Naag Panchmi… 5 Saanp Opera You Cannot Afford To Miss

1.     Mann dole mera tann dole in Nagin: The original naag-anthem composed by Hemant  Kumar and  filmed on  the  beautiful  Vyjanthimala  had the been music performed by Kalyani , one-half  of  the Kalyanji-Anandji duo, on the  clavioline. The song was such a hit  it  broke  open the charts. Says  Vyjanthimala, “It was creepy to dance with all those  snakes. But  I think Mann dole  mera tann dole is  the  biggest song of my career. Audiences threw coins on the screen when it came on.”

2.     Snake dance in Guide: Waheeda Rehman’s mesmerizing  performance as she danced in  a  hypnotic frenzy to Sachib Dev Burman’s  brilliant  4-minute  been-music piece   ranks as a heartsopping moment not only  in  the classic film but also in the  history of snake-dance specials in Hindi cinema. Waheedaji’s eruption on screen is so unexpected and electrifying I  don’t know who was moret  aken aback:  her co-star Dev Anand or the snake. Waheeadji recalled, “It was  definitely the most challenging dance I’ve ever performed on screen. There was  snake on the set and (choreographer) Hiralalji’s  dance steps were  very difficult.But my director  Vijay Anand made  it look so  simple.”

3.     Tere sang pyar main nahin todna(Nagin): Reena Roy  in a very badly choreographed  number  did the snake dance  to  Laxmikant-Pyarelal’s  enchanting tune. Who was to  know the  snake dance would be the film’s highlight?! It  turned  Reena Roy into an A-list actress. Says Lataji, “Tere sangg pyar mein nahin todna  was  a  big success. It was  a wonderful tune  composed  by Laxmi-Pyare and I think it  was  the first big snake dance  since Mann  dole mera tann dole in  the old Nagin.”

4.     Main  teri dushman dushman tu mera(Nagina): Sridevi’s  saanp song turned  her  into    the  biggest female superstar  of her time. Bizarrely this Laxmikant-Pyarelal song  made the  potboiler film  an  all-time blockbuster.Commenting on  the song Sridevi had said, “That Icchadhaari  dance where I  perform  in  front of  the sapera Amrish  Puriji  was  such a  hit , audiences  kept coming back to see  it again and again.”

5.     Ae naagin jaa bass  apne  dware(Naag Panchmi): A  far less known  naag-et though  a gem of  a  composition by  Ravi Sharma. It  has actress Jayshree Gadkar pleading with the  nagin in Lataji’s exquisite  voice to not snatch away  her  husband. Barring Mann dole mera tann dole this is the  most plaintive  saanp opera  on screen. Recalls Laaji, “I didn’t sing too many  songs for Ravi Sharmaji. But whatever I sang was  very  beautiful. This number  is largely forgotten because it came  in a  less-known  film and had less recall-value than my other snake songs.”