Ten of my favourite ship songs

Posted on by

57

Many years ago, on this blog, I’d posted a list of boat songs. Boats happen to be fairly popular ‘platforms’ (so to say) for songs. For philosophical songs, for romantic songs, for songs of everything from despair to hope. There are songs on motorboats, on rafts, on rowboats and shikaras and whatnot. Many of Hindi cinema’s most famous songs from before the 70s were boat songs.

Much rarer, though, have been ship songs. Ships, after all, aren’t usually a part of most narratives (they’re less easily accessible, plus of course require a greater outlay on the part of whoever’s financing the film). Shipboard songs, I’ve realized, fall into a few fairly specific brackets. Either the singer(s) is/are employed on board a ship (as naval officers, deck hands, even pirates), or they are wealthy people travelling overseas. The latter, especially, became a more common theme in the late 1960s, when several films had a cruise as an important part of the storyline, invariably as a setting for a blossoming romance.

But, without further ado, my list of ship songs. As always, these are all (barring two songs, on the cusp) from pre-70s Hindi films that I’ve seen. Also, at least half of each song is picturised on board a ship (note that I am accepting as ‘shipboard’ even a set constructed to look like a ship; the important thing, according to me, is that the scene is supposed to be on board a ship; whether or not it’s really a ship is immaterial here).

In no particular order:

1. Maanjhi albele (Baaz, 1953): It’s appropriate, I guess, to start with the song that actually inspired this post. When, to celebrate Guru Dutt’s birth centenary, I posted a review of his 1953 film Baaz, blog reader (and sometime fellow blogger) Harvey remarked that there weren’t too many Hindi films set along the seashore. Yes, indeed; there aren’t, and Baaz may well have been, in the days before Around the World and Pyaar Mohabbat, one of the very rare films to have a good chunk of the action happening not just along a coast, but on board a ship.

Along with the action, there are several songs on board ship too. For instance, there’s the romantic Jo dil ki baat hoti hai; the fiery, stirring Ae watan ke naujawaan jaag; and the melodious come-hither Taare chaandni afsaane. All of these are good, but the reason I’ve chosen Maanjhi albele is because this is such a delightfully teasing song (in the same vein as other Guru Dutt songs that have a third person pointing out the love between two tongue-tied protagonists, à la Kabhi aar kabhi paar or Boojh mera kya naam re). Yashodhara Katju is her usual vivacious self, and the backdrop of the ship is very believable.

2. Aankhon pe bharosa mat kar duniya jadoo ka khel hai (Detective, 1958): Though the pep and light-heartedness of this song (as far as music and general tone, not the lyrics, go) are similar to that of Maanjhi albele, Aankhon pe bharosa mat kar duniya jadoo ka khel hai is a philosophical song hiding in plain sight. Pradeep Kumar and Daisy Irani, acting as father and son, are aboard a passenger ship, making its way from Singapore to Calcutta, when they break into song. Be wary, they sing; this world is full of tricks, it hides its wiles under a mask of sweetness.

Two things, especially, endear this song to me when it comes to its place on a ‘ship songs’ list. For one, the reference to the voyage: Is raah ke hum sab raahi, pehchaan hai yeh pal bhar ki/Kal toh judaa kar degi humko lehar is jeevan ki (We are all travellers along this way, our acquaintance momentary/Tomorrow we shall be separated, by the passing waves of life). Secondly, the detailing, the way the ship is shown during the song, complete with other passengers; deck hands (of course, mopping the deck in the classic way that is seen even in Mera naam Chin Chin Choo!); naval officers; life boats, etc. It’s very obviously on a ship.

3. Dekho dekho Madam (Pyaar Mohabbat, 1966): Starting from the mid-60s (approximately), with films now regularly in colour and financiers willing to invest, lots of film-makers shot large sections of films abroad. For audiences seeking vicarious pleasure by seeing their heroes and heroines in exotic locales, even the journey to that foreign locale—aboard a cruise liner (given that aeroplanes had pretty much replaced passenger ships as a means of getting from port A to port B)—was a big thing. What’s more, unlike the short journey and restricted confines of an aeroplane, a voyage by ship allowed much more scope for songs.

… as happens in this film, where Dev Anand and a very dapper David flirt—the younger man with a miffed-looking Saira Banu (with whom he has little success), the older man with any random firang woman he sees passing by (and whom he invariably manages to charm). A fairly well-presented view of the public spaces on a ship, especially the poolside.

4. Dil toh dil hai kisi din machal jaayega (Kab? Kyon? Aur Kahaan?, 1970): A similar sort of situation as in Dekho dekho Madam, except that in this case the hero (played by Dharmendra) has no friend to back him up and sing a duet with him. Instead, this man is obliged to do all his wooing (aka pestering, for that is exactly what this is) on his own. In the middle of the night, when most of the ship is fast asleep.

Babita, playing the woman who’s been forced—first, thanks to an inefficient steward, then by the mindless arbitrariness of Hindi cinema—to share her cabin with a complete stranger (Dharmendra) finds herself having to fend off his persistent attention all across the ship. Along the corridors, up on the deck, in the dining room, probably even outside what looks like the bridge. Why nobody has come and told this man to shut up, because he’s disturbing everybody else on the ship, is beyond me. But at least the visuals here show off the ship well.

5. Munne ki amma yeh toh bata (Tum Haseen Main Jawaan, 1970): The same year he was romancing Babita across the decks of a London-to-Bombay liner in Kab? Kyon? Aur Kahaan?, Dharmendra acted as a naval officer on a merchant vessel, in Tum Haseen Main Jawaan. The film, which featured him opposite Hema Malini, had most of its best-known songs picturised onshore (or not in an obvious ‘ship setting’). But there was this song, not a great one, but certainly a little unusual when it comes to theme.

Dharmendra and his fellow officers have found themselves suddenly saddled with having to look after a very young baby. Rajendranath, in hastily-acquired and superficial drag, tries to soothe the baby by pretending to be a female, while his rapscallion colleagues have a ball. It’s all quite mad, but I feel sorry for the baby, who seems to have been subjected to some pretty careless manhandling.

6. Dil lagaakar aapse pachhta rahe hain jaan-e-mann (Around the World, 1967): Like Dharmendra in Kab? Kyon? Aur Kahaan? and Dev Anand in Pyaar Mohabbat, so Raj Kapoor in Around the World. Thinking that pestering a woman and chasing her all across the ship with a song is akin to being ‘romantic’. Here, it’s Rajshree who’s at the receiving end of the song, though RK has the gall to claim that he is the one suffering because of having fallen in love with her! Fortunately for the lady, she has a friend (Ameeta) in tow, so at least she has a shoulder to cry on.

Here too you get to see a fairly good cross-section of the ship, beginning with him chasing her through the corridors and then through the public areas (with some very puzzled-looking foreigners: what must they be thinking, really?). Ending up on an especially popular shipboard space when it comes to songs: the poolside.

7. Main hoon ek khalasi mera naam hai Bhim Palasi (Sargam, 1950): In Around the World, while Raj Kapoor serenaded Rajshree (while carrying a salver around) in Dil lagaakar aapse, there was another song, too, aboard a ship. Josh-e-jawaani haai re haai had him working as a deck hand, using a mop, cleaning up, fetching and carrying—basically, working on board.

But sixteen years before this film, a much younger RK had sung a song about being a deckhand, doing manual labour aboard a ship. A khalasi (originally, a dock worker, but later taken to mean any kind of labourer), named after a raag, no less.

RK here wasn’t actually playing a deckhand, though: while it does take place on board a ship, this is actually a performance: Raj Kapoor’s character and his troupe are artistes hired to entertain the passengers. While I am not a fan of RK, I love this song: RK is fun, Rehana is lovely (and especially in that cute sailor outfit), and Chitalkar Ramchandra’s voice and music are infectious.

8. Daddyji meri mummy ko sataana (Sagaai, 1951): Another song featuring Rehana (though here her character gets to sing, as opposed to in Main hoon ek khalasi), and—as in that song with Raj Kapoor—as part of shipboard entertainment. Most of Sagaai was set aboard a ship (with a pretty debonair Prem Nath, as the captain, looking exceptionally handsome in uniform), and Rehana acting as a wealthy girl who (in tandem with two crooks, played by Gope and Yaqub) accidentally stows away on his ship. She’s disguised as a man (um, yes…) and it takes the captain a long time to figure out that this is no man.

In the meantime, though, she and her cronies are roped into entertaining the passengers. And this is the song and dance they offer. I am not especially fond of the song, but Rehana is her usual beautiful self.

9. Aankhon se aankhon ke tu jaam liye jaa (Bewaqoof, 1960): The one song on this list that has only half of it set aboard a ship. Aankhon se aankhon ke tu jaam liye jaa is in fact an ‘impossible duet’. The characters of Pran and Kishore Kumar are far apart: the former on board a ship while the latter is onshore. Yet they sing perfectly in tandem, though Kishore’s lyrics are more about being generally loving and kind towards all, while Pran, in typical drunk villain mode, gets to sing about flirting outrageously with any girl who happens to cross his path. In case you missed the fact that there are lots of port holes lining the walls of the dining room where the guests are seated, the extras who dance along to Pran’s song are all attired in definitely nautical clothing: sailor outfits, natty naval uniforms, et al.

10. Karte rehna masmaar (Amar Jyoti, 1936): I began this list with a song from a film about a woman pirate, and that’s how I’ll end it too. With a song featuring a pirate queen: Durga Khote as the feisty, hard-as-nails Saudamini. Karte rehna masmaar is a repeated song: Amar Jyoti begins with this song as Saudamini captains her ship, leading her band of brigands onto an attack on a prey. Snatches of the song (‘masmaar’ means ‘destruction’, so you can understand why this is the pirates’ signature song) play at other times, when the pirates are busy sinking, looting, etc. Near the end of the film too, when Nandini (Shanta Apte) has joined Saudamini’s band, the song comes again.

I like the look of this ship: it does look pretty authentic to me, not at all a flimsy set.

Do you have any more shipboard songs you would like to suggest? Please share!

57 thoughts on “Ten of my favourite ship songs”

  1. Great list as always! I had also thought of the songs from Around the World and Tum Haseen Main Jawaan.

    Other songs I could think of –

    From slightly outside your timeframe – Chahe Raho Door from Do Chor (1972) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ5YDTEoBps&list=RDaQ5YDTEoBps&start_radio=1)

    Another one where I’m not quite sure if the setting qualifies as a ‘ship’ – I believe it’s a large ferry – but a great song – Yun Hi Tum Mujhse Baat Karti Ho from Sachaa Jhutha (1970) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-YQkFTi1Zk&list=RDU-YQkFTi1Zk&start_radio=1)

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • No, Aaiye meherbaan takes place in Calcutta. Dekhke teri nazar happens on board the Burma-Calcutta ship, but there’s very little in the song by way of obvious shipboard references: it could well be anywhere even on shore (the ‘deckhand dancing’, for instance, is mirrored in Mera naam Chin Chin Choo).

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  4. An interesting post, dear Madhu!

    I particularly love manjhi albele, aankhon pe bharosa mat kar, main hoon ek khalasi and o daddyji. Karte rehna masmar was new to me. Maybe I have heard it before, but it didn’t register. It sounds so peaceful and in sync that the destructive nature of the lyrics get lost in the tune.
    Other songs, which I like, and are sung on a ship are:
    patli kamar nazuk umar from Lootera (1965)
    how sweet dadaji from Saazish (1975)
    balram ne bahut samjhaya from Ram Balram (1980)

    I haven’t seen Samundari Daku (1956), but I can imagine that dil jawan arzoo jawan from that movie playing on a ship. Moreover it comes from one of my favourite composers Jaidev.

    saathi utha baadbaan from Sindbad, the Sailor (1952) also plays on a ship.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Oh, nice, Harvey! – Especially for Dil jawaan hai aarzoo jawaan, which I’d never heard before. What a lovely song. Dil khush ho gaya. Saathi utha baadbaan and the Lootera song were also new to me. Yes, films about Sindbad (or samundari daakus, for that matter) are likely to have shipboard songs, and both sound very much like the type that could be picturised on board ship. BTW, I thought the shipboard effects of the Sindbad song were really well done – looked pretty real. 😊

      I have heard (and seen glimpses of) How sweet Dadaji before, but hadn’t registered the fact that it’s on board ship. And the Ram Balram song had completely slipped my mind, though I’ve seen the film (I think. As I age, I forget which films I’ve seen and which I’ve not).

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      • That happens to me as well, that I never know for sure if I have watched a film really. It could be possible that I started watching the film and left it in-between. Then there are cases where I am sure that I haven’t seen the movie but then as I watch the movie it starts unravelling that I must have seen it. But I remember watching Ram Balram (1980) in a cinema hall. It was an outing which has embedded in my memory because a cousin of mine treated us to it.

        Meanwhile I remembered that there was another Dara Singh song on a ship, and a little bit searching revealed it to be Dil hai hamara phool se nazuk from Faulad (1963).

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

        • I have had (though thankfully rare) cases where I have watched the entire movie, taking notes etc in order to enter the movie in my database – and then, when I’ve opened the database (it’s an XLS)… I realize the movie is already there. :-(

          I should have remembered the song from Faulad, since I’ve seen the film. But then, it’s quite a forgettable film; good songs, though.

          Like

          Reply

          • I can so relate to that and at the same time I am relieved that I am not alone in this.

            The above song from Faulad is really not a memorable one or one which would hum under the shower so no wonder one doesn’t remember it. I wonder if I will remember it next week.

            Meanwhile, I found this song gaon re khushiyon ka tarana from Samundar (1957). I think it is Premnath playing a pirate and singing with his crew a song of independence.

            Liked by 1 person

            Reply

            • Thank you for the song from Samundar, Harvey. This was new to me – and I am now very curious about the film. They’re all dressed in a very European sort of style, so I wonder what the film is all about.

              Like

              Reply

              • I was wondering too what the plot might be and I searched on imdb and other sites but couldn’t find anything on the lines of a plot. But what I found were other songs showing Bina Rai in a Hindi-film-village-belle costume in scenic beach locales singing sad songs. They would be good for your beach song list. So I wonder if the film is about an European pirate or adventurer falling in love with an Indian woman.

                Samundar (1957) took me to Saat Samundar Paar (1965) and Dara Singh singing apni manzil apni duniya as a sort of (lacklustre) motivational song for his crew and romancing Ameeta at the same time on his ship.

                Like

                Reply

                • I have a feeling Samundar is one of those films that hasn’t been released in a digital avatar, though it obviously isn’t a ‘lost’ film, since several of its songs, in video format too, seem to be available. I will hope and pray that it gets uploaded to YouTube someday!

                  Thank you for the Saat Samundar Paar song. This one was new to me, too.

                  Like

                  Reply

    • Yes, someone else (above) also suggested the Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja song. And thank you for the Picnic song – though I am not sure whether that’s a proper ‘ship’ or just a yacht-like boat (as in Yoon hi tum mujhse baat karte ho or Yeh parbaton ke daayre).

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  7. The first song that came to mind when I saw the title of your post was the one from Baaz and then, the song from Amar Jyoti.

    Then, of course, I remembered Pyar ki kashti mein hai from Kaho Na Pyaar Hai and the very catchy Gallan Goodiyan from Dil Dhadakne Do, both way past your time frame.

    From the older songs, a favourite is the Talat solo from Roop ki Rani Choron Ka Raja:

    Tum to dil ke taar chhedkar

    I also thought of the lovely Khayyam/Rafi Kahin ek masoom nazuk si ladki but that seems to be a ferry, not a ship.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • “the very catchy Gallan Goodiyan from Dil Dhadakne Do“

      Both the LO and I totally approve of your choice of song. This one is a big favourite of ours. Often, if I enter the room where the LO is sitting, she’ll sing to me: “Tu floor pe jab se aayi badi solid masti chhaayi” and I have to remind her that masti is her default mode. ;-) Nobody has to induce that state in her!

      Kahin ek maasoom naazuk si ladki (lovely song, BTW) seems to be on a steamer – that long shot of it is definitely of the sort that the steamer of Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja was.

      Like

      Reply

  8. Nice theme and nice songs. I too first thought of the songs of Baaz, having watched the movie recently after having read your review

    I like this song ” Dharti azaad hai aasman azaad” from Sindbad Jahazi. https://youtu.be/_yUgM1kGRUA?feature=shared.

    Another song which I like very much and is probably sung on a ship is “Leher chup hai hawa chup ha” from Sindbad ki beti. But I couldn’t get a video for the song. https://youtu.be/WcJs_y8L5p4?feature=shared

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  10. This is an enjoyable post, Madhu. When I started reading it, I thought about scenes from the two Rehana films, so I am glad you included those. (I don’t think I have watched either film all the way through, but there are a good number of clips on YouTube that I have seen.) The other choices were pretty much new to me, so glad to be introduced to those, too.

    I thought of a couple of songs that haven’t been mentioned yet, though I am not completely sure they count.

    Would you include a song that takes place in a ship portrayed in a play in a theater? One of the first images that popped into my mind for the subject of this post is a Cuckoo/Shamshad Begum song that I have seen quite a few times, from Bazaar (1949). But when I looked back at this song, I was reminded that it is actually a ship being portrayed in a play. But the ship part of the scene seems perfect!

    And there is a song from Uran Khatola, “More Saiyanji Utrenge Paar Ho.” Of course, our heroes are riding in a small boat, but I am more impressed by the vessels that contain the chorus. With all these people on board, it seems to me that these can’t be considered simply boats; they are old-fashioned ships. Wondering if you would agree…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • I did think the two Rehana songs would appeal to you, Richard. Personally, I didn’t find either Sargam or Sagaai a hugely interesting film, but neither of them is outright unbearable – not woefully tragic, not frightfully regressive, as several of the other films of that period tend to be. And Rehana, of course, is lovely.

      BTW, I recall that you (like me) found Roti quite admirable. If you liked Chandramohan in that, he is a good reason to watch Amar Jyoti (if you haven’t already seen it) – he’s really good. So, of course, is Durga Khote.

      Pi aaye aakar chal bhi diye was new to me. Yes, it may not strictly fit the bill, but I think this song definitely deserves a mention. Thank you for that!

      More saiyaanji utrenge paar was a song suggested by someone on Facebook too. I have to admit I was only looking at where the main singer was situated – in this case, on the boat (which I remembered, anyway, from my fairly recent viewing of Udan Khatola). I had completely forgotten that the chorus was on something rather like a ship. Those vessels certainly are impressive.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      • Well, regarding films “of that era”… We may have talked about this before. Some may seem awfully socially regressive, but I’ve been impressed by the overtly socialist content of some of these Hindi films from the ’40s and ’50s, including some blockbusters. In the U.S., anyone working on a film who acted so overt about such leanings during those years probably would have been blacklisted pretty quickly. It’s one thing that drew me to at least some of these old films. Though not any films I can think of that starred Rehana, but certainly other films.

        Speaking of which, yes, Chandramohan was very good in Mehboob Khan’s communist blockbuster, Roti. And, yes, I will watch Amar Jyoti. I checked, and I see that Tom uploaded it with English subtitles (custom-done by Raja, whom he apparently had found through Greta) more than a dozen years ago. I had forgotten about this. I’ll have to set aside some time to watch it soon.

        Regarding the ships in “More Saiyanji Utrenge Paar,” it’s not just the vessels, themselves, that are impressive, but the way so many people are fitted into them, occupying every inch of the sails, etc., and the lighting is also very unusual. There’s a real fantasy aspect to this scene, just like in much of the film (as we also talked about before).  

        The seafaring men in the chorus reminded me of a song in the 1948 film Nadiya Ke Paar (starring Dilip Kumar and Kamini Kaushal). I thought that maybe these vessels were too small and lightly populated to be called ships, but I see that one is at least large enough to carry Dilip Kumar’s horse, and they have big sails. It’s hard to tell what the main vessel in the song looks like, too, because it’s all shot in close-ups. But maybe this counts, too (I find it hard to tell, really, where to draw that ship/boat line).

        (BTW, I seem unable to embed the video this time, so I’ll just give you the link.)

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYFAJNTvvY0

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

        • Yes, the overt socialism in the films leading up to, and for at least a decade after, Independence, was pretty prevalent. I think Nehruvian socialism had a lot to do with it. Plus, of course, the fact that Indians, subjugated by the British, saw a lot to be inspired by in the October revolution. I remember, even when I was a child in the 1970s and 80s, though socialism was no longer a big thing in cinema, it was still considered a ‘good’ way of life. USSR and Cuba were best friends with India, and Fidel Castro was one of the most familiar faces around on TV news. :-)

          The vessel in Katwa ke naiyya is probably an example of one of those boats which really do go close to being ships – it is large. But then, the ‘ship’ in Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja (which several others have referred to, because of the songs in that film) is really a steamer. Would a ship be a large vessel specifically at sea, rather than on a river? I don’t know.

          Liked by 1 person

          Reply

  11. oh! I felt Nostalgic. Do you remember my boat song series? One of the posts was dedicated to ship songs.

    Most of the songs that I could remember, have been already added by others. On further straining my memory, I could get a few more which were not yet added.

    Dekho Aayi re Kali ghata

    Sajnaji wari wari jaaun Main

    perhaps, yunhi tum mujhse baat karti ho also fits.

    Others like, Mera dil jis dil pe fida hai and Chahe meei jaan tu lele may also fit.

    :-)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • I remember your boat songs posts, Anupji, but I’d forgotten the ship ones! :-)

      Thank you for these songs. Especially for Ho dekho aayi re ho kaali ghata, I really liked this one. Great music etc, but also very good (and unusual) picturisation. Loved this.

      Like

      Reply

  13. Oh, I don’t recognize any of these songs. :(

    The first song that comes to my mind is: Tu Ganga ki mauj, however I don’t like this song much, also it’s a potential chhed-chhad waala song, no?

    Songs that I like (and remember right now):

    Deewana hua badal

    Rula ke gaya sapna mera

    Dil ki zazar se nazron ke dil se

    Dil ne phir yaad kiya

    Oh maajhi re

    Dil aisa kisi ne mera toda

    Jis gali mein tera ghar

    Pardesiyon se na ankhiyan milana

    Also, wo shaam kuchh ajeeb thi and ajeeb dastan hai ye…but you mentioned these songs in the first part. :)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Ship songs aren’t really common! :-) And I think there really haven’t been any extremely popular songs that have been picturised on ships, so the fact that you didn’t recognize any of these is nothing to be surprised about.

      And yes, all the songs you’ve mentioned are indeed boat songs. And all really lovely.

      Like

      Reply

  14. Been a while since i got the time to comment . Including on many previous lists . But some time today and one song that comes to my mind is “Bishan Chacha Kuch Gao” from ‘Yaarana”, a nice, big, commercial ship :)

    Like

    Reply

    • I am not sure either of these two songs would qualify as ‘ships’ – perhaps just large boats? To me, a ship would mean a large seagoing vessel, with a crew of at least a few people to handle it. Even if not seagoing (several commenters here have suggested songs from Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja, which was on a steamer), at least large enough to need a proper crew, and to be able to accommodate a large number of people.

      Like

      Reply

  21. How about Nasha Ye Pyar Ka from Mann? It is supposed to be happening on cruise ship though the director does not allow poor viewers to suspect it even for a moment?

    And Tere Sang Yaara from Rustom which very briefly features Indian Naval Ship with Akshay Kumar aboard it. Needless to say not just this song but entire movie revolve around ships.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Actually, Nasha yeh pyaar ka won’t count because there is no sign that this is on a ship. Even in songs (like the Bewaqoof one in my list) where the outdoor areas of the ship aren’t shown, there is some visual indication (port holes, for instance) that this is indeed taking place on a ship.

      Tere sang yaara too wouldn’t count, because my whole post is about songs where at least half the song is picturised on board the ship.

      Like

      Reply

Leave a reply to Trivia - The Spice of Life Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.