र and ल in Hindi Film Music

Posted on 22/03/2023 on Trivia – The Spice of Life This is not a post on Hindi phonetics. But it would be interesting to understand the semi-vowels of Hindi alphabet to appreciate how they have been used in film songs. The semi vowels of the Hindi varnamala (वर्णमाला i.e. alphabet) are called antastha (or अन्तःस्थ

Songs of Betrayal

My last post on golden era film music was dedicated to songs of the unsure/insecure lover. From this sentiment emerges the theme for the present post – the songs of betrayal. In songs, betrayal is usually expressed by the words bewafa (disloyal) and bewafai (disloyalty). There are also songs where no such words are used

Songs that Shun Love

और भी दुख हैं ज़माने में मोहब्बत के सिवा There are innumerable love songs of Golden era Hindi film music which profess and eulogize love hyperbolically. However, there are perhaps only a handful of songs which question love and even swear to stay away from it. There are also some songs where love is not

‘Sporting’ Songs

A welcome change in Hindi cinema in recent years has been sport-centric films. The list is quite impressive – Saaheb (1985, Football), Awwal Number (1990, Cricket), Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992, Cycling), Lagaan (2001, Cricket), Iqbal (2005, Cricket), Chak De India (2007, Hockey), Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013, athletics), Mary Kom (2014, Boxing), M.S.Dhoni: The Untold

Tongue-in-cheek Songs

While writing my post on Songs of ‘Surrender’, which speak of self-deprecation and subjugation, I felt I must also enlist songs which are antithetical to these songs and thus this post on tongue-in-cheek songs. The flavour of these songs is completely different. These are songs which are peppered with back handed compliments; in these melodies,