KADAMBARI SRIVASTAVA
NOSTALGIC NOTES
Maine Pyar Kiya
Maine Pyaar Kiya. It seems surreal that this love story of two
youngsters divided by class, is almost three decades old now.
Everything about Maine Pyar Kiya spoke of a virginal love, yet
the chemistry between Salman Khan and Bhagyashree was as
electrifying as it was innocent, with the two lighting up the love
in our hearts even today, whenever the movie is aired. However,
performances and story apart, there was a third facet which led
to the success of this blockbuster. And that was its music. The
legendary tunes composed by Raamlaxman became the ultimate
love anthems; of pining, waiting, and meeting. However, the
magic was given a voice by none other than Lata Mangeshkar,
who became one with Suman’s voice and we all fell in love with
its coy expressions.
However, did you know that Lata Mangeshkar recorded all
the songs of the movie in one day? Yes, all the songs. The
nightingale of Hindi cinema achieved the inevitable feat and
that too without a hitch in her voice. As per IMDb, the legendary
singer had to do that because she had to leave for a concert
abroad, the next day. Well, while we all have the convenience
of cancelling our tickets now, these facilities were not available
so easily then. Lata Mangeshkar lent her voice to nearly eight
songs in the movie, including one nine-odd minute long medley.
It seems surreal to now think that she recorded all of it in one
day. Such dedication.
Maine Pyar Kiya eventually released and reached the zeniths
of Indian cinema, launching Salman Khan straight into the
camp of blockbuster stars. The music of the movie became a
chartbuster, and still is, because of its beautiful videos and
the amazing composition, courtesy the lyrics of Dev Kohli
and Asad Bhopali, and the tunes of Raamlaxman, with voices
of Lata Mangeshkar, SP Balasubrahmanyam, Sharda Sinha,
and more, joining the crew. Albeit composer Raamlaxman
did get into trouble when it surfaced that some of the tunes
had been lifted or rather inspired from some famous English
songs, predominantly the tune at the start of ‘Mere Rang Mein’
which was eerily similar to ‘The Final Countdown’ by Europe,
a Swedish band and the title track itself which was derived
from Stevie Wonders popular love track ‘I Just Called to Say I
Love You’. Nevertheless, this didn’t turn out to be a bane in the
album’s popularity.
With time, Maine Pyar Kiya as an album has achieved a cult
status, more than the movie itself. Lata Mangeshkar received
numerous nominations and awards for her melodious voice
which brought the feelings of Suman’s character alive in our
hearts and minds. Looking at her dedication of completing her
job so efficiently, we can say this with even more pride and
respect, that this was a well-deserved honour.
The
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