Features

#92 Silsila: Top 100 Bollywood Albums

With music by Shiv-Hari and lyrics by Javed Akhtar, the 1981 hit film had several iconic songs like Rang Barse and Dekha Ek Khwab. Directed by Yash Chopra, the film starred Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha, Shashi Kapoor and Jaya Bhaduri in lead roles

Vipin Nair

Movie Details of Silsila

Music: Shiv-Hari

Label: Saregama HMV

Director: Yash Chopra

Yash Chopra's 1981 film saw four debutants in the musical department, three of whom were already established elsewhere. Flautist Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia and santoor maestro Pt. Shivkumar Sharma had already made their mark in the classical world and had even collaborated on a landmark classical album titled Call of the Valley.

Debuting as Shiv-Hari here, the duo would go on to compose 7 more Bollywood soundtracks, 6 of those with Chopra. And Javed Akhtar, after having co-written some of the biggest blockbusters in Bollywood the previous decade alongside Salim Khan, started his inning as lyricist with Silsila. The fourth debut was that of lyricist Hasan Kamal, who went on to attain more fame and glory with his subsequent movies.

It is remarkable how Shiv-Hari, in their film composing stint, managed to adopt the mainstream sound that largely belied their classical mastery. Silsila did have its share of classical flavoured tracks though, mainly in the composers' chandrakauns-based reimagination of the Meera bhajan Jo Tum Todo Piya.

Best Song of Silsila: Lata Mangeshkar's version of Neela Aasmaan So Gaya that manages to add a touch of melancholy while retaining the original placid melody.

The Silsila Playlist:

  1. Dekhta Ek Khawab (Lyrics: Javed Akhtar | Singer: Lata Mangeshkar)
  2. Yeh Kahan Aa Gaye Hum (Lyrics: Javed Akhtar | Singers: Amitabh Bachchan, Lata Mangeshkar)
  3. Rang Barse Bhige Chunarwali (Lyrics: Harivansh Rai Bachchan | Singer: Amitabh Bachchan)
  4. Ladki Hai Ya Shola (Lyricist: Rajinder Krishan | Singer: Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar)
  5. Neela Aasman So Gaya (female) (Lyrics: Javed Akhtar | Singer: Lata Mangeshkar)
  6. Sar Se Sarke (Lyrics: Hasan Kamal | Singers: Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar)
  7. Neela Aasman So Gaya (Male) (Lyrics: Javed Akhtar | Singer: Amitabh Bachchan)
  8. Jo Tum Todo Piya (Lyricist: Meera Bai | Singer: Lata Mangeshkar)
  9. Khudse Jo Wada Kiya (Lyrics: Nida Fazli | Singer: Pamela Chopra)
  10. Bahan Jinah Di Pakdiye (Singers: Rani Harban Singh and Party)

Listen to the entire album of Silsila here:

(With contributions by Praveen VR, co-founder of musicaloud.com; Information partly sourced from myswar.com)

SCROLL FOR NEXT