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There was a time in Hindi Movies when there was no concept of playback signing…if you wanted to act, you better know how to sing! (Remember Main Ban Ki Chidiya … Doooooloooooon Re!!) As the years passed, playback singing evolved, enriched our Bolywood movies to a great extent, and then another trend came by… where the regular non-singer actors wanted to (or were asked to) sing some of their own songs.
By this, I am not referring to some on the trained singers who were multi-talented to be actors too (e.g. Kishore Kumar, Talat Mahmood, Sulakshana Pandit, Padmini Kolhapure, Salma Agha, Priyanka Chopra etc.) – I am referring to non-trained actors/actresses singing their own songs …Here are some examples…
Mega-star Amitabh Bachchan started off with Mere Paas Aao Mere Doston (Mr Natwarlal) and went on to sing quite a few numbers after that, the notable ones being Rang Barse (Silsila), Jidhar Dekhoon (Mahaan), Main Yahaan Tu Wahaan (Baghbaan) etc.
While Hema Malini sang(?) with Kishore Kumar in Peene Walon Ko, Peene Ka (Haath Ki Safai), her contemporary Rekha did a slightly better job in not one, but two numbers – Qaida, Qaida (Khubsoorat) and Kal To Sunday Ki Chhutti Hai (Agar Tum Na Hote). Following that, their “successor” Sridevi attempted something similar with Chandni, O Meri Chandni (Chandni)
Not to be left behind, each of the 3 super-Khans tries their hand at at least one song each .. Aamir actually managing to hold on to the notes IMHO.
Shahrukh Khan with Hema Sardesai in Apun Bola, Tu Meri Laila (Josh)
Aamir Khan with Alka Yagnik in Aati Kya Khandala (Ghulam)
Salman Khan with Alka Yagnik in Chandi Ki Daal Par (Hello Brother)
Around the same timeframe, Sanjay Dutt did it in Khubsoorat without any female support with Ai Shivani, Tu Lagti Hai Nani (Yeah! Great lyrics!)
Close on the heels of the 3 Khans came another set of 3 younger stars very recently – Hrithik Roshan, Abhay Deol, Farhan Akhtar gave voices to their own characters in the Spanish flavored Senorita in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and did a rather good job at it! While this was Abhay’s first attempt, Farhan had already proven himself in Rock On a couple of years back and Hrithik had made a similar attempt in the sank-without-a-trace Kites!
Of the current crop, Kareena Kapoor did a rather decent job with Jab Nahin Aye The Tum (Dev) – although the version that eventually appeared in the movie was the one sung by Vijeta Pandit. However, it was truly hard to tell the difference between the two!
Before true singing stars lile Padmini Kolhapure and Sulakshana Pandit sang their own songs, in the early 60’s Nutan had sung Ai Mere Humsafar, rather melodiously I might add, in her mother’s home production (Chhabili). Around the same time, Dilip Kumar sang a semi-classical number Lagi Naahi Choote Rama (Musafir) with none other than Lata Mangeshkar, attempting to match her note by note.
So you see, there have been several occasions of actors lending their voices to themselves on screen and sometimes (if not always), doing a better than half-decent job of it. Are there some others that you know about? Who in your opinion sings well and is actually able to hold a note? Click on the Add Comments button below and tell us all.
And thanks to our very ardent fan Kala Iyer, adding more interesting stuff to the blog…
Vyjayanthimala, sang “Bol Radha Bol” in Sangam and “Cheye Thaki Cheye Thaki” in Hatey Bazarey.
Amitabh Bachchan, sang “Mere Angane Mein” in Lawaaris and has also sung in Toofan, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Bhootnath, “Buddha Hoga Tera Baap”, “Delhi 6”, “Aladin” , Bol Bachchan and Babul.
Ajay Devgan, sang in “Bol bachchan”.
[plus list- Aamir Khan also sang- “Bum Bum Bole” in Taare Zameen Par.
likewise.. Shahrukh Khan– “Jab Tak Hai Jaan (Poem” in Jab Tak Hai Jaan) and will be singing in his upcoming “Happy new year”. (http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/hindi/article/97716.html)
Salman Khan also sang “Bodyguard” in Bodyguard (2011 Hindi film)
and Sanjay Dutt sang “Aladin” too… ]
Madhuri Dixit sang Kaahe Chedd in Devdas (2002)
Juhi Chawla sang in Bhootnath along with Amitabh Bachchan(2008)
Amrish Puri sang “Shom Shom Shom” in 1992 film Tehelka
Abhishek Bachchan sang a rap song in Rohan Sippy’s film Bluffmaster and Bol bachchan.
Kamal Haasan sang many numbers in his films. In ‘Kadhala Kadhala’ tamil film he sang with Udit Narayan…
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