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Be it the softly romantic "Pyar hua iqraar hua" from "Sri 420"
or the frankly sensual "Aaj rapat jayen" from "Namak Halaal", rain
songs have been a constant in Bollywood films down the ages. Here,
stars and directors list their favourites: Saif Ali Khan: My
favourite rain song will have to be "Tip tip barsa pani" from the
film "Mohra". I like the lyrics and the ambience created by the
tune.
Hema Malini: I'll choose one of my own songs. It will have to
be "Rama rama gazab" from "Naya Zamana". It was a scene where this
rich girl gets in a folk costume and sings and dances in the rain
with the folks in the basti. I loved the simplicity and grace of
the moment. And it was filmed with great dignity.
Shabana Azmi: "Pyar hua iqraar hua" from "Sri 420". It contains the
iconic image of Nargis singing to Raj Kapoor with her entire soul
embodied under the umbrella as the three little kids (actually, Raj
Kapoor's real-life children) pass by.
Urmila Matondkar: "Pyar hua iqraar hua" in "Sri 420" had an
unforgettable melody by Shankar-Jaikishan, truly sensuous sung by
Manna Dey and Lata Mangeshkar and great chemistry between Raj
Kapoor and Nargis. I also love my own "Geela geela pani" from
"Satya". Lataji's voice, Vishal Bharadwaj's composition and
Gulzar saab's lyrics soak you in ravishing rain even if you are
perched in a parched desert.
Alka Yagnik: "Rimjhim ke geet saawan gaye" by Lataji and Mohammad
Rafi saab in "Anjana" and my own "Tip tip barsa pani" from "Mohra",
for different reasons - first one because it's the height of
romance and the other because it's very seductive.
Bappi Lahiri: My favourite rain song is "Aaj rapat jayen" from
"Namak Halaal" because Amitji (Amitabh Bachchan) and Smitaji (Smita
Patil) danced so well in the rain. I also like "Tip tip barish"
from "Afsana Pyar Ka" where Aamir Khan stood the whole night in the
rain singing to his beloved. Very romantic!
Vipul Shah: "Pyar hua iqrar hua" from "Sri 420" because it's
romantic and sexy, and still not vulgar.
Aftab Shivdasani: "Tip tip barsa pani" from "Mohra", I had loved it
on the audio. I loved it even more when I saw it on screen
featuring Akshay Kumar and Raveena Tandon.
Mahesh Bhatt: It will have to be "Dil tera diwana hai sanam". The
black and white film "Dil Tera Diwana", which I saw in primary
school, still twinkles in my mind. It was a great tune by
Shankar-Jaikishan. And there were super performances by Shammi
Kapoor and Mala Sinha soaked in rain and marinated in the spice of
nostalgia.
Pritam Chakbraborty: "Rimjhim gire sawan" in "Manzil". I love the
song. Awesome composition by Rahul Dev Burman, fabulous lyrics by
Yogesh and terrific singing by Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar.
And it was shot on Amitabh Bachchan and Moushumi Chatterjee on
Marine Drive. I loved the chemistry between them. I also like
"Dilbara" from "Dhoom" because it's my tune and I like how
Abhishek Bachchan, Uday Chopra and Esha Deol romp in the rain.
Zayed Khan: It would have to be "Kaate nahin kat-te yeh din yeh
raat" from "Mr. India". It had Sridevi in a wet blue chiffon sari
at her sensuous best. She projected the quintessential Indian
woman. Simply super!
Rahul Bose: Sridevi in "Kate nahin kat-te yeh din yeh raat" gave an
entirely new definition to the 'blue wet Indian clingy sari'
trick. She was in splendid form. Pure magic. And the rains did the
rest.
Rituparno Ghosh: "Chotisi kahani se, baarishon ke paani se" in the
film "Ijaazat". Gulzar bhai has written other rain songs like
"Barse phuhar" in "Thodisi Bewafaii" and "Phirse aayo barda bidesi"
in "Namkeen". But the "Ijaazat" song remains special. It defined
the entire mood of the film. I wish I could've used it in my own
film "Raincoat".
Madhur Bhandarkar: My favourite rain song is "Rimjhim gire saawan"
from "Manzil". It has an earthy aromatic feel to it and has been
shot candidly in the streets of Mumbai.
Aadesh Shrivastava: "Bheegi-bheegi raaton mein" from "Ajnabee" sung
by Kishore da and Lata Mangeshkar. What I like the most about the
song is the on-screen pair Rajesh Khanna and Zeenat Aman.
Manoj Bajpai: "Rim-jhim gire sawan" in "Manzil". It's simple yet
sensuous. I don't like in-the-face sensuality. I don't think we
can capture that mood ever again. We aren't that simple any
longer.
David Dhawan: "Hai hai yeh majboori" in "Roti Kapda Aur Makaan".
Laxmikant-Pyarelal's tune, Lataji's singing, Zeenat Aman on
screen and Manoj Kumar's direction. What else?
Raveena Tandon: "Ab ke sawan" by Shubha Mudgal. It has amazing
energy. And it immediately makes me want to get wet and wild in the
rain. "Lagi aaj sawan ki phir vo jhadi hai" in "Chandni" when the
rain makes me mellow moody and romantic.
Rajit Kapur: "Rimjhim gire sawan" - it's a brilliant composition,
serene and sensuous, fragrant and romantic, and to this day, as
fresh as the first showers.
Sammir Dattani: I've three favourite rain songs from three eras. I
love "Tip tip baarish shuroo ho gayi" from "Afsana Pyar Ka". As
kids we all loved to get wet and sing this number because it was so
easy to sing. My second favourite is "Lagi aaj sawan ki Phir vo
jhadi hai" from "Chandni". It's filled with romance and nostalgia
and Sridevi was so dignified in the rain. Finally, my new favourite
rain song is "Barso re megha" from "Guru". For one reason only -
Aishwarya Rai.
Indo-Asian News Service
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