Showing posts with label train song. Show all posts
Showing posts with label train song. Show all posts

Sunday 1 November 2020

Bollywood's Romance with Railways



.The first railway on the Indian sub-continent ran over a stretch of 21 miles from Bombay to Thane. The formal inauguration ceremony was performed on 16th April 1853, when 14 railway carriages carrying about 400 guests left Bori Bunder at 3.30 pm Since then 163 years have passed. Today Indian Railway is one of the largest railway networks in the world.
This Gigantic engineering marvel has also been a fascination for the Indian Film Industry. since the 1930s. Bollywood has always imbibed and used Railways as a character themselves in the movies. Way back in 1934, ``Toofan Mail" started off a romance between films and trains which is still going strong.
 In1936 Achut Kanya, Ashok Kumar, and Kanan Devi film has Kanan Devi playing the role of a level crossing gatekeeper's daughter who averts an accident towards the end of the film. Miss Frontier Mail was another film released in 1936 starring Nadia.She played Savita whose father is the station master framed for a murder committed by a masked man.The highlights are Nadia's stunts on top of a speeding train fighting a gang of rail-road bandits. 
The train and its associated emblems (the station, the railway tracks and even the sound made by it) have actually been a steady presence in Indian cinema across decades.
There was a 1942 film Station Master The film was about a girl who is a daughter of a station master, who wants her to to marry a man who is also a railway employee but she wants to marry another person who is a train guard.
A 1953 film starring Shammi Kapoor and Madhubala called 'Rail Ka Dibba' was about a young man living in an abandoned Rail coach.,Railway Platform was a 1955 Indian film about Passengers from all backgrounds who get stranded on an isolated railway platform when a natural disaster delays their train for 24 hours. love triangle between a princess, a poor man, and his lover at a train station The film marked the debut of Sunil Dutt
Bollywood and trains have had a long and most affectionate relationship. In fact, Bollywood has a lot to thank the Indian Railways for giving us memorable scenes and songs. Today's youth remembers the fantastic scene from Dilwale Dulhunia Le Jayenge, My generation remember the train scene from Pakeezah when Salim, played by Raaj Kumar sees just Meena Kumari's feet peeping put from the train berth and is instantly smitten."Aapke paao dekhe. Bahut haseen hai.. Inhe zameen par mat utariiyega. Maile ho jaayenge," wrote Salim in a letter to the gorgeous Sahibjaan (Meena Kumari). 
Many murder thrillers associated with train or love stories took shape in ans around trains were made in Bollywood A few of them like The Train(1970), Parwaana(1971), Do Anjane(1976),The Burning Tratn,(1980), Baaton Baaton Mein (1979), Zamane Ko Dikhana Hai (1981) andJab We Met(2007) 
Let us recall those moments when Bollywood movies gained an advantage from railways that started their journey in India on the day of 16th April 1853, 



Song from Jawab 1942
In 1942 this Toofan Mail was used in a song in the film Jawab sung by Actress-singer Kanan Devi.The same year another song of Pankaj Mullick 

Aayi Bahar Aaj from the film Doctor is a beautiful Train song.

  Song from Doctor 1942

                                                              

Song from Dilruba 1950

The 1954 film Jagriti song Aao Bachcho Tumhe Dikhaye Jhankee Hindustan Kee was shot on a train and it chugs away while the teacher in the scene shows a group of children the various sights and sounds of India.


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Song from Jagriti (1954)

There was a film in 1955 Railway Platform the story of this film is entirely railway oriented and much of it has been shot on an actual Railway Platform, As the title song plays along with credits at the beginning of the film, the camera shows the view from the last coach as the train moves along. 

Songs from Railway Platform 1955


In 1956 Bhowani Junction film released. This film was based on the masterpiece from John Masters, this film is about Anglo Indian community in pre-partition India. Set at an imaginary railway town called Bhowani Junction. A large part of the film is set around railways that played an all-important role during war years, before and after partition and were 100% powered by steam. The railway scenes in the film were shot in Lahore and other parts of North-west Pakistan 

A scene from Bhowani Junction 1956

 Dev Anand would have lost his most memorable songs if he hadn’t got a chance to romance on trains. From serenading Waheeda Rahman in the song Hai Apna Dil To Awara Na Jaane Kispe Aayega and Apni To Har Aah Ek Toofan to attempting a jig with Asha Parekh in the song Jiya o, Jiya o Jiya Kuch Bol Do.



Song from Solva Saal 1958



Song from Kala Bazar 1960





Song from Jab Pyaar Kisi Se Hota Hai 1961


The Kishore Kumar song Cheel Cheel Chillake from 1962 film Half Ticket is a good example of a railway song. Many scenes of the film were on a Railway Platform or on a train.

Song from Half Ticket(1962)



A scene from Half Ticket(1962)


Song from  Hum Sab Ustaad Hain (1965)



Song from Mere Huzoor (1968)


Song from Aashirwaad (1968) 


In the 1969 film Aradhana  Rajesh Khanna in a jeep, trying and succeeding in regaling Sharmila Tagore who was on a train in Mere sapno ki rani kab aayegi tu It was the repeat of Jiya Ho Jiya Kuchh Bol Do type picturization.

Song from Aradhana 1969

By this time Indian Railway modernized itself from Steam to Diesel  and to Electric Engine,in this song from Honeymoon 1973, a group of students shown singing and dancing in an electric train 
 
Song from Honeymoon (1973)


This beautiful song from Ajnabee was shot in a Good's Train which I think the first song picturized on a Goods Train


Song from Ajanabee (1974)



Like the Darjeeling train, this song was picturized on a Toy Train in a Heritage site Kalka Shimla Train Route

Song from Dost (1974)


In the 1975 film Julie an Anglo Indian family living at Shoranur. The father played by Om Prakash is a goods driver while Julie is the eldest daughter who falls in love with a Hindu boy who is visiting his family. There are several scenes depicting AWC, HPS WG & WP class at Sholapur.station, yard, roundhouse 

A scene from Julie 1975

Sholay 1975 There are several railway sequences in the film. Two of these show the inspector and a jailor arriving at a rural station aboard a YP hauled train. The most famous one of course is of the dacoits trying to hijack a goods train hauled by H/4 class No. 026472. Jai and Veeru are prisoners of inspector Sanjeev Kumar and after he agrees to let them help him, Jai and the inspector take charge of the fighting from the guard's van while Veeru mans the engine and runs its through the barrier laid on the rails by dacoits. 




Song from Rafoo Chakkar (1975) 



This song was picturized inside a steam engine on Dilip Kumar and Shammi Kapoor

Song from Vidhaata (1982) 


Railway Coolie is an important component of the Indian Railway, this song is picturized on Amitabh Bachchan
Song from Coolie (1983)

The last song in my list is from the film Dil Se
Song of Dil Se 1998








Monday 19 September 2016

THEME SONGS- Train Songs-PART 2


Railways remains the important part of an average indian.We all have been fascinated with trains and its journies.Bollywood has given us some iconic scenes shots or songs inside a train or on a railway platform.I am presenting here some selected songs of Golden Era as well as Modern Era.
Here I am including the songs from 1969 onwards
The first song comes in my mind is from Aradhna where Rajesh Khanna is singing this popular song .Rajesh Khanna ,on a jeep ,serenaded Sharmila Tagore in a train, a superstar was born. But due to a non –availability of her dates Sharmila’s portions were shot in a studio.So that ‘train’ is actually a cardboard compartment.
mere sapno ki rani

 Phoolon ki rang se from Prem Pujari

This song was sung by Kishore kumar and acted by Dev Anand





Hum Dono Do Premi from Ajanabee
Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar sang the song without instrumental support.




Bombay Se Baroda Tak from Rafoochakkar


Only Audio is available

Gadi Bula Rahi Hai from Dost
The signature from Dulal Guha’s Dost nailed it . This is the one train song that most significantly defines the romance of locomotive.


Gadi Bula Rahi Hai

Pal Do Pal Ka Saath Hamara from The Burnning Train

Pal Do Pal Ka Saath

Chaiyyan chaiyyan in Mani Ratnam’s Dil Se 
Shah Rukh Khan and Malaika Arora jiving on top of a roofless train. A R Rahman’s composition incorporated the rhythms of a moving train with neat dexterous beats that made the heart pound. Khan and Arora did quite a balancing act on that speeding train. 



Haathon ki chand lakeero ka( Vidhaata)

This is not a romantic song  this time, the locomotive drivers, who have seen it all in their lives, sing a more philosophical song aboard the steam locomotiv

Haathon ki chand lakeero ka

 Kasto Mazaa from Parineeta


Chup Chup Chup Kyon Baithi Ho from  Hamraahi 1974 



 Dhadak Dhadak from Bunty Aur Babli



Jai Ho from  Slumdog Millionaire


Hoga Tumse Pyaara Kaun: Zamane Ko Dikhana Hai










Thursday 15 September 2016

THEME SONGS- Train Songs

PART -1

Railways remains the important part of an average indian.We all have been fascinated with trains and its journies.Bollywood has given us some iconic scenes shots or songs inside a train or on a railway platform.I am presenting here some selected songs of Golden Era as well as Modern Era.
The first Song comes in my mind is Toofan Mail from the 1942 film JAWAB sung and acted by Kanan Devi
Toofan Mail from Jawab 1942
Next in my list is Aayi Bahar Aaj by Pankaj Mallik. This must be one of the oldest Bollywood song filmed on Indian Railways, if not the oldest. This movie is called Doctor (1941) and one can see Punkaj Mullick singing joyously aboard a narrow guage train with wooden bodied coaches,later joined by the fellow passengers as well. As one can see, the coaches are much different from what we see today.

Aayi Bahar Aaj from Doctor 1941

 This song is from 1954, when India had just become independent, and people were full of patriotic zeal and energy and they were busy building the nation. It is that immortal song with music of Hemant Kumar, lyrics and voice of kavi Pradeep. Movie is Jagriti (1954)

Aao bachchon tumhe dikhaye


One of my favorite Train songs is Talat-Suraiya duet from Waris (1954), picturized on Talat-Suraiya themselves. Music by Anil Biswas.Here I am presenting Suraiya's Version
Rahi MatwaleI  from Waris 1954

This is one of the greatest train songs of Bollywood,picturised on Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehmaan in 1958 movie Solva Saal.This song topped 1958 Binaca Geetmala Final in 1958, Singer-Hemant Kumar,Lyrics-Majrooh Sultanpuri,Music- S D Burman

Hai apna dil to awara na jaane kispe aayega

Another Train song from the same pair .This time from the film Kala Bazaar,.Music by S D Burman,Lyrics by Shailendra and it is sung by Rafi

Apni to har aah ik toofan hai

-This time, Dev Anand is alone with the girl ( Asha Parekh) in the first class coupe, An argument develops between the two and Dev Anand threatens to jump off the train. Hoping to call his bluff, Asha Parekh dares him to jump off. " Go on, jump, what are you waiting for"- she taunts Dev Anand. And Dev Anand, before Asha parekh knows what happened, jumps off. He sings this song on the top of a car.

Jiya Ho, jiya ho jiya kuch bol to, dil ka parda khol Do

This song is from 1960 film Love In Shimla.In this delightful song, Joy Mukherji manages pretty well, in sheer anticipation of meeting his girl.

Dil thhaam chale hum aaj kidhar

 Another offbeat train song. This one isn’t a love song or a philosophical song; it’s just a nonsense song Kishore Kumar – as singer and actor – is at his lunatic best here, leading a group of passengers on a mad dance through the coach.The song is from Half Ticket 1962


This is again a Kishore song from Hum Sab Ustaad Hai 1965.Sung and acted by Kishore kumar. The song is sung by Kishore Kumar and music is given by Laxmikant Pyarelal 

Pyar Bantte Chalo


This song is from the film Bahare Phir Bhi Aayengi(1966),sung by Mahendra Kapoor and acted by Dharmendra



IN Part 2 I will be presenting the songs from 1970 onwards