You know Rajesh Roshan for Dil Kya kare and Bhool Gayi sab kuch(Julie), Pardesia and Tauba tauba(Mr Natwarlal), Disco 82 (Khuddar), Choo kar mere man ko(Yarana), Jab koi baat bigad jaaye(Jurm), Kaho na pyar hai(title song) and Jaati hoon main(Karan Arjun). But there is much more to Rajesh Roshan than these obvious chartbusters. I truly believe his best tunes came before he became exclusive to his brother Rajesh Roshan’s cinema. Here are the ones you probably haven't heard but should do so right away.
1. Aa ri aa ja nindiya to le chal kahin(Kunwara Baap): It was comedian-filmmaker Mehmood who gave Rajesh Roshan(RR) his first break. Mehmood had a keen ear for music. He had also given R D Burman his first break. In Kunwara Baap RR came up with an all-time great lullaby sung to pitch-peefection by Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar. Mehmood was so fond of this number that he would sing it live on stage and cry every time.
2. Sancha naam tera(Julie): Julie is immortalized by the rightly celebrated tracks Dil kya kare, Bhool gayi sab kuch and Yeh Raatein nayi purani. Lataji considers Yeh raatein among her best. But the one that I recommend from this outstanding album is this Bhajan sung with enormous affection by Asha Bhosle and Usha Mangeshkar. Unlike other filmi Bhajans this one isn’t over-sweetened in tone.
3. Yaadon mein woh(Swami): Another stunning soundtrack from the uncompromising RR this one featured the gems Pal bhar mein yeh kya ho gaya by Lata Mangeshkar and Aye na balam by Yesudas. But it was Kishore Kumar’s pain-lashed nostalgia-crammed Yaadon mein woh a composition so undulating in sound and so hip and yet so traditional in tone, that you can go back to it any time anywhere to discover new facets to its arching artistry.
4. Ae mast hawa yeh to batla(Tumhari Kasam): This obscure masterpiece is a career-defining moment for RR. It is my single-most favourite Rajesh Roshan composition. Superbly penned in the ink of pain by Anand Bakshi: Bedard zamanein ne dil mein yeh dard na chhod diya hota/Uss jyot bujhane wale ne Deepak bhi tod diya hota.And the singing was to die for. Rajesh Roshan wonders why this song didn’t get its due. How about bad picturization? And tacky marketing wherein they preferred to promote the frisky Hum donon milke kagaz pe dilke(Mukesh-Asha Bhosle) rather than this profoundly moving melody.
5. Pehle pyar ka pehla gham(Papa Kehte Hain): Celebrated for Udit Narayan’s Ghar se niklate hi kuch dur chalte hi…. Papa Kehta Hain features another beautiful melody written by Javed Akhtar and rendered by Kavita Krishamurthy who is able to shed some of her shrillness to get to the tender core of the lyrics about the first break-up. Pehle pyar ka pehla gham is a sheer beauty and a joy forever.
Image source: IMDb