Lockdown Legends -The Finale (Day 21): Marketing Melodies

The effect of Indian music in general and specifically Hindi film music has had a far-reaching impact, literally.  Indian songs being used in films of foreign origin has been observed to have been happening for a long time. Citing some instances of this "Export" of Melodies.

Probably the first time that an Indian song or dance was included as part of a film of English/foreign language was as far back as in 1959. The first film is a French one,  ‘The River’ 1951 by Jean Renoir, which had this South Indian dance…

After more than a decade, we saw a Hindi film song in an out-and-out English film Bombay Talkies (1970). This film had a Kishore Kumar song. Incidentally, this was the time when post-Aradhana, Kishore Kumar was scaling heights in an exponential manner. The song from the James Ivory-directed film :

In 1972 a controversy highlighted the film world when a film named Siddharth was released showing a nude Simi Garewal and a mesmerised Shashi Kapoor. Based on a novel by Herman Hesse, the film tested the patience of the film censor board in India, but eventually the film was released, with limited cuts. The film had a Bangla song by Hemant Kumar ( a re-working of his earlier O beqarar dil, ho chuka hai mujhko aansuon se pyar) presented here:


                                          


The iconic bhajan to be incorporated in Gandhi (1982) remains one of the most popular one.  Ironically, the lead role was played by an English actor Ben Kingsley !
Gandhi (1982) was a landmark film. For the first time a film in English language and by an English director was being attempted, keeping the most popular Indian, ever,  in the centre. The film, when released, was of epic proportions and went on to win Oscars. Obviously being an Indian subject, there were bound to be  Indian music in the film. Sure enough, the famous bhajan “Vaishnav Jan to tene kahiye”  featured in the opening credits of the film.



                                   



Next up is a phenomenal song from the 1965 Hindi film Gumnaam. The song, composed by Shankar Jaikishan, was sung by Mohd. Rafi . This song was used three times by the West , once each  in a film, a beer advertisement and a ballet !

The song is Jaan pehchaan ho, jeena aasaan ho…

The opening credits from the movie Ghostworld (2001) playing Jaan Pehchaan Ho from the movie Gumnaam with Mohammad Rafi singing the grooviest video track of Indian film music.


                                   
In quick succession, another Hindi film song found a place in an English film with the name The Guru (2002) ,coincidentally. In this film, a song, Kya mil gaya, haaye kya kho gaya … from the film Sasural ( picturised on Rajendra Kumar and B.Saroja Devi ) was incorporated with different actors lip syncing.

                                     

Finally, the 2007 film The Darjeeling Limited, paid a tribute to Satyajit Ray by playing the theme of his film Charulata in the film.  

Wrapping up today's edition showcasing the best of Indian music marketed on  foreign celluloid.