Tip tip tip tip baarish… Top ten baarish (rain) songs from Bollywood

A true Bollywood fan sees the rain as a harbinger of happiness, prosperity, harmony and romance.

By SHRADDHA ARJUN

Rain, rain, go away, come again another day! It has been two weeks of rain and flooding for us Sydneysiders. Colourful umbrellas jostle for space on wet sidewalks, trains are damp and even more uncomfortable than normal, and roads sprout fresh potholes everyday. It is an effort for most people to be up and ready to go to work, and sick calls must surely on the rise.

It’s nowhere near as romantic as baarish (rain) in Bollywood…

Aah, for Bollywood baarish! The plain chiffon sari, the drenched dancers, the relationships that begin… Over multiple cups of home-style Indian chai, a filmi friend and I spent a very unproductive afternoon trying to list Bollywood’s baarish (rain) numbers.

There were so many songs to choose from - some beautiful, some racy and some plain outrageous. Eliminating the obscene ones we came to a consensus about our list of all-time classic songs shot in the rain.

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RD Burman’s last - and perhaps one of his best - compositions, is the song from Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 1942 Love Story, Rim Jhim Rim Jhim. The song is perhaps one of the most melodious tracks ever composed.

Kavita Krishnamurty and Kumar Sanu at their best, Kavita went on to win the National Award that year for Pyaar Hua Chupke Se from the same film. Set in the ‘40s Manisha Koirala looks very chic in her yellow sari and puff sleeved blouse, while Anil Kapoor looks young and innocent in his very British attire. Shot in the midst of pouring rain in a beautiful glasshouse, this song is a pleasure to watch. Epic film with epic songs indeed!

Here’s a song that dominated the charts in 1998. Saawan Barse Tarse

Dil continues to remain one of the most romantic baarish songs from Hindi films, with Sonali Bendre and Akshay Khanna braving it in the rain to see each other. While Sonali tries to take a taxi and gets stuck in a typical traffic jam, Akshay tries to get a rickshaw that gets stuck in a puddle of muddy water. Akshay manages to get a ride by on a road roller, then on a milkman’s bicycle and then he manages to hold on to a truck as it slowly drives through the undulating roads of Mumbai. The lovers get splashed by passing vehicles several times before they finally manage to meet each other outside a beautiful church, and show no signs of irritation at the attempts of the rain to keep them apart! The song was perhaps the only highlight of the film Dahek that was declared a flop in 1998, and is definitely one of the best duets of Hariharan and Alka Yagnik composed by Anand Milind.

Subhash Ghai’s Taal had many beautiful songs composed by AR Rahman, with Taal Se Taal Milao being shot in the rain. An absolutely ravishing Aishwarya Rai is dressed in all-white here. Set against the backdrop of the magnificent mountains, the terrain is soaked up in rain, all colours saturated and enhanced because of the diffusion of light. Amidst the romantic surroundings is Aishwarya cavorting with her friends in the rainfall, while Akshay Khanna stealthily tries to capture a few shots of Aishwarya. Yet another hit number for Alka Yagnik, who was nominated for a Filmfare Award for it.

Alka has the most number of nominations in this category surpassing many legends such as Asha Bhonsle, Lata Mangeshkar and many more. The film was perhaps AR Rahman’s biggest hit after Roja and Rangeela which marked his foray into Bollywood. It is definitely one of his best albums till date.

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With the NRI population on the increase, film makers hailing from the Indian community have managed to capture the hearts of a wider audience. Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding is one such film that is based on a wedding in India shot during the monsoons. The song that I have chosen for the second spot is arguably one of the most popular Punjabi folk songs ever composed. It is Rabba Rabba Mee Barsa, skilfully rendered by the brilliant Sukhwinder Singh. The song has beautiful lyrics about farmers and the rain and prosperity. What Mira Nair chooses to show in the film while the song plays in the background, is the chaos in the city of Delhi during the rains. The urchins getting soaked willingly, schoolkids in colourful raincoats crossing the street, street vendors rushing to their destinations and a middle class family of five trying to fit onto one scooter! The song is played again to keep the audiences glued to their seats as the credits roll at the end.

One of my favourite baarish number has to be Jhuti Muti Mitwa, with the ethereal Dimple Kapadia dancing in the rain. She is woken up gently by the raindrops that fall on her face through the thatched roof. Unmindful of the leakage in the house, she rushes out into the courtyard to greet the monsoon and dance with abandon! This song is probably one of the lightest and most cheerful moments in an otherwise gloomy and remorseful film. Lata Mangashkar’s voice suits the rustic appearance of Dimple Kapadia her to a T. The song, beautifully composed by Bhupen Hazarika, definitely brings in a moment of joy to the film made by a group of feminists (for feminists, perhaps). This great song with excellent lyrics helps to bring the character of Shanichari (Dimple’s character) to life. The Kalpana Lajmi film that brought Dimple Kapadia her national award in 1993, Rudaali is truly a classic with many haunting scores, with this one being the most charming of songs filmed in

Next in line has to be Panchamda’s classic Rim Jhim Gire Sawan, with the Big B and the petite Moushmi Chaterjee. Its beauty lies in the fact that it is shot so casually, with absolutely no pretentions whatsoever. Amitabh is dressed in a suit fit for a business meeting and Moushmi looks more than comfortable in her simple blue sari! They walk along the streets of Mumbai,

Shreya Ghoshal’s enchanting voice adds to the melody of the very energetic AR Rahman composition, Barso Re Megha Megha. The gorgeous Aishwarya Rai in traditional Gujrati attire, is simply a visual treat. Filmed nowhere near Gujarat, this song is a pleasure to watch. Some very risky shots of Aishwarya Rai braving it in the rain on top of slippery stones and cliffs by the waterfall, and rowing through flooding rivers conveys the slip into puddles and get drenched in numerous ways. They seem absolutely oblivious to vehicles splashing water on them, and the flooding pavements and walkways. And when Amitabh throws wet currency notes out of his pocket with no regrets, it is liberating… money is not everything in life, is it?! The song makes me yearn for those simpler times, before the Internet and the information overflow. Truly evergreen! true spirit of the song. Cut to the scene where she decides to elope with her lover: riding a bicycle she leaves for the railway station full of hopes and aspirations… the scene speaks volumes about the character she plays in the film. Loosely based on the life of the business magnet Dhirubhai Ambani, Manirathnam’s Guru is an excellent film with beautiful songs.

This Panchamda song has been remixed several times and has always been a hit. Bheegi Bheegi Raaton Mein is perhaps one of the most popular songs about the rain. The original song has Rajesh Khanna and Zeenat Aman, on an open terrace dancing away to glory in the pouring rain! This 1974 flick Ajnabee had many beautiful songs in it, like Hum Dono Do Premi and Ek Ajnabi Haseena Se The film itself explored several interesting subjects. Those were the times perhaps when content was important even for a commercially successful film. The remix of the song by Leslie Lewis did quite well in the ‘90s; it had the stunning Anupama Sharma in the middle of a snow storm.

The Number 1 baarish song has definitely got to be from the golden era of film making. You can’t go past the mentor of Bollywood Raj Kapoor and his special lady Nargis, in Pyaar Hua Ikraar Hua. Shot in pouring rain, this song is a true classic and an example of how songs were filmed in the ‘50s. Kapoor’s character is undoubtingly heavily influenced by Charlie Chaplin’s “Little Tramp”. The music was composed by Shankar Jaikishan, and other songs from the film also became hugely popular, with the list including that all-time favourite Mera Joota Hai Japani, probably one of the most popular patriotic songs ever composed We have always associated Mukesh’s voice with Raj Kapoor; however this particular song in the rain is a duet featuring Manna Dey and Lata Mangeshkar. The song has many metaphors, but the lines Main na rahoongi, tum na rahoge, phir bhi rahengi nishaaniyaan, is worth a mention. Did Raj Kapoor know at that point of time that his legacy would continue with the generations that followed? Or did it simply mean that Nargis was pointing out that she wanted to settle down with Raj and have his children? The elusive love affair between the two on and off screen has been a matter of interest to many fans till date.

Saanson Ko Saason Mein Dhalne Do Zara, from the film Hum Tum is probably one of the few slow songs shot in the rain. Alka Yagnik managed to win a Filmfare Award for this one. The movie was a milestone for Saif Ali Khan; the coveted National Award was given to him for his role in this 2004 hit. The song is shot on a quiet night in Mumbai. As Rani and Saif walk under the same umbrella, they come across three couples. The first one is a fun loving Anglo Indian couple, the second a married couple with a pregnant wife and the third is a passionate young couple. Rani imagines Saif Ali Khan and her to be in place of the three couples and fantasizes about being in love with Saif. Saif on the other hand is slightly drunk and up to some kind of mischief throughout the song. The song ends with them walking slowly back home.

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While I have stayed away from the sensuous baarish numbers filled with jhatkas and pelvic thrusts, who can forget the racy numbers that had the likes of Sridevi and Raveena Tandon soaked up in the rain in the ‘90s? Now that list is endless! Rating it would be almost next to impossible.

Like a true Bollywood fan, I see the rain as a harbinger of happiness, prosperity, harmony and romance. However at this juncture I would probably sing Kaale megha kaale megha, Aur paani mat barsao, chale jao!