Some context, first, for this post.
I had recently been on a hiatus for a while because I shifted home. I’ve lived in Delhi for 32 years now, and for various reasons, my husband and I realized it would make more sense to move to Noida.
Shifting house is something I simply hate doing. I should’ve gotten used to it over the years: my father, after all, was in the IPS, and frequent transfers (once every year, when times were good) meant that we moved around a lot. Even after I grew up and got married, we’ve had to shift several times: because a relative offered us their flat at a nominal rent; because—one year down the line—they decided they wanted to sell it; because a landlady wanted to renovate a house; and so on. I have some idea of what to expect now when we hire packers and movers.
But there are always glitches, always another bunch of thoroughly unprofessional professionals. This time was no different. On top of that, I fell ill—first with a viral infection, and then with an infection of the eyes. Till a few days back, I was going around with two red eyes, a hacking cough, and a runny nose (I looked like something out of a Ramsay Brothers flick).
The silver lining, though, is that this made me think of just how important homes are to us. Not mere buildings, but places that we call our own. Places that shelter not just ourselves and our families, but which represent, too, our aspirations, our emotions, ourselves. Hindi cinema has done ample justice to the concept of ‘home’ and ‘house’, from songs like Ek bangla bane nyaara to films like Dastak, Biwi aur Makaan, Hamaara Ghar, Gharaunda and Tere Ghar ke Saamne.
Why not, I thought, a song list featuring songs that are about homes? Homes that are envisioned, homes that are hoped for. Homes that light up with joy because of the coming of a festival or the arrival of a loved one. Homes destroyed.
As always, these songs are all from pre-70s films that I’ve seen, and are in no particular order (though my favourites tend to be towards the top of the list).
1. Chhota sa ghar hoga (Naukri, 1954): This is the very first song that came to mind, and it is also, to my mind, a fine example of what a ‘ghar’ embodies. Kishore Kumar’s character, a poor young man with a consumptive sister who is close to despair, tries to cheer her up with a song of what a rosy future awaits them. He will get a job (he is, after all, soon to be a graduate), and they will have a small, sweet house in the shade of the clouds. It will be idyllic and perfect, the epitome of a peaceful and happy life.
A later, shorter, and melancholy version of the song—though with the same lyrics—is a sad reflection on the way dreams are shattered, but this upbeat version is the better-known one.
2. Ek ghar banaaoonga tere ghar ke saamne (Tere Ghar ke Saamne, 1963): This film didn’t merely feature the word ‘ghar’ in its title, it centred round the design and construction of two houses—and its male protagonist (played by Dev Anand) was an architect, entrusted with the building of the aforementioned houses, one of which is his own father’s, while the other is that of his father’s arch enemy, so to say. As if things weren’t complicated enough, our hero falls in love with the enemy’s daughter. Here, tipsy and befuddled by the quandary he finds himself in, he sings his woes to his (illusory) beloved. He’ll build a house in front of hers, he says. He’ll create a world, he’ll lay down his everything in front of her house. She is quick to dampen his enthusiasm: building a house, setting up a home, is no easy task. It takes a lot of effort, and then some more.
3. Najar laagi raja tore bangle par (Kaala Paani, 1958): A house need not always be referred to as ‘ghar’. A dwelling, after all, can take many forms, all the way from a humble hut to a grand haveli. Here, since she’s aiming to flatter an obviously wealthy prospective client, Nalini Jaywant’s tawaif is careful to refer to his home as a ‘bangla’. A bungalow, immediately conjuring up visions of many rooms, sprawling lawns, and verandahs. The house of a man of consequence. With the lyrics of her song, she weaves her own existence into the fabric of the bungalow: as a creeper on its wall, as a bird alighting on it, as a demure bride sitting in it. The imagined bungalow becomes a symbol of the man himself: she will cling to him, she will sing to him, she will be his bride.
4. Jis gali mein tera ghar na ho baalma (Kati Patang, 1970): A film on the cusp of the decade, but with more of a 60s feel to it than a 70s one—and with excellent music. While Kishore sang all the other songs for Rajesh Khanna, Mukesh got to sing this soulful love song, of a lover vowing to be faithful to his beloved. A fidelity that begins with his not even venturing down a lane in which her house doesn’t stand (thoroughly impractical, if you ask me, but still). I like the thought of equating, first, the sweetheart’s presence with her home—not in the ‘ghar ki shobha hai gharwaali’ type of regressiveness, but a simple assertion that anything that doesn’t connect to her in a good way is taboo for him.
5. Saamne gali mein mera ghar hai (Mirza Sahibaan, 1947): Another connect between a woman and her house: a dancing girl, performing at a wedding, tells her lover/the leering members of the all-male audience where she lives. Right there, in front: in the gali is her house. Don’t forget my address, she says, and goes on to give a hint of just what joy will await him/them in her house. There’s innuendo here, even if veiled: none of the innocence of Jis gali mein tera ghar na ho baalma, despite the similar motif of a house inside a gali.
6. Ghar tera apna ghar laage (Waaris, 195): The Talat Mahmood-Suraiya starrer Waaris was known primarily for a song (in several versions) about travellers: Raahi matwaale. But it also featured this song about a traveller finally finding a home. Talat Mahmood’s character, having brought home a destitute and lonely girl who was masquerading as a man, soon falls in love with her—and when he comes home at the end of a long day, finds that she has turned his shabby and neglected bachelor den into something downright comfortable. Why, he asks, and she tells him shyly: because his home feels like home to her, too. Naina dhoondein rain basera, keh do ji haan, yahi dwaar hai tera (My eyes search for a shelter for the night; say, “Yes, this is the door for you”) she explains—a sweet way of equating love with making a home with someone.
7. O sajna mere ghar angna (Saanjh aur Savera, 1964): I will admit I do not like Saanjh aur Savera. It had an unlikely premise, but more than that, it cast Meena Kumari in a clichéd weepy role akin to her Main Chup Rahoongi, Chandan ka Palna and Main Bhi Ladki Hoon roles. What it did have, though, was some nice music, including this song about a home being incomplete without the presence of a loved one. Meena Kumari, as the new bride who has ‘married’ a man under false pretenses (no fault of her own, of course) and is now head over heels in love with him, waits for him to come home. And while she moons over his photo and performs a more useful chore—watering the plants—she sings of how her home is empty without him.
8. Ghar aaya mera pardesi (Awara, 1951): And when talking of the home and its connection with love, this iconic song deserves a place on this list. Ghar aaya mera pardesi is full of symbolism: the ethereal, misty environs of a dreamworld presided over by a benign deity, where the heroine welcomes home the long-lost lover who has strayed so far but has finally returned. My foreigner has come home, she sings. Home, which has come to life, is suddenly rosy and joyful, because her heart is joyful—another instance of self being equated with home. This couple’s happy reunion is short-lived, because doom hangs over them, waiting to destroy them, but for a brief two stanzas, at least, there is bliss at the thought of a home lit up by love.
9. Rehne ko ghar do (Biwi aur Makaan, 1966): From the symbolic to the absolutely real, from the sublime to the prosaic. From a film which was all about the accommodation problem (specifically, that faced by bachelors in a world which only wants to rent out homes to married couples) comes this delightful song about begging for a place to live in. Any house will do, anything will do. A well will do, even a jail will do, sings Manna Dey for Mehmood. It doesn’t matter if the floor is above, or the ceiling. A window, a doorbell: all those frills, those bells and whistles, aren’t necessary. No sir, all that’s needed is something to call a ghar.
10. Woh dekho jalaa ghar kisika (Anpadh, 1962): And to end, another song that uses the concept of home as a symbol of everything secure and safe and happy. A young woman, newly widowed, finds herself thrown out and left all alone. A home has ‘caught fire’, and—paradoxically—all is darkness. The sun and the moon, combined, will not be able to illuminate the gloom left behind by the burning of this house. All is destroyed, as was echoed too in Jaaoon kahaan bata ae dil, where the words ‘Chaandni aayi ghar jalaane’ suggest a house ruined, if only metaphorically.
Which songs would you add to this list?
Dustedoff 
Hi.
I’ve been a lurker on this blog for a while, really enjoying the posts
and the comments. (I reached your blog a couple of years ago while
googling you after accidentally finding, then reading a Muzaffar Jung
book, and loving it.) Thanks for providing such enjoyable and
thought-provoking reads. Today I decided I should join the commenting!
(I don’t know how to embed links)
Not pre70, but my favourite ghar song:
Yeh Tera Ghar Yeh Mera Ghar – Deepti Naval and Farooque Sheikh in Saath Saath.
Also not pre-70, and far from my favourite, but the song I immediately
recall when thinking of ghar songs:
Dekho Maine Dekha Hai Yeh Ek Sapna – Kumar Gaurav and Vijeta Pandit in
Love Story.
Meena
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Meena, thank you so much! For commenting, of course, but also for appreciating my writing. You have no idea how much we writers thrive on appreciation. :-) It what keeps me going. Thank you!
… and thank you for the two songs you suggested. I don’t care for the Love Story song either (though it completely fits the bill here), but Yeh tera ghar yeh mera ghar is lovely. I had been ruefully wishing I could put in some songs from after 1970 – there were several lovely songs about homes in the 70s, especially.
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Absolutely happy with the very first entry: Chhota sa ghar hoga!
What about ” Rehne ko ghar nahi hai, sara jagah hamara” from Phir Subhah Hogi?
And this from Musafir: “Ek aaye ek jaaye musafir “. The whole song and in fact the whole movie moves around a house!
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I had thought of putting in Chini-o-Arab hamaara, but then dropped it – so glad you added it in your comment!
And your second song reminds me that Musafir is a film I still haven’t seen…
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I really like this one just on the 1970 borderline
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Oh, yes. Jhilmil sitaaron ka aangan hoga certainly evokes the feeling of home – even if the word ghar (or its equivalent) isn’t mentioned. Thanks for that, Bawa!
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I posted it by accident – wanted to add that even though it doesn’t say the word “ghar”, listening to it evokes the dream home life for me
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Madhu,
Nice theme. Somehow my thoughts went to the mother of all dialogues – ‘Chunay Seth, Jinke ghar sheeshe ke hote hain….’, and its successor – ‘Mere paas gaadi hai, bangala hai…Tumhare paas kya hai?’
AK
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:-D Classic. Thanks, AK.
Just made me think: A rejoinder to that Mere paas gaadi hai, banglaa hai line could’ve been Mere paas Maa hai, ghar hai.
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Wonderful post as usual!
A lot of the ghar songs in hindi movies are about the bride leaving her baabul’s home to move to her piya ka ghar. Most notable that I remember are
Pii ke ghar aaj pyari dulhaniya – Mother India
Chhod babul ka ghar – Babul
Used to love Ghar aaja ghir aye badra – from Chhote Nawab and discovered much later that it was a mujra song. Still one of my favorites though
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Some classics, Nishi! Thank you. I had forgotten all about the Mother India song (somehow I can never remember the songs of that film – too painful for me, I guess). Baabul and Chhote Nawab I haven’t got around to watching yet, though I’m familiar with both these songs.
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I remember the song from the film Dooriyan:
Life, come my home.
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Oh, yes. Zindagi, mere ghar aana is beautiful. Thanks for this!
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Another song, in which a bride feels she is the Queen of the household.
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The 70s did have some nice songs about homes, didn’t they? I’d forgotten about Piya ka ghar hai yeh. Sweet.
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And newly married couple celebrating the joy of having their own home
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Yes, Yeh tera ghar yeh mera ghar was mentioned (though not linked to) in the first comment. :-)
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A wife dreaming of having their their house
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I watched Aapki Khaatir ages ago, and remember liking it, because it was so unusual. I’d forgotten Pyaara ek bangla ho, though.
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Another dream of having a home
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It’s been ages since I heard Dariya kinaare ek bungalow – what a fun song! Thanks for this, especially.
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Ghar songs are one of my favourites! If you remember, I‘d made a list of bangla songs in it.
https://harveypam.wordpress.com/2012/08/23/look-it-is-a-bungalow/
As I went through your list, I realised, I‘d thought that saamne gali me mera ghar is saanvle gali me mera ghar hai. :D
I like all the songs, which you‘ve listed, particularly thr first four.
Many of my favourite ghar songs have already been mentioned by you and the readers. One which I think is missing is, ek mod se jaate hain from Aandhi, the words for ghar come later in the mukhda, but they are surely there.
Another personal fav Gulzar song searching for a dwelling is do deewane from Gharonda. It has sad version as well, I like the happy one.
This Gulzar song sings of not having a ghar, musafir hoon yaaron from Parichay. I know that this is one of your favourites too
Another favourite Gulzar song: ghar jaayegi tar jaayegi from Khushboo
There is another song in Awara with ghar in it, which I like as well
jabse balam ghar aaye
raat ke humsafar from An Evening in Paris has a ghar in it
This song, just like the Gulzar songs, doesn‘t fall in your blog period, but love it nevertheless. Hope that is okay. I tend to forget that Bappi lahiri could compose such melodious songs as well.
sainya bina ghar suna from Angan Ki Kali
Sorry for letting myself go with my ghar songs.
Thank you for this wonderful post, dear Madhu, it made good reading and reminded me of lots of beautiful songs.
Wish you and your family a strong, good, new home, may it bring you lots of happiness and joy, and make you realise you dreams!
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Thank you for the wishes, Harvey, and for the songs – such lovely songs! There were a couple there which had been on my long list (Raat ke humsafar and Jabse balam ghar aaye), one which I hoped someone would mention in the comments (the Gharaunda one; it’s so evocative of what ‘home’ means), and a couple that I’d forgotten all about, even though they’re songs I like. Musaafir hoon yaaron and Ghar jaayegi tar jaayegi fall into that bracket.
Saiyaan bina ghar soona is a lovely song – I’d never have guessed that was Bhappi Lahiri’s composition!
I had forgotten you’d done a post on bangla songs. Sigh. What is happening to my memory? (Several people have written in to me, suggesting I do so-and-so song list, and I’ve declined, saying that you’d already done it, and so well that I couldn’t hope to be anywhere close). :-)
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“I had forgotten you’d done a post on bangla songs. Sigh. What is happening to my memory? ”
That doesn’t matter! Your theme was different and it offers more choice, so it is good! I am glad you wrote this post and even grateful for it. :)
“Several people have written in to me, suggesting I do so-and-so song list, and I’ve declined, saying that you’d already done it, and so well that I couldn’t hope to be anywhere close.”
I wouldn’t mind if you repeat it. Your writing is different than mine, it will be fun to see your take on it. Really! :)
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“Your writing is different than mine, it will be fun to see your take on it.”
That may be, but your selection of songs – I couldn’t hope to top that! But I shall give it a try next time one of those “But Harvey’s already done it” post suggestions comes up. :-)
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Main to giridhar ke ghar jaoon (Jogan, 1950)
Mehlon ka raja mila (Anokhi Raat, 1968)
Insaaf ka mandir hai ye, bhagwaan ka ghar hai (Amar, 1954)
Ghar ghar mein diwali hai (Kismat, 1948)
Koi jab tumhara hriday tod de (Poorab Aur Paschim, 1970). A somewhat tenuous connection, hingeing on the line “मेरा दर खुला है खुला ही रहेगा तुम्हारे लिये” – the door (of my house) will always be open for you. So, despite the lack of ‘home’, ‘house’ & any overt synonyms thereof, I include
Aaj mohe sajan ghar jaana (Manjhdhaar, 1947)
Tumse hi ghar ghar kehlaya (Bhabhi Ki Chudiyaan, 1961)
Arey bhai, nikal ke aa ghar se (Nai Dilli, 1956)
Prem nagar mein banaoongi ghar main (Chandidas, 1934)
Tere raaste pe humne ek ghar bana liya hai (Kavi, 1954)
Manbhaavan ke ghar jaae gori (Chori Chori, 1956)
Gaaye ja geet milan ke (Mela, 1948)
Ghar yahaan basaane aaye the (Gajre, 1948)
Apna hi ghar lutaane (Adl-e-Jahangir, 1955)
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Whew. That is a lot of songs. Some of them were on my shortlist – the songs from Kismat, Amar, Chori-Chori – and one I’d briefly thought of (Mahalon ka raja mila) before discarding it, because I thought it didn’t really speak of home.
I will take my time listening to the ones I didn’t immediately recognize (and one – Premnagar mein banaaoongi ghar mein – which I know mostly only from its repeated appearance in Professor).
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hi,
i am late to join the conversation this time!
splendid post!
nice idea, i hope ur new home is comfortable and u dont get any more allergic conjunctivitis!
:-)
i love the song from, waris, ghar tera mera ghar lage.
glad that u included in ur post!
songs from saanjh aur savera and mirza sahiban were new to me!
the only song i can post instantly is……….
pardesi ghar aaja by rajkumari
and aslo, hamare munder bole kaga sakhi ri by rajkumari from babla
it has ghar word, a bit too late in mukhada!
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Thank you, Anup! Yes, we’re settling in, though it’s going to take a while to get everything organized 100%. Best of all, though, we’re all well now – almost. :-)
Thanks for the songs. I especially liked Hamri munder bole kaaga – there was something very sweet about it. Nice.
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Once again, a lot of great songs in this list, and I was happy to see that I knew so many, both in your post, Madhu, and in the comments.
A song comes to my mind that most closely parallels that song from from Kismet. This one is from Basant, made a year earlier (1942), and it has the same star, Mumtaz Shanti (with playback from Parul Ghosh) . (There is also a version sung and performed later in the film by an eight- or nine-year-old Madhubala, but I think this version is actually better.) The song centers on people who live in mansions or palaces vs. people who live in lanes. It’s not a “ghar” song per se, but it is a song that repeatedly refers to the places where people live – the rich and the poor…
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Thank you, Richard – glad you liked this list! And thank you for this song: I hadn’t heard this one before. Perhaps it’s time to do a socialist songs post… no shortage of those in old Hindi cinema. :-)
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hi,
few more songs
if u agree, makan and ghar are used in the same context!
so here is one song with MAKAN.
tere dil ka makan
mere andhere ghar mein by asha
oh, the baby in the song is so cute!
and one more from 1990s
ghar se nikalate hi from papa kaehte hai
u might remember this song, as it was very popular at that time!
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“oh, the baby in the song is so cute!”
Absolutely! SO cute. :-) And a lovely song, too.
I like Ghar se nikalte hi too. One of the few songs from that period which was nice.
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ghar aaja pardesi from DDLJ, again a 90s song!
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I will admit I don’t like this one. Didn’t like DDLJ, for that matter. I’ve never been able to figure out why this was such a massive hit.
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SO HAPPY to read that! You’re my soul sister right there…:-)
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and also, if i can add,
mere ghar aayi ek nanhi pari-
this is the song, that i use to sing(?) at home, when my daughter was born.
i am not even a bathroom singer
:-)
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I was certain someone would post this one! It kept coming into my mind when I was compiling this post.
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Main to bhool chali babul ka des, piya ka ghar pyara lage
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Lovely. Not my favourite Nutan style (I don’t like her in her pativrata avatar), but a nice, melodious song.
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musafir hoon yaaron, na ghar hai from parichay,
i think, u would include this film, in the section of maintaining 60s flavour!
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Yes, Harvey included this in his comment too. One of my favourite songs, and one of my favourite Jeetendra films (he did good work with Gulzar).
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and, koi ghar aayega from saranga,
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Somehow, the only song from this film that I remember is Saaranga teri yaad mein, even though I’ve watched the film! Nice song, this too. Thanks, Anup.
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Lovely list, Madhu. I am sure your readers are going to be posting many lovely Ghar songs. I am putting down this maverick song which is perhaps Non-film. I remember hearing this song when I was young. It was to be sung to the beloved. There is no fancy ghar here, only a room. And that too a room in the heart. Listen on:
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You know, Ava, I first saw your comment on my phone, and since you hadn’t specifically mentioned the name of the song – except for that hint about the ‘room’ – and since I didn’t want to play the video on my phone, I thought “Could it be Mere dil ka kamra kar lo occupy?” :-D
Glad to see I was right! The first time I heard this was at a ladies’ sangeet. So much fun. I have loved this song ever since.
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He he :)
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:-)
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Wow what a great Idea.I really liked all the songs.Another song which could have been a part of this list is Chod Babul ka Ghar.But anyway thanks for this beautiful post :)
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Thank you so much, Kamini! Glad you liked this post. Yes, Chhod baabul ka ghar is a nice song. :-)
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Coming so late to this post. :(
Lovely theme, Madhu. I saw the title and immediately thought of Tere Ghar ke Saamne and Chhota sa ghar hoga. Glad to see both were on your list.
I rather like this song: Ghar se nikalte hi from Papa Kahte Hain
This is a pleasant enough song: Piya ka ghar hai ye from Piya ka Ghar
Then there was Hum tumhare hai zara ghar se nikalke dekh lo from Chalti ka Naam Gaadi which was an invitation to leave home.
Main toh Giridhar ke ghar jaaoon from Jogan
Someone who doesn’t need a house: Deewane hai deewano ko from Zanjeer
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Thank you, Anu! The Zanjeer and Chalti ka Naam Gaadi songs (how could I forget the latter?!) were new to the list of suggestions – good to see them here.
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I love this song from Noor Jahan, film Mera Ghar meri Jannat.
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Very nice. I had never heard this one before. I loved the way it doesn’t merely mention ‘ghar‘, but actually is about home and family. Fits the theme perfectly.
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Another wonderful post.
I hope this shifting will prove to be meaningful to your creativity.
Some inclusions :
1) “Ghar aaja ghir aaye badra” from “Chhote nawab”(1961)
2)”Kiska mahal hai, kiska yeh ghar hai” from “Prem nagar”(1974)
3)”Baby ghar chalo ghar tum bin hai shuna” from “Chalta purza”(1977)
4)”Logon ke ghar mein rehta hoon, kab apna koi ghar hoga” from “Griha pravesh”(1979)
5)”Apna ghar hai swarg se sundar” from “Swarg se sundar”(1986)
6)”Humne ghar chhoda hai” from “Dil”(1990)
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Thank you, both for the appreciation, as well as for the wishes! I hope so, too. :-)
And thank you for the songs – there were several there that I hadn’t heard of before.
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After finishing a large and consuming engineering project, I’m now relaxing with several melodious songs on your post, some of which I never came across before. I instantly liked “Koi Ghar Aayega” and already played it five times. Anyway, I have one to contribute below. Hope you’ll like it.
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“After finishing a large and consuming engineering project…”
I know the feeling! :-)
Glad you enjoyed these songs, and thank you for this song – this was on my shortlist.
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“I had recently been on a hiatus for a while because I shifted home. I’ve lived in Delhi for 32 years now, and for various reasons, my husband and I realized it would make more sense to move to Noida.”
Congrats! Its a big change for sure.
For last month or so, I was also completely consumed by a bunch of conferences and then my brother’s family was visiting us. Looks like I missed a lot of activities on your blog..
What an interesting topic! I don’t have anything significant to add though I did enjoy this post and comments…
Here are a few though slightly past your preferred era:
1. Bangle Ke Peeche (Music RD Burman, Movie Samadhi -1972, Lata Mangeshkar)
2. Aaiye Aapko Main Apne Bangle (Music Kalyanji Anandji, Movie-Joru Ka Ghulam, Kishore Kumar)
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Good to ‘see’ you again, Ashish! I missed you. :-)
And, a very special thank you for Bangle ke peechhe. This song kept going through my head all the while I was compiling this post, and I was wondering when someone would mention it. I’m surprised no-one mentioned it earlier, considering it was so popular (enough to inspire an absolutely execrable remix).
I’d forgotten about the Joru ka Ghulam song. This was a fun film.
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“Kaanta laga” was somehow “revived” after the re-mix version emerged a decade or so ago, though I am not sure if “revived” is the right word. The music of RDB really speaks for itself.
Happy to be back here on your blog where it’s always discussions around topics that I love..
Hope you are getting used to the new surroundings and the new state? I believe Noida is technically in UP. Hopefully shorter commute to work for you and your husband?
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Yes, I think the remix did ‘revive’ Kaanta lagaa, and perhaps it did, really – at least in the way of reviving interest in the original song. Queen, a couple of years ago, did the same to Hungama ho gaya (though that, thank goodness, wasn’t a remix, as far as I know).
I don’t commute to work – I work from home – so this shift doesn’t make any difference to me that way. But for my husband and my daughter, office and school are now respectively just ten minutes away. That was one of the main reasons we shifted. :-) And yes, we are settling in, slowly – there are still hiccups every other day of all sorts, but hopefully they’ll vanish soon.
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I believe a short commute drastically improves quality of life. Working from home, of course is a great option, for some professions..
Listening to “Kaanta laga” recently, I realized how versatile Lata could have been had she desired to do so.. This song would have been a no-brainer to give to Asha, but RDB chose Lata for this song and I think she did complete justice. I am just amazed at how easily those singers molded themselves to the mood of the song…
There, I go back on my predictable tangential path…
:)
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Tangents are always welcome, Ashish, from people who talk sense! (There are far too many who stay on the topic but have little or nothing of any worth to offer, so anyone who talks sense, no matter on what, has my vote). :-)
Yes, Lata was very versatile. I wonder what her career would have been like if more composers had roped her in to sing songs like Kaanta laga or Aa jaan-e-jaan: both are firmly Asha in their tone, but Lata does them total justice.
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Wow ! what a nice post and so many songs added, I saw this post late, may be some one has already added this one…Rahne ko ek ghar hoga,khane ko halwa hoga, bistar kapde pankha sab hoga…from Man Pasand
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Glad you liked this post, and thanks for reminding me of that song! Nobody’s added it so far, and it fits perfectly. An interesting take on the Chhota sa ghar hoga style: much more ambitious. ;-)
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Another one…Basera jahan ho savera wahin ho….savera jahan ho basera wanhin hai…from Basera, has some nice lines.
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Yes, that had been on my mind as well, though of course, since it’s from well past the 60s, I couldn’t include it in my list. Glad to see you suggested it.
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Interesting topic this time, & equally interesting is the discovery of new old songs, known & unknown. Here I am adding a song from 1951 Hulla Gulla film Dholak, sung by Shamshad Begum. One of her few songs I like the most.
IPS Pahwa.
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I had forgotten about this song, even though I like this film a lot! Thanks for reminding me of this. :-)
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Home – yes a home is one of the most important things in a person’s life. Your post reminds me of Hrishikesh Mukherji’s ‘Musafir’. The house in this film is a silent witness to a marriage (Suchitra Sen’s marriage), a birth (Nirupa Roy’s child) and finally death (Dilip Kumar’s death). I remember (if memory serves me right) the film’s cinematographer Kamal Bose told me that an actual house was built to get that authentic feel.
Once again, in ‘Biwi Aur Makaan’, Mukherji returned to the subject of man’s need for a roof over one’s head. You know the story writer was definitely not writing fiction; yes it was fiction but based on a harsh truth which is – singletons do in reality find it very difficult to get homes on rent. Some housing societies even put up boards on their gates (I saw it in the newspaper) clearly informing singletons that they will not to be allowed to rent a flat. This is not peculiar to India, I once read that this problem exists even in the U.S.A. I believe there singletons are charged high rents for a roof over their heads. That’s life.
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That is a sad state of affairs, about single people finding it difficult to find houses. In this day and age! :-(
I must get around to watching Musafir some day. Have been meaning to, but somehow haven’t done it.
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I read this post at a time when I am searching for a job and don’t know which city I am going to settle in- thought I have a decided preference for one. I am scared and worried because I want a place which as you said, will not just shelter ourselves and families, ‘but which represent, too, our aspirations, our emotions, ourselves’ and because I want a ‘home’ soon. While right now I cannot relate much with any of these songs (except maybe, ‘Chota sa ghar hoga’), given the current state of my life, the song that comes most strongly to me (and I see it already mentioned in one comment thread before) is ‘Iss mod se jaate hain…’. It’s like a precursor to finding your feet, your place, and your home. It’s about a choice- where do you want to go, what do you want to do, and so on. Thank you for the list of songs- I love how I read your song posts and then my work play list is sorted for the day! :-)
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That is such a lovely, honest comment. Yes, I know what you mean, because I had a somewhat unsettled childhood, what with my father being transferred so often (he was in the IPS). My sister and i – my sister more than me, since she’s older – almost didn’t know whether we’d be in the same school the next year, or we’d have to change towns, schools, and friends. We shifted from one city to the other almost every year until I was about 13. I used to wonder often, then, what town I would finally call home, because I couldn’t even call my parents’ home towns home – they were too alien to me.
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Zindagi mere ghar aana, aana tu zindagi
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Yes, a beautiful song.
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In 1977, Paul McCartney recorded “Mull of Kintyre” which became a huge christmas-time seller in UK. McCartney owned property in the Kintyre region of Scotland and was living there at the time. He wrote the song in praise of the region, but since it was his home also, I thought it might fit the theme of this post.
It’s a nice, soothing song that I hope you enjoy. There’s also a promotional film of the song. Paul McCartney sings in front of his home and later is joined by his wife Linda and bandmate Denny Laine.
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I must admit that while I had heard this song umpteen times as a teenager – it used to be pretty popular on radio back then – I never paid attention to the lyrics. Yes, a lovely song, and certainly one I like.
Your coming to this post and adding an English-language song reminded me of another song about home, in English too. Green green grass of home, which has been sung by various people. Here’s Elvis, singing it:
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