Continuing from last December, we have come to the last part of the series dedicated to Piano songs from Hindi films. So far we’ve enjoyed the songs in a decade wise fashion. Today, in the last part, let’s visit the decades from the 80s and beyond.
As the number of songs is not big, we can enjoy it in a single part. I chose just a handful of songs from each decade, so I’ve just a dozen piano songs across four decades.
In the piano songs from the 50s and the 60s, the piano itself used to be the main hero of the song as it used to be there prominently in the picturisation and on most of the occasions in the orchestration too. As the time passed, the piano became a subordinate object and only occasionally used prominently in the orchestration. And past 2005-06, my interest in Hindi film songs rapidly declined, so you may not find even the popular songs from that period.
Let’s begin the journey,
1. Jeevan Mitaana Hai Deewanapan – Armaan (1981) Kishore Kumar / Bappi Lahiri – Indeevar
A good song to open the list, with Shammi Kapoor playing the piano at a club. Raj Babbar and a bit frightened and perplexed Ranjeeta are in the audience. The song is more in a philosophical vein than a club song. Piano pieces in the interludes.
2. Jeevan Ke Din Chhote Sahi – Bade Dilwala (1983) Kishore Kumar / R D Burman – Majrooh
The song appears thrice in the film, as a solo once and as a duet twice. Interestingly piano makes its appearance in all the three versions. Notably both the duet versions are picturised on Pran, who received then newcomer, Udit Narayan’s playback. In all the versions, piano makes a brief appearance and is not in the orchestration either continuously. I chose the solo version picturised on Rishi Kapoor, Tina Munim and Pran where obviously Kishore Kumar sings for Rishi Kapoor. The song has the typical scenario of a Piano song, that of a grand party.
3. Pichhali Yaad Bhoola Do – Mehndi (1983) Kishore Kumar / Khayyam – Verma Malik
Again we have a party, but the song is not a joyous one. A disheartened man is asking his lover to forget all in the past. To his big surprise, she’s now married to his best friend. A soulful song with beautiful piano pieces throughout the song, picturised on Raj Babbar, Vinod Mehra and Ranjeeta
4. Aawaz Di Hai Aaj – Aitbaar (1985) Asha Bhosle & Bhupendra Singh / Bappi Lahiri – Hasan Kamal
I must admit that I heard the song for the first time and took an instant liking. A beautiful melody with good use of piano throughout the song. There again seems to be a love triangle in the film with Suresh Oberoi, Dimple Kapadia and Raj Babbar in pivotal roles. The film is perhaps more known for the ghazal, ‘Kisi Nazar Ko Tera Intezaar’.
5. You are My Darling – Hum Naujawan (1985) Kishore Kumar & Peenaz Masani / R D Burman – Anjaan
I had a smile on my face as I watched this beautiful piano song picturised on Dev Anand and Tabu playing father and daughter. Tabu’s expressions during the last part of the song are so natural. And Peenaz Masani giving playback to the debutante Tabu was icing on the cake. She sounded so fresh.
Taking a small leap into the 90s, let’s visit a couple of Piano songs. As piano being played throughout the song was the criteria, a few songs were not included on the list.
6. Bahut Pyar Karte Hain – Saajan (1991) Anuradha Paudwal / Nadeem Shravan – Sameer
The song has two versions, and both versions have piano. However, the female version, picturised as a singing performance on Madhuri Dixit, has it throughout the song, at least in the picturisation, making it a suitable choice for today’s list. Madhuri Dixit was at the peak of their careers and the film was the highlight grossing film of the year. And songs played a significant part in the success of the film, all of which were hugely popular.
7. Lagi Lagi Hai Yeh Dil Ki Lagi – Yeh Dillagi (1993) Lata Mangeshkar, Udit Narayan & Abhijit / Dilip Sen Sameer Sen – Sameer
Yet another party song, but not a poignant one! All the characters are together at a party in the hero’s house and singing it joyously. They are referring to one another, sometimes directly, sometimes tangentially. The song reminds me of the similar song from Sangam three decades earlier, Lata Mangeshkar being a common factor in both the songs. Abhijit sings for Saif, Udit Narayan for Akshay Kumar. Reema Lagoo is furious at the thought of accepting her driver’s daughter as her daughter in law, while both of her sons are head over heels in love with the girl. And the piano plays throughout the song, firstly by Akshay Kumar and after the first verse by Saif Ali Khan. Piano pieces adorn the interludes as well as the verses.
8. Tum Dil Ki Dhadkan Mein – Dhadkan (2000) Kumar Sanu / Nadeem Shravan – Sameer
Two versions of the songs featured in the movie, a duet which is more popular and overshadowed the solo sad version. Both the songs were lip synched by Suniel Shetty with intense emotions poured by the singers. The sad version has piano pieces in most of the length except the last part after Shilpa Shetty enters.
And now the last segment of today’s post and the series. A few songs from the noughties, mostly from the early years. However when a film was released in late 2010s with a male pianist in the lead role, the piano songs made an appearance on the silver screen. So let’s see what’s the selection..
9. Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hai – Tumse Achha Kaun Hai (2002) Sonu Nigam & Sarika Kapoor / Nadeem Shravan – Sameer
The song is picturised on Nakul Kapoor, in his debut film (who featured in one of the most popular non film songs of the 90s and became popular. And that reminds me of my long awaited non-film song list of the 90s) and Aarti Chhabria. The songs of the movie were hugely popular. The song uses a very cute idea of reminiscing about one’s beloved. Nakul remembers her while he’s playing the piano and imagines them both dancing on the platform of the piano in miniaturised forms. The song has good piano pieces and 8s one of the prominent piano songs of the noughties.
10. Piyu Bole Piya Bole – Parineeta (2004) Sonu Nigam & Shreya Ghoshal / Shantanu Moitra – Swanand Kirkire
Who will forget this beautiful melody from the early noughties? Picturised on the debutante Vidya Balan and Saif Ali Khan, the song has piano in the orchestration and the picturisation. Even when the song shifts to an outdoor location, the piano makes its appearance. The song is one of the most popular duets by Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal.
11. Yeh Nigahen Jhuki Jhuki – Khoya Khoya Chand (2007) Sonu Nigam & Antara Choudhury / Shantanu Moitra – Swanand Kirkire
The song appears as a credits song (the credits roll on the screen as the song plays in the background). It’s picturised on Soha Ali Khan, Rajat Kapoor, Sonya Jahan. As the film has a backdrop of the Hindi film industry of the bygone era, the song has a typical retro touch. Unfortunately the song is interrupted by dialogues in between. Still a good song to enjoy.
12. Laila Laila – Andhadhun (2018) Amit Trivedi / Amit Trivedi – Jaydeep Sahni
And to end the list and the series, a fresh composition that has melody and the rhythm. It certainly stands apart from the usual noisy disco beats of the era. The film has the use of piano in most of the songs.
With this we have come to the end of the series. Hopefully readers enjoyed the series. The 40s, 50s, and the 60s were the heydays of Piano songs and they survived in the 70s fairly well. The 80s had a few memorable piano songs. Though the 90s had the return of melody to Hindi cinema, the piano songs were few and far between. The grand piano, the grand living room with a spiral staircase, aristocratic houses and the parties all became the past. The Piano songs nearly vanished, but a few directors added it when they wanted to build an aura of the past. Parineeta can be cited as a good example of such an inclusion. In the noughties, when the rhythm and beats dominated again, the melody was forced on a backfoot. Still a few melodious compositions were released.
Would you add Piano songs of your choice within the timeline? I’m sure a lot many songs are still to be added.
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Mehfil Mein Meri, claims no credit for any image, screenshots or songs posted on this site. Images on this blog are posted to make the text interesting. The images and screenshots are the copyright of their original owners. The song links are shared from YouTube, only for the listening convenience of music lovers. The copyright of these songs vests with the respective owners, producers and music companies.