Today is World Nature Day and I am reminded of several Hindi film songs that became popular only because they were picturised in sublime surroundings. On top of my list is The Great Gambler romantic song shot between Zeenat Aman and Amitabh Bachchan sailing in a boat in Venice. The song “Do labzon ki” RD Burman music, the kashtiwala, the lyrics and the skyline are mesmerising after all these years. Other favourite song of mine related to nature is Asha Bhosle’s “Phir se aiyo barkha bidesi” where a deaf-mute Mithoo/ Shabana Azmi in Namkeen is spotted strolling in the hills clinging to her kali kamlii/ black shawl.
In Hrishikesh Mukherji’s Anupama the story of the immensely shy Sharmila Tagore surprises the audience when she is singing to the flowers. Not the kind to share her feelings with anyone, Anupama opens up amidst nature and Lata Mangeshkar justifies all her emotions in the heartbreakingly sensitive song “Kuch dil ne kaha, kuch bhi nahi” penned by Kaifi Azmi.
Monsoon in its splendour glory has been a recurrent motif in our movies. Who can forget the beautiful Sadhana singing “O sajna barkha bahar aayin” in Asli Naqli or Nutan confessing her secret to the moon in “Mora gora aang lay le” in Bandini and Aishwarya Rai flirting with the clouds in “Barso re megha ranibarse re” in Guru.