Top 20 Bollywood Duets Composed by Anu Malik

Anu Malik remained a popular composer of Bollywood throughout 1990s and first half of 2000s, before his career started to decline. Click here to read my list on Top 100 Chartbusters of Anu Malik, apart from a bunch of songs for your playlist. When it comes to his duets, he extensively used Alka Yagnik’s voice to record some of the best duets of 1990s with Kumar Sanu or Udit Narayan, and after the career beginning of Shreya Ghoshal in the early 2000s, he recorded some solos and duets with this versatile singer, mostly alongside Sonu Nigam. Here is my top pick of Top 20 Duets Composed by Anu Malik, and what I feel is, he recorded more successful duets than solos, and often used back voices to enhance the quality.

1. Baazigar O Baazigar from Baazigar – Baazigar was the first major hit of Anu Malik’s career, and hence let us begin our list of Anu Malik duets with the first ever recorded romantic song of Bollywood’s best onscreen couple – Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. All its songs were extremely melodious and huge blockbusters too. Anu Malik received his first Filmfare award for best compositions of Baazigar for the year 1993, and both the singers – Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik received nomination for this particular song too. Nawab Arzoo penned the lyrics of this title track.

2. Palkein Ho Khuli Ya Bandh from Takkar – Year 1995 remained a very successful year for Anu Malik, who composed many romantic tunes the same year. This soft number sung by Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik is my top favorite song from the album, though Aankhon Mein Baso Ho was the biggest chartbuster from the album. The song featuring Suniel Shetty and Sonali Bendre was penned by Rani Malik.

3. Mere Humsafar from Refugee – The film compositions gave Anu Malik his first National award, and also a special mention at Filmfare. All the songs, mostly recorded in Sonu Nigam & Alka Yagnik’s voice were extremely popular, and this one too. There was not even a single solo track in the whole album. The song featured Abhishek Bachchan and Kareena Kapoor in a romantic mood, and Refugee marked the onscreen debut of both these actors too. Javed Akhtar penned the lyrics of all its songs, including this one.

Mere Humsafar is definitely one of the finest compositions of Anu Malik’s career, but not a fresh tune. Its mukda is loosely inspired from Main Tumhari Ragini Tum Geet Ho from Roop Sundari composed by his father Sardar Malik, who also remained a successful composer in the Bollywood yesterdays. The movie also included – Taal Pe Jab Yeh, Panchi Nadiyaan & Aisa Lagta Hai, a series of finest duets sung by Sonu Nigam & Alka Yagnik.      

4. Kyon Phoolon Se from Kambakkht Ishq – Kambakkht Ishq remains one of his best works, while the composer was going through the low phase of his career in the second half of 2000s. This sad song featuring Kareena Kapoor and Akshay Kumar was rendered by Shaan & Shreya Ghoshal. It’s hard to imagine the swing of Anu Malik tunes to both extremes, from soft numbers to fast beats, all included in a single album and Kyon Phoolon Se is the best instance that he is a master of true melodies as well. Anvita Dutt Guptan wrote its lyrics.

5. Jaane Mujhe Kya Hua from Baazi – Fur Elise of Beethoven – his masterpiece work has been used multiple times on Indian screen, and this is one such beautiful instance. Anu Malik gave a Bollywood touch to the composition, and made it true desi. Aamir was known as a chocolate hero long back in mid-1990s, when he romanced Mamta Kulkarni onscreen in this movie. The duet sung by Udit Narayan and Sadhana Sargam was extremely popular too. Majrooh Sultanpuri and Anwar Sagar penned the lyrics of its songs.

6. Dheere Dheere Aap Mere from Baazi – The movie also included one more very popular duet sung by Udit Narayan and Sadhana Sargam – Dheere Dheere Aap Mere. The song is lovely filmed too.

7. Meri Zindagi Mein Ajnabee from Ajnabee – Anu Malik composed music for all the movies of Kareena Kapoor released in 2000 and 2001, since her debut film Refugee, and the only exception is Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, where Kareena played a supporting role. One of the earliest romantic tracks sung by Sunidhi Chauhan too, she sang this duet aside Kumar Sanu. All the lyrics of the movie are penned by Sameer, and this particular romantic track was picturized on Bobby Deol and Kareena Kapoor. Mohabbat Naam Hai Jiska was yet another popular duet of same pair, sung by Alka Yagnik and Kumar Sanu.

8. Mein Hoon Na from Mein Hoon Na – Anu Malik earned his second Filmfare award for best music for the songs of Mein Hoon Na, and its title track sung by Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal is a finest tune indeed. The composer truly deserves accolades for the compositions of the album. The song featuring Shah Rukh Khan, Amrita Rao and Zayed Khan was penned by Javed Akhtar. Tumhe Jo Meine Dekha was yet another chartbuster duet song from the same album.

9. Raja Ko Rani Se from Akele Hum Akele Tum – The romantic songs of Akele Hum Akele Tum were huge chartbusters and immensely popular still now, and Anu Malik earned a nomination at Filmfare awards for best music. Yet most of the compositions were either copied or inspired, for which the composer was criticized badly. This particular track was inspired from Slash – Godfather Theme. The opening music also took inspiration from a romantic background score of 1980s movie, Yadon Ki Kasam starring Mithun Chakraborty and Zeenat Aman. 

Raja Ko Rani Se is the top romantic song of the album, featuring the lead pair Aamir Khan and Manisha Koirala, and lyrics authored by Majrooh Sultanpuri. For its rendition, both Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik, earned a Filmfare nomination each in best playback singer category.

10. Raah Mein Unse from Vijaypath – This romantic duet sung by Alka Yagnik and Kumar Sanu is my top pick from the album. Alka bagged a Filmfare nomination for its rendering. Filmed on Tabu and Ajay Devgan, Raah Mein Unse was authored by Zameer Kazmi.

11. Sandese Aate Hain from Border – This particular song is not a romantic duet, but an anthem dedicated to Indian soldiers sung by Roop Kumar Rathod and Sonu Nigam, who received a Filmfare nomination, alongside its music composer in two music categories. Javed Akhtar won both National award and Filmfare awards for its lines written with inner sight.

12. Aaja Mahiya from Fiza – This particular romantic duet sung by Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik is my top pick from the album. The song featured Neha aside Hrithik Roshan, and was well appreciated for its tune as well as dance steps. When the song was pictured, Hrithik was only a newcomer whose Kaho Na Pyar Hai was yet to release, and when this particular song got released, Neha got very much thrilled, who was only a few films old in Bollywood. Hrithik was already a big star when Aaja Mahiya got released. Yet the movie couldn’t propel the career of Neha, who played a brief role in the film. Gulzar got nominated in Filmfare awards for best lyrics.

13. Tu Hawa Hai from Fiza – This soft romantic track sung by Sonu Nigam and Alka Yagnik was filmed on Karishma Kapoor and Bikram Saluja. Sonu Nigam earned a Filmfare nomination for best playback singer while Anu Malik also earned a nomination for its music. It was year 2000 which began the successful collaboration of Sonu Nigam and Alka Yagnik for romantic duets, which continued for a few more years, and Anu Malik also played a magnificent role in it. Gulzar penned the lyrics for this title track.

14. Title track from Soldier – Soldier is regarded as one of the finest works of Anu Malik’s musical journey, and the album did exceptionally well. He also earned a Filmfare nomination for its compositions. All the songs were filmed on Preity Zinta and Bobby Deol, and it was not an easy task to choose one or two songs for this list. Mehfil Mein Baar Baar, Nayyo Nayyo, Sona Sona, Mere Dil Jigar Se etc are other popular duets from the album. Sameer penned the lyrics and this title track was sung by Kumar Sanu & Alka Yagnik.

15. Hai Mera Dil from Josh – My top pick song from the album, the romantic song featuring Aishwaya Rai and Chandrachur Singh was penned by Sameer and sung by Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik. Alka received a Filmfare nomination for its rendering. The song has drawn inspirations from Gypsy Kings’ Djobi Djoba and Brian Hyland’s ‘Sealed with a kiss’, though he has made the song his own. Haare Haare Dil Haare is yet another popular duet from the album sung by Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik, featuring the same pair.

16. Taare Hai Baarati from Virasat – The song featuring Anil Kapoor and Pooja Bhatra cherishes the marriage dreams of a girl, and beautifully filmed too. Jaspinder Narula’s voice also played a magnificent role in making this song such a huge hit, and propelled the career of Pooja Bhatra who marked her debut with this movie. Kumar Sanu provided the male voice and Javed Akhtar wrote the lines.

17. Chhup Gaya from Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hain – Kumar Sanu & Anuradha Paudwal sang three duets from the film, while this song was recorded in the voices of Udit Narayan & Alka Yagnik. All the duets from the film featuring Anil Kapoor and Kajol were extremely popular. Sameer penned the lyrics.

18. Kasam Ki Kasam from Mein Prem Ki Diwani Hoon – After the song ‘Raat Ka Nasha’ composed by Anu Malik for Kareena Kapoor clicked in music market, Anu Malik exclusively used Chithra’s voice to record all the songs of Mein Prem Ki Diwani Hoon for Kareena two years later. The beautiful lyrics penned by Dev Kohli became the highlight of the song, and got well noticed. The song featured all the lead actors – Kareena Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan and Abhishek Bachchan, and Shaan became the ghost voice of Abhishek Bachchan.

19. Chura Lo Na Dil Mera from Kareeb – Anu Malik introduced Sanjeevani through Kareeb, and when she became the voice of newcomer Neha with fresh looks, the songs garnered positive reviews from all corners. This lovely pictured song was uniquely tuned and written too. Bobby Deol lip-synced to Kumar Sanu for this duet written by Rahat Indori. Chori Chori Jab Nazrein Mili was also equally popular sung by Sanu and Sanjeevani.

20. Churake Dil Mera from Mein Khiladi Mein Anari – Now it’s time to wind up the list of popular duets of Anu Malik. Let us finish it off with this popular duet sung by Kumar Sanu & Alka Yagnik. One of the finest romantic tunes ever composed by the composer, the song was beautifully filmed on Akshay Kumar and Shilpa Shetty, who were them in a rumoured relationship. Anu Malik earned a Filmfare nomination for its compositions, and Rani Malik penned the lyrics. Anu Malik reused the tune of Antara to compose Sambhala Hai Maine from Naaraaz the same year, and the song too was popular.

A few more popular duets of Anu Malik – E Mere Humsafar from Baazigar, Taal Se Jab, Panchi Nadiyan and Aisa Lagta Hai from Refugee, Aaj Humein Maloom Hua from Aa Gale Lag Jaa, Dil Kehta Hai from Akele Hum Akele Tum, Payali Chunmun from Virasat, Hameshaa Hameshaa from Hameshaa, Khatey Hain Kasam from Prem Aggan, Aate Jaate Jo Milta Hai from Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega, Milne Se Darta Hai Dil from Badal, Dil Mera Akela from Mela, Chanda Tara from Yadein, Roshini Se from Asoka, Title Track of Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, Chori Chori from Om Jai Jagadish, Teri Zindagi Mein Pyar Hai & Raag Banke from Badhaai Ho Badhaai and many more.

Read a few more interesting articles about the celebrated music composer of 1990s – Anu Malik