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‘Main chali main chali’and other train songs in Hindi cinema

Although the train featured in the 1970s and 1980s in songs, its significance had changed in these decades.

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‘Aao Bachchon Tumhe Dikhaayein Jhaanki Hindustan Ki’ from 'Jagriti'.
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Through the 1950s and 1960s, there were a number of Hindi film songs that featured the train. Songs like ‘Hain Apna Dil Toh Awaara’ (Solva Saal, 1958), ‘Jiya Ho Jiya O Jiya Kuchh Bol Do’ (Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai, 1961) and ‘Dil Thaam Chale Hum Aaj Kidhar’ (Love in Simla, 1960) all had the hero singing songs with the train figuring prominently in all three sequences. The movement of the train brought in an element of mobility and dynamism in such song sequences.

In 1954 for instance, there were two popular songs that made use of the train. ‘Aao Bachchon Tumhe Dikhaayein Jhaanki Hindustan Ki’ (Jagriti) had the train give its passengers a glimpse of the beauty of India, its vast landscape and its mesmerising topography. In the same year, there was Nastik, which was directed by IS Johar. The film had the song ‘Dekh Tere Ansaar Ki Haalat Kya Hogayee Bhagwaan, Kitna Badal Gaya Insaan’, which was a critique of the depraved ways of mankind.

In 1962, whose Hindi film songs were covered by Javed Akhtar on the recent episode of The Golden Years: 1950-1975, A Musical Journey on Sunday, there was Son of India, which was directed by Mehboob Khan. The film had the very popular song ‘Nanha Munna Raahi Hoon’. Although the song is not sung by the child protagonist on a train, it is shown in passing in one of the segments, clearly establishing it as a means to the nation’s march towards development and self-sustainability. Javed sa’ab gave some interesting trivia about the boy, who plays the lead character in the film. "Sajid Khan who had played Birju’s child character in Mother India [1957], he [Mehboob Khan] took that same child artist, Sajid Khan, and made a film based on that child and his travels," he said.

There was also ‘Main Chali Main Chali Peechhey Peechhey Jahaan’ from Professor in the same year, which had the lead pair, Kalpana and Shammi Kapoor, serenading each other in the train in the initial half of the song. Indeed, this was the dominant theme of the train for much of this period. It was a place where strangers met, the hero romanced the heroine and songs of mirth and joy were sung within it. Even a much later song like Aradhana (1969) has ‘Mere Sapnon Ki Rani’ sung by the hero (Rajesh Khanna) to the heroine (Sharmila Tagore) while she is travelling by train.

Although the train featured in the 1970s and 1980s in songs such as ‘Dhanno Ki Aankhon Mein’ (Kitaab, 1977) and ‘Haathon Ki Chand Lakeeron Ka’ (Vidhaata, 1982), its significance had changed in these decades. Beginning with the 1970s, the train was more of a dramatic device. It was used to commit crime (Do Anjaane, 1976), violence (Sholay, 1975) or just to create upheaval (Shor, 1972) and drama (Deewar, 1975). The Burning Train (1980) captured this changed representation of the train and spun an entire film out of it. Consequently, there weren’t many romantic, upbeat songs that featured the train in these decades.

But to return to 1962, the song  (Half Ticket), which had Kishore Kumar enact a hysterical performance, was also picturised in a train. The different characters present on the train symbolise the different socio-cultural identities that make up India. A later film like Ashirwaad (1968), which had the rap song ‘Rail Gaadi Rail Gaadi’ sung by Ashok Kumar, also essentially advertised the vast rail network spread out across India.

On the subject of comic songs like ‘Cheel Cheel Chillake Kajri Sunaye’ and ‘Aake Seedhi Lag Dil Pe Jaise Katariya’ (also from Half Ticket), there were another couple of fun songs in the same year. In Dil Tera Deewana, there was ‘Dhadakne Lagta Hai Mera Dil Tere Naam Se’, where the composers Shankar-Jaikishan had included the bark of a dog in the song. “It was a very interesting experiment,” remarked Akhtar. The other comic song from the same year was, ‘Sikander Ne Porus Se Ki Thee Ladaayee, Joki Thee Ladaayee Toh Main Kya Karun’ which featured in the film, Anpadh. Speaking about the song, Akhtar commented, “Raja Mehdi Ali Khan used to write a lot of humorous poetry in his personal life. There is a lot of humour even in his literary poetry. He had a great sense of humour and this song could only be written by such a person.”
 

Watch the next episode of The Golden Years: 1950-1975, A Musical Journey with Javed Akhtar on Sunday at 8 pm on Zee Classic! 

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