Lata Mangeshkar’s best songs by RD Burman

A tribute to Lata Mangeshkar on her 96^th birth anniversary (b. 28 September 1929 – d. 6 February 2006)  with her best songs by RD Burman continuing the series of tributes to him

Lata Mangeshkar’s singing-acting career started in 1942 with Marathi Nritya-Natak and Marathi films, under tragic circumstances, when RD Burman was still a toddler. Her father the famous actor-singer on Marathi stage, Dinanath Mangeshkar, passed away when she was barely 13 years. Dinanath had trained his daughters in classical music and she often performed with him on the stage. After he was no more, Lata Mangeshkar, being the eldest among four sisters and a brother, with a widowed mother, the burden of looking after the family fell on her. After about three years in Marathi films and Marathi dance-drama, she moved to Hindi films in 1945 with small acting-singing roles, but her heart was not into roles in films, her aim was to be a good singer. Within 4 years she burst upon the scene as a tornado and swept away the reigning singers of the time. She emerged as the voice of the leading ladies. RD Burman was ten, when Lata Mangeshkar established herself as the Mighty Empress of playback singing.

Those were the days of doyens of music directors like Anil Biswas, Khemchand Prakash, Naushad, Shankar-Jaikishan, C Ramchandra, Ghulam Mohammad and Hansraj Behl. They reserved their best for her and composed their most complex tunes for her. She, with her malleable voice, was able to produce exactly what they wanted. She was like a manna from heaven for the music directors.

RD Burman debuted with Chhote Nawab (1961) which had a superb classical-based song, Ghar aa ja ghir aayi barkha bijuriya, in Raag Malgunji. RD Burman’s roaring hit, Teesri Manzil (1966), was entirely a Rafi-Asha Bhosle vehicle, but in Baharon Ke Sapne (1967) and Padosan (1968) he composed very nice songs for Lata Mangeshkar. But RD Burman’s period of dominance, i.e.1970s were characterised by his experiments with sounds and rhythms from various countries, RD Burman was seen as a loud composer by people who preferred the old school doyens. RD Burman was also coming personally close to Asha Bhosle, leading to his marriage with her who was many years senior to him, and who had grown up children from previous marriage. He gave Asha Bhosle about 50% more songs than he gave to Lata Mangeshkar.

As I browsed through RD Burma-Lata Mangeshkar songs I found that this combination had many more memorable songs than RD Burman-Asha Bhosle combination. Now I believe he had a great respect for the Didi and reserved certain classical-based, serious songs for her. More surprising was he gave her some songs which I so far thought was sung by Asha Bhosle, such as Kanta laga.

It is also said that RD Burman was also instrumental in effecting the thaw between SD Burman and Lata Mangeshkar for Bandini (1963) after a hiatus between them for about 4-5 years. With over 300 songs RD Burman composed for Lata Mangeshkar, he is overtaken only by Laxmikant-Pyarelal and Shankar-Jaikishan, and in numbers everyone, including all the famous doyens are behind him. We cannot ignore RD Burman among major composers for Lata Mangeshkar. Today she would  have been 96 years old. I offer my tributes to her on this occasion with her best songs for RD Burman, continuing the celebration of 2025 as the year of RD Burman.

1. Ghar aa ja ghir aaye badra sanwariya by Lata Mangeshkar from Chhote Nawab (1961), lyrics Shailendra, music RD Burman

This was RD Burman’s debut movie, and what a cracker of a song he composed for the great Lata Mangeshkar. But it seems even this song could not lift the film commercially.

2. Aa ja piya tohe pyar dun by Lata Mangeshkar from Bahaaron Ke Sapne (1967), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri, music RD Burman

This film had Rajesh Khanna (then unknown) and Asha Parekh in the lead roles. Who would have thought Rajesh Khanna would burst upon the scene as the Phenomenon in two years with Aaradhana. Bahaaron Ke Sapne had two roaringly popular songs – A Manna Dey-Lata Mangeshkar duet, Chunri sambhal gori; and the Lata Mangeshkar solo, Aa ja piya tohe pyar dun.

3. Sharm aati hai magar, aaj ye kahna hoga by Lata Mangeshkar from Padosan (1968), lyrics Rajendra Krishna, music RD Burman

This rip-roaring comedy did not have much room for female solos. But Lata Mangeshkar had two very good songs: a peppy and fast song, Bhaai battur bahai battur, ab jaainge kitni door; and Sharm aati hai magar, a soft and melodious song that comes after the self-realisation that she has fallen in love with Bhola (Sunil Dutt).

4. Kis liye maine pyar kiya, dil ko yun hi beqarar kiya by Lata Mangeshkar from The Train (1970), lyrics Anand Bakhshi, music RD Burman

RD Burman gave this typical heroine song to Lata Mangeshkar, picturised on Nanda. This song became quite popular, he had composed some solos in the voice of Asha Bhosle too.

5. Raina beeti jaye, Shyam na aaye by Lata Mangeshkar from Amar Prem (1971), lyrics Anand Bakhshi, music RD Burman

With Amar Prem, RD Burman proved his detractors wrong by composing some of the most melancholic songs for Kishore Kumar, and some great songs for Lata Mangeshkar, The film’s score is the beginning of RD Burman’s domination of the 1970s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl1XkstVXn8&list=RDvl1XkstVXn8&start_radio=1

6. Kanta laga haye laga by Lata Mangeshkar from Samadhi (1972), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri, music SD Burman

Lata Mangeshkar did not sing this type of song, you said! Especially, after what Shefali Jariwala did with its remix, I had no doubt it was sung by Asha Bhosle. I first post the remix version which propelled Shefali at top of the charts. I think she started the wave of remixes giving the old songs a new lease of life. The uninhibited remix probably crosses the limits of decency. The other reason I start with her version first is that the Kaanta laga girl (as she came be known immediately) died recently at a very young age (42 years), because of anti-ageing treatment gone awry.

Now I come back to the original version, in Lata Mangeshkar’s voice. This seems to me overdoing the trope of Lata Mangeshkar song for a heroine.

7. Baahon mein chale aao, humse sanam kya parda by Lata Mangeshkar from Anamika (1973), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri, music RD Burman

Its picturisation is very suggestive, but it is for the heroine Jaya Bhaduri, a nice girl, so you have this melodious song by Lata Mangeshkar. The bad girl song, of course, goes to Asha Bhosle; so you have Aaj ki raat koi aane ko hai re baba for Helen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGXfELGSij8&list=RDZGXfELGSij8&start_radio=1

8. Do ghoont mujhe bhi pila de sharabi by Lata Mangeshkar from Jheel Ke Us Paar (1973), lyrics Anand Bakshi, music RD Burman

Now I come to what I consider a very interesting film for the ‘pattern’, not because I like its songs a great deal. By this time Mumtaz had graduated to a mainstream heroine, and RD Burman composes Do ghoont mujhe bhi pila de sharabi, dekh phir hota hai kya, picturised on Mumtaz, in the voice of Lata Mangeshkar. By definition Lata Mangeshkar was the lead female playback singer in the film. The film had a number two heroine, Yogita Bali, trying to seduce the disinterested hero, Dharmendra; so you have Haaye bichhua das gayo re in the voice of Asha Bhosle.

9. Phir aankh se aansoo barse phir chaayi ghata ghanghor by Lata Mangeshkar from Raja Rani (1973), lyrics Anand Bakhshi, music RD Burman

In this Rajesh Khanna-Sharmila Tagore starrer, Lata Mangeshkar is the lead singer. You might remember Jab andhera hoota hai aadhi raat ke baad is in the voice of Asha Bhosle (and Bhupendra).

10. Ha jab tak hai jaan main nachoongi by Lata Mangeshkar from Sholay (1975), lyrics Anand Bakhshi, music RD Burman

This milestone film became famous for the evil Gabbar Singh, and his earthy dialogues. He abducts Hema Malini, and in his wicked ways makes her dance till she falls off senseless or her lover Dharmendra yields. A nice song which fits in the story and takes it forward. I thought this was sung by Asha Bhosle, but I don’t mind the pleasant surprise. This was not much a movie for songs, but the Holi song, Holi ke din dil khil uthate hain, also got some traction. This was sung by Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar and chorus.

11. Jab tum chale jaaoge to yaad bahut aaoge by Lata Mangeshkar from Bullet (1976), lyrics Anand Bakhshi, music RD Burman

Now we come to a nice song by Lata Mangeshkar from the film Bullet. The evergreen Dev Anand was not one to easily give up. In this film his leading lady was Praveen Babi.

12. Aaj kal paaon zameen par nahin padte mere by Lata Mangeshkar from Ghar (1978), lyrics Gulzar, music RD Burman

Gulzar’s lyrics and RD Butman combination gave some superb songs for Lata Mangeshkar in this sensitive film. I have used its most famous song, a Kishore Kumar-Lata Mangeshkar duet, Aapki aankhon mein kuchh mahke huye se raaz hain, earlier in the post on Gulzar-RD Burman combination. There are some excellent Lata Mangeshkar solos too in the film. It is a pure toss-up between Aaj kal paaon zameen par nahin padte mere, and the poignant, Tere bin jiya jaaye na. This happy song of a married woman with her husband that these days she floats in the air is my preference.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97KvjAH8fYU&list=RD97KvjAH8fYU&start_radio=1

13. Saawan ke jhoole pade by Lata Mangeshkar from Jurmana (1979), lyrics Anand Bakhshi, music RD Burman

In this film by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, you have this sweet middle-class song picturised on Rakhi and Amitabh Bachchan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n-bqVEKBL4&list=RD1n-bqVEKBL4&start_radio=1

14. Tu ne wo rangeele kaisa jaadu kiya by Lata Mangeshkar from Kudrat (1981), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri, music RD Burman

Kudrat was a significant film in the career of Rajesh Khanna who was being displaced by the Angry Young Man from the top pedestal. This film established that romance will never vanish. Hema Malini torn by memories of her previous birth goes into a romantic mood with Rajesh Khanna she recalls as Madho from the previous birth. An excellent song.

15. Humein aur jeene ki chaahat na hoti by Lata Mangeshkar from Agar Tum Na Hote (1983), lyrics Gulshan Baawra, music RD Burman

In this Rajesh Khanna-Rekha starrer, this song comes in many versions. The Lata Mangeshkar solo version also stood tall.

16. Seeli hawa chhoo gayi seela badan chhil gaya by Lata Mangeshkar from Libaas (1988), lyrics Gulzar, music RD Burman

Now I come to a most befitting song to end this post with. This has been my great favourite for decades. I would rate this among Lata Mangeshkar’s all-time great songs. Now I understand this film was long-time in making and remained unreleased. Sad end to a Naseeruddin Shah-Shabana Azmi starrer. But this cannot extinguish this beautiful song by Lata Mangeshkar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OTdfv9bc6M&list=RD3OTdfv9bc6M&start_radio=1

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer
The songs links from the YouTube have been given or embedded only for the listening pleasure of music lovers. This blog has no commercial interest, and does not claim or suggest, directly or indirectly, any copyright over these songs which vests with the respective copyright owners.