Do you ever have a song, an idea, a storyline, or an image stuck in your head? And it just refuses to go away? For some time at least? I have this with music—it could be a song, an instrumental piece, a jingle, etc. This becomes my ‘now’ song, and the “nowness” (pardon my English here) could be for any length of time.
My now song is “Apni toh har aah ik toofan hai” sung by Mohammad Rafi to music set by S.D. Burman for the 1960 film Kala Bazaar featuring Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman.
About two nights back, Amma and I were watching a “retro Hindi film music” show on a music channel on TV. The songs being played were from the B&W films of the 1950s and 1960s, with many of the songs featuring Dev Anand. The song selection was so good that we kept postponing going to bed, and it was midnight when we finally switched off the TV.
But then, as it usually happens after a good music session, we stayed up for quite some time talking about old Hindi film music, in general, and songs featuring Dev Anand, in particular. We hummed and sang our favourite Dev Anand songs for a bit (Amma’s is “Tere mere sapne” from Guide and mine is “Apni toh har aah ik toofan hai” from Kala Bazaar). By the time we went to bed, it was nearly 1.30 am, and when we woke up at 7.00 am, it was to the news of Dev Anand’s demise. I can’t tell how strange we felt about our musical night; it was almost as if we knew what was going to happen.
And now, I have all Dev Anand’s songs playing like a non-stop record in my mind, with this particular song playing more than the others. It’s mellow, romantic melody is simply unmatchable and to me it is like Dev Anand himself—timeless and eternal.
R.I.P. Dev Anand.
My Favourite Things 
That must sure have been spooky. This song is great but I like the Maya song ‘Koi sone ka dilwala,’ and ‘Bambai ka babu song ‘saathi na koi manzil,’ better and all the Funtoosh songs.
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I like those songs too, but somehow I feel that “Apni toh har aah…” is Dev Anand himself. And another favourite is “Aise toh na dekho…” Sigh ! such beautiful, beautiful songs
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Music has always been an important part of Dev Anand’s films. It’s fresh even today. Who can forget the music in Guide?
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Gaata rahe mera dil… Somehow, whenever I hear this song it is always Dev Anand who comes to mind and not Waheeda. 🙂
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Likewise. I saw Sharabi starring Dev and Madhubala just a little while back. The movie had some scintillating songs. I just can’t get Dev out of my head.
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Welcome here Ava, and thank you so much for stopping by and commenting. There is something about the music of the 1950s and the 1960s, which can never go away and Dev Anand was in some of its most melodious ones, wasn’t he? 🙂
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Apni toh har aah is one of my favorites, though I think I prefer Tum to dile ke taar chedkar – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRrFPnPflzo a little bit more.
I loved Dev saab, will continue to love him for the rest of my life. He was such a charming man and played such a romantic. Somewhere deep down where 16 year old Meera lives on, he’ll live on as the Prince Charming she waits for.
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Tum to dil ke taar chhedkar is also one of my favourites. But I think that I like all of Dev Anand’s B&W songs, every romantic number. When ever I watch “Khwaab ho tum ya koi hakeeqat kaun ho tum batlaao” from Teen Deviyaan, I feel that he is singing it for me ! 😀
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Sudha,
Aapne mere muh ki baat cheen lee. Khwab ho tum is again one of my favorites and yes, it does seem like he’s singing it to the one listening to him 🙂
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🙂
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Eternal is right… Dev Ji’s musical memories will live on forever. We heard the shocker on FM yesterday, right after another beautiful song -.”main zindagi ka saath…”
My pick is the music from Guide.
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My mother loves all the songs from “Guide”; I like them too, though I prefer his B&W songs. But B&W or colour, Dev Anand is eternal
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This evergreen hero will live forever in the hearts and minds of the audience; his charm and creativity will surely inspire the greations to come. Long live R.I.P. Dev Anand’s glory!!!
From: http://www.sriramnivas.com
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Yes, Sriramniwas. I believe that he will live forever in the hearts and minds of even those generations who will never have known him, the way we have.
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You paid prescient tribute to the inimitable legend. It does happen,the persistent playback at the back your mind.
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Thanks, Umashankar. Glad you were able to understand this persistent playback happening in my mind 🙂
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Beautiful song, and I like your blog. I think I got here while looking for reviews of kathak performances (and I think you have one somewhere, but I’ve been hopping around, so I’m not sure where now). I also was very intrigued by your post on the social movements calendar. That looks good.
But it’s natural that I finally kind of settled on these Hindi song posts. I myself have a blog that has been devoted to Vintage and Golden Age Indian film/music/dance for at least the past few years. (It was originally broader, but then I fell in love with this stuff. And, BTW, I’m not from anywhere in India, I’m from The Bronx.)
If you’re exploring old Dev Anand songs and films, I hope you’ve gone back into the 40s, too. Especially the songs with Suraiya – her singing was so nice! As was her screen presence. I’ve put a scene from a Dev-Suraiya film in my image header and there are some interesting (I think) Dev-Suraiya screen caps in one of my recent posts.
But maybe you’ve already been to my blog…or to others that I visit. I see above that you have a comment from Ava! Hi, Ava! Ah, well, it’s a small world after all. (Now there’s a song that’s gotten stuck in my head many times. LOL)
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Welcome here, Richard, and thank you for stopping by an commenting. I love old hindi songs and everything associated with them. For me it is not just nostalgia, it is a genre of music that I like and enjoy and yes, even sing sometimes.
I have not visited your blog before and am heading over there to remedy that oversight right away 🙂
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