Wednesday, April 21, 2010

'Dil Deke Dekho' - Pop Hindustani Song - 1959


SONGS I LOVE:

Dil Deke Dekho is a Hindi movie (1959) shown at the Garrick Theatre in Geylang Serai, Singapore about 50 years ago. I vaguely remember the movie but is familiar with the song and listened to it for days afterwards at a Malay neighbour's home. (It is common knowledge that Indian pop songs influenced the Malay pop yeh-yeh wave of music in the 60s.) And YouTube is a blessing because when I found the song and played it again and again, my wife asked me if I had a new Indian girlfriend!

The music is composed by Usha Khanna in this her first film and the cast includes Shammi Kapoor and Asha Parekh. These were big names in the 60s and the movie was Nasir Hussain's second film as director and gave star Shammi Kapoor a new image as a comedic, dancing hero. Husain and Kapoor reteamed here. Asha Parekh, a former child actress, made her film debut as a heroine.

It was also the debut film of comedian Rajendranath, brother of Premnath (another 60s Hindi movie screen hero). When the film became a hit at the box office so did the songs. Husain, Kapoor and Parekh would reteam again as his leading lady in five other films.
4 edited comments from You Tube:

Dil Deke Dekho - Dil Deke Dekho Ji - Mohd Rafi. Video by Greg Pelka. Thanks.


1. This film was the first for Usha Khanna. She copied some songs from English and did a tremendous job by giving us these memorable melodies. This song is copied from a song with the lines, "Sugar in the morning, sugar in the evening, sugar at suppertime... (Sugartime - Johnny Cash and also McGuire Sisters Hit in 1958).

2. Dil Deke Dekho means, "Try and give away your heart." He sings, "Try giving your heart, oh the heart snatchers, learn how to give as well... /Ask the mouth how enjoyable it is to burn slowly in love's fire./May you learn to enjoy love's heat as well.../Understand the lover's language,/If there's no love, there's no life/ May you learn how to sing this song as well..."

3. I don't like the acting but the music keeps rock & rolling. The main stuff!
4. Many of these old Hindi film songs are naive and a bit silly. But they are full of light humour and innocent charm that you simply don't find anywhere else now.
Anyone has seen this movie? And the song? It's still spinning in my head. Lovely!

(I have been trying to get a Tamil speaking friend to review some of the older Tamil movie classics and songs that were shown in Singapore but to no avail. Anyone know about Tamil movies or music?)

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14 comments:

  1. Rimi Basu28.3.17

    Nice Post. Thank you for sharing such kind of post. It’s really very informative post. I appreciate your post.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous6.11.18

    WISHING ALL HINDU FRIENDS AND SINGAPOREANS A HAPPY DEEPAVALI. Bollywood movies at the Garrick Cinema were quite a treat to watch.

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  3. ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. ©6.11.18

    WISHING ALL HINDU FRIENDS AND SINGAPOREANS A HAPPY DEEPAVALI. Bollywood movies at the Garrick Cinema were quite a treat to watch.

    ReplyDelete
  4. DAISY KOH6.11.18

    Ha, I remember that song...used to sing it as a kid... my Indian neighbour Raj kept playing the record over and over on the loudspeaker...those were the days...If you had a Denon record player you share the songs with your neighbours and they don’t complain

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  5. ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. ©6.11.18

    Hi Daisy thanks for the memory of that lovely Hindi song. Never forget. And the beautiful selection of vinyl you gave me. From Cliff to Elvis, Seekers and all. Coffee and Cheese Cake were great. :-) We remember KS.

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  6. DAISY KOH6.11.18

    The Garrick used to be in Geylang Serai... remember the Hindi blockbuster Sangam that was screened for several months

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  7. Anonymous6.11.18

    Yes Daisy, thanks for reminding me. Full house for every show. Then using the same name, the SANGAM BOYS were formed locally to sell some tonic. :-) Some music history here that hopefully our youth will learn.

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  8. KOH SUI PANG FB6.11.18

    Is a pity no sound but the actor i guess must be Raj Kapoor ..i love his movies ..dancing from low land to high land vvvvvv entertaining ...💃🕺

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  9. DAISY KOH7.11.18

    The Garrick brings to mind another popular theatre in the Geylang area... the Queens theatre opposite Lorong 40. This one screens Chinese sword fighting movies in the early 60s ...Drunken Swordsman starring Cheng Pei Pei. Twin Swords starring WangYu and Loh Lei ...They were crowd pullers ... also the mee rebus sold at the kopi tiam next to Queens was super shiok and cheap.😀

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  10. MERLIN LIM (FORMER RHYTHMIST SILVER STRINGS)7.11.18

    Movies?
    Hindi??
    Hahaha
    Just like waiting for the cat to lay egg
    HAPPY DEEPAVALI
    LET THERE BE LIGHT.

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  11. Richard R.7.11.18

    Ha ha, how can people of our ERA,
    forget *SUCH A CATCHY TUNE*
    Irregardless of language,race..
    WE WERE SO VARIED IN OUR TASTE.
    AN Tat's A REAL BEAUTY, WE'RE ONE!
    when it's comes to MUSIC, ANDY.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Richard R.7.11.18

    Ha ha...SENIORS of tat ERA, how cud WE FORGET SUCH A CATCHY TUNE, Irregardless of language,race.We jus enjoyed it as a SONG, ANDY. CHEERS

    ReplyDelete
  13. MICHAEL LEE (SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA)8.11.18

    Hi Andy
    interesting video. Always loved Hindi music.
    Yeah Sui Pang I think so too - dammed handsome man.
    Cheerio

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  14. ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. ©8.11.18

    Hi Michael,
    thank you again for constant support.
    The music notes in our mind bind us together... :-)
    In any language, it's the melody that counts.

    ReplyDelete