16 April 1853 was the historic date when India's first passenger train journey took place between Bori Bunder in Mumbai and Thane. Covering a distance of 34 kilometres, it was hauled by three locomotives, Sahib, Sindh, and Sultan. Train journeys have a romance of their own.The sing song rhythm, the rumbling, the whistles, the temporary home away from home feeling, interesting co-passengers and countless stations. Yeah, and not to miss the meals.
Remembering the romance of those great train journeys that temporarily took one to seventh heaven on wheels, I bring my 7 favourite train songs:
TRAIN SONG 1: MAIN CHALI MAIN CHALI
The original rebel without a cause of Indian screen. Spontaneous like a wild fire, fun like an adorable buffoon, quicksilver expressions, blazing eyes, the James Dean puff, unmatched sense of rhythm and natural dancing ability, personal style and good looks to boot. He was a live wire, an icon and the most enjoyable and frolicsome face of Hindi movies. Most of his songs had the uncanny knack of transporting us to a better, livelier, happier world. His vibrance crackled on the screen and made movies such fun. There is Kalpana, cute as a button but was a few film wonder and was forgotten. But this is one of her best songs. Perhaps it's just the ambience in the song, the toy train perhaps is from Darjeeling hills. There is a similar train that goes from Kalka to Shimla that also offers a spectacular journey through the hills, quaint tunnels and sleepy little railway stations you want to stop and paint on a canvas or at least capture on camera, as you pass through! I almost get left behind at every station! Absolutely looooove this song written by Shailendra and composed by Shankar Jaikishan.
SONG 2: MERE SAPNON KI RANI
And who is immune to the pulsating charm of this song, written by Anand Bakshi and composed by S D Burman? It has the thrill and adventure of a formula one race, the wide eyed wonder of a toy train, the sing song rhythm of a gushing rail, the shrill exuberance of an echoing mountain whistle, the dependability of a harmonica-playing-cum-meandering-driver buddy, the blossoming beauty of Sharmila(reading Alistair Maclean no less!) and Khanna looking rather dapper in a Nepali cap. Kishore of course is the soul of this song, exhibiting endearing magnetism at its best! During my Chitrahaar childhood, when my best friend and I would actually go to a wishing well and wish for (Lo and behold, nothing out of this world but Dev Anand and Rajesh Khanna songs in the evening!), this lone song could make my whole week like nothing else!!:-)
SONG 3: KASTO MAZZA HAI RAILAIMA
It was almost like history repeating itself when so many years later Parineeta cashed in on that same train magic by placing Sharmila's son Saif Ali Khan on the same train, this time dreamily thinking of his lady love Vidya Balan, who in this movie played the typical Bengali wife in red and white saree, red bindi and the works. This is one of Saif's best roles ever that brought out a very humane, vulnerable and sensitive side of him to the fore. Simply loved his chemistry with Vidya in this. I have somehow lost all his performances ever since as I end up comparing them to this one.
The music by Shantanu Moitra is racy yet traditional. Sonu Nigam( oh what's his latest spelling?) who was at the pinnacle of his career that time, pumps lot of soul into the song. The cute kids on the bus and their chirpy chorus is in Nepali and adds to the appeal and authenticity of the song. Well, come July and I have a trip planned to the Eastern region of India. I am just aching to get onto this train and sing a few songs of my own!
SONG 4: APNI TO HAR AAH IK TOOFAN HAI
Though not one of Rafi's best songs, but what makes this song fun to watch is the situation created and conceptualised. Dev Anand's histrionics too add to the charm. He is obviously fascinated by a beautiful co-passenger such as Waheeda Rehman (Who wouldn't be?) but she is accompanied by her parents. Dev very comically pretends to be singing a prayer addressing God as 'Uparwala' while the sleeping beauty lies peacefully on the top birth! Go ahead enjoy and savour romance, old fashioned style where the hundred impediments to meeting someone were indeed part of the whole charm, I seriously believe that it was the impediments that made people more romantic once upon a time.
And these are different times. We would be ill advised to try singing such songs in moving trains anymore. You could be arrested for sexual harrassment!
SONG 5: SUNIYE KAHIYE
This song though not a typical train song, has some scenes unfolding in a Mumbai local train. Infact the whole story unfolds in these trains. This is one movie I must have watched 50 times and can still catch it if it is coming on TV. Very soft, smooth and comical romance with no starry airs. Amol Palekar, well I loved him for his simplicity and normal-ness. Tina Munim is dewy fresh and oh so innocent. Wonderful character actors in the form of Pearl Padamsee and David, typical Bombay catholic community, their easy going and charming life, makes this movie, 'Baaton Baaton Mein', a real treat. This song by Kishore and Asha sums up the gentle mood of the movie.
Remembering the romance of those great train journeys that temporarily took one to seventh heaven on wheels, I bring my 7 favourite train songs:
TRAIN SONG 1: MAIN CHALI MAIN CHALI
The original rebel without a cause of Indian screen. Spontaneous like a wild fire, fun like an adorable buffoon, quicksilver expressions, blazing eyes, the James Dean puff, unmatched sense of rhythm and natural dancing ability, personal style and good looks to boot. He was a live wire, an icon and the most enjoyable and frolicsome face of Hindi movies. Most of his songs had the uncanny knack of transporting us to a better, livelier, happier world. His vibrance crackled on the screen and made movies such fun. There is Kalpana, cute as a button but was a few film wonder and was forgotten. But this is one of her best songs. Perhaps it's just the ambience in the song, the toy train perhaps is from Darjeeling hills. There is a similar train that goes from Kalka to Shimla that also offers a spectacular journey through the hills, quaint tunnels and sleepy little railway stations you want to stop and paint on a canvas or at least capture on camera, as you pass through! I almost get left behind at every station! Absolutely looooove this song written by Shailendra and composed by Shankar Jaikishan.
SONG 2: MERE SAPNON KI RANI
And who is immune to the pulsating charm of this song, written by Anand Bakshi and composed by S D Burman? It has the thrill and adventure of a formula one race, the wide eyed wonder of a toy train, the sing song rhythm of a gushing rail, the shrill exuberance of an echoing mountain whistle, the dependability of a harmonica-playing-cum-meandering-driver buddy, the blossoming beauty of Sharmila(reading Alistair Maclean no less!) and Khanna looking rather dapper in a Nepali cap. Kishore of course is the soul of this song, exhibiting endearing magnetism at its best! During my Chitrahaar childhood, when my best friend and I would actually go to a wishing well and wish for (Lo and behold, nothing out of this world but Dev Anand and Rajesh Khanna songs in the evening!), this lone song could make my whole week like nothing else!!:-)
SONG 3: KASTO MAZZA HAI RAILAIMA
It was almost like history repeating itself when so many years later Parineeta cashed in on that same train magic by placing Sharmila's son Saif Ali Khan on the same train, this time dreamily thinking of his lady love Vidya Balan, who in this movie played the typical Bengali wife in red and white saree, red bindi and the works. This is one of Saif's best roles ever that brought out a very humane, vulnerable and sensitive side of him to the fore. Simply loved his chemistry with Vidya in this. I have somehow lost all his performances ever since as I end up comparing them to this one.
The music by Shantanu Moitra is racy yet traditional. Sonu Nigam( oh what's his latest spelling?) who was at the pinnacle of his career that time, pumps lot of soul into the song. The cute kids on the bus and their chirpy chorus is in Nepali and adds to the appeal and authenticity of the song. Well, come July and I have a trip planned to the Eastern region of India. I am just aching to get onto this train and sing a few songs of my own!
SONG 4: APNI TO HAR AAH IK TOOFAN HAI
Though not one of Rafi's best songs, but what makes this song fun to watch is the situation created and conceptualised. Dev Anand's histrionics too add to the charm. He is obviously fascinated by a beautiful co-passenger such as Waheeda Rehman (Who wouldn't be?) but she is accompanied by her parents. Dev very comically pretends to be singing a prayer addressing God as 'Uparwala' while the sleeping beauty lies peacefully on the top birth! Go ahead enjoy and savour romance, old fashioned style where the hundred impediments to meeting someone were indeed part of the whole charm, I seriously believe that it was the impediments that made people more romantic once upon a time.
And these are different times. We would be ill advised to try singing such songs in moving trains anymore. You could be arrested for sexual harrassment!
SONG 5: SUNIYE KAHIYE
This song though not a typical train song, has some scenes unfolding in a Mumbai local train. Infact the whole story unfolds in these trains. This is one movie I must have watched 50 times and can still catch it if it is coming on TV. Very soft, smooth and comical romance with no starry airs. Amol Palekar, well I loved him for his simplicity and normal-ness. Tina Munim is dewy fresh and oh so innocent. Wonderful character actors in the form of Pearl Padamsee and David, typical Bombay catholic community, their easy going and charming life, makes this movie, 'Baaton Baaton Mein', a real treat. This song by Kishore and Asha sums up the gentle mood of the movie.
SONG 6: MUJHE TUM YAAD KARNA AUR MUJHKO
Again not a conventional train song but set on a train track and some empty train coaches. But what an original setting. A very tapori looking Anil Kapoor and a radiant Rati Agnihotri look so much at ease romancing here than any remote hill in Switzerland. And imagine it was a Yash Chopra movie! So the maestro knew what he was doing. He did try his hand at realistic settings and it can't get more real than this. Lata and Kishore's vocals and the infectious charm of the two actors as if did not require any more props and the song still resonates with a lot of real love-shove for me. For what is more loving than bidding adieau so fondly and then waiting anxiously for someone to come back. This song is the real deal!
SONG 7: CHAIYYAN CHAIYYAN
Enough said. I guess this is a recent song and everyone knows why it became popular, but why I love it is simply because of Gulzar's lyrics. It was from this song that he carved out a new image for himself, changing with the times, adapting a new idiom, relating to young audiences and yet not letting go of good poetry. So salute to Gulzar Saheb for that. If some of you want to salute Malaika Arora's waist, well totally upto you!! :-)
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