Could you think of some of the world’s most Herculean tasks?
Well, if you want my help… I would say, naming Ayn Rand’s best written book…. Amitabh Bacchan’s best featured movie…Sabhyasachi Mukherjee’s best couture…Kishore Kumar and Kunal Ganjawala’s best sung songs….and well, the biggest of all…choosing 20 of RD Burman’s best songs!
I mean, 10 is too small a number. I would be all confused and dazed even if I had to give 10, 000 of his best!
The fact of the matter being, Mr. Rahul Dev Burman came with such sparks of genius and experiments in each of his creations…be it the interludes, the voice combos, a new rhythm or a new instrument….he was always ahead of his times.
I definitely pity all those of my generation of kids who are missing out on the original versions of The Man’s scintillating numbers. I am a 19 year old myself and have been hooked onto BOSS since I was 15! I already have a collection of 2876 of his songs and I am still hungry for more!
Anyway, so much for me and my favorites, getting down to business, I bring forth some of my most loved songs by my GOD! Browse through if you care….
1. SILLI HAWA CHHOO GAYEE…
Movie: Libaas.
Singer: Lata Mangeshkar.
Do I even need to mention why I love this song so much? Maybe the way the words flow along with the melody. Beautiful lyrics by Gulzar and amazing sound effect by Panchamda. This is one of those songs that can get you into one of those quiet, pensive moods!
2. PHIRSE AAYIO BADRA BIDESI…
Movie: Namkeen.
Singer: Asha bhosle.
If anybody could create a romantically haunting effect just with the prelude and interlude, it was boss. This song has got all the moods entwined within itself just through the music! Love, expectation, melancholy and innocence.
Tabhi toh…kitne aye kitne gaye, kitne ayenge kitne jayenge…par boss toh Boss hi kehlayenge…
3. YARON HAMARA KYA….
Movie: Abhilasha.
Singers: Manna Dey, Bhupinder, Maruti.
People, if you have not heard this one, you have missed out on one of this man’s greatest and the most uncanny experiments. A very ‘devil-can-care’ attitude song, it proves that Burman junior was an expert with harmonizing voices! Kewl!
4. AAJA AAJA MAIN HOON PYAR TERA….
Movie: Teesri Manzil.
Singers: Asha Bhosle, MD Rafi.
Very fast, very rock n roll and very Pancham….this one sure rocks everyone even today! Asha sure tells the world that she’s one versatile singer with this number! And what saxophone works by Manohari! Tremendous!
5. JHUK GAYI ANKHEN TERI RAHON MEIN…
Movie: Bhola Bhala.
Singers: Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar.
I don’t know why I love this song so much. Maybe because of the innocence it brings across and the way its arrangement has been handled. A regular romantic gaanaa you call it? Well look for the hidden genius in it, I’m sure you’ll find at least 18!
6. PYAR HUME KIS MOD PE….
Movie: Satte Pe Satta.
Singers: Kishore Kumar, Bhupinder, RD Burman, Sapan Chakravarty, Gulshan Bawra.
Great arrangement and what harmonizing! This one takes my breath away. And if you notice, this is one hell of a difficult song. But its done so smoothly that we can hardly see it! That’s our Pancham! And isn’t the way the song picks up a faster rhythm amazing?
7. AYA HOON MAIN TUJHKO LE JAOONGA…
Movie: Manoranjan.
Singers: Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle.
Another song with constant ryrhm change. It takes a master to handle such a song and introduce it in the mainstream cinema. I am still looking for another song this magnificently managed! Did I tell you I simply love his interlude styles?
8. MAIN HOON TERI PREM DIWANI…
Movie: Azad.
Singer: Lata Mangeshkar.
This is one saccharine sweet number! Really. It could be Lta’s voice or Majrooh Sultanpuri’s lyrics…but all that is bound to RD’s musical foresight. And he knew he had to make the song situational to the T! watch the movie and you’ll know!
9. O MERI JAAN MAINE KAHA….
Movie: The Train.
Singer: RD Burman, Asha Bhosle.
Well, I don’t even want to talk about this one! Its too beyond discussions. Hear it t believe it!
10. KOTHA KOTHA KHUJECHI TOMAY…
Singer: Asha Bhosle.
Ok, now being a Bengali myself I had to include at least one of his regional hits! You might as well be able to say that I have this love for haunting effect songs, but it true. This one also falls into the same cadre. A song for long drives and lonely night…happy listening!
? I STILL WISH I COULD TALK ABOUT SOME MORE OF HIS SONGS!:-(
