Mukesh sings for Rajesh Khanna

Kishore Kumar was the voice of Rajesh Khanna. But Mukesh and Rafi have sung few songs for him and such great ones at that. I had started this post last month to publish it in the last week of July, somewhere around Mukesh’s birth anniversary and Rafi’s death anniversary.  But like it’s said – waqt se aaghe kabhi kisi ko kuch nahin milta, even a post doesnt get published. Hopefully the list of songs that Rafi has sung for him will be ready by 24th Dec.

Mukesh has sung just a few songs for Kaka. In fact, I can think of only 6 such songs. And I like all of them, so here they are!

1. Maine tere liye hi saat rang ke sapne (Anand, 1971) : What a beautiful song this is! I can never do enough justice to this song by writing anything about it. Rajesh Khanna plays the character of a cancer patient in this movie, he knows he’s going to die and has just a couple of months left to live. But he doesnt let that dampen his spirits. On the contrary, he tries living his life to the fullest. I wont start with the dialogues all over again. I wont be able to stop at one or two if I do. I’ve seen this movie so many times but I was never sure who this song was actually meant for (in fact never thought about it). When he gets his jhola and refers before starting the second antara, there’s a hint of sadness, loneliness in his eyes. He doesnt have a heroine paired opposite to him here though he mentions a girl who he was in love with. Is he thinking of her while singing this song or is he singing this to himself, to his life. Now the more I listen to it the more I feel it’s Anand’s  life from his point of view. Both Mukesh and Rajesh Khanna have done an outstanding job and brought out the right emotions in this song.

Gulzar, Mukesh, Salil Chaudhary

2. Kahin door jab din dhal jaaye (Anand, 1971) : It’s quite a strange thing that Mukesh has sung two songs for Rajesh in the same movie! This song is a top top favourite of mine. If I ever have to make a list of my all-time favourite songs, this would definitely feature in it. I cannot explain in words what I feel when I listen to it or watch it.  This is the only time we see Anand sad, weak and vulnerable in the movie. This song reminds me of Solitary Reaper, I think of that poem almost everytime I hear this song.  It’s so poignant – the setting sun, the longing : longing for life and what couldn’t be his, there’s so much of sadness in it and yet it’s so beautiful and so soothing.

Dil jaane mere saare bhed yeh gehre
Kho gaye kaise mere sapne sunhere
Yeh mere sapne yehi toh hai apne
Mujhse juda na honge inke yeh saaye

Mukesh, Salil Da, Yogesh

I had come across this site sometime ago and I saw it today again when I was searching for this song. They have done a complete justice to it, described exactly how I feel when I listen to it.

3. Jis gali mein tera ghar na ho baalma (Kati Patang, 1970) : Another favourite Mukesh-on-Rajesh Khanna song of mine. I grew up listening to this song but saw it for the first time only while watching the movie. And Kati Patang is among the movies I saw right after Amar Prem. And this was the first time I was listening to Mukesh and watching Rajesh Khanna on screen, it kind of felt odd. He declares his love to his best friend’s widow, with a style and a charm that was uniquely his. Any girl would be on cloud nine listening to someone sing such beautiful poetry to her, but Asha, impersonating her friend,  holds herself back but that doesnt discourage him a bit.

Anand Bakshi, Mukesh, RDB

Mr. and Mrs. 55 have written about this song as well and must say they are very good at it!
4. Phool aahista pheko (Prem Kahani) : This is one movie I’ve never been able to get hold of till now. But the songs, be it cheerfully romantic title track or this one, they are just terrific. And the exchange of sher-o-shayaris before the song is masha-allah!

Anand Bakshi, LP, Mukesh & Lata

5. Zubaan pe dard bhari (Maryada, 1971) : Mukesh’s voice is usually referred to as dard-bhari awaaz. And we all know, he was the best when it came to bringing out the sorrow. Nobody can sing tragic songs like him, one of the main reasons why I have resisted him for so many years. And here he is singing Zubaan pe dard bhari. I wonder if he was roped in to sing this song because of the lyrics. But whatever it may be, this song wouldn’t have been the same if somebody else had to sing it. I dont remember much of this movie (probably because I didnt find it all that great) except for the fact that Mala Sinha was in a double role. I have vague memories of Raj Kumar wandering with a cage, and just Chup ke se dil de de and this song.

Anand Bakshi, Kalyanji-Anandi, Mukesh

6. Dil sambhale sambhalta nahin (Raaz, 1967) : This is one hell of a romantic song (Mukesh doesnt sing only dard-bhare songs) and a very catchy one. It’s one of those let-me-go shaam dhalne lagi songs which I totally love. Such beautiful background (blue sky spotted with fluffy white clouds, snow-capped mountains glistening, greenery, cattles grazing) , two very good looking people romancing onscreen and two of the greatest singers singing it for them – all one has to do is just sit back and enjoy and let it’s beauty sink in. They sound so helplessly in love and that just adds to the cuteness factor of this song!

Kalyanji-Anandji, Mukesh * Lata

R.I.P Mukesh!

Can you think of any other song that Mukesh has sung for Kaka?

Tags: Anand (1971), Dil sambhale sambhalta nahin, Jis gali mein tera ghar na ho, Kahin doo rjab din dhal jaye, Kati Patang - 1970, Maryada - 1971, Mukesh sings for Rajesh Khanna, Mukesh's death anniversary, Phool aahista pheko, Prem Kahani, Raaz- 1967, Zubaan pe dard bhari