Introduction

He was one of India’s most iconic playback singers with a voice that was once described to me as evoking the same pleasure sensation when you swallow a spoonful of honey. Abhas Kumar Ganguly or Kishore Kumar as he was popularly known sang into people’s hearts and minds during the golden era of Hindi cinema and has managed to leave his mark across generations.

On his 87th birth anniversary, we have decided to pay tribute to this icon in a relatable way by giving you a list of top five of his songs that featured or gave prominence to all things with four wheels. The list is spread out over nearly 20 years and features superstars like Rajesh Khanna, Dev Anand as well as Kishore Kumar himself.

The Tribute

Hum hai rahi pyar ke

Our first song in this melodious journey comes from the 1957 movie Nau Do Gyarah (the official term for running away). It sees Dev Anand driving what appears to be a small truck through various bits of Delhi on his way to Bombay (as it was known then) to collect an inheritance left by an uncle. It is also amazing to see that in 1950s you could drive on a practically empty Rajpath.

Ek ladki bhigi bhagi si

Taken from the movie Chalti Ka naam Gaadi , the song is set in the back drop of a garage (how much more car can this get). It sees Manmohan Sharma (Kishore Kumar) play a dancing game of sorts with Renu (Madhubala) after she has arrives at his garage in the middle of a rainy night to get her car repaired. It is a very good example of Kishore Da’s penchant to merge funny sounds into his songs.

Babu samjho ishare

Also taken from the movie Chalti Ka naam Gaadi, this five minute melody sees protagonist Manmohan Sharma (Kishore Kumar) and his two brothers Jagmohan Sharma (Anoop Kumar) and Briijmohan Sharma (Ashok Kumar) gallivanting through the various parts of Bombay. Their vehicle of choice for this Jazz filled travel is a 1930’s era Morris 8 cabriolet.

Yeh dil na hote bechara

Set in the 1967 movie Jewel Thief, this song sees Amar (Dev Anand) playing cat and mouse with Anjali (Tanuja) on the route to Lonavala as she drives her blue and white 1957 Ford Thunderbird convertible with her BFFs in tow. Apart from Kishore’s voice, it also contains background scores typical of the late 1960s.

Mere sapno ki rani

If there was a song to capture the essence of Kishore Kumar in the 1960s then this one from the movie Aradhna is it. The song is pictured with Rajesh Khanna riding atop a Willy Jeep while serenading Sharmila Tagore the (then) future Begum of Pataudi who is travelling in a train. Each scene of the song is captivating as it shifts between the Jeep winding its way up, Khanna jumping around and Tagore giggling at his antics.

Keh du tumhe ya chup rahun

Our final pick for this piece is from the 1975 movie Deewar staring Shashi Kapoor, Neetu Singh and Amitabh Bachchan. In the song the two Kapoor family stalwarts spend a majority of the video taking turns driving around in an open top Mahindra Jeep while as you can guess by now serenading each other. Unlike the rest of the movie which is quite serious this song does offer a bit of emotional relief.

It has been almost 30 years since Kishore Kumar departed for that giant recording studio in the sky but his voice and melodies will remain evergreen and immortal!