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.