For ages, music has been a way to express human emotions without directly voicing them out. Engulfing them in the leaves of symbolism, metaphors, and imaginative scenarios, the music captures the depth of emotions in a way that only a few works of art can. As music began to get incorporated into movies, it became one of the ways to portray the characters’ feelings and circumstances. Movie soundtracks became a thing in Bollywood many decades ago.
This post is dedicated to remembering as well as reviving some of Bollywood’s iconic movie soundtracks that did an exceptional job of displaying the profundity and complexity of human emotions through their meaningful lyrics and rhythms-
Bollywood’s Iconic Movie Soundtracks:
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Kal Ho Naa Ho
Kal Ho Naa Ho was one of the movies that made us sob, cry and bawl. The song “Kal Ho Naa Ho” beautifully and at the same time painfully captured the situation of the characters. As Aman’s time in this world was coming to an end, he could only tell us to live each second to the fullest and exist today only without worrying about the future that we may not even be a part of- because who knows “Kal Ho Naa Ho” (there might be no tomorrow).
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Agar Tum Saath Ho
Sung by Alka Yagnik and Arijit Singh, two exceptionally talented singers, Agar Tum Saath Ho, is a movie soundtrack for a film that was no less than a piece of art itself. Showing the flood of emotions and confusion that Ved and Tara have to encounter, the song plays out as a narration between Tara and Ved. Tara is helplessly in love with Ved, and she knows that the corporate-machine man in front of him only conceals the real storyteller, Ved, whom she met in Corsica.
However, Ved cannot show his true self to Tara because he is scared to face the truth. The line “tum saath ho ya na ho, kya fark hai. Bedard thi zindagi, bedard hai” shows his denial of accepting Tara and, as a result, his own true self.
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Kabira
When you unravel the words used in Kabira, you see that it is filled with contradictions. A man who doesn’t love heat or cold, sun or shadow, salt or sugar. He is unaffected by whatever happens around him, whether positive or negative. The song hits home as we see Bunny struggling with his feelings. He likes Naina, but he cannot stay back. At the same time, he is flirting with other girls. He doesn’t have a hold over his emotions, and sometimes he denies recognising them altogether.
As the song says, he has tried to be his own God and has crossed seven seas, but he is still empty inside. The iconic movie soundtrack captures Bunny’s dilemma of what is actually important for him.
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Mehrama
Love Aaj Kal 2 was quite disappointing, being an Imtiaz Ali’s film, but hear me out; the movie soundtrack was quite good. Although it had a few songs that deserve a mention, one of them that stood out to me was “Mehrama.” Just when the two lead characters decide to break up to pursue their careers, Mehrama captures their emotional state. The line “Na khabar apni rahi, na raha tera pata” shows how the two lost themselves when they lost each other. Also, Zoe’s side of the narration carries with, “logo me hoon par tanha hoon main”, showing the deep loneliness that engulfed her. Undoubtedly, Mehrama is an exceptional song.
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Love You Zindagi
Movies focused on mental health and self-discovery are seldom made in Bollywood. Dear Zindagi is one of the few instances where filmmakers portrayed the importance of therapy and self-love. The song “Love You Zindagi” seizes Kaira’s journey of finding herself, accepting what comes her way, and moving on from what she cannot control. It is a heart-rending song that teaches one to love themselves and their life. When one forgets that one is not here merely to exist but to live life, one should definitely go back to this movie soundtrack.
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Kalank
Yes, we are talking about the song that says, “Mai tera, mai tera, mai tera.” The title track of the movie Kalank is another iconic soundtrack. When one sees the budding love story between Alia and Varun’s characters, and the main lyric of the song, “Kalank nahi Ishq hai kaajal piya”, roughly translates to Love is not a blemish, but a kohl-mark. While “Kalank” is generally used for a blackish mark that shows humiliation or a taint on a person’s dignity, kajal is kohl that beautifies the eyes of the wearer. Arijit’s voice further beautifies the iconic soundtrack.
Conclusion-
These were some of Bollywood’s iconic movie soundtracks. Which one do you like listening to the most? Let us know in the comment section.
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