Top 10+10 Kishore and Asha - Part I

After my previous post, my wife requested that I make a similar list with Kishore and Asha. She also added that a Top 10 list would not suffice and she was right. But that is not surprising since duets by Rafi-Lata and Kishore-Asha are more common than the cross pairs, Rafi-Asha and Kishore-Lata.

I was easily able to identify my Top 10, but I found that there were several others that were good and worthy of being mentioned in a list. So I decided to create a list which I titled Top 10+10 to be presented in two parts.

I feel that one of the important aspects of these songs is the absence of quality lyrics. Kishore songs are known for their energy and I think such songs do not lend themselves well to convey deep thoughts. Consequently these songs do not have great lyrics. They are simple and the songs invariably revolve around both the quality of the music and the voices of the singers and their abilities. Poetry and yodeling somehow do not go hand in hand.

This is by no means a put-down of Kishore songs; I personally feel that Kishore songs with pathos in them tend to have better lyrics, not his happy ones, with a few exceptions of course.

So let us jump into the without much ado.

01) Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi - Haal Kaisa Hai Janab Ka (Video)
Are you surprised that Kishore is the actor? I do not think anyone else could have done justice.

02) Baap Re Baap - Piya Piya Piya Mora Jiya Pukare (Video)
There is an interesting story about this song that Asha describes in details on one of her CDs. She made a mistake in one of her lines during recording and you can clearly hear it in the middle. She confesses to Kishore who assures her not to worry. He then informs her that he is the lead actor for that movie and that at the moment when Asha makes the error he would put a hand over the heroine's mouth!! Watch for that in the middle of the song at about the 2:15 minute mark.

03) Dilli Ka Thug - C..A..T.. Cat Mane Billi (Video)
Good spelling tutorial.

04) Paying Guest - O Nigahen Mastana (Video)
Amazing song. Asha sings not a single word, so technically it is not a duet. Nutan is great, but I feel Dev Anand did not do justice on screen.

05) Nau Do Gyarah - Aankhon Mein Kya Jee (Video)
Again the chemistry between Dev Anand and and Kalpana Kartik is clear.

06) Paying Guest - Chhod Do Anchal Zamana Kya (Video)
Nutan was an underrated star from that period. She was probably more famous for her histrionic abilities. She won five Film Fare awards.

07) Baton Baton Mein - Suniye Kahiye (Video)
I wish to make no R-rated comments and I am sure you will agree that Tina Munim is not in this movie for her acting skills. Good thing, since she cannot act if her life depended on it.

08) Budda Mil Gaya - Bhali Bhali Si Ek Surat (Video)
Who is this heroine? You do not know? Neither do I!

09) Humshakal - Hum Tum Gum Sum Raat (Video)
I have always liked Moushmi since I saw her play the role of the ditzy wife as the wife of Sanjeev Kumar in Angoor. A steamy song for its time (India in 1974)

10) Javaani Deevani - Jaane Jaa Dhundtaa Phir Raha (Video)
This song shows RD Burman at his experimental best. He makes Kishore sing at certain times at a very high pitch and Asha down a whole octave!

Well which one of your favorites did I miss?