The one song that immediately knocks the door of my memory is ‘Abhi na jaao chhod kar..’ from Hum Dono (1961). The very first scene in the movie where Sadhna stylishly lights the musical lighter will ever be ingrained in our memory. Friends, can we ever forget the hummable little tune which came out of the cigarette lighter, which remained at the centre of the entire film!The well dressed Sadhna, the stunningly handsome Dev saab and to add to it the eternal romance in Rafi saab and Asha ji’s voice have made the song The Anthem for the young lovers on their dates.
And then there is the ever-so warmth-filled ‘Dil ka bhanwar kare pukaar..’ from the 1963-Tere Ghar ke saamne. Ever tried romancing on the steps of the Qutab Minar? Dev saab and Nutan ji have shown the way. I often wonder how flawlessly the director and the actors carried the entire song where they had no backdrop but only few steps to walk on and yet not for one moment, they ever let the viewers feel any boredom and monotony. The warm smile and arched eye-brows on Nutan’s face continues to spray freshness on the screen, even today, long after the beautiful actor has left the world!
Not yet late, I certainly plan to go on a Qutab date sometime soon....
And oh! I think I cannot get enough of Dev Saab! My note will remain incomplete if I forget mentioning the rhythmic ‘Choodi Nahi Mera’ from Gambler (1960). Would you not, my dear (girl) friends love to be wooed in style as Dev saab does in this song? Glass Bangles of various colours emerge from his jacket to adorn the smooth silky wrist of his beloved while our hero continues driving and concentrating on the road too. Next time you watch this song, do notice how he throws a loving glance at his date one minute and in the next, concentrates on the road; and then comes out the Cadbury Milk Chocolate which the lovers bite from each other's mouth.
Now the songs which inspired this note. ‘Suno sajana, papihe ne kaha sabse pukaar ke’, from the movie Aaye din bahaar ke (1966). And then the ever-so-green, ‘Achcha toh hum chattein hain’ from the 1970-Aan milo Sajana.
Asha Parekh, so beautifully takes the viewers through a series of emotions; from a beloved beckoning her love in Suno Sajana, Asha ji gracefully takes us through a series of rendezvous with her date in Achcha toh hum chaltein hain.The excitement of meeting each other, the anxiety of being caught, the pain of saying Goodbye are so marvellously enacted by Asha Parekh and ever green Rajesh Khanna. The lyrics are sweet, the melody is nice and Asha ji’s ‘Taaa-ta’ is like a cherry on the cream.
On the lighter side, watching these songs, I often ask my friends, “Hey, does one really need to deck up so much for a date”? The comments of the entire Blogosphere welcome.
One of the most unforgettable dates on the screen has been, "Phir chidi raat baat phoolon kee” from the movie Bazaar (1981). The beautifully penned ghazal, woven around flowers and moonlit night and the lyrically done choreography show the young lovers completely immersed in each other. No one could have perhaps enacted it better than Faarooq saab and Supriya Pathak .
And as the times changed, dating style changed too. Entered with big-bang, the ‘Tathaayiyaa-tathaayiyaa ho-ho..Naino mein sapna, sapna mein sajna’ and “Toh---fa..Toh---fa...Toh----fa...”. An army of friends accompanied the young lovers while they danced on the sprawling meadows and 'daflis' rolled all over and coloured dust rose from the grass. The ladies were dressed like Goddesses and the men were not much behind either. Jitendra saab danced with his body, heart and soul in his favourite white shoes and I was ever-so-awe-struck watching Jaya Prada gracefully dancing so effortlessly in the saris, silkily sliding across the ground.
Come 1990s and the young lovers were left on their own, once again. Maine Pyar Kiya, Qayamat se qyamat tak, Dil, Deewana, had the young birds having their space to themselves.
Exceptions were perhaps the family entertainers by David Dhawan. Remember Govinda and his heroines dancing away to glory in ‘Main toh raste pe jaa raha thaa’, ‘Maine paidal se ja raha tha, unhe cycle se aa rahee thi’! The duo seemed completely unaware of the uni-coloured company (read friends) around them.
I would often joke about the army of guys and girls, who would merrily be dancing along with the main actors, “Unkee apni life nahi hai lya?” I mean, they would dance away as if the romance between the main characters were the only thing which mattered to them in life!
Well friends, there is a long menu for you to choose from. You can choose your dating style by Bollywood from a huge collection.
My dream date? Well, it is from Tollywood. The diva of style and the epitome of romance, the heartthrob of millions, the immortal pair, Uttam Kumar-Suchitra Sen in ‘Soorjo Dobaar Paalaa aashe Jodi aashook besh toh...”
Watch it times and times again and you believe that love and romance is forever.........
Happy romancing!
