1. Oh Sajna barkha bahaar ayee(Parakh): “This song was special on so many counts. One of my favourite composers Salilda (Chowdhary) composed this delicate tune. I loved the way the Sitar creates the effect of a drizzle .Sadhanaji put across my singing so beautifully on screen. Among my rain songs I think this is the most well-known.”
2. Rimjhim gire saawan (Manzil): “Panchamda(R D Burman) created such honest curved notes. He made every word sound special. There are two versions of this song, one by me and one by Kishoreda. If I am not mistaken, my version was placed in the background while Kishoreda’s version was lip-synced in the film by Bachchan Saab.This is another ever-popular rain song from my collection.”
3. Abke saawan mein jee jare (Jaise Ko Taisa): “This one is a duet with Kishoreda. Beautifully composed and creates a romantic mood through the tempo . It’s a very mood-specific number and among the most cherished of my rain songs. I am not sure whom it was filmed on(it’s Jeetendra and Reena Roy). But this song made a shelf-life of its own beyond the screen.”
4. Chayee barkha bahaar(Chirag): “Madan Bhaiyya(Madan Mohan) is known for his Ghazal. But he was equally adept in every genre of playback composition. This light semi-classical rain song was so sprightly in mood and filled with such glitter and gaiety it makes one happy to just hear it. And Asha Parekhji being such a skilled dancer brought it to life on screen.”
5. Megha chayee aadhi raat bairan ban gayi neendiya(Sharmilee): “I loved singing this song for Burman Dada(Sachin Dev Burman) as much as he loved composing it. It is heavyhearted with Neeraj’s lyrics pounding out pain in the rain. The tune is steeped in a semi-classical flavour.The antaras(stanzas) are very high-pitched and were difficult to sing. This is among my most favourite songs, come rain or shine.”
