Songs evoke feelings, excite or calm, and eventually become ingrained in our memories and selves.
For the majority of Indians, Lata Mangeshkar’s passing was a personal loss. With the help of her songs and those of her contemporaries, we developed. A significant portion of the youth and adulthood of at least two generations was influenced by the voices of the golden age of Bollywood, including Kishore Kumar, Mukhesh, Rafi, and others.
A spell is cast by their music. The older voices have always been there for us to rely on as we have rejoiced, lamented, laughed, and sobbed through the years, becoming a part of the collective Indian psyche.
These voices used to be present at all family gatherings. We overheard their music playing on a little radio at the store around the corner. We heard them at home on television, in plays, on tape recorders, CDs, iPods, and other devices. SaReGaMa even invented a device to keep the classic songs alive.
Along with Bollywood, which they supported, The Greats helped to mold the audience.
The music of Kishore and Lata has illuminated many a night. For years, lovers have sung courtship songs. In their music, the discouraged have found comfort and safety.
Old Bollywood is a quick trip back to the radio and B&W television eras of our youth.
Bollywood helped to mold the hopes and aspirations of a generation of Indians and well caught the atmosphere of a nation coming to terms with its post-Colonial, neo-liberal identity. It pricked with the era’s newly discovered confidence.
Below have a look at some old classic Bollywood songs.
