Top 10 Bollywood songs of Lata Mangeshkar penned by Hasrat Jaipuri

Lyricist Hasrat Jaipuri’s name is associated with Shankar-Jaikishan’s name always, whose top choice for female vocalist was one and only Lata Mageshkar. As SJ remained the most successful and popular composer of 1950s and 1960s and Lata Mangeshkar remained the most successful female voice of the era, many hit songs are born in this combination. Also around 90% of Shankar-Jaikishan songs were penned by Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri. Obviously Lata Mangeshkar and Hasrat Jaipuri combination has some of the amazing songs of the era.

Hasrat Jaipuri’s first song ever and SJ’s debut tune, Jiya Bekarar Hai from 1949 movie – Barsat was recorded in Lata Mangeshkar’s voice. From there on, an iconic era of their combination songs were born. Apart from a few years in the mid-1960s when Lata Mangeshkar hesitated to work with SJ and to record duets with Mohammed Rafi during her peak years, some of the finest songs of Hasrat Jaipuri were recorded in other singer voices by SJ. Also read: Top 50 songs of Hasrat Jaipuri.

In this column, I shall list 10 of the best Hasrat Jaipuri songs recorded in Lata Mangeshkar’s voice. They are only my personal favourites, and not the list of 10 best Lata songs. Apart from SJ songs, a few gems have been tuned by S. D. Burman, Ramlal and Ravindra Jain, and I have sorted the songs based on the year of release. It was unintentional. But all the 10 chosen songs are Lata Mangeshkar solos, though a couple of them have male versions too.

1. Rasik Balamaa Haay Dil Kyon Lagaayaa Tose from Chori Chori (Composer – Shankar Jaikishan) Year: 1956

This sad song featuring Nargis is one of my top favourite Lata Mangeshkar songs, and Hasrat’s poetic lyrics hold a special beauty for sure. Definitely, it’s one of the top melodies of golden era of 1950s. Panchhi Banoo Udti Phiroon is a popular solo sung by Lata and penned by Hasrat for the movie.

2. Ja Ja Ja Mere Bachpan from Junglee (Composer – Shankar Jaikishan) Year: 1961

The movie marked acting debut of Saira Banu, and Ja Ja Ja Mere Bachpan is her introduction song. She played an innocent Kashmiri girl in this movie. Ehsaan Tera Hoga, Din Saara Gusara and Kashmir Ki Kali are other Lata tracks of the album, penned by Hasrat Jaipuri.

3. Pankh Hote To Ud Aati Re from Sehra (Composer – Ramlal) Year: 1963

This purely classical based tune is one of the finest works of Lata Mangeshkar’s career, and still loved by many. This dance sequence was filmed on Sandhya, and she explores different poses of a flying bird in this song. All the songs of the movie were penned by Hasrat Jaipuri, who worked with Ramlal for two of his finest projects – Sehra and Geet Gaaya Patharon Ne. ‘Tum To Pyar Ho’ – a duet of Rafi and Lata filmed on less-known actor Prashant and Sandhya also became extremely popular.

4. Yeh Meri Zindagi from Ziddi (Composer – S. D. Burman) Year: 1964

Ziddi was the second and last work of Hasrat Jaipuri with S. D. Burman after the big success of ‘Tere Ghar Ke Samne’, and Lata Mangeshkar was the female voice for both these musical albums. In this particular song, almost towards the film climax, to break engagement with Joy Mukherjee, Asha Parekh acts as if she is drunk, and through words she tells that she wants to live a free life as she wishes. Lyrics contributed by Hasrat are apt for the storyline and the situation of the song. Raat Ka Sama – another popular song sung by Lata, a dance number filmed on Asha Parekh was also penned by Hasrat.

5. Unki Pahli Nazar Kya Asar from April Fool (Composer – Shankar Jaikishan) Year: 1964

In an interview, Lata Mangeshkar told that she feels her voice suits best for Saira Banu. True or not, Lata’s voice was predominantly used to record songs of Saira Banu by all music composers in the 1960s. Actor Biswajeet also features in this romantic song aside Saira. Yet another popular song of Lata Mangeshkar-Hasrat Jaipuri combination filmed on Saira Banu is Unse Mili Nazar from Jhuk Gaya Asman. SJ composed the music this song too, and both songs look similar for me often. Lyrics written by Jaipuri too look similar.

6. Ajee Rootkar Ab from Arzoo (Composer – Shankar Jaikishan) Year: 1965

One of the great songs of Lata Mangeshkar ever, Sadhana sync-lips to her voice in this party song. Though she is reluctant to sing in the public, she sings on the special request of her love, Rajendra Kumar. The song also had a male version – Ajee Humse Bachkar in Rafi’s voice. Yet female version became more popular. Hasrat Jaipuri received Filmfare nomination for Best Lyricist for the female version. Bedardi Balma is yet another Lata Mangeshkar solo from the movie, penned by Hasrat Jaipuri.

7. O Mere Shaahe Khuban from Love In Tokyo (Composer – Shankar Jaikishan) Year: 1966

Love in Tokyo is best remembered for the musical compositions and the lead role played by Asha Parekh, which became a rage when the movie got released. This romantic song had two solo renditions featuring the lead pair – Joy Mukherjee and Asha Parekh, and both versions (Rafi and Lata) became equally popular. I think the song was recorded at a time when Rafi and Lata were not in talking terms, and they didn’t record any duet for 6 long years because of some personal indifference related to royalty of songs. If it was a time of today when live orchestra is not common, composers would have separately recorded the voices of both for duets and later mix them. But this technique was not available then.

8. Mujhe Tum Mil Gaye from Love In Tokyo (Composer – Shankar Jaikishan) Year: 1966

This Lata solo featured Asha Parekh aside Joy Mukherjee, Pran and other supporting star cast at the film climax. She is in a happy mood at the beginning of the song on her engagement day, and changes her mood soon after she receives a threatening phone call. Joy Mukherjee is seen playing the piano.

9. Unse Mili Nazar from Jhuk Gaya Aasman (Composer – Shankar Jaikishan) Year: 1968

The movie flopped at box office. But it included some of the popular tracks of 1960s recorded in the voices of Rafi and Lata. Saira Banu lip-syncs to Lata’s voice in this beautiful song in her personal space, while Rajendra Kapoor overhears her singing.

10. Sun Sahiba Sun from Ram Teri Ganga Maili (Composer – Ravindra Jain) Year: 1985

After the flop of Mera Naam Joker and Kal Aaj Kal in the early 1970s, Raj Kapoor didn’t work with SJ-Hasrat team for nearly 15 years. But when he launched his youngest son Rajiv Kapoor through Ram Teri Ganga Maili, he approached Hasrat once again to pen the lyrics for the movie. Raj Kapoor also promised him to offer the project Henna. But following Kapoor’s sudden demise, he lost the project and the composer Ravindra Jain himself penned its lyrics.

The controversial Ram Teri Ganga Maili starred Mandakini and Rajiv Kapoor, and Sun Sahiba Sun is a dance sequence followed by their marriage based on tribal customs. Some online sites claim Ravindra Jain to be the lyricist of Ram Teri Ganga Maili. However I referred Hasrat Jaipuri’s Wikipedia page while preparing this one, and believe it to be true, as Raj Kapoor was alive when he released this film. Ram Teri Ganga Maili includes a few more hit songs, mostly in Lata Mangeshkar’s voice. As I am not sure about the lyricist, I am not mentioning them here.  

I would like to mention a few more Lata Mangeshkar tracks penned by Hasrat Jaipuri

All the songs listed below are composed by Shankar Jaikishan, except Title track from Tere Ghar Ke Samne. The duet version of this song was sung by Rafi and Lata, and composed by S. D. Burman. Almost all songs are exceptionally well and regarded as timeless classics.

1. Bedardi Balma Tujhko from Arzoo

2. Ehsaan Tera Hoga from Junglee

3. Din Saara Guzara from Junglee

4. Kashmir Ki Kali from Junglee

5. Title track from Tere Ghar Ke Samne

6. Jiya Bekaraar Hai from Barsaat

7. Tujhe Jeevan Ki Dor Se Baandh Liya Hai from Asli Naqli

8. Main Kya Karoon Ram from Sangam

9. Sayonara Sayonara from Love In Tokyo

10. Aaja Sanam Madhur Chandani from Chori Chori

11. Masoom Chehara Yeh Kaatil Adaaye from Dil Tera Deewana

12. Hum Tere Pyar Mein from Dil Ek Mandir 

13. Tum Mujhe Yu Bhula Na Paoge from Pagla Kahin Ka

14. Woh Chand Khila Wo Taare Hasse from Anari

15. Main Kamsin Hoon from Ayee Milan Ki Bela

16. Gumnam Hai Koi, Badnam Hai Koi from Gumnaam

17. Is Duniya Mein from Gumnaam

18. Mujhe Kuch Hota Hai from Tumse Accha Kaun Hai

19. Dil Use Do Jo Jaan De De from Andaaz

20. Jiske Sapne Hume Roz Aate Rahe from Geet

Go through the gallery links to read some of the posts of country’s beloved and the celebrated female voice of Hindi cinema – Lata Mangeshkar. Here is the page link. Click on the images to read.