Golden Era of Bollywood: 25 All Time Great Whistling Songs Of Bollywood

Whistling is an old art used in songs started in 1930s and 40s. A whistle can be used to express happiness or woo a beloved. Many a times whistling is a part of hero’s introduction song, where he is shown to whistle happily, either walking or riding a bicycle, or driving a car.
When we talk about whistling in Hindi films,one image immediately comes to our mind of Dev Anand. As a matter of fact whistling was quite in vogue in most of the Dev Anand films and before the advent of the music from electronic instruments, whistling formed an integral part of the world of Hindi music.
Kishore kumar and Hemant Kumar are other two singers and composer who gave us some great songs. In the modern era the whistling after passing away of Pancham revived in a big way with Vishal Bhardwaj's ''Chod aaye hum wo galiyan.. from the film MACHIS sung competently by Suresh Wadekar and it again was a song that conveyed the sprit of vagabond and gay-abandon, what whistling signifies. It was followed by ''Pahli pahli Baar from DIL TO PAAGAL HAI which was composed by Anand Milind. Among other great songs based on whistles that the Hindi cinema has produced in the recent memory is '' Kiska Hai ye Tumko Intezaar main hoo Na''. from MAIN HOON NA, and ''Chand Sifarish Jo Karta Hamari''...from FANAA.

Here are 25 Great Whistling Songs

I think this is the first whistle song of bollywood. This was from the film Khajanchi released in 1941 sung by Shamshad Begum,Khan Mastaan and chorus.

Song from Khajanchi 1941

This song is sung by Arun Kumar Mukherji. from 1944 film Caravan. “Seetee” figures prominently in the lyrics and one can also hear whistling in this song.Music of this innovative song is composed by Bulo C Rani.

Song from Caravan 1944

Humour fills the whistling in the Chaplin-esque song sequence of ‘Aana meri jaan Sunday ke Sunday’ (Shehnai 1947).

Song from Shehnai 1947

Whistling is an interlude that can have an esoteric story of its own to tell. So there is the gentle teasing of a statuesque Madhubala on a surreal stage by Kishore Kumar in ‘Nakhrewali’ in New Delhi (1956)

Song from New Delhi (1956)

The 1957 film Nau Do Gyarah begins with Dev Anand driving a truck and whistling a part of the famous song ‘Hum hain rahi pyaar ke, humse kuch na boliye’.

Song from Nau Do Gyarah 1957

Another song from the same film, a romantic one with elements of ‘Chhed-Chhad’ in it. Plenty of whistling to listen to

Song from Nau Do Gyarah 1957

The whistling in this song has become an identity of the song and it’s very exciting to listen to it.Here we find the ladies whistling happily along the roads of Old Bombay (Marine Drive).

Song from Dekh Kabira Roya 1958

Madhubala mouthing a whistle along with Ashok Kumar in this song from Howrah Bridge released in 1958

Song from Howrah Bridge 1958

The same year released Ghar Sansar and similar whistling sound is also heard in ‘Yeh hawa, yeh nadi ka kinara’

Song from Ghar Sansar 1958

Another whistling song was seen in Aakhari Dao (1958).The song picturised in a car on Nutan. Nutan is seen enjoying the ride with Shammi, the latter whistling throughout the song.

Song from Aakhari Dao (1958)

After the above big hit songs Raj Kapoor walks the city in the Anari (1959) song ‘Jeena isi ka naam hai’, complete with whistling interludes.

Song from Anari (1959)

This particular song has a very freshening touch to whisling, Asha’s voice just lingers through out the song.

Song from Picnic (1966)

In this hit song whistling can be heard in the last,the song was sung by Asha Bhosle and picturised on Sharmila Tagore and Manoj Kumar

Song from Sawan Ki Ghata 1966

Whistling in this song from Khamoshi has a sense of foreboding; unlike the other songs it carries no cheerful promise, only loneliness for the protagonist withdrawing from the scene.

Song from Khamoshi 1969

Among the greatest Whistling song is ‘Yeh Shaam Mastani’ from Kati Patang (1970), Rajesh Khanna serenades Asha Parekh, whistling the tune before he breaks into the song. His whistle and words capture their forbidden attraction away from the public gaze.

Song from Kati Patang (1970)

How whistling can make a career is a perfect example to Nagesh Surve who for the first time whistled in Julie After that he never looked back.Having whistled in over 1,500 Hindi film songs,Surve became Hindi film industry's chief whistler, collaborating with top notch music directors, right from Lakshmikant-Pyarelal and Shankarlal-Jaikishan to Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Pritam.

Song from Julie 1975

Another whistle song is ‘Zindagi mil ke bitayenge’ from Satte Pe Satta (1982)

Song from Satte Pe Satta (1982)

In this song the tense moments are eased out with the sound of whistle.

Song from Tezab 1988

Song from Maachis 1996

Surve's whistling not only immortalised music tracks of films like Karz (Ik haseena thi), Hero (Ding dong), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (Hai hai re hai yeh ladka), Satya (Sapne me milti hai),