It’s the 14th of February and here is a small list of the best songs about love from Indian films that I recommend. The special thing about each of them is the fact they are equally a pleasure to watch and listen. They span decades, artists and have stark differences in as much as they try to define the phenomenon human beings have come to call love.
- Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya
I have on various occasions on social networking platforms voted it as the best Hindi song ever composed. From a huge film that Mughal-e-Azam was, this song stands for defiance and celebrates love like no other song does. “Ishq mein jeena ishq mein marna aur hamein ab karna kya”– We have to live and die while being in love, there is nothing else we have to do. Again “Maut wahi jo duniya dekhe, chhup chhup kar yun marna kya”– Death is one that is witnessed by the world, what is this dying in hiding?
- Jaaiye Aap Kahan Jaayenge
Unarguably the best song sung by Asha Bhosle, this brilliant OP Nayyar composition refuses to age.
- Ae Lo Main Haari Piya
This mellifluous Geeta Dutt song with Gurudutt on the screen with Shyama remains a huge favorite for the occasions where the angry, annoyed lover is being persuaded to talk.
- Yahoo
All energy that the emotion of love can give rise to. Rafi’s chartbuster.
- Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas Tum Rehti Ho
Kishore Kumar’s quintessential romantic song. Lyrics here are a repository of the images romance in the Indian subcontinent is so laden with or atleast used to be. There is the aangan (courtyard), bandhan (ties) and that fear of expressing one’s love.
- Ye Mera Deewanapan Hai
Mukesh’s greatest song. No listener can ever decide as to who rules here- the musician, the lyricist or the singer?
- Yaar Bina Chain Kahan Re
Bappi Lahiri’s lovely composition from the 1980s where the music scene in Bollywood was unusually tragic. Such attempts however kept the scene lively.
- Pyaar Hua Chupke Se
This national award-winning composition was Kavita Krishnamurti’s best song in my opinion. RD Burman’s last film as a music director.
- Kasto Mazaa
Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal’s lovely, sweet song shot on a train going to Darjeeling.
- Valiyonaisai
Personal Concerns 
Its a nice collecton of songs.Thanks for sharing Amit.
thanks Raju for commenting. Hope u enjoyed listening!
Eternal Love, Eternal Songs!
so true Gyandutt Ji!
A wonderful collection of songs, I must admit. Sorted with a lot of taste and care to portray various shades of a special kind of human bond. Bollywood has played its own part in giving expression to the emotions of many, who, in Bollywood’s own language, are in the “Kya karein kya na karein ye kaisi mushkil hae”, dilemma..:-)
Note: Where is ‘Pehla Nasha’? I think it ought to have made it to the list, as for me, it still reigns as the defining love song of the 90s..:-)
A wonderful collection of songs, I must admit. Sorted with a lot of taste and care to portray various shades of a special kind of human bond. Bollywood has played its own part in giving expression to the emotions of many, who, in Bollywood’s own language, are in the “Kya karein kya na karein ye kaisi mushkil hae”, dilemma..:-)
Note: Where is ‘Pehla Nasha’? I think it ought to have made it to the list, as for me, it still reigns as the defining love song of the 90s..:-)
thanks for the lovely comment! Pehla Nasha did make an appearance in my head. “Kya Karein”- songs had to be 10 and the contenders were so many!
🙂
It’s a well sorted out list amit. But I agree with vinayak. “Pehla nasha” should have made it to the list too! And there are few others too – the title track of roja, tujhe dekha to yeh from ddlj, tu hi re from bombay etc. Guess you’re right – there are too many contenders and so top 10 is too small a list to encompass the romantic songs from the Indian music industry 🙂 But good job done neverthess!
those are indeed lovely songs that u mentioned specially tujhe dekha to ye…effort was to span artists and decades hence….anyway thanks so much for commenting!
I’ve thus far watched Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya. Passionate!
It is Allen! Let me know if you need help with the lyrics! Naushad, the music composer of the song was honoured by the musician of the millennium award!For other details about the magnum opus that Mughal-e-Azam was see this
Love all the songs you’ve posted Amit! I have some beautiful memories associated with ‘kasto mazaa’, and ‘pyar hua chupke se’..the latter I too believe, is kavita krishnmurty’s best! Shankar-Jaikishan and Mukesh surely create magic in yeh mera dewanapan hai…it’s one of my top favourite songs! And ‘aye lo mein hari piya’…i’ve always enjoyed listening to songs sung by Geeta Dutt!
Pyaar kiya toh darna kya…perhaps the best way to start such a list! Well done! 🙂
thanks Anuragini! Our taste in Hindi film music does match perfectly!
It surely does! 🙂
Brilliant Brilliant collection! Wish I had checked it out in the morning.
Never too late ST!
🙂
thanks!
Unique and enjoyable music even for a cowboy
🙂
Thanks for a warm musical morning!
I “re-listened” to them, and some I had nearly totally forgotton.
Tastes differ of course.
While you have listed some great songs, mine would be a different list.
For example:
In Parineeta, I loved Piyu Bole better.
As regards Mukesh, I rate his song “Tu kahe agar jeevan bhar.. ” at the top.
Asha Bhonsle’s “Jaaiye aap kahaan jaayenge ” would have figured in my list too.
I suppose each will have his own “best of the best”
In art, there is no such thing as the “best”.
There can only be a subjective list of personal favourites.
Regards
GV
very rightly pointed out Vishwanaath Jee that there is no such thing as best in art. Piyu Bole and Tu Kahe Agar are indeed great numbers. I am glad to know that you also keep a track of the new film songs 🙂
Even Most Preferred status also works out to be shifting sands – depending on mood, context, purpose, ambience.
Realizing fully that I have no business to comment on ‘why’ of these ‘most’ liked(s), I do commend you for the courage of going ahead with the selection, a very tricky exercise in itself. I f I were do do this, I would go on moving in th ecircles ad infinium!
True True!
Thanks Ashok Ji!
Nice Collection of Songs.
thanks!
Super awesome… re-brushed my memory… 🙂
i m glad Varun. do visit again!
have not heard the last two songs, parineeta and the tamil one but i love the remaining songs you have mentioned.
hindi old movies were packed with amazing love songs, love too many of them. 🙂
Oh! Do listen to them. I am sure you would like them!yeah Hindi cinema and its golden era is a treat to the ears!
Oh! Almost all are my all time favorites! Good compilation 🙂
glad you liked it!
That’s a lovely compilation.. Almost all the songs have been listened by me umpteen times ..
Just like to know who is the lyricist of the song “Ye Mera Diwanapan Hai” ..Many sites claim it to be written by Shaharyar? Is that true ? On the contrary some sites say the song belongs to Shailendra. Just let me have the facts in this regard.
-Arvind K.Pandey
http://indowaves.wordpress.com/
thanks a lot for the visit and the like!
Shailendra received the best lyricist award for this song!
Quite a collection you posted! Above all, I like the Tamil song! —George
yeah thats a beautifully picturised one!
It’s “Yeh mera deewanapan hai ya moohabbat ka” by Mukesh.
It was difficult to shoose from this brilliant collection, but at the end narrowed it down to “Jaiye aap kaha jayenge” by Asha and this Mukesh song, but i am partial towards anything by Mukesh.
May i suggest you a romantic song, one of my alltime favourite, i think it should have been in this list, “Kehna hai kehana hai aaj tumse yeh pehli baar” from Padosan Sung by Kishore Kumar. For me it’s the perfect valentine day song.
Kehna hai is I agree a great V day song too!
I well understand your sense of affection for the tone that Mukesh’s voice has!
thanks!
I think, the male voice in the Tamil song is S P Balasubramanyam, a Telugu and the female voice needs no name to be labelled with for an Indian.
The valentine day has passed, otherwise i may have written a post; an idea that i got after reading your post, about the most passionate lover on screen. It’s Kamal Hassan, miles ahead of any actor. He loves the way a real man would love his woman, watch any of his films where he is in any romantic scene with the actress; he is just perfect, so real. Of course he does perfectly in every other facet of acting but in particularly making love to a woman on screen, he can teach the best Indian acor in the buisiness,
Just watch the video you have posted, every move, gesture of his, his looking at the heroine, everything is so real-life like that, i, a fan of S P Balu and illayiraja has overliooked the music concentrating on Kamalhassan.
thanks for that correction, I always knew SPB to be a Malayali. Yeah Kamla Hassan is great. Have always admired his acting in films like Sadma and Chachi 420!
Want to watch his Tamil films too!any suggestions to begin with?
I don’t know Tamil, so i can;t tell you anything about Tamil films. I have seen some Tamil films of Kamal Hasaan dubbed in Telugu or with subtiltles.
Luckily, he has acted in some original Telugu language Movies, a language i know. He was brilliant in each one of it, specially in the K.Vishwanath directed ones. I could give you name of some films here; considered iconic; like, Sagara sangamam, Swati muthyam and Subha Sankalpam . Some of the most beautiful Telugu films with unparalleled music by Illayaraja in the first two films and the third film’s songs were by a brilliant Keeravani.
Very interesting information. thanks!
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Ishq kamina hai … you know that correct 🙂
Seems like seasons are changing, within you too! Is the new look of blog reflection of that? 🙂
Your post is in perfect time with my neverending search for good hindu music even If I’m not one. Such a big fan of these kind of music. I love Anoushka Shankar, Kaavish and Rahman particularly
oh…u seem familiar with these great artists! glad u found the post useful. do visit again!
Enjoying the selection, and the variation in the selection 🙂
And your blog in general is interesting.
Thanks…Hope to read on your blog a compilation of your favorite songs from Hindi films (I am assuming you are a fan 🙂 )
Oh yes!!! Have to confess I am crazy about the R D Burman/Kishore Kumar combo. But all good songs, and even fusion works for me
Thats wonderful. Would really love to read a piece by you on the popularity of Bollywood in Pakistan! I am sure there is more to that popularity than what meets the eye.
Pyar hua chup ke se has been my caller tune for the past one year! 🙂
Oops, ring tone!
oh…cool!
it is that kind of a song!