Filmfare marked Rekha’s birthday with a ten-song list that is really a compact tour through fifteen years of Hindi film music. The picks run from Raampur Ka Lakshman in 1972 to Ijaazat in 1987, and they map several of the sounds that defined that stretch.
Do not expect one composer or one mood. The list moves from RD Burman and Kalyanji-Anandji to Jaidev, Rajesh Roshan, Laxmikant-Pyarelal and Shiv-Hari. Singers include Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle, Mukesh, Kanchan and Amitabh Bachchan.
Why the songs still work without the film
The enduring appeal here is not nostalgia alone. The source frames these tracks as songs that can be enjoyed without the context of their films, and that is a useful way to watch them. Rekha’s expressions, lip-sync and eye contact carry the meaning even when a viewer has not seen the full plot.
That also explains why different songs show different muscles. The early Gum Hai Kisi Ke Pyar Mein demonstrates how polished her expressions already were. The duets with Amitabh Bachchan, including Salam-e-ishq Meri Jaan and Pardesiya, rely on sustained eye contact. The later Katra Katra Milti Hai is often cited as an example of her lip-syncing skill.
Start with these three
- Gum Hai Kisi Ke Pyar Mein (Raampur Ka Lakshman): early proof of polished, attentive acting.
- Man Kyun Behka (Utsav): a playful Lata-Asha track with expressions that shift through the stanzas.
- Aajkal Paon Zameen Par (Ghar): a soft romantic moment with Vinod Mehra and Lata Mangeshkar’s light-filled singing.
The full list also includes the haunting Tumne Kisi Se Kabhi Pyar Kiya Hai from Dharmatma, the poetic Kaahe Manwa Naache Hamra from Alaap, the frothy Sun Sun Sun Didi Tere Liye from Khubsoorat and the slow-burn Ye Kahan Aa Gaye Hum from Silsila.
The list is less a ranking than a syllabus. It moves chronologically, so a fan can hear how the pace of the heroine’s song changed from the early 1970s to the late 1980s, and how the same face could serve a frothy family comedy and a heavy costume drama.
If you are short on time, pick the three above. If you have a full hour, queue all ten and notice how Rekha adjusts her register to a courtesan’s intensity, a sister’s teasing and a lover’s ease.
Source: Filmfare