Monsoon medley
A look at some of the most memorable 'rain songs' in Bollywood movies:
Pyar hua iqrar hua (Shri 420)
Possibly the most iconic image that springs from Bollywood's sepia-toned past is that of Raj Kapoor and Nargis under an umbrella.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. In Shri 420, director Raj Kapoor positioned the monsoons as a natural backdrop for the romance between a shy schoolteacher (Nargis) and a good-hearted tramp (Raj Kapoor). Romance underlined the scene in which they go from sharing a cup of chai to sharing an umbrella while singing to Shailendra's simple lines.
Kapoor's rain-lashed scene further added to the depth of feeling. This Lata-Manna Dey song captured the Cupid-like role played by monsoon.
Umad ghumad kar aayi re ghata (Do Aankhen Barah Haath)
The monsoons besides stimulating budding romances for city folk, also holds special significance for the farmers.
In the V Shantaram epic (Do Aankhen...), the arrival of the monsoon is celebrated by a reformist man with a mission (Shantaram), a woman (Sandhya), two untidy kids and 12 convicts because it means they can reap a good crop of vegetables from a barren land.
Ek ladki bheegi bhaagi si (Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi)
The seductive potential of rain songs is well exploited in Indian cinema, and who makes a better visual in a soaked sari than the ever-radiant Madhubala? In this whacky comedy (Chalti Ka...), she played a rich girl whose car breaks down on a stormy night near a mechanic's (Kishore Kumar) garage.
The mechanic can't resist flirting outrageously and pretty soon he is crooning to the sneezing-and-scowling beauty in his smooth, rich voice.
O sajna barkha bahaar ayee (Parakh)
Salil Chowdhury's orchestration captured the rhythm of trickling rain. There is a reason why Lata Mangeshkar always picks O sajna barkha bahar... as one of her favourites.
Besides the excellent sitar pieces rippling through the song, what added to this number's appeal is the visual of a young, de-glamourised yet gorgeous Sadhana eloquently watching the rain from under a canopy.
...Yeh mausam aur yeh duuri (Roti Kapda Aur Makaan)
The idea of a rain song as a siren call arguably reached its peak with Zeenat Aman's sensuous moves. Actor-director Manoj Kumar played the sorely tempted boyfriend who can't afford to be with the object of his affection (Zeenat) in the rain, as he has to appear for a much-needed job interview.
Zeenat's drenched look and unruly sari set a trend that is followed by actresses to this date; be it Sushmita Sen or Aishwarya Rai.
Megha re megha (Lamhe)
Yash Chopra's filming of this song captured the traditional Indian greeting of the monsoons. There's the quintessential mango orchard, Sridevi and her friends frolicking around a swing -- like mythical nymphs in some classic painting. Lata's voice in the Shiv Hari song was counterbalanced by Ila Arun's rustic crooning to achieve a heady mix.
Rimjhim rimjhim (1942: A Love Story)
Just as a young, freshly scrubbed Manisha Koirala collected the raindrops in her sari and splashed Anil Kapoor with them in this number, the audience too felt the refreshing appeal of the song.
The film's music set the highpoint of its era. Javed Akhtar's rich lyrics were much appreciated. And, of course, this was RD Burman's swan song. Fittingly, the maestro had a memorable monsoon melody in his last offering.
Bhaage re man (Chameli)
The under-utilised Sandesh Shandilya spins a delicate melody that reflects the state of mind of a young Mumbai sex-worker (Kareena Kapoor). The city's torrential downpour brings unexpected joy to the streetwalker's life and she takes full advantage of it, splashing around in her famous red-and-blue sari. The song captures her feeling of being ecstatic. She loses herself to the experience and mocks her new acquaintance (Rahul Bose), who prefers to stay dry.
The song ends with an unforgettable image of Kareena prancing joyously towards an unknown future -- letting the audience know that even the most ill-fated of God's creations take time off from their miseries to enjoy the rain.