Nalini Jaywant is one of those actresses about whom I’ve changed my opinion over the course of my watching of her films. I remember, as a child (which includes my early teens, which was a peak period when it came to Hindi film viewing), not especially liking her. I was a callow youngster, and as shallow as I was callow. To me women like Madhubala or Meena Kumari were the ultimate in beauty: Nalini Jaywant, with her heavy-lidded eyes and her pouting mouth, didn’t strike me as beautiful. Also, even if I put aside the purely superficial aspect of her looks, there was the fact that I didn’t think her a good actress. I found her voice affected and thin, nothing to write home about.

Thank goodness I grew up. Grew up, widened my horizons, and realized that there are different kinds of beauty. Realized, too, that one shouldn’t pass judgment on the worth of an actor without having watched a wide-ish spectrum of their work. Nalini Jaywant, when I had watched Munimji, seemed just another effervescent filmi female, no more than arm candy; it was through Shikast and Kaala Paani, through Hum Sab Chor Hain and Railway Platform (and many more), that I discovered just how versatile she could be. Goofy, flirtatious, tragic, long-suffering, feisty… Nalini Jaywant aced so many roles, brought so many of her characters vividly to life.

Today is the birth centenary of this actress (who, by the way, came to be regarded as India’s first ‘pin-up girl’, after her photographs—by the famous American photographer James Burke—appeared in Life magazine). Nalini was born on February 18, 1926 in Bombay.

In celebration, ten of my favourite songs to which she’s lip-synced. Some of these are solos, some duets; but the main criterion I have based this selection on is that Nalini Jaywant’s character should be shown singing at least part of the song. As always, these songs are all from pre-1970s Hindi films that I’ve seen. Also, no two songs are from the same film (believe me, not an easy thing to do in this case: some of her films had a lot of great songs)!

Without further ado, the list. This is in no particular order.

1. Najar laagi raja tore bangle par (Kaala Paani, 1958): Given that Kaala Paani’s Kishori is arguably my favourite role of Nalini Jaywant’s (one, in fact, which won her a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress), it makes sense to begin this list with Najar laagi raja tore bangle par. While Kishori appears briefly in the film before this, it is this song that fully introduces her. A tawaif, a woman whose profession revolves around flirting with men—and that is what this song is all about. Asha’s voice is teasing yet sultry, and Nalini Jaywant’s face echoes that: this is an accomplished siren at work. But see, occasionally, the flash in her eyes, the annoyance at the way this strange new guest dismisses her song.

2. Ek nazar bas ek nazar (Munimji, 1955): Nalini Jaywant starred opposite Dev Anand in several films, of which Munimji is probably the best-known. This one had all the makings of the typical Subodh Mukherjee film: disguises, a daaku leading a double life, a romance, mother-son-foster son angst, and more. Total paisa vasool. SD Burman’s excellent music played a major part in making Munimji the hit that it was, with Nalini Jaywant lip-syncing to several songs, both multiple singer (Dil ki umangein hain jawaan) as well as solo (Aankh khulte hi tum chhup gaye ho kahaan; Ghaayal hiraniya main ban-ban doloon, and the female version of Jeevan ke safar mein raahi among them). One of my favourite songs of hers from this film is this oft-overlooked one, an unusual song in that the woman is the flirtatious one here. She is doing the wooing and teasing that Hindi cinema back then generally reserved for the men.

3. Thandi hawaayein lehraake aayein (Naujawaan, 1951): By the time Munimji was released, SD Burman was a well-established name in the world of Hindi film music. But it was this iconic song, sung by Lata and picturized on Nalini Jaywant, that had been one of his early hits. A song, too, that inspired many other songs, by other composers, over the years: Tera dil kahaan hai, Rahein na rahein hum, Saagar kinaare dil yeh pukaare, and Humein raaston ki zaroorat nahin hai among them.

And how lovely Nalini Jaywant is here, the epitome of starry-eyed dreaminess. A young woman yearning for the man she’s fallen head over heels in love with, and whom she imagines coming to her on this beautiful night. I love that this is one of those rare songs in Hindi cinema where somebody singing at night actually wakes up everybody in the house with their singing!

4. Gagan jhanjhana raha (Naastik, 1954): One of Nalini Jaywant’s best-known films, Naastik is probably remembered most for its cynical Kavi Pradeep song Dekh tere sansaar ki haalat kya ho gayi bhagwaan. But my favourite song from the film is a very different one, one of those rare male-female duets that isn’t a romantic song. Nalini Jaywant’s character, a devout woman who has fallen in love with the eponymous naastik or atheist (played by Ajit) is trying to row across the river to take care of her beloved, who has been injured in a fall. An angel (or divine messenger, or whatever) warns her, because a storm is coming; but she pays no heed—and ends up caught in the storm. What ensues is this superb song, a wonderful duet between Lata and Hemant.

5. Har baat hai bigdi hui bhagwaan bana do (Kitna Badal Gaya Insaan, 1957): Dekh tere sansaar ki haalat was not just the most popular song of Naastik; a phrase from it—kitna badal gaya insaan—became the title of another film that starred Nalini Jaywant and Ajit. Kitna Badal Gaya Insaan was very different from the often angsty, often regressive Naastik: this one, an adaptation of the much-loved Hollywood film Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, had Ajit playing a boorish, rather wild character who lives in the jungle with his six brothers. When he falls in love and marries a feisty woman (Nalini Jaywant) while on a trip to civilization, his bride comes to her new home to find just what she’s let herself in for. Things are so bad, her brothers-in-law so barbaric, that the poor girl can find no help but God. A rather sweet bhajan in a film that was fairly entertaining.

6. Gore-gore o baanke chhore (Samadhi, 1950): From one of Nalini Jaywant’s early films, in which she acted as a British spy who falls in love with an officer of the INA comes this song, a classic from C Ramachandra. Heavily inspired from Chico Chico from Puerto Rico, but jazzed up and made that much better, Gore-gore o baanke chhore has Nalini Jaywant and Kuldeep Kaur (who played sisters in Samadhi) performing along with a troupe for an audience of INA soldiers. Nalini is so pretty here, so charming and lovely. And the song, of course, is a smasher: infectious and utterly memorable.

7. Kaare badra tu na jaa na jaa (Shikast, 1953): Shikast was a film I first watched when I was a child, far too young to really understand (or appreciate) it. The one element of it that remained in my memory for many years after was the crescent-shaped scar that Nalini Jaywant’s character bore through much of the film, a scar which becomes a critical part of her identity, even.

I am surprised, actually, that I did not remember this song from that first viewing of the film. It’s a beautiful song, both in terms of the music and rendition, as well as the visual beauty of it. The lowering clouds, the pools of water in the fields beyond. Nalini Jaywant’s shawl billowing in the breeze, the loveliness of her even when she’s without much makeup.

8. Lo pyaar ki ho gayi jeet balam hum tere ho gaye (Jaadoo, 1951): Jaadoo was an unusual film for Hindi cinema, a story set (according to its director, AR Kardar) in no particular place, but actually very reminiscent of Spain. Loosely based on Bizet’s opera Carmen, Jaadoo had Nalini Jaywant playing a fiery, wild girl named Sundari who falls in love with a soldier—with eventually tragic consequences for both of them. The film had some good music by Naushad, and this song is my favourite: Sundari woos her Pritam, telling him all that he means to her.  

9. Beimaan baalma maan bhi jaa (Hum Sab Chor Hain, 1956): Having directed Nalini Jaywant in the angsty and melodramatic Naastik, IS Johar then went on to make another film with her: a film that couldn’t have been more different from Naastik. Hum Sab Chor Hain starred Nalini in a double role, as two dramatically different twin sisters, one the sweet and demure Kamla, the other the madcap Bimla, who just seems to go from one scrape to another—but is immensely resourceful, feisty, and has a never-say-die attitude that I really loved. Here, trying to mollify the man she needs help from, she sings a song that ends up getting her thrown out of his house. This is one film you should watch for Nalini Jaywant: what a performance.

10. Chaand maddham hai (Railway Platform, 1955): To end the list, a beautiful song that I was a little torn about. From Sunil Dutt’s debut film, Chaand maddham hai was probably picturized on Nalini Jaywant: there doesn’t seem to be any clear yes or no about this. Whether it was ever picturized, or picturized and then later deleted: I couldn’t figure it out.

The film, after all, has two major female characters, one (the heroine) played by Nalini Jaywant, the second a spoiled princess portrayed by Sheila Ramani. Sheila Ramani’s character makes a play for Sunil Dutt’s, so ostensibly this song could have been hers; but I personally feel that there’s a sincerity to it, a depth of feeling that the princess lacks.   

Anyhow, most people seem to regard this as a Nalini Jaywant song, so I’m going along with that. An exquisite song, beautifully composed by Madan Mohan and just as beautifully rendered by Lata. I wish we could have seen this.

Which songs would you have added to this list? Please share!