Dev Anand: Ten Songs, Ten Voices

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The very first Hindi film song I remember watching was a Dev Anand one. I was nine years old, and the film was CID. The film had already had a couple of songs (Boojh mera kya naav re, Leke pehla-pehla pyaar) that featured him, but when Aankhon hi aankhon mein ishaara ho gaya came on, it cast its spell on me. I was completely bowled over, and from then on, was a starry-eyed Dev Anand fan.

Over the years, as I’ve become older and wiser (more cynical?), the love for Dev Anand has been tempered somewhat. I don’t like the mannerisms, the exaggerated drawl and pout, the puff of hair, and the larger-than-himself persona he took on once he became a superstar. I find him a bit embarrassing in later films, from the 70s onward, where he’s trying desperately to appear much younger than he really was.

But, in his heyday, I think there was nobody to rival Dev Anand in the charisma department: nobody as suave, as charming, as watchable. And, as if that wasn’t all, his films always had great music. About 90% of my favourite songs as a teenager were from Dev Anand’s films. Munimji, CID, Nau Do Gyarah, Guide, Solvaan Saal, Kaala Paani, Kaala Bazaar, Baat ek Raat ki, Teen Deviyaan… one wonderfully entertaining film after another, one great song after another.

To commemorate the hundredth birth anniversary of one of Hindi cinema’s immortal stars, therefore, a list of ten Dev Anand songs, sung by ten different playback singers. As always, these songs are from pre-70s Hindi films that I’ve watched, and no two songs are from the same film. Moreover, all are songs in which Dev Anand has lip-synced to the song (which is why the beautiful Wahaan kaun hai tera, sung in SD Burman’s haunting voice, doesn’t count; it’s a background song).

In no particular order:

1. Hain sabse madhur woh geet jinhe (Patita, 1953): Talat Mahmood. Talat is not often associated as the voice of Dev Anand, but he has, in fact, sung a couple of Dev Anand’s most beautiful songs (Talat’s rendition of Jaayein toh jaayein kahaan won SD Burman a Filmfare Award for Best Music Director). More than Jaayein toh jaayein kahaan, however, I like this song that Talat sings playback for Dev Anand. A husband, comforting his distressed wife, reminds her—in Shailendra’s immortal words—that there is hope ahead, that (as PB Shelley put it) “Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought”. I think Hain sabse madhur woh geet jinhe is a wonderful example of good lip-syncing: Talat’s voice fits Dev Anand really well.

2. Hai apna dil toh aawaara (Solvaan Saal, 1958): Hemant Kumar Mukherjee. Before Mohammad Rafi (and later, Kishore Kumar) got slotted as Dev Anand’s major playback voices, music directors seem to have liked playing around quite a bit with the playback singers they got to sing for the actor. In Patita, for instance, while Talat sang Hain sabse madhur woh geet jinhe, Hemant sang that classic duet (with Lata), Yaad kiya dil ne kahaan ho tum. Hemant, in fact, sang several iconic songs for Dev Anand, including the iconic come-hither Yeh raat yeh chaandni phir kahaan and the haunting Na tum humein jaano. And, from Solvaan Saal (for which Rafi also sang for Dev Anand), this footloose and fancy-free song of a man about town. I love the peppy lilt here, the teasing tone, the light-heartedness: Hemant fits his voice so well to Dev’s acting.

3.  Ae dil kahaan teri manzil (Maya, 1961): Dwijen Mukherjee. When talking of Hemant singing for Dev Anand, I cannot help but also talk of this song. Ae dil kahaan teri manzil, when I first heard it while watching Maya as a child, was a song I immediately slotted, along with Yeh raat yeh chaandni and Chup hai dharti and others like it, as a Hemant song. The voice was so unmistakably Hemant’s. But no; Dwijen Mukherjee was a stalwart composer and singer in his own right, even though his voice bore an uncanny resemblance to Hemant’s. He seems to have sung in several other Hindi films as well, though Maya, from what I’ve been able to gather, is the only Dev Anand film in which he sang. And what a stunning song this: such a lovely tune (Salil Choudhary’s) and so brilliantly rendered.

4. Hum bekhudi mein tumko pukaare chale gaye (Kaala Paani, 1958): Mohammad Rafi. Rafi’s was the voice that gave Dev Anand some of his most immortal songs, from the aching Din dhal jaaye haaye  to the bitter Kya se kya ho gaya; from the teasing Kali ke roop mein to the romantic Dil ka bhanwar kare pukaar—and many, many more. Hum bekhudi mein tumko pukaare chale gaye is one that especially fills me with awe, not only because the music (SD Burman’s) and the lyrics (Majrooh Sultanpuri’s) are so utterly sublime, but also because of how Rafi’s voice and Dev Anand’s lip-syncing meld together. Rafi, of course, was known for his incredible ability to tailor his voice to suit whichever actor he was singing for; but the way Dev Anand too moulds himself to Rafi’s voice, the inflections, the tones: superb. This, irrespective of singer, is one of my top five Dev Anand songs.

5. Hum hain raahi pyaar ke (Nau Do Gyarah, 1957): Kishore Kumar. Like Rafi, Kishore too had a long and very successful run as the ‘voice of Dev Anand’, beginning with Marne ki duaayein kya maangoon in Ziddi, and going on to such hits as Gaata rahe mera dil, Phoolon ke rang se, Khwaab ho tum ya koi haqeeqat, and Yeh dil na hota bechaara: so many wonderful songs, so many moods. Each of these songs (and lots of others I haven’t even mentioned here) are among my favourites, as is this iconic ‘road song’. The picturization of Hum hain raahi pyaar ke has Dev Anand driving, whistling as he goes from Delhi, through Fatehpur Sikri, Agra, and beyond: and the song becomes an anthem, almost, of going one’s way, seeing what will come, optimistic and cheerful all the while.

6. Saanjh dhali dil ki lagi thhak chali pukaarke (Kaala Bazaar, 1960): Manna De. In a film that had Mohammad Rafi sing some very well-loved songs for Dev Anand (Khoya-khoya chaand, Apni toh har aah ek toofaan hai), there was also this song, a duet that featured Asha Bhonsle—with Manna De singing playback for Dev Anand. Manna De, despite being mostly known for his prowess as a singer of classical Hindustani music (and therefore of film songs, too, with a classical flavour to them), was also a surprisingly good singer of peppy, even fairly Westernized songs. That pep, the teasing and flirtatious tone, are what comes through strongly in Saanjh dhali dil ki lagi.  

7. Kahaan jaate hain (Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja, 1961): Mahendra Kapoor. Mahendra Kapoor was (rather unkindly, I think) often referred to as ‘the poor man’s Mohammad Rafi’, perhaps not just because his voice sounded a bit like the much more popular Rafi’s, but also because he seems to have made—at least initially, in his career—an effort to reinforce the resemblance. Given that Rafi sang so many songs, and so believably for Dev Anand, one would have expected that the similar-sounding Mahendra Kapoor would have been at least proportionately successful. But while Kahaan jaate hain (sung as a duet with Lata) is a good song, I personally prefer Dev Anand’s other songs in this film, sung by Talat (the standout one being Tum toh dil ke taar chhedkar). Mahendra Kapoor doesn’t really come across, for me, as a believable singing voice for Dev Anand.

8. Naacho ghoom-ghoomke (Sarhad, 1960): Chitalkar Ramachandra. Chitalkar, or C Ramachandra, was another of those singers, whose voice (like Mahendra Kapoor’s) could be mistaken for another, more famous, singer (in C Ramachandra’s case, Talat Mahmood, at times; Rafi, at others). In Sarhad, for which he also composed the music, Chitalkar sang several songs for Dev Anand, of which my favourite is this one. There’s a mast lilt to it, an unusual tone that I find very pleasing. Given that Ragini and her group are supposed to be adivasis, perhaps that’s not very authentic (neither, then, is the balalaika Dev Anand holds throughout the song), but it’s fun nevertheless.

9. Dekho maane nahin roothi haseena (Taxi Driver, 1954): Jagmohan Bakshi. Its music composed by SD Burman, Taxi Driver is known mostly for the very popular Talat song Jaayein toh jaayein kahaan (and its female version, sung by Lata), as well as the superb club songs, sung by Lata and Asha, for Sheila Ramani. Among its lesser-known songs was this duet, sung by Jagmohan Bakshi and Asha. Jagmohan Bakshi (who became famous as the Jagmohan of the music composer duo Sapan-Jagmohan) had entered the Bombay film industry as an aspiring singer, and was given a break by SD Burman for Taxi Driver. This song’s a good rendition, but it always makes me wonder: am I finding Jagmohan’s voice not a great fit for Dev Anand simply because I’m too used to Rafi and Kishore? Or would things have been different if I’d heard Jagmohan singing many more songs for him?

10. Bahe na kabhi nain se neer (Vidya, 1948): Mukesh. Mukesh, the same age as Dev Anand (both were born in 1923) did not sing too many songs for Dev Anand—according to what I’ve been able to gather online, just four songs. But this one, two years after Dev Anand’s debut in Hum Ek Hain, is a surprisingly good fit. Perhaps that’s because Dev Anand, not yet moulded into the debonair city man, the carefree urbanite of films like CID, Solvaan Saal and Teen Deviyaan, did come across believably as the kurta-clad, earnest and emotional young man? Whatever it may be, Mukesh’s voice works well here for Dev as he sings of holding oneself up through all the troubles and challenges one may face through life.

What are your favourite songs lip-synced by Dev Anand? If possible, sung by singers other than the ones listed here? Please share!

31 thoughts on “Dev Anand: Ten Songs, Ten Voices”

  1. G M Durrani.

    Do bichde hue dil
    Aapas mein gaye mil…

    With Suraiya.

    SHAIR.

    Subir

    In Honton pe aisi baat,
    JEWEL THIEF

    do we see DA lipsync to Bhupinder’s voice?
    Also, Subir Sen in
    ROOP KI RANI CHORON KA RAJA

    Udit Narayan

    Zindagi ke sur se sur yoon milayiye

    MAIN SOLAH BARAS KI

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    • Thanks. Honton mein aisi baat is a nice one, though I generally tend to think of it as a ‘technically a duet’ – it’s mostly just Lata, Bhupinder has very little singing to do beyond the opening and the “Shalu”.

      Which song in Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja do you mean? From what I know, Subir Sen only sang Aaja re aaja re in that film, but Dev Anand doesn’t lip-sync to it.

      Also, it’s unclear which song of Subir Sen’s you’re indicating earlier in your comment. Something from Shair? But wasn’t the Shair song sung by GM Durrani?

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  2. Expectedly, your post has come to commemorate the occasion. All the songs are worth listening to again and again. The first one is pretty close to my heart (I have been an ardent fan of Talat Mahmood). Your choice is an example of your deep understanding of music. I like your feelings expressed in the opening para too because the fondness for Dev Anand had grown on me over the years (of film-watching) the same way. Hearty thanks for the wonderful post. It only has made me aware of this fact that Jagmohan of the Sapan-Jagmihan pair was a singer too. Your views about Mahendra Kapoor are quite interesting. Perhaps Mahendra Kapoor’s singing talent could get its due because of B.R Chopra and Ravi only. Else (perhaps) he would have lost in the crowd of Bollywood.

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    • Thank you, Jitendraji, for your appreciation. I’m glad you enjoyed this post.

      “Perhaps Mahendra Kapoor’s singing talent could get its due because of B.R Chopra and Ravi only.”

      I agree. They really spotlighted him in a way that gave him a chance to shine.

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  3. Madhuji, Dev Anand of the black and white era alone could be the reason to watch a film. His screen presence was so scintillating. Coming to the many voices that sang for him, there is this song from Awwal Number – Yeh Hain Cricket. There are three male singers – Amit Kumar, Udit Narayan and Bappi Lahiri. It is difficult to make out the playback singer who has sung for Dev Anand. To me it sounds like Bappi da. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_M9Dnpm5LY

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    • Thank you for this one, Anitaji! I remember Awwal Number being the first ‘cricket film’, but have never watched it. Yes, the singer singing for Dev Anand here does sound like Bappi Lahiri to me too.

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  4. Shankar Dasgupta.

    Chase kitne kathin dagar ho
    Hum kadam badate jayenge..

    With Suraiya.

    JEET.

    S D Batish.

    Tikhe hain nainwa ke Baan ji
    Dokha na khana..

    With Asha Bhonsle.

    DUSHMAN

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  6. Mukesh, Manna Dey, and Mahendra Kapoor sang for Dev Anand? And Dwijen Mukherjee? Whutt??!! That Viswa-Bharati ‘Expert Committee’ high-priest of smugness responsible for marginalising so many great singers? He played back for Dev Anand? Do excuse me for a moment while I wrap my head around all this information. Did I say moment? Make that several moments.

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  7. ‘Hum bekhudi mein…’ is a beautiful song. Especially the way Md. Rafi says, ‘Hum…’

    Black and white Dev Anand is my favourite. And I think most of his songs are good, and I have many many favourites. In Mukesh’s voice, I like ‘Chal Ri Sajni…’ (and oh, he looks so good in this movie; the title song is fun to watch). Sorry, but I’m not a fan of Talat Mehmood, Hemant Kumar or Mahendra Kapoor.

    And again, your knowledge+research is absolutely amazing. And my knowledge is so limited that I haven’t even heard of Dwijen Mukherjee, Chitalkar Ramachandra and Jagmohan Bakshi. So I’m going to check these songs out. Thank you.

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  8. Madhu,
    Nice list. Chitalkar: My favourite is ‘Daane daane pe likha hai khanewale ka naam’, and Chitalkar-Lata duet, ‘Phir wohi chaand wohi gham wohi tanhai hai’. from the film ‘Baarish’ (1957).

    Perhaps ‘Wahan kaun hai tera’ by SD Burman is not counted?

    Dev Anand for Dev Anand:
    Dev Anand raps in ‘Mr Prime Minister’

    AK

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    • Thank you for these, AK – I had no idea Dev Anand had sung rap too! One can’t deny his .

      Phir wohi chaand from Baarish is lovely; this was on my shortlist, so very glad to see you post about it.

      Wahaan kaun hai tera, as I mentioned in the introduction, doesn’t fit, because I wanted to include only songs to which Dev Anand lip-syncs. Wahaan kaun hai tera is a background song.

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  10. Aye Dil Kahan Teri Manzil is one that I love! And I always thought it was sung by Hemant Da! Such an eye opener that it is Dwijen Mukherjee! This is why I love your writing…

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  11. So here are the songs that I’d never heard before, which is surprising, considering that I’m a huge fan of old Hindi songs.
    1. Hain sabse madhur wo geet
    2. Kahaan jaate hain
    3. Naacho ghoom ghoom ke
    4. Dekho mane na
    5. Bahe na nain se neer

    Amazing post!!!
    And yes, I agree with you that Dev Anand’s lip syncing is quite excellent! I find that I like Amitabh Bachchan in that respect too. When he lip syncs it really seems like he’s singing.

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    • Don’t worry, barring Hain sabse madhur woh geet, the other songs are all fairly obscure – so it’s not surprising you hadn’t heard them before. :-)

      Thank you so much for your appreciation, I am glad you enjoyed this post. I like your observation about Amitabh Bachchan: yes, he too does lip-sync very well.

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  12. A lovely, lovely post!!!
    “But, in his heyday, I think there was nobody to rival Dev Anand in the charisma department: nobody as suave, as charming, as watchable”
    So true…. I always felt if Prince Charming was to take a life form, he would have taken that of Dev Anand.
    No one, absolutely no one could woo like Dev Anand.
    When I was young, I never knew of ‘Hain Sabse Madhur Woh Geet’ and ‘Yaad Kiya Dilne kaha ho tum’ was staple. But as I grew up, I found the silent understanding of ‘Hai Sabse madhur’ more appealing.
    Here are my Dev Anand favorites in no particular order.
    Teri Duniya mein jeene se – Hemant Kumar. Even in direst of straits, Dev’s eyes shine when he sings ‘khushi ke chaar zonke idhar se bhi gujar jaaye’. That’s Dev. He can be down but never out.
    First song of Rafi I heard was ‘Tere Mere Sapne ab ek rang hai‘ and I was hooked for life. No histrionics and yet song did touch your heart. Rafi’s voice is most earnest, but Dev is very gentle here. Look how gently he lifts Vaheeda’s hand when he sings ‘Tere dukh mere, mere sukh ab tere’.
    ‘Teri zulfo se judaai to nahi mangi thi‘ -This defines Dev Anand – The charm, suavity, that lovable charisma. Watta confidence to sing ‘Pyar manga tha, khudai to nahi mangi thi’. And he gets Rafi’s playback. What more one could ask for?
    ‘Mein Jindagi ka sath Nibhata chala gaya‘ – I feel only Dev Anand could carry that nonchalance perhaps because he lived his life with that motto.
    Wish you make a post about Dev Anand’s duets. There are too many lovely duets to ignore.

    I agree with you about post 70s Dev Anand. He was a caricature of himself. And I hate to watch him in those movies. Still there were some very nice songs picturized on him – ‘aise na muze tum dekho‘, Dil Aaj Shayar hai‘ – I wish if I could digitally remove that ghastly moustache, the song will still be bearable to watch, ‘Shokhiyon mein ghola jaye‘, ‘Neend Chura ke Raato mein’
    And if I don’t include ‘Phulon ka Taron ka‘ in the list my DD will probably throw a tantrum. This one of later lot, I don’t mind watching. Don’t you think Dev Anand was ahead of his times when he introduced hippy culture, drug abuse etc. in mainstream Hindi cinema?

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    • I am so glad you enjoyed these songs. Thank you, and thank you for the songs you suggested – several of them were on my shortlist too, so I’m especially glad to see them here. I will, someday, do a post on Dev Anand’s duets; let’s see when it happens. :-)

      Oh, and to add to the list of 70s songs that I like, here’s one: Kiska rasta dekhe, the one reason for which I watched Joshila (it wasn’t worth it; another great song wasted on a bad film).

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