Memorable rakhi tracks are not few and far between, although some of the most popular like ‘Phoolon ka Taaron ka’ come from films made in the 1960s and 1970s, writes Himanshu Guru
Rakshya Bandhan festival is celebrated not only in real life but in a grand way in films too. Family drama is a popular genre in Indian as well as in Oriya cinema. Nowadays, family drama has become a major source of TRP that come in the form of daily TV soaps. But earlier, film was the only medium. Thus most of the hit films in the 1970s and 1980s were family dramas where the plots revolved around the members of a family. These stories showed sequences to elicit the emotions of the audience. Rakhi due to its association with Hindu family life, therefore, has been portrayed in all its hues in films. When it comes to the showing of affection between a brother and a sister onscreen, rakhi is obviously the first and easiest choice of directors. And Oriya film directors are no exception.
The song ‘Behna ne bhai ki kalai se’ from the Dharmendra-starrer Resham Ki Dori is one of the popular Rakhi numbers. The title of the film itself suggests that the film is largely about the brother-sister bond that exerts itself above everything else. The scene also stirs up the emotion of the audience, as the hero gets arrested at the climax of the song.
The song ‘Bhaiya Mere Rakhi Ke Bandhan’ from the film Choti Behan (1959) sung by Lata Mangeshkar is a popular track. The song stars Nanda and Balraj Sahani, and is often played on Rakshya Bandhan day.
The song ‘Phoolon ka taaron ka sabka kehna hei, ek hazaron mein meri behena hei’ from Dev Anand’s Hare Rama Hare Krishna is an all-time hit. In the song Dev and Zeenat Aman played siblings, separated in childhood. Although the pair was often seen as a romantic pair onscreen, the film showed them in a different and loveable light. The film, too, was a superhit. The song can safely be said to be the most commercially successful rakhi song.
Another Rakhi song that comes to mind is ‘Dekh Sakta Hoon’ from the film Majboor. Amitabh Bachchan in this song expresses his love for his screen sister Farida Jalal. The film resorts to one of the old cliches of Bollywood where the hero’s sister is handicapped. The song ‘Yeh Rakhi Bandhan Hai Aisa’ in the film Beimaan celebrates the bond between siblings. It stars Manoj Kumar and is a perfect rakhi song that brings tears to one’s eyes.
The background number ‘Mere Bhaiya Mere Chanda’ in the film Kaajal (1965) is also a popular track. It’s all about a sister’s love for her brother. She expresses her feelings for her brother and prays for his well-being in the song.
Rakhi is a symbol of a relationship that celebrates a bond of affection. No matter where the sister, her brother tries to be with her on this day. The song ‘Hum Behno Ke Liye’ in the film Anjana shows this perfectly. Also, Waheeda Rehman and Ashok Kumar were seen in the rakhi song ‘Rakhi Dhagon Ka Tyohar’ in the film Rakhi.
While most memorable rakhi songs come from old Hindi films, Tiranga, a relatively new film, also has a memorable track. Varsha Usgaonkar ties the rakhi on the wrists of her three brothers in the song ‘Meri Rakhi Ka Matlab’ in the film. Another soulful number on rakhi is ‘Ab Ke Baras Bhejo’ from film Bandini. In the song the sister is yearns to see her brother on Rakshya Bandhan day. Sung by Asha Bhosle, this too is a popular number.
Other popular numbers in Hindi films are ‘Behna O behna meri pyari behna’ from the film Shankara (1991), ‘Chanda re mere bhaiyya se kehna’ from the film Chambal Ki Kasam (1980) and ‘Rang birangi rakhi leke’ from the film Anpadh (1962). Even Anup Jalota has sung a rakhi number in Maalik Ek (2010) — ‘Sabse pyaara mera Sai Baba’. The song is dedicated to Shirdi Sai baba.
Not only in Hindi cinema, in Oriya movies too, although on a far lesser scale, Rakshya Bandhan has been musically celebrated. At least two films whose titles are about rakhi are Rakhi Bandhili mo rakhiba mana and Rakhi Bhijigala Akhi luhare. In the former, Anu Choudhury is seen with Mihir Das. Other films like Kala Chakra have songs related to rakhi. In the song ‘Baki achhi sapanate mo sunabhauni’ from the movie Akhi Palakare Tu Bollywood actor Mukesh Rishi is seen on screen in a rakhi sequence.
