By Upendra Mishra
The word “romance” brings a feeling of excitement, exuberance, beauty, mystery, sadness, solitude, cheerfulness, inner joy, remoteness and calmness from everyday life. Sometimes we are alone in our romantic journey, sometimes with someone we love or wanted to love, sometimes with just a longing for someone and sometimes for someone whom we lost forever.
The root of romance always, however, is innocence. Romance is when we are truly living our inner life outside and when our innocence peeks out and we are living, experiencing and touching that with our bare fingers—and all this while no one else is watching. It is a just wonderful journey.
Those of us who grew up in India, Bollywood was the source of the romance. It triggered our imagination in the mostly divided Indian society along male-female lines during our younger years. Some of us who were lucky were able to experience romance in real life as well project our wild imaginations on the silver screens.
I must say Bollywood has done an amazing job in portraying romance. Here are my 30 favorite Bollywood romantic songs in chronological order. Enjoy!
#1: Aye Dil Mujhe Bata De…
Movie: Bhai Bhai (1956) starring Ashok Kumar, Kishore Kumar, Nimmi, Nirupa Roy, Shyama, Om Prakash, David
Music: Madan Mohan
Lyricist: Rajendra Krishan
Singer: Geeta Dutt
# 2: Zindagi Bhar Nahin Bhoolegi Woh Barsaat ki Raat
Film: Barsaat Ki Raat (1960), starring Madhubala, Bharat Bhushan, Shyama, Chandrashekhar, Khurshid Bawra
Lyricist: Sahir Ludhianvi
Music: Roshan Lal
Singer: Mohammed Rafi
#3: Husnwale Tera Jawab Nahin
Movie: Gharana (1961), starring Rajendra Kumar, Raj Kumar, Asha Parekh, Shubha Khote, Agha, Minu Mumtaz, Kanhaiya Lal.
Music Director: Ravi
Lyricist: Shakeel Badayuni
Singer: Mohammed Rafi
#4: Chaudhvin Ka Chand Ho
Movie: Chaudhavin Ka Chand (1960), starring Guru Dutt, Waheeda Rehman, Minu Mumtaz, Johnny Walker, Rehman, Uma Devi, Tun Tun.
Music Director: Ravi
Singer: Mohammed Rafi
#5: Abhi Na Jaao Chhodkar Ke Dil Abhi Bhara Nahin
Movie: Hum Dono (1961) , starring Dev Anand, Nanda and Sadhana
Music: Jaidev
Singers: Mohammad Rafi and Asha Bhosle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwheNfvFqNw
#6: Mere Mehboob Tujhe Meri Mohabbat ki Kasam
Movie: Mere Mehboob (1963), starring Rajendra Kumar, Sadhana, Nimmi, Pran, Ashok Kumar
Music: Naushad
Singer: Mohammed Rafi
#7: Isharon Isharon Mein Dil Lene Wale
Movie: Kashmir Ki Kali (1964) starring starring Shammi Kapoor and Sharmila Tagore
Music: O P Nayyar
Lyrics: S. H. Bihari.
Singers: Mohammad Rafi and Asha Bhosle
#8: Lag Jaa Gale Ki Phir Ye Haseen Raat Ho Na Ho
Movie: Who Kaun Thi (1964), starring Manoj Kumar, Sadhana, Helen, Prem Chopra, K.N.Singh, Mohan Choti, Dhumal
Music: Madan Mohan, Producer: Prithvi Pictures
Lyrics : Raja Mehndi Ali Khan
Singer: Lata Mangeshkar
#9: Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai
Movie: Guide (1966) starring Waheeda Rahman and Dev Anand
Music: R.D. Burman
Singer: Lata Mangeshkar
#10: Kora Kagaz Tha Yeh Man Mera
Movie: Aradhana (1969) starring Rajesh Khanna & Sharmila Tagore.
Music: S.D Burman.
Singers: Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar
#11: Kahin Door Jab Din Dhal Jaaye
Movie: Anand, Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan and Sumita Sanyal.
Music: Salil Choudhury
Singer: Mukesh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kooq2WqEdG8
#12: Mausam Hai Aashiqana
Movie: Pakeezah (1972), starring Meena Kumari and Raaj Kumar.
Music: Ghulam Mohammed, Naushad
Singer: Lata mangeshkar
#13: Chura Liya Hai Tumne Jo Dil Ko
Movie: Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973) starring Dharmendra, Zeenat Aman, Ajit Khan, Vijay Arora, Tariq, and Neetu Singh.
Music: RD Burman
Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri
Singers: Mohammad Rafi, and Asha Bhosle
#14: Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas Tum Rehti Ho
Movie: Black Mail (1973), starring Dharmendra, Shatrughan Sinha and Rakhee.
Music: Kalayanji Anandji
Singer: Kishore Kumar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMuRRXCuy-4
#15: Karvaten Badalte Rahe Saari Raat Hum
Movie: Aap Ki Kasam (1974), starring Rajesh Khanna, Mumtaz, Sanjeev Kumar, Ranjeet, A. K. Hangal and Asrani
Singers: Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar
Music: Rahul Dev Burman
Lyricist: Anand Bakshi
#16: Kaii Baar Yun Bhi Dekha Hai
Movie: Rajanigandha (1974) starring Vidya Sinha and Amol Palekar
Music: Salil Chowdhury
Singer: Mukesh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPwbi-hfenI
#17: Tum Aa Gaye Ho Noor Aa Gaya Hai
Movie: Andhi (1975) starring Suchitra Sen, Sanjeev Kumar and Om Shivpuri
Music: R. D. Burman,
Lyricist: Gulzar
Singers: Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar
#18: Dil Dhoondhta hai phir wahi furssat ke raat din
Movie: Mausam, starring Sharmila Tagore, Sanjeev Kumar, Dina Pathak, Om Shivpuri
Singers: Bhupinder and Lata Mangeshkar
Lyricist: Gulzar
#19: Kabhi Kabhie Mere Dil Mein Khayal Aata Hai
Movie: Kabhi Kabhie [1976] starring Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Waheeda Rehman, Raakhee, Neetu Singh, Rishi Kapoor, Naseem, Simi Garewal and Parikshat Sahni.
Music: Khayyam
Lyrics: Sahir Ludhianvi
Singer: Mukesh, Lata Mangeshkar
#20: Kahin Ek Masoom Nazuk Si Ladki
Movie: Shankar Hussain (1977), starring Pradeep Kumar, Kanwaljit Singh, Madhu Chanda, Suhali, Gajanan Jagirdar, Shreeram Lagoo.
Music : Khayyam
Singer: Mohammad Rafi
#21: Aaj Kal Paon Zameen Par
Movie: Ghar (1978) starring Vinod Mehra, Rekha, Dinesh Thakur, Prema Narayan, Asrani, Asit Sen, Madan Puri.
Music: R.D. Burman
Lyrics: Gulzar
Singer: Lata Mangeshkar
#22: Yeh Kahaan Aa Gaye Hum
Movie: Silsila (1981) starring Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha
Singers: Lata Mangeshkar and Amitabh Bachchan
Music: Shiv Hari
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
#23: Tum Ko Dekha Toh Ye Khayal
Movie: Saath Saath (1982), starring Deepti Naval and Farooq Sheikh
Music: Kuldeep Singh
Singers: Jagjit Singh and Chitra Singh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GRqHkV9Bls
#24: Pehla Nasha Pehla Khumar
Movie: Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992) starring, Aamir Khan, Ayesha Jhulka, Deepak Tijori, Mamik Singh
Pooja Bedi Kulbhushan Kharbanda
Music: Jatin-Lalit
Singers: Udit Narayan and Sadhana Sargam
#25: Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga
Movie: 1942: A Love Story (1994) starring Anil Kapoor and Manisha Koirala
Singer: Kumar Sanu
#26: Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
Movie: Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), starring Rani Mukherjee, Shahrukh Khan and Kajol.
Lyricists: Sameer Anjaan
Singers: Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik
#27: Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai
Movie: Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008) starring Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma
Music: Salim-Sulaiman
Singer: Roop Kumar Rathod
Lyrics: Jaideep Sahni
#28: Dil Sambhal ja Zara
Movie: Murder 2 (2011) starring Emraan Hashmi and Jcqueline Fernandez,
Singer: Arijit Singh
#29: Saans mein teri saans mili to mujhe saans aayi
Movie: Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012) starring Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma and Varun Thakur
Music: A. R. Rahman
Singers: Shreya Ghoshal & Mohit Chauhan
#30: Main Tenu Samjhawan
Movie: Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014) starring Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt.
Singer: Alia Bhatt
