India is entering its 71st Independence Year. 15th August is an ostentatious celebration as India became independent from the British Raj at midnight. On this auspicious day, billions pay homage to the freedom fighters and leaders who led the movement to battle for India’s Independence and even lost their lives.
It is the just the right time for every Indian to be filled with pride and patriotism. And what better to ignite this fire of freedom and love towards the nation than classic songs from Bollywood? Like any celebration, festivities or event, Independence Day is incomplete without Bollywood tracks. As we enter yet another glorious year, it’s time to listen, learn and enjoy some of the most patriotic songs from Hindi Film industry.
1) Desh Hai Veer Jawanon Kaa (1957)
This song is from the film “Naya Daur” which was released in the year 1957. Composed by O P Nayyar and penned by Sahir Ludhianvi, “Yeh Desh Hai Veer Jawanon Ka” is sung by Mohammad Rafi and Balbir. “Naya Daur” stars Dilip Kumar, Vyjyanthimala, Ajit and Jeevan.
2)Mere Watan Ke Logon (1963)
Sung by the legendary Lata Mangeshkar, the song “Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon” is written by Kavi Pradeep and composed by C. Ramchandra. The song was first performed live by Lata Mangeshkar in the presence of President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and commemorates Indian soldiers who died during the Sino-Indian War in 1962. It is one of the most patriotic renditions alongside the national anthem, “Jana Gana Mana”, national song, “Vande Mataram” and “Sare Jahan Se Achcha”. All of the artists and technicians involved with the song – including singers, musicians, music director, lyricist, recording studio, sound recordist – pledged royalty of the song in perpetuity to the War Widows Fund.
3)Watan Ae Watan (1965)
Based on Bhagat Singh’s life, “Shaheed” is one of the well-known movies revolving around India’s Independence movement. Produced by Kewal Kashyap and directed by S Ram Sharma, the movie boasts an ensemble cast of Manoj Kumar, Kamini Kaushal, Pran, Iftekhar, Nirupa Roy, Prem Chopra, Madan Puri and Anwar Hussain. The music is composed by Prem Dhawan and several songs penned down by freedom fighter Ram Prasad Bismil. Shaheed was Manoj Kumar’s first patriotic film which was followed by Upkar, Purab aur Paschim and Kranti.
4) Desh Ki Dharti (1967)
Featuring Manoj Kumar in lead role, wherein he played the role of both Kisan and Jawan, this popular song is from the movie “Upkar”. Known for his patriotic persona, Manoj Kumar was knighted as “Mr. Bharat” for depicting fearless intrepidity in his films and characters. The film received 9 nominations besides the extensive recognition and appraisal.
5)Diya Hai Jaan Bhi Denge (1986)
This film brought back Subhash Ghai and Dilip Kumar after the success of Vidhaata. The movie also features Nutan, Jackie Shroff, Anil Kapoor, Naseerudin Shah, Poonam Dhillon, Sridevi and Anupam Kher.
6) Gaur Se Duniya Waalo (1999)
This song is from the 1997 unfinished action film directed by Mukul S. Anand, who died during the shooting leaving the film incomplete. The film starred Sanjay Dutt, Salman Khan, Raveena Tandon and Shilpa Shetty. Vinod Khanna and Rahul Dev play supporting characters in the film. The film’s music ended up releasing posthumously. The lively, energetic song is delightfully sung by Udit Narayan, Mahalakshmi Iyer, Shankar Mahadevan and Dominique Cerejo. The song is vivacious for the spectacular performances
7) Rang De Basanti Chola (2002)
From the well appreciated movie “23rd March 1931: Shaheed” directed by Guddu Dhanoa, this is a song depicting the interior struggle of Bhagat Singh. Anand Raj Anand composed music and singers Udit Narayan, Bhupinder Singh and Veer Rajinder lent their vocals.
8) Kandho Se Milte Hai Kandhe (2004)
Highly stimulating track from Farhan Akhtar’s “Lakshya”, this song was sung by Shankar Mahadevan, Sonu Nigam, Hariharan, Roop Kumar Rathod, Kunal Ganjawala and Vijay Prakash. The song showcases the life of Indian soldiers deployed at war and conflict zones. Lakskhya boasts an ensemble cast of Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta, Sharad Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Aditya Srivastava, Om Puri and Boman Irani.
9)Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera (2004)
From one of the most unforgettable movies made by Ashutosh Gowariker, this song evokes a wave of patriotism every time we see and listen to it. Composed and sung by A.R. Rehman, it gives goose bumps with its poignant lyrics penned by Javed Akhtar.
10)Rang De Basanti (2006)
This title track from the film “Rang De Basanti” is extremely lively and full of beans, sure to instil energetic fervour in Indian minds – young and old. Sung beautifully by the Daler Mehndi, K S Chitra and composed handsomely by A.R. Rehman, the song features the leading starcast Aamir Khan, Kunal Kapoor, Siddharth Narayan, Sharman Joshi and Atul Kulkarni. Even till date the track evokes feeling of patriotism just like it did in the year 2006.
11) Chak De India (2007)
This song is from the movie “Chak De India”. It sort of became India’s parallel national anthem. Directed by Shimit Amin and produced by Aditya Chopra, the film stars Shah Rukh Khan, who plays the role of hockey coach guiding the women’s hockey team to victory, and also explores various issues of sports, religious bigotry, sexism and racism in contemporary India. The soundtrack is composed by Salim-Sulaiman with lyrics by Jaideep Sahni.
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