40 Songs that make me cry – Part 2

21. Hoton se chulo tum [Prem Geet] – Not one line or a stanza, this is one song which makes me cry from beginning till the end. The starting, the way it picks up and the legend Jagjith Singh’s voice, wah! Indeewar’s lyrics are top class,… I specially love these lines:
Jag ne Chhinaa Mujhse
Mujhe Jo Bhi Lagaa Pyaaraa
Sab Jitaa Kiye Mujhse
Main Har Dam Hi Haaraa
Tum Haar Ke Dil Apnaa
Meri Jit Amar Kar Do

22. Matilda – I consider the best thing my uncle in the US ever did was to bring this ‘Belafonte At Carnegie Hall’ full-length gramophone LP and play it to us on the Grundig Record Player. I remember hearing this song when I probably was a two year old. I used to keep my ears next to the speakers (one song left speaker, the other right speaker) and used to think there are people sitting inside the record player and playing the songs.

Belafonte, in between the Matilda number, says these lines (which is what makes the song special):

All the big spenders… Matilda
People in the tears there… Matilda
Those people on Scholarship… Matilda
Women over Forty (I know they’re out there)… Matilda
Evvvrybawdy Hu One Two Three Four… Matilda

Even today, when I hear Belafonte sing these lines in between the song, it brings tears in my eyes.

23. Yeh Zindagi usi ki hai [Anarkali]– Associate this and the next song with Doordarshan. I saw these songs at my neighbour’s house on a Black and White Dyanora (with shutter doors). Haunting tune, simple beats, lovely voice.

24. Aapki Nazron ne samjha [Anpadh]– The tune is so mesmerizing. The minimal orchestration is such a pleasure to hear.

25. Aa Karnananthe [Karna]– This is a song from the movie ‘Karna’, where Vishnuvardhan’s family is short of money and he is on his way to donate his kidney. Being criticized throughout the film, it is he who helps the family at the critical hour. Very touching lyrics and tune.

26. Vidhi Vipareetha [Satya Harishchandra]– Admire Ghantasaala for the variety he has brought in this song! From the sounds of ghosts and grandeur of the palace (using sitar), to the raagamalike to match Hunsur Krishnamurthy’s superb lyrics. These are the lines (describing Harishchandra’s plight) which brings tears:

Chathurambhodhipareetha sarvabhuviyam taam staapisal
Rathnaraajita saddhandadharaadharesha
Karadol taanaantha kolondadim chiteyam talluta
Rudrabhumilihanaiyyo entha vaichitryavo

27. O Saathi Re [Muqaddar Ka Sikandar]– “Pyaar ye toote na, Tu mujhse roote na, saans ye choote kabhi na” and the seriousness that Kishore brings to the song at the beginning with the humming makes this song dear to me.

28. Olume Poojegende [Anupama]– One of the best SPB-S Janaki numbers. An unforgettable Ashwath-Vaidy compositions. The slow pace and the Hindustani touch in the tune takes you to a different time zone.

29. Neene Sakida Gini [Maanasa Sarovara]– A middle aged psychiatrist finds a young insane woman wandering aimlessly along the streets. He takes her to his abode for treatment. Slowly the woman recovers from her trauma. The doctor promptly falls in love with her and decides to marry her. In the meantime, the doctor’s nephew arrives and falls head over heels to her. The doctor cannot tolerate this intimacy and goes insane.

It is at this juncture this song is shown. Puttanna Kanagal, Vijayanarasimha, Vijayabhaskar – what a trio!

[Also, can’t stop putting Puttanna and Arathi in place of Srinath and Padmavasanthi when I hear this song.]

30. Kannada nadina Rasikara manava [Ranganayaki]– SPB has rendered this number in a very sober way, that too for Ambareesh, coz Ambi was not yet a rebel star. Different moods are conveyed effortlessly. When SPB sings “Hogi baa”, tears appear!

31. Devasabhathalam [His Highness Abdullah]– Love this beautiful jugalbandhi song by Yesudas, Raveendran and Sujith. The trio sing “anuthathamudhatha swaritha prajayam thandava mukharalaya prabhavam pranavakaaram sangeetham aa nomtha nomtha nomtha aanandam ananthaanandham jagathaanandam sangeetham” in perfect harmony!

32. Hindanagali [Malaya Maarutha]–  Such meaningful words from the saint Akkamahadevi! And what a raaga to sing it in – Sahana. The notes in ascending and descending scale do not follow a strict progression, but are zig-zag. Hence the note phrases contain such vakra phrases, lending a unique beauty to this raga. When Sahana is playing, she makes the whole world stop and listen!

hinDanagali hiDivaDeda kunjara tanna vindhyava nenevante nenevenayyabandhanakke
banda giLi tanna bandhuva nenevante nenevenayya
kandA nInitta bArendu nimmandava tOrayya chenna mallikArjuna

33. Shiva Shiva Endare [Bhakta Siriyala]– Another sober SPB number I love to hear anytime for its unhurried and calm pace. When Siriyala (played to perfection by Lokesh) tells “Kayaka madutha endendu, Aatmanandava saviyutiru”, tears swell!

34. Ganesha Ninna Mahime [Ganesha Mahime] – Yet another SPB number sung in such earnest manner (composed by MSV). When we hear the flute bit in between the lines “Kangalalli swami ninna divya murthy tumbali” and “kivigalalli dinavu ninna keerthi thumbi kareyali”, it makes me emotional.

35. Aadisidaata Besara moodi [Kasturi Nivasa]– A rare time when we get to hear the maestro GK Venkatesh’s voice (before this, we had heard him singing Kannadada makkalella). I remember hearing this song a thousand times when Chi.Udayshanker passed away. The meaning of the song, and Rajkumar’s gait in this song are simply unforgettable! Raj has shown how to convey sadness in just the way he walks!

36. Poojisalende Hoogala Tande [Eradu Kanasu]– Rajan-Nagendra’s signature touch is evident right from the beginning when S Janaki starts the humming. The different ways in which she has rendered ‘Raama’, the line where she hums after ‘maanikyadarathi’ , and the line where she sings for the second time ‘Olidaru channa munidaru channa’ makes me emotional.

37. Shakthi vadivelidum shakthi mayileridum Shanmuga [Thiruvilayadal]– KB Sundarambal’s rendition of the piece [before she starts ‘Pazham Neeyappa’] and the effortless ease with which she shifts to different ragas and octaves, and the alapane, makes my eyes moist thinking what a gifted singer KB was. A favourite of mine.

38. Anbaale Azhagagum Veedu [Pasanga]- James Vasanthan’s  idea of choosing legend Balamurali Krishna is a masterstorke. The lovely chorus of kids and the salient prelude played on violins weaves magic.

39. Kaliveedurangiyallo [Desadanam]– A memorable number from Yesudas. The scene from the film is also what adds to the emotions. The song revolves around the personal turmoil faced by the parents of a child who is to be inducted into priesthood by a monastery. The pain of imminent separation from their only child has been beautifully portrayed by the characters played by Vijayaraghavan and Mini Nair.

40. Jo Achyutananda Jo Jo Mukunda – A lullaby to lord sri krishna composed by saint Tallapaka Annamacharya in the melodious and divine voice of MSS.

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40 Songs that make me cry – Part 1