My 10 Most Memorable Hindustani Movie Songs from my childhood

1. Chalo dildar chalo (Pakeezah; Mohamed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2bl57tFlLQ

Memories: the hot sun, the strong smell of summer fruits (mangoes, karundas (corrindacs sp.?), jamblons, caramboles, bilimbis) the sounds and smells of the sea, the breeze through the filaos. The old Philips radio blaring these songs. This is Melville Road, Grand Gaube; my infanthood. Happy days, surrounded by a lot of adults. Early memories.

2. Teri duniya se door (Zabak; Mohamed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNxbAXlFBuQ

See above, #1. For some reason, I am reminded of TiBap every time I hear this song. This fellah was strong as an ox, and I guess because I first heard him mention Mahipal, the actor in this movie, I always associate TiBap with this song. It also reminds of Capo who had by then left for England.

3. Diye jal te hain (Namak Haram: Kishore Kumar)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwgsJellqdE&feature=fvw

This one goes back to Beau Bois Road, Bon Accueil, first time I moved in my life. Joe of course, mentioned this film - he probably saw it at the movie. But this song captured the mood of those days, when it rained more often, and the sky was greyer than in Grand Gaube.

4. Sawan ka mahina (Milan: Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSqwfhYAoxs

Beautiful song which sends me back to the peiod when I was 7-10 years old.

5. Kai sadiyon se (Milap: Mukesh)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPVcGGu_luY

This one reminds me of my early teens. And for some reason, my cousin Miko (Vikash Peerthum), cause he could sing this, even a child, correctly.

6. Yeh duniya yeh mehfil (Heer Ranjha; Mohamed Rafi)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbxP-Kd24mM

The sunny days of my childhood in Bon Accueil. Wathcing this movie on a Saturday afternoon filled me with sorrow and left me with a heavy heart. The transition of Raj Kumar's youthful looks to a bearded, unkempt wanderer aptly captures the passage of time - a vision that has endured with me for thirty odd years.

7. Din jhal jaye (Guide; Mohamed Rafi)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64wIAbFDdO8

I always knew this song, but never knew where it came from. The despondency in the lyrics and the music somehow intrigued me.

8. Maine poocha chand se (Abdullah; Mohamed Rafi)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leRDOA0pOwA
My early teens and my first year in secondary school (Royal College Port Louis). Buses used to boom music in their systems back in the day and this is just a beautiful song. It reminds me of Ajit Peerthum - he liked and could sing this song and he was is still singing it four years later in 1984.

9. Kia hoowa tera vaada (Hum kisi se kam nahin; Mohamed Rafi)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD_YVdD8tlQ

This one reminds me of my last year in Primary School, and that memorable one week school trip in a retreat at Anse La Raie. Boodhooa, who still lives in Bon Accueil, sang it live in front of 200 kids in a song competition. I always remind him of this whenever I see him (last I saw him was 10 years ago). This was also one that got massive airplay in the buses for the next three or four years. The song also reminds me of the walk in the sunny afternoons back home from school, through the fields, the grass and the locusts, butterflies and birds.

10. Aye mere dil kahin aur chal (Daag; Talat Mahmood)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSo_CmveMek&feature=related

This one reminds of early mornings when it was still dark and my Father would wake up to get ready for work. The voice of Talat distilled through the trusted Philips (see above) in the early hours.