Ab Jo Mile Hain...

I mentioned yesterday about how difficult it was to differentiate the voices of Mangeshkar Sisters - when they sang in tandem in Dulhan Maike Chali. It was all the more difficult because each of them, like a true playback singer, were trying to ensure that their voice was matching with the performer on-screen. Fortunately, each one was singing for only one of the characters.

Now here is a song, where there were two different performers on the screen - in two different kind of characters exhibiting two contradictory moods - and yet RD used only one singer. 

Ab Jo Mile Hain to - from caravan picturised on Aruna Irani & Asha Parekh had Asha Bhosle singing for both the actors. Starting seductively to match the on-screen persona of Aruna Irani wooing Jitendra, the song has a strong bossa-nova influence - perfectly matching the moves of Aruna Irani.

Half-way through, the seduction gives way to unrequited love and as the song changes the mood, one can not but notice that subtle yet distinct variation - in Asha's voice, in the lyrics and in the music. With Asha Parekh performing at her best, the song manages to bring out the pain that she is going through. 

No wonder, this song has remained one of the most popular one of Asha-RD-Majrooh combination.

Tu hai hawa, shola hu main,

Mil key bhee jo mil naa sake

Bujh naa sake tere bina, 

Tere bina jal naa sake

Listen to this here:

Koi Aur Duniya Men..

Moon as a backdrop!

The hero singing Anand Bakshi's verse, composed to RD's tune, in Rafi's voice!!

Theme - him wondering is there anyone more beautiful than his lady love!!!

Sounds familiar? If I ask you to guess the song what would be your answer?

Alas, this is not, however, 'Maine poochha chand se' from Abdullah with Sanjay Khan & Zeenat.

This is from an earlier film, Pyar ki Kahani, released in 1971. Perhaps a precursor to what RD & Anand Bakshi created in 1980 for Abdullah, this song has Amitabh posing something similar for Tanuja. The composition does have a much different feel to it - a short prelude and largely guitar based; romantic enough & yet not as intoxicating as the one in Abdullah which has a long prelude with a mix of Santoor & Sax. To some extent the interludes, depicting some kind of stress, also take away the focus from romance. 

Yet, if the answer "nahi, nahi, nahi" could be for Zeenat, it surely would have been for Tanuja - one of the most vivacious actresses on Hindi film screen - a list which according to me consists of three - starting at Geeta Bali & stopping at Kajol.

So here it is: