Monday 9 March 2020

The Changing Trend of Holi Songs in Bollywood

Since the release of Amitabh Bachchan's "Silsila" in the early eighties, no Holi celebration in India reached a crescendo without "Rang Barse" being sung and danced to.
If we look into the history of Holi songs in Bollywood, we have seen a gradual but marked change in the style of music and picturization.
The first Holi song was seen in the 1940 film" Holi" written by D N Madhok and composed by Khemchand Prakash was sung by Sitara Devi. Another film "Aurat".released in the same year had two Holi songs in that film composed by Anil Biswas. This film was made by Mehboob Khan. It was remade after 20 years into the iconic Mother India. Both films had Holi songs
In the 50s many films had Holi songs. Those days the trend was derived from lord Krishna’s days in the Brij region of northern India where he is said to have indulged in sensuous frolicking with his consort Radha and other belles (Gopikas) of his village.
These songs were essentially folk music. And that too mostly Gujarati and Rajasthani folk music. Since then the music, the mood, the style kept on changing every decade.
The Holi Songs of the 1940s
Sung by Sitara Devi, Amritlal ,Composed by Khemchand Prakash

Song of Holi 1940

Aaj Holi Khelenge Saajan Ke

Song of Aurat 1940

Jamuna Tat Shyam Kheln Holi

Song of Aurat 1940

Here is a rare Holi song of the lesser-known film Tilasmi Duniya released in 1946. The singing voices are not identified. There is one male voice and a female voice. It starts off as a song of fun and revelry, which also includes reference to the pastimes of Lord Krishna and Radha Rani. The music was given by Sajjad Hussain, this song here is one more of the rarest of rare treats.

Song of ‘Tilasmi Duniya’ (1946)

Another rare gem is being presented from the 1947 film ‘Renuka’. the voices belong to Zohrabai, Sardar Malik himself

Song of Renuka (1947)

Holi Songs of the 1950s

Song of Jogan (1950)

Song of Rahi (1953)

Song of Aan (1953)

By the mid-50s romance was visible on Holi Songs

In the 1956 film Durgesh Nandini A romantic Holi song composed by Hemant Kumar and picturized on the elegant Bina Rai and the princely Pradeep Kumar.

Song of Durgesh Nandini 1956

Song of Mother India (1958)

Song of Navrang (1959)

Song of Kohinoor (1960)

This song from the critically acclaimed Godaan is an unconventional Holi song rooted in the folk music of rural India, composed by the sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar.

Song of Godaan (1963)

Song of Do Dil (1965)

From the 50s,60s trend of Nandlal and Krishan now in 70s we see the fun-filled song and teasing each other

Song of Kati Patang (1970)

Song of Paraya Dhan (1971)

Song of Sholay (1975)

This fun Holi song from the Basu Chatterji directed romantic comedy Dillagi is unusual as compared to the typical lively and exuberant Holi songs of Bollywood, which have scores of people dancing in tandem with the lead actors.