Malik’s music in this song that speaks of a beloved who’s gone far, far away.
3. Zindagi khwaab hai (Jaagte Raho, 1956): Undoubtedly one of the best ‘under the influence of alcohol’ songs in Hindi cinema. Mukesh doesn’t hiccup or slur his words, but the deceptively light-hearted lilt of his voice, combined with what is actually deep philosophy—life is a dream, and everything in a dream is real—is a very potent mix.
Interestingly, Mukesh here sings for the man who introduced him to the world of Hindi cinema. Motilal was a distant relative of Mukesh, and having heard Mukesh sing at a wedding in Delhi, persuaded him to accompany Motilal to Bombay. The rest, as they say, is history.
4. Kahin door jab din dhal jaaye (Anand, 1971): I know I said this list would be from the 50’s and 60’s, but I tend to think of Anand as a late 60’s film made in 1971. The quiet charm of the story, the fact that Amitabh Bachchan is still not the angry young man, and that Rajesh Khanna is at his peak: so 60’s. And Mukesh, singing Maine tere liye hi saat rang ke sapne, or even better, this wonderfully philosophical song. Kahin door jab din dhal jaaye is for me a fine example of a song that manages to be very touching without descending into a dirge. Salil Choudhary’s music is divine, the lyrics (by Yogesh) are poignant, and Mukesh’s rendition is perfect.
5. Oh re taal mile nadi ke jal mein (Anokhi Raat, 1968): Unlike most of my other favourite Mukesh songs, this one isn’t sorrowful and/or depressing. Instead, it’s a lyrical bit of philosophy that goes from a seemingly superficial comment on the inevitability of confluence in nature—the meeting of pond and river, river and sea—and builds it into the sweetness of a love story come true. Mukesh’s earthy voice is perfect for this, the romance of a naive villager and the girl he’s married: very gentle and touching.
6. Zinda hoon is tarah (Aag, 1948): Yes, another Mukesh-sings-for-Raj Kapoor song. And though I said I don’t usually care for the combination, this one has a mesmerising beauty to it that I can’t help but admire (is it the fact that RK looks a lot like kid brother Shammi?!). A tragic film, and the song, brimming over with despair and loneliness, is equally tragic—but Mukesh imparts to it a depth of feeling that makes Zinda hoon is tarah unforgettable.
7. Suhaana safar aur yeh mausam haseen (Madhumati, 1958): Salil Choudhary created one of Hindi cinema’s greatest scores with Madhumati. This song, the first in the film, is almost a hymn in praise of the natural beauty of the countryside—as seen through the eyes of a newly-arrived traveller. Mukesh’s voice exudes joy and a sort of fascinated delight, a celebration of the beauty all around. And the ‘echo’ effect is fabulous!
8. Yeh mera deewaanapan hai (Yahudi, 1958): Once again, Mukesh singing for Dilip Kumar. This one is much more complex than Suhaana safar aur yeh mausam haseen, because there are so many nuances to this song: the deep love of a man for his beloved; his pride in his love, which almost borders on hubris—and the slowly emerging despair as he realises that his beloved may not come to meet him. Superbly sung, and the start of the song is a fine showcase of the perfect control Mukesh had over his voice. Not a single musical instrument there, but Mukesh’s voice is music in itself.
9. Yeh kaun chitrakaar hai (Boond jo ban gayi moti, 1967): Yeh kaun chitrakaar hai reminds me of Suhaana safar aur yeh mausam haseen: both songs are in praise of nature. But Yeh kaun chitrakaar hai is a less exuberant, more ‘hushed with reverence’ song: you can almost hear the awe and wonder in Mukesh’s voice as he sings the title words: Who is this artist, to have created such beauty?
10. Jaaoon kahaan bata ae dil (Chhoti Bahen, 1959): This is the sort of song I usually tended to associate (I admit now, wrongly) with Mukesh’s voice: despairing, desperate and angst-ridden. Just one line: “Chaandni aayi ghar jalaane” (“the moonlight shines to burn my house”) is sufficient to explain the gist of Jaaoon kahaan bata ae dil. And yet, the mellifluous way Mukesh sings this rather depressing song makes it worthwhile to listen to. Heartbreaking but beautiful.
After days of careful listening to Mukesh’s songs to do this post, I have to admit: I was wrong. He does have a wonderful voice, and I do like him a lot. And I’ve not even begun to list Mukesh songs from films I’ve not yet seen (Dekho mausam kya bahaar hai, Woh tere pyaar ka gham…), Mukesh songs from the later 70’s (Ek pyaar ka naghma hai, Kai baar yoon bhi dekha hai…) or Mukesh songs that are picturised on Raj Kapoor, but which I like nevertheless (Aasmaan pe hai khuda aur zameen pe hum, Kisi ki muskurahaton pe ho nisaar…). I could probably create another Mukesh post within a couple of months.
Happy birthday, Mukesh. And for all those years I failed to recognise your genius.
Dustedoff 
Sublime but please add :
‘ Chal Akela chal akela’, ‘ Taaron mein sajke apne suraj se dekho dharti chali milay..’, ‘ Raam kahen aisa ho jaaye, meri nindiyaan tohein lagjaaye ( Milan?) and ‘ Suhaani chaandni raatein humey sonay nahin deti, tumari..
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I’m very happy to see Mukesh songs being discussed, although I confess I too avoided his songs because of Raj Kapoor.
Lately Raj Kapoor has become tolerable, and Mukesh’s songs have taken on a new dimension.
There are innumerable songs and as difficult to sift through as Lata’s and Muhammad Rafi’s.
You have listed some of his best.
I love this song from Saraswatichandar. It’s not for Raj Kapoor so I had always liked it. :-)
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PS: Doesn’t he look like his grandson Nitin Mukesh in the first picture?
Happy Birthday dear Mukesh. Thank you for all those lovely songs.
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Mr Neelakantan: Yes, those are good ones too – I think the one I like the best of that lot is Chal akela. Somehow, Mukesh’s voice sounds substandard (by his previous record) in Suhaani chaandni raatein, and the music is a bit tinny.
pacifist: This is such a coincidence. Shortly after I’d uploaded this post, I was on youtube, and watched Chandan sa badan. :-)
And yes, there is a definite resemblance to Neil Nitin Mukesh in that first photo. The mouth and eyes, I think, a bit…
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Fabulous list! Wouldn’t change a single song. I too don’t much care for Raj Kapoor, but love Mukesh. My Dad is a big Mukesh fan so every time I hear a Mukesh song it takes me back to my childhood. There’s a sincerity in Mukesh’s voice that goes straight to one’s heart.
Apart from the songs you’ve listed, the one Mukesh song I never tire of listening to is his own composition from “Anuraag” – kisse yaad rakhoon, kise bhool jaaon.
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My problem with Mukesh is slightly different. For decades I had only one Indian movie song cassette — the best of Mukesh. And I listened ot these songs over and over again on the California highways and am thoroughly sick of them. Now on the internet highway my Mukesh knowledge has broadened. The songs you’ve listed are my favorites. I didn’t like Raj Kapoor till I saw the Teesri Kasam song–Sajan re jhoot mat bolo (also a Mukesh). I like the song but I suspect I would lke it if someone else had sung it too. I’d add that to this list. “Kisi ke muskurahaton pe ho nissar” is excellent top ten stuff too. For eye candy (i,e.confluence of visually appealing and good song)–“Baharon ne mera chaman loot kar”. Dharmendra at his 1966 good-looking best.
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Pacifist–“Chandan sa badan” was my favorite Indian movie song most of my life. (Then one day I saw it on Youtube and it spoilt everything. I know there are a lot of Nutan fans–I consider myself one now–but I didn’t know who she was a year or two ago when I first saw the song.)
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Shalini: I hadn’t heard this song from Anuraag before – thank you for introducing me to it. Very good to listen to! It falls into my ‘voice as music’ category: I think it’s so much easier (generally) to sing when you have the support of an entire orchestra, or at least one musical instrument. But to sing a substantial part of a song with minimal instruments – that requires talent and skill. As in Kise yaad rakhoon or even Aayega aanewaala.
sophy: Someday I should make a list of all the songs I’ve listened to again and again and again, simply because they were part of the cassettes in my car!
Lots of people have recommended Teesri Kasam to me, but I still need to watch it. Maybe with that under my belt, I’ll be able to appreciate Sajan re jhooth mat bolo better. But I agree totally re: the eye candy quotient (or should that be ‘sense candy’?) of Baharon ne mera chaman lootkar. Yum!
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P.S. Sophy, I can relate to your comment about Chandan sa badan! There have been plenty of songs that I’ve liked a lot, only because I’ve always listened to them, not seen them – only to have my illusions shattered once I’ve viewed them. I remember liking Woh jab yaad aaye very, very much – until I saw Parasmani a couple of years back and was terribly disappointed to see whom it was picturised on! Somehow I tended to think such a lovely song had to have a Shammi Kapoor-Sadhana or Dharmendra-Sharmila Tagore sort of jodi.
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I don’t know how exactly to put my feelings for Mukesh in words….it’s kind of confusing.
Not that I dislike him…he has a wonderful voice and he has sung some of my favourite songs. But I’ve never been a great fan of his either.
1. Majority, at least the most popular songs of his, are usually so sad and full of despair that I try avoiding them.
2. My dad is a big big fan of Mukesh….and he has some of the saddest songs ever in his collection
3. A cousin of mine had once told me that when someone gets hooked on to old songs, it usually begins with Kishore, then gets into Rafi mode and eventually ends up liking Mukesh better. And when I initially started listening to Hindi songs, it was Kishore Kumar’s. Now I’m in Rafi phase but I never want to get over Rafi. :-) Since half of his prediction came true, I guess I am scared of getting into the final phase. I never gave it much thought, but looking back, I have been subconsciously avoiding Mukesh’s songs.
Though I would like to believe that it’s because most of his songs are sad, i’m yet to figure out the real reason behind it.
I agree that just because I like Rafi so much doesn’t mean I shouldn’t like any other singers. And that’s never been the case in fact. I am extremely fond of Talat, Hemat, Manna Dey etc. Anyways, more thoughts on that later.
When I discovered it was Mukesh’s Birth Anniversary today, and started thinking of his songs, I realized that I love quite a lot of them. I really wanted to do a post but was very very busy today. I was kind of feeling guilty about it and was hoping somebody else would so that I could at least list down my favourite songs here in the comment section. But now I have changed my mind…like you quoted And for all those years I failed to recognise your genius : I am also going to dedicate a post to Mukesh Chand Mathur.
We do share a few songs in common…let me see if I can complete the list tomorrow.
I was thinking of doing a post on Manoj Kumar tomorrow, as it’s his birthday. Then, it’s Rahul Bose’s birthday on 27th and my friend has bought The Japanese Wife for me ( ok…that sounds ridiculous…I meant, my friend has bought me the dvd of “The Japanese Wife”) so I have to watch that and review that as well. Not to forget the pending review of Do Kaliyan….phew, so much of work!
I think this is the longest comment I’ve ever posted….but before I end – I really like the songs of Saraswati Chandra – be it Chandan sa badan or Phool tumhe bheja hai . Though I had seen the video on youtube and ocassionally on tv, my love for Nutan prompted me to watch the movie and it was such a torture. Let’s just be happy listening to them (avoid watching them on youtube too).
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ooops! Sophy. Am I glad that I wasn’t the one to have introduced you to the clip of ‘chandan sa badan’ here. :-D
Yes, a complete waste of those sensuous words coming from this hero of the film. I’m left wondering if Raj Kapoor would have been better here after all.
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Very nice to see a Mukesh list here (happy birthday, Mukesh!)… I have no problems with Raj Kapoor; he’s one of my favorites. But Mukesh did some nice singing for other actors too, especially (as you showed) Dilip Kumar. I particularly like Mukesh singing for Dilip Kumar in Mela. (That movie was a bit of a downer even for me! But the Naushad music is great.)
I noticed that Mukesh does some very good duets with a few of my favorite female singers from the late ’40s and early ’50s – in addition to the singing that he did with Lata. I really like his duets with Shamshad Begum in both Mela and Sunehre Din (which I’m watching right now). And he is great singing duets with both Rajkumari and Geeta Roy in Bawre Nain.
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Our dislikes are so similar!
Mukesh is also a singer very much neglected by me, partly the reason is, just like in you case, Raj Kapoor.
Love all the songs, which you have listed. but missed: ‘o jaanewale ho sake to laut ke aana’! I just love his voice there. It builds up the atmosphere and gives this deep longing which only Mukesh could give, which is again to be heard, againw ith S. D. at the pult, in ‘Chal ri sajni ab kya soche’.
Luv his songs for Pancham as well for e.g., ‘Kahin karti hogi’ and theother one which I can’t remember except that it was a Rajesh Khanna starrer. But being 70s films they are off limits for you ;-).
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@ sunehri: don’t worry dear. i started off as a kishore fan went thro rafi phase, came back to KK and then again to rafi and now I luv both! have turned bigamist ;-) and am regularly unfaithful to them with talat, hemant, manna and mukesh and not necessarily in this order!
and this is a blisfful state!
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I somehow never like chandan sa badan. don’t know why!
could never really relate to it.
and i could never understand why people should or shouldn’t ‘rosh’ him! ;-)
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sunheriyaadein: I guess what sequence you like male singers in (or whatever… you know what I mean) depends on whether or not you grew up listening to old songs. I remember being utterly fascinated by Hemant and Kishore and Rafi to begin with, and later graduating to other voices like Talat, Manna Dey and Mahendra Kapoor too. I guess Mukesh is one of those voices that grow on you. But, as harvey says, I guess I’m a bigamist – no, a polygamist – too! I like a lot of singers very much. :-)
Am looking forward to your Mukesh post!
pacifist: “I’m left wondering if Raj Kapoor would have been better here after all.” My goodness, we are scraping the barrel, aren’t we?! ;-)
Richard: Only the other day, my father was reminiscing about the songs of Mela (and about Kalpana too, incidentally!) and talking about how great they were. Two more films I have to see sometime, even if it’s only for the songs…
harvey: Oh, thank you for reminding me of Kahin karti hogi woh mera intezaar: I love that song, despite memories of an awful remix that was done a few years back. Haven’t seen Phir Kab Milogi, though, so it wouldn’t have been valid for this post. By the way, one Mukesh-Rajesh Khanna song I can think of was Jis gali mein tera ghar na ho baalma from Kati Patang: it was initially part of this list.
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Thank you for this nice and interesting post, and all the work you do! I am hard pressed to choose a favorite singer as I like music of all decades, but Mukesh is definitely among them. I heard a song the other day in which he spoke a few words, and his speaking voice seeemed very melodious too.
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other super Post DO
and so difficult to choose the best, as I am oldie fan and I just love all of them.
But besides DARD BHARE GEET where Mukesh was a Master, shall we add a few peppy type of songs, which are just superb-
Let us take Ek Phool Char Kante
1. aankhon mein rang kyon aaya- duet with Lata
2.matwaari naar thumak thumak chali jaaye – classical
3.sambhal ke karna jo kuchh karna- lively number, check out dashing Waheedaji in this song
and from Hum Hindustani-
chhodo kal ki baaten kal ki baat puraani naye daur mein likhenge milkar nayi kahaani
raat nikhri hui zulf bikhri hu- filmed on Joy and Helen, superb rendition, check it out
and another duet with Latadi-
kahin karti hogi woh mera intezaar from Phir Kab Milogi, and MD Panchamda
be back more when I check my collection.
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What I love about his voice is that it’s so very distinct from anyone else’s. I always know when it’s Mukesh singing (I am woefully bad at distinguishing others’ voices) :) This makes me feel a bit more knowledgeable, so bless Mukesh forever for that ;-D
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Many of us didn’t much like Mukesh’s voice when we were younger. As we reached our 30s and 40s and understood the ups and downs of life better, interpreters like Mukesh began to appeal greatly. Mukesh had a powerful sincerity in his singing.
His songs from Andaz are fabulous. None of his contemporaries could have sung like that. Listen to this song. Nargis leaning on the piano, Dilip singing and Cuckoo (I think) dancing.
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A great duet from Banwre Nain. Geeta and Mukesh.
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Another lovely duet from the same pair. Delightful Shyama and a plumper Prem Nath on screen. Film Apna Ghar.
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kenjn60: I can imagine Mukesh’s speaking voice must be great – the closest I can recall is hearing his recitations at the start of songs like Yeh mera deewaanapan hai. He also acted in Anuraag (to which Shalini provided that link, above) – I’d like to get hold of that film.
swarint: Yes, even though he’s probably best known for his more poignant songs, Mukesh did sing some really nice, more light-hearted ones. The ones you mention, of course (and harvey also mentioned Kahin karti hogi woh mera intezaar), and the peppy Dekho mausam kya bahaar hai, which I’ve listed at the end of my post. More, too, I’m sure, just waiting to be discovered!
memsaab: I have to confess that I’ve generally found it much easier to identify the voices of the male singers! Mukesh, Manna Dey, Kishore, Rafi, Hemant – all have very distinctive voices. When it comes to women, I can recognise Geeta Dutt, and to some extent Shamshad Begum and Sharda, but that’s about it – I can never say with absolute certainty whether a singer is Lata or Asha or Suman Kalyanpur or even Usha Mangeshkar.
Himmat Singh: Oh, thank you! I have seen Andaz, but didn’t remember the songs, and though I like Khayaalon mein kisi ke a lot, I haven’t seen Baanwre Nain. The Apna Ghar song is lovely, too.
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Just another thought, Mukesh Bhai has sung many Non Filmi Ghazals also and they are top class, do a Google and see if yu can see them anywhere, if demand comes I will share them.
They are very rarely heard unfort.
Cheers .)
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What an awesome post Madhulika :) I have to admit that like you, I too have been erroneous about my judgement about Mukesh. But you list now has made me rethink that Mukesh indeed was a very talented singer. I love that ghazal from Phir Subah Hogi called, Dekhiye Phir Mujhey. Thank you so much for the post :)
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Here folks share some Romantikkk songs of Mukesh Bhai which I discovered in my collection, check ’em out, bound to like them.
Jo Tumko Ho Pasand – Safar
Yeh Din Kya Aaye – Chhoti Si Baat
Kai Baar Yun Bhi – Rajnigandha
O Mehbooba – Sangam
Kya Khoob Lagti Ho – Dharmatma
Chandan Sa Badan Chanchal – Saraswatichandra
Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Mein – Kabhi Kabhie
Cheers.. sry if any are duped. .)
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I love Oh re taal mile and am so glad to see Yeh kaun chitrakaar hai in your list too. To all the lovely songs mentioned, I’d like to add Dil jalta hai to jalne de – his first filmi song, I think. As a kid, it used to strike me as unintentionally hilarious when he says Ya to surat aake dikha jaawo, ya keh do hum ko yaad na kar – because I’d never heard a lover threaten his beloved like that in a Hindi song.
Much as I love some of his songs, I can’t say I’ve ever appreciated his voice. And it’s not only because of his RK association, either. To me, his singing has always sounded more like kavita-paath than actual singing!
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Sajanwa bairi hogaye hamar is another of my fav Mukesh songs.
AND YOU HAVE TO WATCH Teesri Kasam!
You’ll love it!
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ash: Thank you for the suggestion. I looked around, and did find one:
http://www.esnips.com/doc/9b985ead-323d-48cf-8a5c-111220ef39d9/03—Mukesh-Non-Filmi-Ghazal-Aaj-bhee–koi-mujhe-dad-e-wafa-deta-hai
Thanks also for that list. Yes, some are definitely repeated, but there are others (Jo tumko ho pasand, for example) that I like but had forgotten about).
Sharmi: Yes, Dekhiye phir mujhe is also lovely. Phir Subah Hogi had superb music, even though the film itself was a little too depressing for my liking.
bollyviewer: “To me, his singing has always sounded more like kavita-paath than actual singing!” You’ve said it! I was trying to wonder what it is about a lot of Mukesh’s songs that doesn’t really appeal to me, and I think that’s it. I like a lot of his songs very much, but I feel that as a proportion of a singer’s total corpus of work, I like more Talat songs or Rafi songs or Manna Dey songs than Mukesh songs. Yes, it probably has a lot to do with the fact that kavita-paath riles me!
harvey: All right, that goes into my ‘must see soon’ (as opposed to merely ‘must see’) list!
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Some more Mukesh
Chaand ko kya maloom chahata hai ussey koi chakor, darpan ko dekha tunhe jab jab kiya shringar, jaaoo kahan batayein dil, chaand si mehboob ..
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I’m biased towards Mukesh songs with RD as the music director (very few of course). Once when I was struggling to make both ends meet running here and there for a job, I heard ‘Ik din bik jaayega’ in a crowded blue line bus. Could be the effect of lyrics as well, but I felt such life and hope and inspiration in Mukesh’s voice that for next few months, I was rock-solid despite all odds. And I also like ‘Kahin karti hogi woh mera intezaar’ and ‘Jis gali mein tera ghar’…
As far as Shankar-Jaikishan are concerned, they were more brilliant with Rafi I think. And for some reasons, I seldom liked the gloomy sort of songs that Mukesh did. And though I have had Rafi, Manna Dey, and Kishore collections, I never felt like having a Mukesh collection. You want to listen to him one fine day on a radio perhaps- he’s that kind of a singer I think. But he’s been special of course.
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Mr Neelakantan: Yes, Jaaoon kahaan bata ae dil is there, in my list too. I like Chaand ko kya maaloom and Chaand si mehbooba too, though the lyrics of the latter always make me laugh (“I never thought I’d have a beloved who was as lovely as the moon; yes, you’re just as I thought you’d be…”: that seems to suggest that since he didn’t think she’d be lovely as the moon, he was right, and she isn’t as lovely as the moon!)
Hero Heera Lal: That’s a touching little anecdote. The only one I can recall of anybody travelling in a Blue Line (or any other DTC bus, for that matter) and emerging more heartened as a result of it!
Me too, somehow I’ve never felt like having a Mukesh collection. Of course, having paid a little more attention to his songs, I can see there are several that are not depressing or gloomy in any way, but though I may admire Mukesh, I probably won’t build up a sizeable collection of his songs.
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Perhaps a collection of all his ‘chaand’ songs wouldn’t be a bad idea. :-D
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A few more Mukesh gems.
Phir na kije meri gustakh… from Phir Subhah Hogi. My connoiseur friends think this is one of the finest hindi film duets. Mukesh-Asha.
An interesting Rafi-Mukesh duest from the same film.
Mukesh is seriously underrated. Perhaps because he did not carry a tune as smoothly as his contemporaries, never over-emoted, and had a pronounced nasal twang in his higher notes. But, perhaps that’s why his renderings are so ‘there’. There is so much authenticity in his singing. So much conviction.
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pacifist: Does it have anything to do with the Chand in his name? Mukesh Chand Mathur? ;-) But seriously, here’s another: Chaand aahein bharega.
Himmat: Phir na kije meri gustakh is another song I like a lot – but then, I generally like the music of Phir Subah Hogi very much.
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excellent list, what a job it must have been to wittle them down to ten. Muskesh stole my heart ever since i watched Sangam, bol radha bol is one of the few hindi songs i can sing the chorus almost perfectly and i love your choice of Suhana safar and the ones from Anand too. Another Mukesh favourite for sentimantal reasons and the fact that it was so embedded into bollywood loving Nigerians is his DUNIYA EK NUMBRI from Dus Numbri
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How about these goodies –
Main To Har Mod Par – Chetna
and
Woh Tere Pyar Ka Gham – My Love
and
Zuban Pe Dard Bhari Dastan – Maryada
and
Waqt Karta Jo Wafa Aap Hamare Hote – Dil Ne Pukara
and
Tumhen Zindagi Ke Ujale Mubarak – Purnima
and
Main To Diwana – Milan
and
Diwanon Se Mat Poochho – Upkar
These are from Priceless Gems Album of Mukesh, some of ’em.
Cheers .0
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bollywooddeewana: I had no idea Duniya ek numbri was such a hit in Nigeria (in fact, this is the first time I actually saw the song, though I’ve heard it often enough before). I think it’s rather sweet how a lot of the less developed and undeveloped countries of the world seem to be so fond of Bollywood… a couple of years back, I was in Chicago on work, and invariably, whenever I took a taxi, the driver turned out to be from Turkmenistan or Somalia or some such country – and began chattering about Bollywood as soon as they discovered I was Indian! Makes you feel like you have friends even among strangers. :-)
ash: Yes, Woh tere pyaar ka gham is one of my favourites. As I mentioned in my post, if I’d seen the film, I’d probably have listed it here! I did manage to buy the VCD long back, but it packed up irrevocably midway and the shop didn’t have a replacement. :-(
Of the others you’ve listed, another one I really like is Diwanon se mat poochho.
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Here’s another *chandini* song from Mukti with a bearded Shashi Kapoor. :-)
Two of my other favourite songs;
from Bandini _ O jaane waale ho sake tau laut ke aana
And this one from Anand is lovely with lilting music and a great beat.
I hope I haven’t duplicated any songs. I did check a couple of times though.
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I especially love both those songs from Bandini and Anand: both films had superb scores!
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Mukesh in a peppy and naughty mood mayb DO ?
haseen ho khuda to nahin ho FROM Mud Mud Ke Na Dekh.
Nice flow of the lyrics and music.
Cheers .)
p.s. did I hear chanda and chandani and chandan .) here somewhere, here is 2 more,
chandan sa badan chanchal chitvan dheere se tera yeh muskaana- Mukesh , MD Kalyanji Virji Shah, Anandji Virji Shah, lyrics by Indeevar and phillum Saraswati Chandra
chaand si mahbooba ho meri kab aisa maine sochta tha- Mukesh ,MD Kalyanji Virji Shah, Anandji Virji Shah , LYRICS by and mo Anand Bkshi and movie -Himalay Ki God Mein
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Shilpi and folks here on the Blog,
Wonder if Dada sang a song in any of his movies, in his voice or as a playback ??
A trivia which I must share, IT IS VERY VERY SPECIAL, have yu ever seen our good friend Iftekhar another great, doing twist and cha cha cha, rock n roll, well I did, first time ever, in the suberb Goldie NIGHT CLUB 1958.
I was impressed, I do not see any songs on YT ?, must git movin n rip and post and share, awesome MD Maestro Madan Mohan.
Iftekhar bhai had done over 250, mayb 300 films and kinda sad he is not even mentioned in our g8 media in India. Name one who has so many credits in the present era ?? Wil they ever reach that milestone, I doubt it.
That is a sordid state of affairs as far as such g8 artists are concerned, same league as DADA.
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Pardon me folks,
indeed some songs are on YT, let me check if we have the song I mentioned in my post above
ta ta
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They are all there, all 7 songs, but folks can check this out- and see our friend Iftekhar bhai dancing-
MAIN HOON JADUGAR”BY ASHA BHONSLE,M.D:MADAN MOHAN-“NIGHT CLUB-1958”
and what a surprise to see Kamini Kaushal in such a different role .)
Bye
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I think pacifist suggested the chand-chandi songs because Mukesh seems to have sung so many of them (including, as you mention, Chandan sa badan and Chaand si mehbooba). :-)
My most vivid memory of Nightclub is of that song, with Iftekhar dancing in it. Incidentally, another of my very favourite songs has Iftekhar being sung to – O babu o lala from Dilli ka Thug has Smriti Biswas dancing and singing, and mainly focussing her attention on a very dashing Iftekhar. (BTW, you might like to check out a very young looking Iftekhar in the screen cap for Jaagte Raho, too – my latest post).
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Here DO, trying to rerun my reply without the link to the songs, let us hope this is not dumped again by the Server…..hope I remember all the points .)
qte
Mukesh-Geeta Dutt duet, very rare they sung together from a movie Dr. Shaitan 1960, heard of it ? How many duets we have of them together I wonder ?
The beautiful duet with Mukesh and Geeta Dutt went something like this…
mausam suhaana hai door kahin chal, aaj nahin kal. MD very under rated N. Datta bhau
and I wanted to share another peppy number from same movie sung by Geetadi and Rafi Saheb, went something like this-(though not directly related to this Blog .)
tum mile woh din dhale peeche peeche hum chale may i know your name, name name…..
wah wah Jan Nisar Akhtar Saheb
I recall I added another Mukesh must hear song from Shriman Satyawadi, mayb dupe….. but all the same it was-
ae dil dekhen hai humne bade sangdil..
Cheers .)
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Re. Mukesh & Geeta Roy/Dutt duets, there are some priceless ones.
The most popular one is probably the one from Bawre Nain, but there are scores of others.
Here are a couple of priceless ones:
– Pyar Ki Baatein – Aansoo Bahaao Tum Udhar Hum Is Taraf Aahen Bhare.
Here is the video:
https://bit.ly/2U7LbeZ
– Shabnam – Qismat Mein Bicharna Tha
https://bit.ly/2Ze8ZSa
There were some in the movie Hamari Beti (early 1950s).
There are more…if you are interested, I can look them up in my collection.
Regards,
Pratick
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Nice songs. I had not heard either of these before. Thank you!
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Thank you for taking the trouble of posting that again, Ash! I must admit I hadn’t heard either the Mausam suhaana hai nor the Tum mile woh din dhale song… but oh, I remember Ae dil dekhen hain humne bade-bade sangdil. Lovely song! Wasn’t Shriman Satyawadi also the film with the beautiful Haal-e-dil hamaara jaane na bewafa yeh zamaana?
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Do,
Spot on, Haal-e-dil indeed from same phillum, almost forgot about it, thx a lot for the reminder and who else behind the magic baton DATTARAM bhau…. beautiful lyrics and flow of the whole song……
and let us try going around and see if yu can get the songs of Dr Shaitan here, managed to dig out from History this link
songs dot pk
and search for the name. This site has some very very rare movies collection in MP3.
Worth the effort to hear these songs from the Golden Era.
Cheers .)
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Hey Ash, I searched for Dr Shaitan in http://www.songs.pk, but no results. But managed to find Tum mile woh din dhale on youtube, and loved it! Thank you so much for that. Such a very nice, peppy number… it reminded me of a Western song, though I can’t pinpoint which one right now. It’s on the tip of my tongue.
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Dusted off – I’ve been reading your blog along with memsaab’s for a year now. Really enjoy them!
Mukesh’s voice takes sometime to get used to because it’s so different and the more you listen the more melodious it becomes. I remember being thoroughly thoroughly moved by the haunting “O janewale ho sake toh laut ke ana” from Bandini. And “Sajanwa bairi ho gaye hamar”. Though he could sing a range of songs, sad songs seem to be his forte. And “Kahin door jab din dhal jaye” is simply divine. Thanks for all your posts and for this blogsite!
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And thank you for reading and for leaving that encouraging comment! :-)
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We have something in common ie dislike of Raj Kapoor – period. I have enjoyed listening to Mukesh songs over the years esp when i was in school and uni in India – have lost touch after moving overseas. Must confess that ,unlike other male singers, one can only listen to mukesh in bits and pieces – I mean one can’t listen to his songs continuously atleast the sad ones! He did sing a lot of other good songs identified by readers here. Another famous one of his is “waqt karta jo wafa, aap hamare hotey” i have seen the song on DVD – a morose Shashi Kapoor lamenting his loss of Rajshri (hmm who is supposed to be in love with Sanjay Khan I presume from the song)
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Forgot to add that his song from Chetna ” Mein to har mod par thujko doontha chala” some how sticks to one’s memory – a really good song!
He sung some melodious songs for B grade movies and 70 paise heroes like Shotgun sinha – eg – Barka Rani, jaara tham ke baroso” – i think it was a shotgun movie – have heard this song on radio!
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sorry that should be sang not sung!
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Thank you for reminding me of Barkha rani zara jamke barso! After my time, but a lovely song, nevertheless. And you’re right – it does star Shatrughan Sinha.
I’d never seen (only heard) Waqt karta jo wafa before, but oh, what a depressing song. The lyrics are depressing, Shashi Kapoor looks very depressed, and Mukesh sings it with sorrow brimming from every syllable. No wonder it’s so difficult to listen to much Mukesh, wonderful voice etc though one must concede… I, at least, can handle songs like this only in small doses.
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Such a lovely post DO and what wonderful comments and suggestions. I do so LOVE Mukesh! There’s that something in his voice that has me hooked, a gentle melancholy and someone said it really well above, ‘a powerful sincerity’. For instance, there’s this Salil Chowdhury number from ‘Annadata’ that hasn’t left me for a couple of days ‘ Nain Hamare’.
And talking of duets, here’s another which I love with him and Lata from ‘Raja Rani’ of which RD was the MD. And it starts off by talking of chandni!
Thanks so much. I’ll be coming back to this post often to look up and listen to more Mukesh :-)
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Suhan, thank you for those songs – both tunes that I didn’t remember having heard before! (And the Raja Rani duet also introduced me to yet another Rajesh Khanna-Sharmila Tagore film; that was a pleasant surprise indeed). :-)
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I don’t think any one has mentioned “aye pyaase dil bezubaan”, but it factors among my favorites
I also adore the Mukesh-Roshan combo. Virtually every song Mukesh sang for Roshan is a gem. The fact that they were childhood friends adds to the charm of the songs.
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After Raj Kapoor it was Manoj Kumar, I think for whom Mukesh sang quite regularly.
And talking of duets there are many in Manoj Kumar’s films like Hariyali aur Raasta, Banarsi Thug, Phoolon ki sej, and many many more.
These are from Banarsi Thug.
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This one from phoolon ki sej is quite a cheerful song too.
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Shalini: I didn’t know Roshan and Mukesh were childhood friends! Now I can appreciate Oh re taal mile nadi ke jal mein even more. :-)
pacifist: How could I have forgotten Aa tu aa?! I guess my mind blanked out the film, because Phoolon ki Sej isn’t one of my favourite films. But wonderful song: thank you for reminding me about it! I hadn’t heard the song from Banarsi Thug before, but liked it too.
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>I hadn’t heard the song from Banarsi Thug before
Actually both the first two songs are from Banarsi Thug. I found their tunes quite hummable.
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I think this duet from MISS COCA COLA must be among some of the best duets ever IMO. :-)
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Ouch, I happened to miss that first Banarasi Thug song. Have just been watching it, and recalled having heard this somewhere, sometime, even though I don’t remember where and when.
I like the Miss Coca Cola song too! :-) It’s a film I’ve been wanting to see for a while.
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Hello Do ,
Me again,
am back with more Gems of Mukesh Bhai, pardon me if duplicated.
Dug out from another old file which I had-
haan deewaana hoon main haan deewaana hoon main gham ka maara hua from Saranga
and while watching My Name is Johor, another one Johor Mehmood came in mind namely-
dheere re chalo mori banki hiraniya- as school kids we just loved this teasy number .)
hamne apna sab kuchh khoya pyaar tera paane ko from Saraswati Chandra
Ta Ta
.)
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Oh, well done!! I love Haan deewana hoon main (I actually got gooseflesh reading the words, it conjured up memories of hearing the song) and also Hamne apna sab kucch khoya. The Dheere re chalo mori baanki hiraniya number wasn’t one I’m familiar with, but am listening to it now and developing a liking for it! :-)
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Oh yes, I love ‘dheere re chalo’! Also the others mentioned.
Thanks for refreshing my memory ash.
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Thx folks, DO N Pacifist for yr appreciative comments .)
Yer spot on and we are in the same boat, Haan Deewana sure has the powerful words to get goosy goosy pimples .), so turn the mood to opp direction and listen to dheere re chalo……..did it bring in some teens memories back ?
And then we go senti-mental and listen Hamne apna sab kucch khoya….
Kudos to the writers and the composers, evergreens .)
Cheers
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This is def a Gem, was checking The Best Of Khaiyyam Saheb Album and came across it again-
hamse hoti muhabbat jo tumko -Asha Bhonsle , Mukesh. Lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri and the phillum Mohabbat Isko Kahete Hain.
.)
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Lovely song! Mohabbat isko kehte hain had a very good soundtrack, if I remember correctly… Thahriye hosh mein aa loon was from the same film, I think?
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Yes indeed Thahriye hosh from same phillum, was a duet with Rafi Saheb and Sumandi
and oh another Mukesh Bahi solo is also here-
itna husn pe huzoor na garoor kijiye, lovely tune.
Ta Ta
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Oops sarry, ofcors it is Mukesh Bhai …)
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I must share another one which I rediscovered: Ek raat mein do-do chaand khile, from Barkha. Hadn’t heard this for a long, long time. It’s beautiful, and I think Mukesh sounds a little different from his usual self…
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Oh yeah nostalgia re booted DO with Barkha, Thx. Jagdeep as the hero and Nanda played his sis, right ? Saw this many moons ago and do yu know it was Co Directed by Rajendra Krishan Saheb, who also wrote the lyrics. He has written so many songs, a chip of da ol block… and whilst yu mentioned BARKHA, another song came to light-
BARKHA rani zara jam ke barso, Mukesh Bhai and from Sabak, am sure yu hv heard that also. So many songs still to discover .)
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Ah. :-) Barkha rani zara jamke barso is another song I like a lot but had forgotten about… thank you for reminding me of that!
Didn’t know Rajendra Krishna co-directed Barkha. I haven’t seen the film, but it’s on my list.
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Dustedoff, I hope you noticed the ‘chaand’ in the song from Barkha. :-)
I had completely forgotten about this song which is very likable. You have jogged my memory well and proper ash with so many forgotten songs coming up. :-)
Did I say I wasn’t very fond of Mukesh?
How could I???
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Goodness, I hadn’t noticed the chaand in that song, even though it was staring me in the face! Heh. Mukesh should’ve sung Chaudhvin ka chaand ho, huh? But somehow the way Rafi sang that one, one can’t help but associate only him with it…
And yes, I’m with you on that: I am swiftly having to revise my opinion on how I feel about Mukesh. There are more and more songs that I’m being reminded of, which were sung by Mukesh. Perhaps they aren’t in the mind-boggling numbers that I can associate with Rafi or maybe Kishore, but certainly as many as Hemant or Manna Dey.
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Did I miss these out, all the same wonderful duets-
ae dil na mujhse chhupa -Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh MD Shankar, Jaikishen, Lyrics Shailendra and the phillum Badal.
I thought I read about this song here……?? but for sake of good order here it is-
dil ki nazar se nazron ki dil se yeh baat kya hai yeh raaz kya hai -Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh . MD Shankar, Jaikishen, Lyrics Shailendra and the phillum Anari
Cheers
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Wah, ash! I am very impressed. I hadn’t thought I could forget a song like Dil ki nazar se, nazron ki dil se: such a beautiful song. Come to think of it, Anari has one of those unforgettable scores – unforgettable by all except people with sieve-like memories, like me! :-))
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*** It is official ***
Ok, not quite but I think I am almost there now. :-)
Until now, all the lists that Madhu has made (the ones I have read) could have been made by me – we seem to have such similar tastes. :-)
This was going to be the acid test. And it has worked!
I am now officially the ONLY person in this world (and maybe in other worlds too) who does not like “Suhana safar aur ye mausam haseen”.
I don’t know why. Maybe it is because everybody else loves it!
Anyway, I find nothing special about it. I’d rather listen to the Mukesh-Lata duet “dil tadap tadap” from the same movie.
I have gone through great pains to go through all the comments here to ensure that I do not repeat suggestions (I may still be repeating so excuse me) but how come nobody has mentioned one of the greatest (well, easily one of my favourites at least!).
Mujhe raat din ye khayaal hai -Oomar Qaid (1961). The picturisation on Sudhir and Nazima is just brilliant.
Then there is that lovely “Darpan ko dekha tune jab jab kiya singaar” from Upaasna.
I can think of plenty of other Mukesh songs – and many have already been mentioned here. Like zubaan pe dard (Maryada), jo tumko ho pasand (Safar) and so many others. I think I am a sucker for lyrics and maybe that also makes a difference, e.g. baharon ne mera chaman loot kar has got fantastic lyrics.
I think I know lots and lots and lots of Mukesh songs mainly because when I was a young boy I had a book with hundreds of songs gifted to me by somebody. That is where I first heard of “zinda hoon is tarah” (am happy to see this in your list).
His duets in Malhaar are also very sweet, btw.
Btw, am happy to see the other 9 songs on your list. I love them all. “Ye kaun chitrakaar” is great, as is “jaaoon kahan bata aye dil”. 9/10. Not a bad score. ;-) Just kidding! :-)
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Even 9/10 isn’t bad, I think! ;-)
Thank you for those suggestions – most of them hadn’t been mentioned earlier by anybody in the comments, and some, offhand, I couldn’t even recall. I must admit, I didn’t even recall Mujhe raat din yeh khayaal hai until I found it on youtube and played it. Then, of course, a slap to the forehead because I should’ve remembered that! Lovely song. So is, very especially, Bahaaron ne mera chaman lootkar, which I agree has great lyrics.
Hmmm… someday I should do a post on one of the lyricists. Sahir, perhaps? With all those amazing, gut-wrenching, soul-searing songs from Pyaasa, Sadhna, Chitralekha etc.
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Yes, Sahir please!!! My favourite lyricist, though I like Neeraj also a lot. I believe Neeraj lives in Meerut now and is in ill-health.
But Sahir would be great – let’s see if we get a 10/10 there. :-)
Somehow it is not just that I seem to agree with your selection. But it is also the comments you come up with. They would pretty much be the ones I would have come up with. Like that “Chandi aayee ghar jalaane” comment. :-)
Btw, that line in the context of the movie is just brilliant! It is a reference to Rehman’s wife in the movie who has caused discord in the once-loving household of Balraj Sahni-Nanda-Rehman. Rehman is torn between his wife and his brother/sister and does not know what to do.
Hence “jaaoon kahan bataa aye dil, duniya badi hai sangdil..chandni aayee ghar jalaane, soojhe na koi manzil”.
I think a lot of these songs become even more beautiful if they are seen in the context of the story.
Like that “baharon ne mara chaman” song. I just love it, love it, love it. The lyrics are great, not just in themselves but also in the context of the story of the movie. “Mujhe kya pata tha kabhi ishq mein raqeebon ko khaatib banaate nahin…khataa ho gayee mujhse khaatib mere, tere haath paighaam kyon de diya”. Lovely!
I am a big sucker for lyrics. :-) So, Sahir? Yessssssssssssssssss! :-)
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Yes, Chhoti Bahen was quite an angst-ridden film for Rehman’s character, wasn’t it? That “jaaoon kahaan bata ae dil” was very aptly worded. Oh, and thank you for that line from Bahaaron ne mera chaman lootkar”. Fabulous! I got gooseflesh just reading it!
I must explore Neeraj’s works in greater depth, but Sahir definitely merits a list. Will do!
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Here are a few more from the Golden 1950 to 1960’s-, was listening to it today, do check out folks in case not heard or forgotten !
any dupes pls excuse.)
From Aah-
aaja re ab mera dil pukaara ro ro ke gham bhi haara badnaam na ho pyaar mera- Lata Mangeshkar , Mukesh
jaane na nazar pehchaane jigar yeh kaun -Lata Mangeshkar . Mukesh
raat andheri door savera barbaad hai dil aao -Mukesh
Chhoti Si Yeh Zindagani – Mukesh
ANDAZ-
tu kahe agar tu kahe agar jeevan bhar main geet sunaata jaaoon -Mukesh
ham aaj kahin dil kho baithe yoon samjho kisike ho baithe-Mukesh
This is from BABUL- dhadke mera dil mujhko jawaani raam qasam na bhaaye -Mukesh, Shamshad Begum
This peppy duet from Barsaat- tirchhi nazar hai patli kamar hai Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh
and from same movie-
chhod gaye baalam mujhe hai akela chhod gaye chhod gaye
Think these are mentioned earlier or >), any case from
Chhalia-
dum dum diga diga mausam bheega bheega bin piye main to gira main to gira -Mukesh
chhaliya mera naam chhalna mera kaam -Mukesh
mere toote hue dil se koi to aaj yeh poochhe -Mukesh
meri jaan kuchh bhi kijiye- Lata Mangeshkar , Mukesh
Surprise Panchamda also composed from similar name movie, a song penned by Rajinder Krishan Saheb called –
zindagi mein aap aaye ho gayi duniya haseen -Mukesh , Vani Jayaram
MALHAR-
bade armaanon se rakha hai balam teri qasam- Mukesh
dil tujhe diya tha rakhne ko -Mukesh
ek baar agar tu kehde tu hai meri -Lata Mangeshkar , Mukesh
hota raha yoon hi gar anjaam vafa ka -Mukesh
kahaan ho tum zara aavaaz do -Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh
MELA-
aayi saavan rut aayi -Mukesh, Shamshad Begum
gaaye jaa geet milan ke tu apni lagan ke sajan ghar jaana hai- Mukesh
Yeah songs from Sangam were also hit, still are.
Retro Mukesh all the way.
Cheers .)
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Now if only somebody would make a playlist of all these songs, that I could simply click once and listen to in the background while doing my work…! ;-) Some very lovely songs, there. Of course, some Raj Kapoor ones that I do not like (Chhalia mera naam for instance; there’s something about that song that really puts me off), but a lot that I do like, such as Gaaye jaa geet milan ke.
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Oh I must plug this other Mukesh number I love because it is so atypical of him–a peppy ‘bhang song’! And I may have mentioned it elsewhere in your blog Madhu, perhaps in the ‘daaru’ songs post? It’s from ‘Bandhan’ (1969) and picturized on Rajesh Khanna :-)
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Ah :-)). I have heard that song plenty of times before, and like it a lot!! Wish I’d remembered it… maybe someday, in a ‘Mukesh in Ten Moods’ post. This is definitely Mukesh in a very different mood from his usual!
For readers in India: you can listen to the song here:
http://www.radioreloaded.com/tracks/?18839
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You have a great blog here. Well done. One of my Mukesh’s favourties is Bhooli Huyi Yaadon. I love the way he sings it and the way the song develops. The lyrics are great as well.
One more of my personal favorites is Aa ab laut chale. Its for Mukesh’s sheer control at high octaves.
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Thank you! Both for the appreciation, and for those suggestions. Lovely songs, both of them. If it hadn’t been for my self-imposed rule of listing only songs from films I’ve seen, I’m pretty sure I’d have listed these – especially Bhuli huyi yaadon. So beautifully controlled, and perfectly sung. So is <i<Aa ab laut chalein, but I think Bhuli huyi yaadon is just that notch above. Superb.
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A few Goldies, any dupes,pardon me pls DO
sataale ae jahaan from Sasural
under
ham woh nahin jo aapke qadmon mein dil ko rakhde from Aayega aanewala
under
Cheers .)
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I hadn’t heard those before, ash! Very nice. Hum woh nahin jo aapke is somewhat unusual for Mukesh – more the sort of song I’d have associated with Rafi.
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Pingback: Ten of my Favourite Mukesh Songs « Bhooli Bisri Sunheri Yaadein
Listening to Oldie Goldie Pyar Ka Sagar mp3 album and came across 3 goodies of Mukesh, see they are on YT-
Sada Khush Rahe Tu
under
WAFA JINSE KI BEWAFA HO GAYE
under
and
Payar Ka Sagar Dekha Hai-duet with Ashatai
under
Sry if dupes….. melodious tunes, in fact the full album of this movie.
Cheers .)
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Tum Kisee Aur ko chaahogi from dil hi to hai presents Mukesh in a romantic mood. Aasoon bhari hain from Parvarish, Tum mujhe bhool bhi jaao from didi are my other facorites :-)
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I hadn’t known Mukesh also sang Tum mujhe bhool bhi jaao – I only know the female version of the song, picturised on Shubha Khote. Wonderful song, poignant lyrics and superbly subdued music.
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Mukesh sang the most important lines of the song-
“Zindagi sirf mohabbat nahin kuch aur bhi hai
zulf-o-rukhsaar ki jannat nahin kuch aur bhi hai
bhookh aur pyaas se maari is duniya mein
ishq hi ek haqeeqat nahin kuch aur bhi hai”
maine tumse hi nahin, sabse mohabbat ki hai
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I see – I didn’t remember that. Wonderful lyrics, by the way.
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Do you have top 10 songs based on folk music or lyrics with the mehek of specific lands? b
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Hmmm. That might be a little difficult – but I can offhand think of some songs which are fairly distinctive (as far as region is concerned) in music and/or lyrics. For instance, Naya Daur has a few songs with a lovely folksy feel to them (Udein jab-jab zulfein teri or Yeh desh hai veer jawaanon ka), and Ki main jooth boliya from Jaagte Raho is very Punjabi. Then, Ganga aaye kahaan se sounds very Bengali – perhaps that is the effect of Hemant’s voice, but even the music (again, a Bengali’s – Salil Choudhary) is also very Bangla.
Oh, and an unusual one: from Hum Hindustani, Chori-chori tori aayi hai Radha, which has a lovely Manipuri feel to it, even in the music. The flute is beautiful.
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Hum Gawanwa na Jaive ho bina (Vikal mora manwaa) from Mamta, “Nain lad jai he”-watch the folk music at the beginning
Also,Naushad was it again at “Zara man ki khiwadiya khol” in Kohinoor.
I think a tune from Pakeezah too had UP folk. “Chalat musafir” I think is Bihari folk.”Dil me jo baatein” from Joshila(though 1971)had lovely Pahaadi, Assamese folk. Watch the kancha in action. (the instrument used at the very beginning) used to telling effect throughout the song.Ravi had “dil Karta o yaara dildaara”,unmistakably Punjabi,
The crowning glory however is this, my favourite actress, whom I adore, a great combination o beauty and talent!! How she has carried herself.Wow!!
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I will not clutter this page anymore, one last one which i thnk you may like
http://www.thestatesman.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=357915&catid=47
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That’s an interesting article, Karthik. Thanks! Incidentally, in one interview, Naushad mentioned that he was very keen to compose for Rattan (which proved to be his first hit score) mainly because it would give him the opportunity to use folk tunes from UP.
BTW, I love Chalat musaafir moh liya re and Nain lad jai hain, especially, from the songs you’ve listed. And Madhumati had some good folksy songs too, like Julmi sang aankh ladi and Chadh gayo paapi bichhua.
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and so, a 10’er on folk music isnt too difficult, eh? :-)
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well the article on the use of folk music in hindi films that karthik gave a link to was quite good and quite bad at the same time.I mean the article gave quite good info about the folk songs but committed some horrendous mistakes regarding the origins of few of the songs listed there.
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Oops! It’s been a while since I read that (I read it when Karthik first posted the link) and don’t have the time to re-read it now, but I do think anybody who’s writing something that’s being published – in a newspaper, too, not a personal blog or whatever – has a basic responsibility of ensuring they get their facts right.
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Dear all,
Mukesh Sahab is the crownless King of musucal world. all the songs right from (Nirdosh 1941 till Kabhi Kabhi 1976) are peerless. he has never rendered any meaningless songs yet. though he has sung a limited numbers of songs comaring to Kishore and Rafi, but quality is not judged by quantity. He was the best and will remain the best. Long live his music and his name.
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Wow…..looking at the thoughts expressed here, I am really awestruck by the passion and deep knowledge of everyone. Some of the songs being talked about are really ‘old’ or rarely heard Mukesh songs. I am also very impressed by dustedoff’s profile and prolific writing.
I am a humble music fan making his first tentative foray into music blogs. I have listed some gems of Mukesh, composed by Kalyanji Anandji at http://rsbaab.wordpress.com (See the first post). You can also listen to some of those songs on a player in the post.
I also have songs by Naushad and Madan Mohan as well as Ilayaraja listed there. You can listen to some songs on an 8tracks player in each of the blog posts.
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Ravi, thank you for commenting – and thank you for the appreciation!
Will go off and have a look at your blog now. :-)
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A Top list for Mukesh’s “Bhule Bisre Geet” .Thanks to all those who had posted these songs here . A Big Thanks to you , dustedoff, for a nice blog.
I am adding a few –
1. A Mukesh & Lata duet (their first I think) ‘ Angreji Chhora Chala Gaya ‘
2. Mukesh for Raj Kapoor – Mujhe tumse kuch bhi na chahiye
3. in Aabroo -1968 That real life tragic girl Vimi in scene
Jinhe Hum bhoolana chahe woh aksar
4. A borderline 1974 in Thokar – Main Dhoondta hoon jinko
Thanks .
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Thank you, Milind! I hadn’t heard any of those songs before; beautiful ones, all of them.
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Hello ! Just read your nice post on Naquli Nawab . Saw the ref to Reshami rumal & remembered another Mukesh gem. Coincidently the Music director is Babul.
Gardish me ho Taare Na ghabarana pyaare !
Here is 1960’s Manoj Kumar in a light mood & far more important ,in 1960’s Bombay.
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Yes, Gardish mein ho taare is a nice song too. Coincidentally (as in Nakli Nawab), in this film too multiple people sang for Manoj Kumar. – my favourite song from the film being Zulfon ki ghata lekar saawan ki pari aayi, where Talat sings playback for him.
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I left India in 1970 and am mostly ignorant of all that transpired after that.
I was hooked on Mukesh after Suhana Safar and I would consider not going to a movie if it did not have a Mukesh song. I like RK and Kalyanji-Anandji’s movies for I was sure they would have something by him. One of S-J’s finest compositions was for Hariyali Aur Raaste (Manoj Kumar, several Mukesh songs) and I urge you to listen to them (Ibteda Ishq Mein duet
Adding to the list: Bhooli Hui Yaadon (Sanjog, Madan Mohan), Wafa jinse ki ( Ravi),
and the outstanding songs in Saathi :mera pyaar bhi thu hi (with Suman K), Husne-e-Jaana idhar a..and 2 songs that did not make it into the film but available on you tube: Jo chala gaya use bhool ja, Aankhen Khuli thi. Naushad was force by Rajendra Kumar to use Mukesh. Naushad said not even one Rafi song? Rajendra Kumar was said to have replied “No”. And, let us not forget the superb Kalyanji-Anandji composition “Mein tho ek Khwab hoon” in Himalay ki Godh mein. By now all should know of a famous Ustad who “after repeated attempts, could not sing the lines of the song “Chandan sa Badan” straight and infuse it with Mukesh’s simplicity” when challenged to by Kalyanji when the Ustad passed some snide comment about Mukesh’s singing
What makes Mukesh’s song great were the lyrics: always on point and telling a story, past or future, or a philosophy. Rafi and Kishore sang songs that had were frisky and usually void of deep meaning (underline usually, not saying never) And for lovers of Mukesh I give you one last great composition (1980/81–movie Sanjh ki Bela never released?)– a soulful composition by Ravi for a Joy M/Nutan/Rehman film “Meri duniya ko bahaaron se sajaya” .
Mukesh was bass-baritone while Rafi was a true baritone and songs w low notes were better rendered by Mukesh and hence the preponderance of sad songs sung by him.
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My observations about Mukeshji. In the beginning he started by imitating K.L.Saighal whom he admired a lot. His song in one of his earliest picture was dil Jalte hai tho jalna de. The picture was peheli nazar. The producer was not in favour of this song. So Mukeshji requested him to retain it for the first few shows and note the reaction of the public. The very first show during the interval members of the audience were found humming this song. So the song was retained and the rest is history,
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I remember reading somewhere too that Saigal, on hearing Dil jalta hai toh jalne de, said, “When Did I sing that? I don’t remember…”. Which just goes to prove your point about Mukesh imitating Saigal.
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What a pity ?
Tumhare Liye Huwe Badnam, Na Bhoole Phir Bhi Tumhara Naam
film SHABNAM (md: S D Burman) had couple of very enjoyable
duets of Mukesh and Shamshad. The otherone being:
Tu Mahal Mein Rahne wali, Main Kutiya Mein
SUDHIR
July 2015
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What’s pitiable about it? That my taste doesn’t match yours? ;-) Please understand, this is my favourites list, I don’t claim that it is a ‘best of Mukesh’ list. Just ten songs that I like a lot. You’re welcome to contribute your songs, of course. I’ll listen to the ones you’ve suggested – they don’t ring a bell, offhand.
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Miss Madhu:
The write-up was not on your selection of Ten songs of Mukesh ….,
The visitors wrote about so many UNKNOWN and some which
are irritating, suddenly this song poped-up in my head and it
conveyed a nice message, ie: YOU FORGOT ME, which prompted
me to write the post.
Incidentally, most of the songs of SHABNAM (Dilip Kumar, Kamini
Kaushal and Paro, music S D Burman) have not been released
by HMV
the VCD of film is available (Ultra brand) and it is quite an
enjoyable film. Atleast one song: Mera Dil Tadpa Kar Kahan
Chala / Geeta Roy is quite good to watch
SUDHIR
July 2015
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Ah, I see. I hadn’t understood what you meant.
I’ll look out for Shabnam. Have heard of it, but never seen it.
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On way to FLAT No 9, one can stay for a days at LAL BANGLA
SUDHIR
Aug 12, 2015
p.s.: Neqi Ka Nateeja Neqi Hai, Anjaam Burai Ka Hai Bura
Kanoon Yehi Hai Kudrat Ka, Koyi Kuchh Bhi Kare Kya Hota Hai
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Sorry for listing wrong URL. Kamini Kaushal’s still from SHAHENSHAH
can be viewed at:
Sudhir
Aug 13, 2015
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sorry posted above photo at wrong page. It belongs to
Book Review – The Patels of FilmIndia
https://madhulikaliddle.com/2015/06/28/book-review-sidharth-bhatias-the-patels-of-filmindia-pioneers-of-indian-film-journalism/#comment-43201
Sudhir
Aug 13, 2015
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I am a great fan of Mukeshji I listen to and sing along a lot of his famous songs all day long and can never get bored http://bit.ly/1ElP2fZ
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Mukesh the Great- what to say of him! I like all the old singers, but somehow Mukesh occupies the top slot in my heart. Hear the following songs:
Ay pyase dil bezuban- Begunah
Ay jaane jigar – Aaraam
Aa laut ke aaja meri meet- Rani Rupmati
Saranga teri Yaad mein -Saranga
Ay dil dekhen hain humne- Shriman Satyawadi
Muft Huve badnam – Baraat
Mujhe mil gayi hai – First Love
Farishton ki nagri – Hamari Yaad Aayegi
Ek jhuthi si tsalli -Shisham
Laayi kushi ki duniya – Vidya ( duet with Suraiya)
Mini mini chichi – Kathputli ( duet with Lata)
Hum tum ye khoi khoi rahen – Rungoli (Duet with Lata)
Dekhoji dekho ek baar is tarf dekho – Aas (duet with Lata)
Nain Tumhare mazedar – Junglee Duet with Asha
I too don’t like Raj Kapoor, except in Jagte Raho and Teesri Kasam but many good songs of Mukesh are on him- in which case I close my eyes and listen to the songs.
To me those Mukesh songs appeal most which are not ostensibly sad [ where most MDs mess up his voice] but where the lyrics bring out the nostalgia and his voice naturally lends just that shade of pathos without being too obviously sad [ like in Anand and Andaz ] The voice which naturally expresses that kind of longing- only Mukesh had! [ Ye hanstahuva karwan- was originally sung by Hemant Kumar but there is a Mukesh vesion- which is just fantastic. Zindagi Khwab hai- is Mukesh’s gem, but there is a version by Manna Dey. if one listens to both these songs, one will realise that only Mukesh could impart that something extra to the song’s mood! We will always cherish his memory.
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I had forgotten (or had no idea) that there was a Manna Dey version of ZIndagi khwaab hai. Frankly, even though I really love Manna Dey, I cannot imagine anyone other than Mukesh singing that song. He’s perfect.
Thank you for the other songs you’ve listed. Several there that I have either never heard or have forgotten – so there are gems there for me to discover!
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my fevrit song of mukesh sir is Woh subah kabhi toh aayegi
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Yes. Beautiful song.
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What a beautifully fwritten post. The way the writer builds up the admission of the genius of Mukesh is a piece of genius in itself. Yes the more we listen to Mukesh the more we admire him. Its no wonder the whole world sings Aawara hoon till date.
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Thank you so much! That is a wonderful compliment. And yes, what a wonderful voice Mukesh had. It’s been several years since I wrote this post, but the more I hear of him, the more I like him.
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Hi Dusted Off,
I came across this page while searching for some old Mukesh songs.
I like your list of Top 10 songs.
I’d like a share an anecdote with you regarding song # 2 (Saranga).
Many eons ago, when I was but a young kid, just getting the taste of classical Indian music, one evening I was fortunate enough to listen to a live radio program by the music composer Sardar Malik.
I don’t remember the year, but it must have been in the late 1980s.
Sardar Malik did not usually perform radio shows or had much of a public presence unlike other (more popular) music directors.
However, he did this one program for Fauji Bhais on Vividh Bharti.
He talked about his times and his music.
At that time, I was not yet familiar with that period of Hindi film music, and definitely didn’t know about Sardar Malik.
Most of my listening back then was 1970s and 1980s music.
Anyhow, he began talking about the movie Saranga.
He said he decided to use both Mohammad Rafi and Mukesh for various songs in the movie – depending on the type of song.
Then he talked about this particular song, which was his favorite song of the movie.
Sardar Malik said that he debated with himself who is the best singer to sing this song.
He initially recorded this song with Mohammad Rafi.
Sidenote – the Rafi version of the song (or at least a part of it) did make it into the final cut of the movie – you can find that song on You Tube.
However, after recording, Sardar Malik said to himself that this song will be best in Mukesh’s voice, with no disrespect to Rafi.
To this day, I remember Sardar Malik’s exact words.
He said,
“mujhe laga ki Mukesh hi is geet to amar bana sakte hain”.
So he recorded this song in Mukesh’s voice.
And this song is indeed “amar”.
Then he played this song on the program.
I had never heard this song before, but after hearing it, I could never forget it.
I remember it was a hot summer evening and it was dark (the Fauji program was at 8:30 pm, if I recall).
I sat there on my porch in the dark listening to this song and watching the flickering dim lights from a village about half a mile from there, and I felt as if I were in the movie.
It is a beautiful song.
On a different note, I feel that Mukesh did his best work in the late 1940s and the 1950s.
If you want to hear the best of Mukesh, you have to go back to the period from say 1949 – 1958 or so to listen to the best of Mukesh.
I will go through my collection and find 10 of my favorite Mukesh songs and post it for you.
I hope you will like.
Cheers,
Pratick Mukherjee
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Thank you so much for that anecdote! It’s really priceless.
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I have all the more respect for you with your honestly admitting that you realised the genius of Mukesh pretty late. I have always believed that the voice of Mukesh grows on us the more we listen to him. One gets addicted to him. It is impossible to genuinely recreate his songs as it was his unique voice quality that added that special something to whichever song he sang.
No wonder Mukesh fans are still growing all over the world. We have to look around and notice.
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S D Burman rarely used Mukesh but two of his Mukesh songs are real gems : O Jane Wale Ho Sake to Laut Ke Aana (Bandini) and Aye Dile Aawara Chal (Dr. Vidya). The later one is very peppy.
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Greetings S S Tej,
It is true that Mukesh sang fewer songs for Sachin Da compared to other music directors like Naushad Ali, Skankar Jaikishan, and Kalyanji Anandji.
However, pretty much all the songs he did sing for Sachin Da are gems.
In addition to the ones you mentioned, there are:
– Chal Ri Sajni Ab Kya Soche [Bombai Ka Babu]
– Bahe na kabhi nain se neer & Layi khushi ki duniya [Vidya]
– A couple of duets from Shabnam such as Qismat Mein Bichhadna Tha & Tumhare liye hue badnam, both of which are exquisite gems demonstrating the early talents of Mukesh, Geeta Roy and Shamshad Begum.
There are probably a couple of other songs I can’t recall right now.
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Oh, such a lovely list! I used to hum all these days except 3rd & 6th (I don’t recognize these songs). ‘Ye Subah Kabhi To Aayegi…’ is such a hard hitting song. (‘Mitti ka bhi hoga mol magar, insaanon ki keemat kuchh bhi nahin…). Arijit Singh (My FAVOURITE!) and Shreya Ghoshal have sung the remake of this song (Ye Subah Hameen Se Aayegi…), I like that too.
I’m not very fond of ‘Suhaana Safar..’ maybe because it’s too popular or something like that. And strange that I thought ‘Kahin Door Jab Dil Dhal Jaaye’ was sung by Manna De.
Sharing a few of my favourites: ‘Husn-e-Jaana Idhat Aa’, ‘Suhaani Chandni Raatein’, ‘Ek Pyar Ka Naghma’ (And there’s a song I liked a lot but can’t recall it now, and it’s going to make me restless. :))
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I am glad you enjoyed this! You’ve suggested some lovely ones – I am especially, especially fond of Ek pyaar ka naghma hai. Such a beautiful song, even the lyrics. I would have included it in this list if I didn’t restrict myself to pre-70s songs. :-)
I hope you remember the other song!
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