Prologue: * As everyone, who has written before me on this topic, has stated, it is simply impossible to pick just 20 songs of Lata Mangeshkar. She is a legend in true sense. I have tried to do full justice while selecting few of them. Some of the songs that I have chosen were not the chart busters, but they are a perfect choice to enunciate Lata Mangeshkar’s best works.
Aye Maalik tere bande hum(Do aankhen baarah haath-1957)
Music Director: Vasant Desai
Lyrics: Bharat Vyas
The heroine, Sandhya, praying for the well being of the hero, V.Shantaram, who was on death bed after a gory fight with a bull.
O jaane waalo jaao na ghar apna chhodh ke(Mother India-1957)
Music Director: Naushad
Lyrics: Shaqeel Badayuni
Nargis’ melancholic call for all those people who were leaving the village. The village was totally destroyed by floods. Lata Mangeshkar strained her vocal cords to give an amazing effect to this song.
Aaja re pardesi(Madhumati-1958)
Music Director: Salil Chaudhary
Lyrics: Shailendra
Madhumati’s(Vayjantimala) melodious voice entices the dashing forest officer(Dilip Kumar) to a picturesque waterfall. The song is based on Raag
“Bageshri”.
Ghadhi ghadhi Mora dil dhadke(Madhumati-1958)
Music Director: Salil Chaudhary
Lyrics: Shailendra
Shy Madhumati, discovers her love for Babuji(Dilip Kumar). Her joy is reflected in this sweet song. The song is based on Raag “Bageshri”.
Mora gora ang layeele(Bandini-1963)
Music Director: S.D. Burman
Lyrics: Gulzar
The heroine, Nutan, danced and sang gracefully around the trees with all-so-innocent expressions. Bandini was Gulzar’s debut movie as lyricist.
Raat dhalne lagi, chaand chhupne chala(Teesri Kasam-1966)
Music Director: Shankar Jaikishan
Lyrics: Shailendra
Waheeda Rehman was a “nautanki waali” in this movie in love with Raj Kapoor. Other songs of this movie were also good, in particular, “Chalat musafir moh liya re”.
Dheere Dheere Machal e dil-e-beqaraar(Anupma-1966)
Music Director: Hemant Kumar
Lyrics: Kaifi Azmi
The movie was directed by Hrishikesh Mukherji. This was a love story of a rich girl, Sharmila Tagore and poor teacher Dharmendra.
Lo aa gayee unki yaad, wo nahi aaye(Do Badan-1966)
Music Director: Ravi
Lyrics: Shaqeel Badayuni
This is a background song for the scene where Asha Parekh is on death bed waiting for Manoj kumar.“Lau tharr-tharra rahi hai, ab sham-e-zindagi ki… Ujadi hui mohabbat mehmaan hai do ghadhi ki… mar kar hi ab milenge… jee kar to mil naa paaye”
Naino mein badra chhaye(Mera Saaya-1967)
Music Director: Madan Mohan
Lyrics: Raja Mehndi Ali Khan
The song was picturised on Sadhna and Sunil Dutt in a royal setting of Udaipur lake palace. The song is based on Raag ”Bhimpalasi”.
Chalte Chalte, yun hi koi mil gaya thha(Pakeezah-1971)
Music Director: Ghulam Mohammad
Lyrics: Kaifi Azmi
This song has all the factors to be a hit…good lyrics, soothing music, and good picturisation with picture perfect sets. This was the only song of the movie written by Kaifi Azmi.
Baahon mein chale aao(Anamika-1973)
Music Director: R D Burman
Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri
Jaya Bhaduri in a playful mood teases Sanjeev Kumar. A true RD creation.
Rajnigandha phool tumhare(Rajnigandha-1974)
Music Director: Salil Chaudhary
Lyrics: Yogesh
This is my all time favorite - short n sweet. The music by maestro Salil Chaudhary complements the freshness of the https://lyrics.
Dil to hai dil(Muqaddar ka sikandar-1978)
Music Director: Kalyanji-Anandji
Lyrics: Anjaan
A hit song from a hit movie of a hit director with hit stars. Lata Mangeshkar has poured all her feelings in this beautiful number.
Ye mulaqaat ek bahana hai(Khandaan-1979)
Music Director: Khayyam
Lyrics: Naqsh Lyallpuri
This song is picturised on all my not-so-favorite stars(?)- Jitendra, Sulakshana Pandit and Bindiya Goswami. And setting…uff…a building under construction. Anyways, barring all this, the song is very good. I prefer listening it rather than watching.
Simti hui ye ghadhiyan phir se na bikhar jaaye(Chambal ki kasam-1980)
Music Director: Khayyam
Lyrics: Sahir Ludhiyanvi
Hmmmmm…I just love this song. A real haunting composition from this movie on dacoits. “Bichhadi hui roohon ka ye mel suhana hai…”:-)
Aye ri pawan(Bemisaal-1982)
Music Director: R D Burman
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
The song is shot in Kashmir. Amitabh Bachchan admires pretty Rakhi singing in valley.
Dikhayee diye yun(Bazaar-1982)
Music Director: Khayyam
Lyrics: Mir Taqi Mir
Bazaar was woven around Hyderabadi backdrop. A tragic love story of Supriya Pathak and Farooque Sheikh. Music of the movie was simply superb. This
song is shy confession of love of a young muslim girl.
Humein aur jeene ki chahat na hoti(Agar tum na hote-1983)
Music Director: R D burman
Lyrics: Gulshan Bawra
This movie has 2 other versions of the song- One sad and one happy, both sung by Kishore Kumar, which are master pieces. But Lata Mangeshkar outshines the other two by her oh-so-perfect voice.
Zeehali Muskin(Ghulami-1985)
Music Director: Lakshmikant-Pyarelal
Lyrics:Gulzaar
This song is picturised on Anita Raj and our very own ”Koi shaque” Mithun Da in sand-scaped desert.
Baali umar ne mera haal wo kiya(Awaargi-1990)
Music Director: Anu Malik
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
I am sure not many of you have heard this song. It’s a very beautiful song from a not so famous movie released in 1990. This is a duet sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Shabbir Kumar, picturised on Govinda and Meenakshi Sheshadri. A melodious hummable song, especially the lines.“Ghoonghat banaye kitne dhaani chunar ke… Kitna chhupi mai teri pehli nazar se…”
Epilogue: * For all my friends at MS, who feel that some top ones are missing, I say that some MSians have covered most of them in their previous reviews. So there was no point in repeating them. I wanted to bring out some hidden gems *Aapke gyaan hetu
