The basic idea of this post was there on my mind for a long time, almost one year. I thought of it in the month of July last year, only to find out that the occasion was already over. So I decided to wait till next year and planned for today as International Day of Families falls on 15th May. It’s widely called as World Family Day or International Family Day.
As I always say, my family is one of the strongest pillars of my life. My parents, my sister, my wife and daughter, all have been a constant support and encouragement to me. It’s with their blessings that I could follow my passion.
This day highlights the importance of families in society. It promotes love, care, unity, and support among family members. It reminds people to spend quality time with their families, encouraging bonding between them. Family members teach values, discipline, and good habits to children.
World Family Day encourages everyone to respect, support, and cherish their families.
Hindi films have always portrayed families, both in a good and bad ways. How a family with closely knit relationships helps a character sustain all calamities and also how a bad or neglected upbringing leads to a spoilt child.
Hindi films often portray happy families as loving, united, and supportive. They care deeply for one another and stand together during difficulties. Parents teach their children a correct way of behaviour using humanity and wisdom and helpfulness. Festivals, weddings, and other family gatherings commonly display joy and togetherness in Hindi films as in real life. Siblings are often portrayed sharing strong emotional bonds.
A few movies highlight sacrifice, trust, and understanding as strong family values to cherish for a happy and prosperous well being.
Today we’ll visit a song list with Hindi film songs that are picturised on an on-screen family. There should be mention of family or family members, or bond between the relations, family values, a family gathering, etc.
As I went through the films, I realised that in the 50s or the 60s, such songs are relatively few or at least I was unable to recollect them.
I’ve tried to share both the emotions of joy and sorrow, though the latter wasn’t easy to find in a song.
1. Jab Dil Ko Satave Gham – Sargam (1950) Lata Mangeshkar, Saraswati Rane & Chorus / C Ramchandra – P L Santoshi
The film revolves around Bhairavi (Rehana) and her siblings. Their father, a renowned classical singer, is no more, but has left a large debt in inheritance. Bharavi has two elder sisters, played by Bimla (Aasawari) and Paro Devi (Bageshree). The younger siblings are played by Baby Tabassum and Master Ratan. They are a total of seven siblings.
When the tension builds up due to non-payment of the debt, the entire family unites and performs this wonderful song. Most of them either play an instrument or sing in this song. A beautiful expression of unity and togetherness and also highlights the power of music. A beautiful start for today’s list.
2. Ek Do Teen Char Paanch – Parivar (1956) Hemant Kumar, Asha Bhosle & Chorus / Salil Choudhary – Shailendra
Parivar was a cute family drama directed by Asit Sen. The film portrayed the Choudhary family with five brothers and their wives and children. One of the brothers, played by Sajjan, is a doctor and is over conscious about the health and diet of his entire family. After checking the body weights of the entire family, he orders for a morning session of exercise under his supervision. The youngest couple, played by Ashim Kumar and Sabita Chowdhury, sings a song of encouragement. Their chef, played by Dhumal and major domestic help, Madho, played by Agha are more like a family, who are forced to join the session. It was quite fun to watch the song. The song emphasizes the importance of a healthy body and diet. An apple a day and a tomato a day are highly recommended as per the song.
3. Duniya Mein Hum Aaye Hain To – Mother India (1957) Lata Mangeshkar, Usha and Meena Mangeshkar / Naushad – Shakeel Badayuni
The family at times faces a disaster and such times are difficult to tide over. Radha, played by Nargis, faces such a disaster when her husband disappears one day. With the responsibility of raising two young children, Radha gathers herself together and bravely faces the situation. She herself starts working in the fields with the help of her two sons, played by Master Surendra and Master Sajid. So the family was together in happy days, and now is united in difficult times too. A touching image of togetherness in bad times.
4. Bhaiya Mere Rakhi Ke Bandhan Ko – Chhoti Behen (1959) Lata Mangeshkar / Shankar Jaikishan – Shailendra
And now, the festival of Rakhis is being celebrated in the household. On screen sung by Nanda, with her onscreen brothers, Balraj Sahni and Rehman. The sister asks her brothers to honor the promise of protection and love that the Rakhi thread represents. The song portrays the sweet relationship between the siblings. Sister even mentions the possibility of the sister being separated from her brother, perhaps living in a distant land. In such a scenario, she asks him to keep her memory alive as if it were a burning lamp, ensuring their bond remains unbroken even if they cannot meet. The siblings represent the bond of respect, love and togetherness.
5. Bhor Aayi Gaya Andhiyara – Bawarchi (1972) Manna Dey, Kishore Kumar, Nirmala Devi, Laxmi Shankar, & Harindranath Chattopadhyay / Madan Mohan – Kaifi Azmi
What a delightful experience it is to watch the song! The film revolves around the Sharma family, who live in ‘Shanti Niwas’ that’s by no means peaceful! The family is headed by Harindranath Chattopadhyay, who lives with sons and daughters-in-law and grandchildren in the house. They experience a cool breeze of air when Rajesh Khanna drops in to volunteer himself as a cook in the house. He sings too, and one fine day, he sings this beautiful semiclassical song. Soon all the family members join the song, forgetting their personal problems. The youngest son, played by Asrani is a music composer cum singer, who brings in breezy lyrics (written by Gulzar as per Wikipedia) and gives a western touch to the song. Quite a pleasure watching the entire family singing together.
6. Yaadon Ki Baarat Nikli Hai – Yaadon Ki Baarat (1975) Lata Mangeshkar, Padmini Kolhapure & Shivangi Kolhapure, / R D Burman – Majrooh
One of the most popular as songs of memories from Hindi films. The film and its songs were hugely popular and still continue to be. The song portrays a family celebrating father’s birthday. Nasir Khan plays the father, while Ashoo plays the mother. Young Amir Khan (credited as Master Amir) plays the youngest son, while Master Ravi and Master Rajesh play the elder siblings. The song talks about the unity and togetherness of the family and wishes to cherish the day forever in their lives. A cute moment for the family! Unfortunately their life changes forever later. The song has a male duet version as well, when the brothers reunite in adulthood.
7. Zindagi Ki Yahi Reet Hai – Mr India (1987) Kishore Kumar & Chorus / Laxmikant Pyarelal – Javed Akhtar
Here we don’t have blood relations. Arun Verma (Anil Kapoor) runs an hostel in a rented bungalow for orphaned children, with the help of his cook, Calender (Satish Kaushik). Even though he finds it difficult to make ends meet, he always teaches a positive attitude to his housemates. He occasionally takes them for a drive. It’s during one such drive that this wonderful philosophical song appears on screen. It talks about failure being the first step to success and that life always offers us both joy and sorrows. We should be strong emotionally to face difficult times and never lose hope.
The song is picturised on Anil Kapoor and Satish Kaushik with all the kids, who played orphans, including choreographer Ahmed Khan and actor Aftab Shivdasani.
8. Ek Doosre Se Karte Hain Pyar Hum – Hum (1991) Sudesh Bhosle, Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik, Mohammed Aziz & Sonali Bajpai / Laxmikant Pyarelal – Javed Akhtar
This cute song was very popular during my school days (I was in 7th std) and since then it’s been my favourite. Amitabh Bachchan played Tiger, who renamed himself Shekhar to live a happy life in Ooty. His stormy past life in Mumbai is now forgotten by his stepbrothers, who regard him as their elder brother. Rajnikant is married to Deepa Sahi and has a daughter. Govinda is a college student. The happy family spends joyous days in Ooty. The song highlights the happiness in their lives and portrays a happy, caring and loving family, who can do anything for each other. Deepa Sahi is the key person, taking care of everyone and is a strong pillar of the family. The inclusion of this beautiful track from the 90s was a must.
9. Yunhi Kat Jayega Safar – Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke (1993) Kumar Sanu, Alka Yagnik & Chorus / Nadeem Shravan – Sameer
Amir Khan plays a maternal uncle to three orphaned children. The children are very mischievous and troublemakers, who make his life harder. Juhi Chawla enters the family as a governess but soon becomes like a family member. She also implements discipline in the children, and also makes them aware of their uncle’s difficulties and problems. Though they both get attracted to each other, it’s not yet confronted. The family plans a day’s picnic and the song finds its way to the silver screen. They spend quality time and emphasize the importance of togetherness and unity. It was one of the songs that came to my mind when I thought of the theme.
10. Woh To Hai Albela – Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1993) Kumar Sanu & Devaki Pandit / Jatin Lalit – Majrooh
The film was acclaimed for Shah Rukh Khan’s performance and the melodious songs. Shah Rukh Khan plays a singer who’s underrated by his father. The song is sung by his on-screen mother and on-screen sister, who support him for his potential. They claim him to be a gem among thousands and that his father noted his deficiencies but never appreciated his talent. The song is really heart warming and touches the listener’s soul. It’s the support by the family that encourages one and who, but a mother knows her son better than anyone else. In addition to his mother and sister, the neighbours and his teachers act like an extended family to support him.
11. Dhiktana Dhik Tana Dhiktana – Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1994) Lata Mangeshkar, S P Balasubramaniam, Udit Narayan, Shailendra Singh & Chorus / Ram Laxman – Ravindra Rawal
The film was full of songs picturised on family members. It could be an engagement ceremony, a wedding ceremony or even a baby shower. But I chose this second version of Dhik Tana song as it incorporates all the family members, most of whom sing as well. And what’s the occasion? It’s the birth of a baby to the character played by Renuka Shahane. Her parents, sister, members of her in law’s family, their well wishers and the house help, all celebrate the occasion. They are all excited at the arrival of the baby and shower him with their blessings.
12. Ye To Sach Hai Ki – Hum Saath Saath Hain (1999) Hariharan / Ram Laxman – Ravindra Rawal
The family drama portrays a joint family, parents and their four children. The song highlights the importance of parents and they are compared to God. They are responsible for a good upbringing, instilling family values and culture to their children. The song also conveys gratitude towards their sacrifices. Picturized on the on-screen family of Reema Lagoo, Alok Nath, Salman Khan, Mohnish Behl, Neelam and Saif Ali Khan. The main song is lip synched by Mohnish Behl, while the other siblings join in the end. A large family gathering with relatives and family friends also witness these touching moments. Karisma Kapoor, Tabu, Sonali Bendre, Sadashiv Amarapurkar, Satish Shah, Shakti Kapoor, Himani Shivpuri, Huma Khan, Ajit Vachchani, can be seen in the audience.
13. Aye Dil Laya Hai Bahaar – Kya Kehna (2000) Kavita Krishnamurthy & Hariharan / Rajesh Roshan – Majrooh
This was one of the songs that actually made me think of collecting the songs picturised on on screen families. Anupam Kher, Farida Jalal, Preity Zinta, Chandrachud Singh, Mamik and other supporting characters. It’s Preity Zinta’s on-screen family who talks about the happiness of being surrounded by family members and togetherness, the joy of love and presence of loved ones and how that feels like a blooming spring in one’s life. The family celebrates Preity Zinta’s birthday, plays carrom and spends quality time. In the superfast life of the current era, such ‘Fursat ke pal’ are so difficult to capture! The energetic voices of the singers and natural acting by the performers make it an audio visual treat.
14. Humne Suna Hai – Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai (2002) Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik, Sudesh Bhosle, Jaspinder Narula & Chorus / Jeet Preetam – Javed Akhtar
You might have forgotten the song after all these years. But I could recollect it for today’s list. It’s picturised on Tulip Joshi and her on-screen family comprising Deena Pathak, Deven Verma, Bindu, Alok Nath, Neena Kulkarni, Tanaaz Qarim, Resham Tipnis, Tushar Dalvi, Sourabh Shukla, Sheela Sharma etc. Their team is headed by Uday Chopra, who loves Tulip and has intentions to break the marriage. He takes an initiative to tease her and is joined by the entire family. Quite fun to watch the song! All the family members tease her a lot by asking mischievous questions. But she answers them back quite well. It’s such a heart warming to see such a large joint family enjoying with each other.
15. Kal Jisne Janam Yahan Paaya – Vivah (2006) Suresh Wadkar, Kumar Sanu & Ravindra Jain / Written & Composed by Ravindra Jain
Vivah is a movie that is still liked by the younger generation. The song is a family gathering where the bride and groom (Shahid Kapoor and Amrita Rao) are being teased by their respective parents (Anupam Kher and Alok Nath). But in addition to teasing, they also add the memories of their childhood. How they brought the children up with love and care and how naughty, obedient or studious the children had been. That touch of nostalgia takes the song to a next level. It was quite fun watching the song! I wonder why such heart warming and simple songs no longer exist in Hindi films? Is the family drama a lost genre for Hindi films!
I hope you liked the post and enjoyed the songs. Have you thought of adding songs?
I’m waiting…….
Disclaimer –
Mehfil Mein Meri, claims no credit for any image, screenshots or songs posted on this site. Images on this blog are posted to make the text interesting. The images and screenshots are the copyright of their original owners. The song links are shared from YouTube, only for the listening convenience of music lovers. The copyright of these songs vests with the respective owners, producers and music companies.
