MEHMOOD - The Original Bhaijaan

Today Salman Khan is known as the Bhaijaan of Hindi Film Industry but the original Bhaijaan was Mehmood. At his peak, he was paid more than the film’s hero. Mehmood had a big heart too. He helped many struggling actors find work in the industry. When Amitabh Bachchan was new to Mumbai and still struggling to find a foothold in the industry, it was Mehmood who helped him and offered him a room at his own house. He gave Amitabh the hero’s role in Bombay To Goa in 1972. It was due to this movie that writer duo Salim- Javed picked Amitabh for the iconic role of  Inspector Vijay Khanna in the action film Zanjeer.
There was a time It was difficult to imagine Hindi film comedy without Bollywood’s original Bhaijaan. His movie comes with an assurance of fun, frolic, drama, dance and great music. Well, dancing came naturally to him and so did acting and performance. There was no movie without a song of Mehmood.
In this Blog I have included some of the forgotten hit songs of Mehmood.this will refresh your memory.

Song of  Parvarish (1958)

Song of Howrah Bridge (1958) 

Song of Chhoti Bahen (1959)

Song of Pyase  Panchhi 1961

Song of Pyase  Panchhi 1961

Song of Sasural 1961

Song of Aarti 1962

Song of Grahasti (1963)

Song of Hamrahi (1963)

Song of  Shabnam 1964

Song of Bhoot Bangla 1965

Song of Pati Patni' (1966)

Song of  Around the World 1967

Song of Jawab 1970

Song of Main Sundar Hoon (1971)

Lata Mangeshkar and S D Burman gave Bollywood many Immortal Songs

Lata Mangeshkar was born on September 28, 1929 in Indore MP. She is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most recorded artist in the world. She has the credit of having sung in over thirty-six regional Indian languages and foreign languages.Lataji started her career in 1942, Her first Hindi song happened the next year in 1943, with ‘Mata Ek Sapoot Ki Duniya Badal De Tu’ in the movie Gajaabhaau.
 She did playback singing for celebrated music directors like Sachin Dev Burman, Salil Chowdhury, Sankar Jaikishan, Naushad, Madan Mohan, Kalyanji-Anandji, Khayyam and Pandit Amarnath HusanLal Bhagat Ram. Her collaboration with music director duo Laxmikant Pyarelal produced some of the most super hit songs of the time that are still hummed with equal enthusiasms by Indians. The duo considered Lataji instrumental in their success. ‘Dil Vil Pyar Vyar’ from Shagird (1968), Sheesha Ho YaDil Ho from Asha (1980), Mere Naseeb Mein from Naseeb (1981) and Ye Galiyan Ye Chaubara from Prem Rog (1982) are some of their most popular collaborations. 
1990s onwards, Lataji worked with music directors like Anu Malik, Jatin Lalit and A.R. Rahman. Films like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, Dil Se, Rang De Basanti featured acclaimed songs sung by Lataji.
Lataji has received numerous awards and honours for her illustrious career as a playback singer. Some of the Awards she won are Padma Bhushan (1969), Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1989), Padma Vibhushan (1999), Maharashtra Bhushan Award (1997), NTR National Award (1999), and ANR National Award (2009). She was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's Highest Civilian Award in 2001. She won 3 National Film Awards (1972, 1974, 1990), and 12 Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards (1964, 1967-1973, 1975, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1991). She has also won the Filmfare Awards for Best Female Playback Singer four times (1958, 1962, 1965, 1969, 1993, 1994). She was awarded the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993.
Lata Mangeshkar was the ultimate choice of S D Burman. He often said, “Give me a harmonium, give me Lata and I will make music”. We all know what a magic they created together. In this Blog I am taking her songs sung for the great music director S D Burman. 
Lata’s first song for him was in Mashal (1950). SD Burman created for Lata Mangeshkar a kind of music which was unique and established him as one of the greatest composers of the Golden Era regardless of whether he matched the commercial success of his peers or not.Her first super hit and an immortal song with S D Burman was  Thandi hawayein lahraa ke aayein  for Naujawan (1951).
Another  iconic song  of Lata with him was in the same year Jhan jhan jhan jhan payal baaje from Buzdil (1951).Next came the same year another timeless song of not only SD Burman, but also among the all time great songs of Lata Mangeshakar. Tum na jane kis jahan mein kho gaye from Sazaa (1951).
For 7 years this Jodi gave us one hit after another but a time came when the music lovers were deprived of the magic of this great Jodi. Due to some controversy, there was a  break up for about five years, 1958-62, rather than their music. Fortunately they made a patch up and this time they gave us the best songs of their career. Thus their second innings led to another set of great melodies in Bandini, Guide, Tere Mere Sapne, Prem Pujari, Talash, Anurag, Abhiman etc which continued till the very end of his career. Their first song after patch up was ‘Pawan Diwani’ from Dr Vidya.

The First Song Lata sang for S D Burman

Song of Mashal (1950)

Song of Naujawan (1951)

Song of Buzdil (1951)

Song of Sazaa (1951)

Song of Jaal (1952)

Song of Taxi Driver (1954)

Song of Devdas(1955)

Song of House No 44 (1955)

Song of Paying Guest (1957)

The first song after Patch Up

Song of Dr.Vidya (1962)

Song of Bandini (1963)

Song of Guide (1965)

Song of Talash (1969)

Song of Prem Pujari 1970

Song of Sharmilee (1971)

Song of Abhimaan (1973)

Song of Chupke Chupke (1975)

Hats off to Dev Anand

Dev Anand was the greatest Style Icon of India. He had a fascination for hats or caps. In almost every film we can see Dev Anand in a different cap or headgear. In his personal life too he was very fond of caps, scarfs, jackets, wrist watches and pens. He had a great collection of pens. In an interview his son, Suneil Anand told that “My father had a fetish for hats and pens. It was a part of his style statement. He was very fond of writing and he loved collecting pens. He had a huge collection.”
Recall the Jewel Thief cap of Dev Anand. It became so popular by the dashing Dev Anand in the film (1967) almost every youth of that time bought that cap. There is a story behind this cap. Dev himself told in an interview that once he was roaming around the street of Copenhagen he saw this cap in a showroom of a shop.  He liked it at the first sight and immediately purchased it. Most of the hats, caps or scarfs he used in his movies were from his personal wardrobe.

In his autobiography Romancing with Life, Devsaab reminisces: “Baazi gave me an image that stayed in the minds of people, and made a genuine star out of me. For the first time, I felt and saw what stardom was in terms of adulation and fan following. I became a phenomenon after the release of Baazi.”

Still from Baazi 1951

After Baazi, this was the second film in which Dev Anand also came through as an actor with a unique style of his own. Dev Anand wears a hat in this film which became very popular those days. Even many film heroes wore the same type of hat in their films.

Still from Jaal 1952

In 1954 film Taxi  Driver Dev Anand played a Bombay Taxi Driver. He wears a cap most of the time. This cap later became very popular among the Taxi Drivers of Bombay

Still from Taxi Driver 1954

In Hum Dono Dev Anand wears a Jungle Hat. This hat, he took from one of his Army Officer friend.This hat he wore in the song "Mein Zindagi Ka Saath" 

Still from Hum Dono 1961

In this blog, I have selected the images and songs of Dev Anand wearing different headgears this will be interesting for all the Dev Anand fans.

Still from Milap 1955

Still from Munimji 1955

Still from Funtoosh 1956

Still from Funtoosh 1956

Nau Do Gyarah 1957

Dushman 1957

Kala Pani 1958

Maya 1961

Tere Ghar Ke Samne 1963

Guide 1965

Jewel Thief 1967

Prem Pujari 1970

Gambler 1971

Hare Rama Hare Krishna 1971

Banarsi Babu 1973

Song from Taxi Driver 1954

Song from Funtoosh 1955

Song from Funtoosh 1955

Song from Nau Do Gyarah 1957

Song from Jewel Thief 1967

Song from Prem Pujari 1970

Song from Prem Pujari 1970

Some of the Great Background Songs of Bollywood

Bollywood films are incomplete without a song.  The majority of songs are seen to be sung by the characters themselves rather than being played in the background Background songs are often used in Hindi films as a tool to take the story forward, you see the characters, for instance, becoming rich during the course of the song or a child growing adult. 
In this blog, I have selected some great songs in alphabetical order
                                                                                  A

Aayega aayega aanewala 

Song from Mahal 1949

Ana hai to aa raha me kuchh der nahi hai_

Song from Naya Daur 1957

Ab koi gulshan na ujde ab vatan azad hai

Song from Mujhe Jine Do 1963

B

Bhagwan ik kusoor ki itnai badi saja

Song from Gehra Daag 1963

C

Chal Akela Chal Akela Tera mela pichhe chhuta

Song from Sambandh 1969

Chhodo kal ki baatein

Song from Hum Hindustani, 1960

Chal ri sajni ab kya soche 

Song from Bombai ka Babu, 1960

D

dekhi zamane ki yaari

Song from Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959)

G

Gumnam hain koi badnam hain

Song from Gumnam 1965

I

Iktara Iktara

Song of Wake Up Sid 2009

K

Kahi deep jale kahi dil 

Song from Bees Saal Baad 1962

Kahe ko roye safal hogi teri aaradhana

Song from Aaradhana 1969

M

Mera Jeevan kora kagaz kora hi

Song from Kora Kagaz. 1974

N

Nirbal se ladayi balwan ki-

Song from Diya Aur Toofan 1956

Naina barase rimzim rimzim-

Song from Wo Koun Thi 1964

O

O Re Maajhi Mere Saajan Hai Us Paar

Song of Bandini 1963

R

Roop tera mastana

Song from Aaradhana 1969

S

Sun mere bandhu re

Song from Sujata 1959

T

Tere Bina Zindagi Se Koi. 

Song from Aandhi (1974)

W

waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam-

Song from Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959)

waha koun hain tera musafir

Song from Guide 1965

Waqt se din aur raat

Song from Waqt 1965

Y

ya meri manzail ya zaindagi ko chin le

Song from Rakhi 1962

Z

Zindagi ke safar me guzar jate hai

Song from Aap ki Kasam 1974

The Ring Given to Suraiya by Dev Anand is still lying in the Arabian Sea

Dev Anand was in love with Suraiya. He had four-year-long (1948-51) affair with Suraiya, He bought one of the costliest rings, that would adorn Suraiya's finger. The ring was bought from a leading Jewellery shop of Zaveri Bazar of Bombay in 1949. This ring is still lying somewhere in the Arabian Sea.
There was a story revolving for so many years that Suraiya's granny who was not in favour of their marriage once she saw the ring on Suriya's finger She snatched the engagement ring from her hand and threw it on the Arabian Sea. The real story revealed by Dev Anand in his autobiography" Romancing with Life" It was Suraiya herself who threw the ring far into the sea of Bombay only after the last meeting with Dev Anand.
Although the couple faced hatred from grandmother, Suraiya’s mother, Mumtaz Begum, supported the lovebirds but was often snubbed by others. In fact, it was Suraiya’s mother who arranged the last meeting between the couple. But Dev Anand was little apprehensive and suspected the meeting to be a trap but he still went ahead to meet his lady love. One of his police officer friends, Tara Chand, decided to accompany him with a pistol and a few torches in his pocket. He gave one torch to the actor to flash towards him in case he sensed any danger. The actor finally reached the terrace of Suraiya’s six-storey building where they met, hugged, cried and ended their four years long relationship and decided never to meet again.
Dev and Suriya were completely broken. The two did seven films together — Vidya (1948), Jeet (1949), Shair (1949), Afsar(1950), Nili (1950), Do Sitare (1951) and Sanam (1951). They never met after the last meeting and did not work together any more in spite of all of their films were hit 
It was on the advice of his elder brother Chetan Anand that the actor decided to end his relationship with the actress and concentrate on his film career. While Dev eventually overcame the trauma of a broken relationship and moved on, Suraiya decided not to get married.

Song of Vidya 1948

Song of Shair (1949)

Song of Jeet (1949)

Song of Nili (1950)

Song of Sanam (1951)

Song of Do Sitare (1951)