Yeh Dosti….Celebrating The Songs  Of Friendship

  1. Diye jalte hain Phool Khilte Hain, Badi Mushkil Se Magar Duniya Mein Dost Milte Hain: Namak Haram:  This film about  a friendship across the class-divide starred two actors who couldn’t  stand each  other in real life. Never mind. That’s what acting is about.  When Rajesh Khanna gives screen-buddy Amitabh Bachchan those bromantic looks  and sings Anand Bakshi’s elegantly  affectionate lyrics Jab jiss waqt kissika yaar juda hota hai kuch na pucho yaaron dil ka haal bura hota hai, the  world seems  like such  a nicer place. R .D Burman composed the dosti ditty straight  from the heart. Apparently he composed the song keeping in mind his great friendship with Rajesh Khanna.
  2. Ram Kare Allah kare Teri meri dosti bani rahe: Aap Ke Deewane: Best friends Rishi Kapoor and Rakesh Roshan had no problem  emoting their  mutual affection to Rajesh Roshan’s composition.This film had two other  lovely dosti songs Tumko khush dekh kar bringing the  two giants Mohd Rafi and Kishore Kumar together,and Apni khushiyan tujhko de doon where Kishoreda had to be  replaced  by his son Amit after  his death.
  3. Bane chahe dushman zamana hamara salaamat rahe dostana hamara: Dostana:   A rare  song bringing arch-rivals Mohd Rafi and Kishore Kumar together.Rafi’s fans  believed the Kishore Kumar wave  after Aradhana wiped  out Rafi’s  supremacy. LaxmikantPyarelal coaxed the  singing  stalwarts  to  come together  once again  for this  rumbustious celebration  of friendship.On screen it was Amitabh Bachchan and Shatrughan Sinha faking friendship when in  fact they couldn’t  stand each other.
  4. Yeh dosti hum nahin chhodenge: Sholay : Perhaps  the single-most  popular  friendship song in Hindi films, a lot  of  gay interpretations have been  imputed  to the song and its  filming.  But director Ramesh Sippy vouches for  his  heroes’ heterosexuality. Jai and Veeru were definitely not gay, although they  loved one another to death, literally.This song had Kishore Kumar singing for Dharmendra and Manna Dey for Amitabh Bachchan.
  5. Yaari hai imaan mera yaar mera zindagi: Zanjeer: Amitabh Bachchan had no songs to sing  in this cop’s saga. But Pran who played Mr B’s Pathan buddy,pulled  out all stops for this  ebullient ode to friendship which Manna Dey sang with glorious   gusto. Pran danced around his  dost  with  infectious energy.The  song is a  rarity in that became  a  chart-topper although it  was  not filmed on  the  leading man. That’s the power of  a toast to the dost.
Subhash K . Jha

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