This Republic Day, celebrating the best patriotic songs of all time

1. Jo samar mein ho gaye amar : Lata Mangeshkar:   Every Indian knows Lataji’s Ae  mere watan ke logon. How many know this equally  beautiful peerless paean  to patriotism  composed by the great and underrated Jaidev?  Jo samar mein ho gaye amar , written by Narendra Sharma, one of the most favourite poet-lyricists  of Lataji, is a profoundly  moving tribute to our soldiers who give up their lived to keep us safe. Narendra Sharma writes, “Laut kar na aayenge vijay dilane wale veer/Mere geet anjali mein unke liye nayan neer..”  Lataji sings the  words with emotions that cannot be  gauged  in words. In my opinion, this is a superior  patriotic number than the rightly celebrated  Ae mere watan ke logon. Why? Because the words are sharper and more devastating. The tune to this  non-film song is exceptionally elegant. And Lataji has seldom sounded better.

2. Bharat humko jaan se pyar hai: Hariharan: We  celebrate A R  Rahman’s Vande mataram.But  the truth is, it would have been a far superior  piece of art if Hariharan  had sung it. Never mind. Rahman did a neglected patriotic song  for Hariharan  in Roja. Hariharan’s rendition of  the lyrics is  not overdone. There is no effort  in this sober  composition to impress us, no  desperate  attempt to win the Padma Shri by  parading his patriotism. A true  classic.

3. Meri Awaaz Suno: Mohd Rafi: The  pinnacle of patriotic passion  is projected in Rafi Saab’s Kar chale hum fida jaan-o-tan Saathiyo in Chetan Anand’s Haqeeqat. Composer Madan Mohan and  poet-lyricist Kaifi Azmi imbued that  number with  immortality. However there  is a hidden gem, a spark in the dark if you will, in a 1960s’  failed  film where the same Rafi-Mohan Mohan- Kaif Azmi team unfurled  the  feelings  behind the  flag. This somber number was created  on the death  of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. It is meant to be  Nehruji’s voice addressing the nation after his death. It was composed for a film Naunihal, produced and directed by Sawan Kumar Tak, about a child obsessed with Nehru Chacha  who runs away from boarding school, finds his way to Delhi, only to reach on the day that the funeral procession is in progress.

This song played in finale of film with shots of Pandit Nehru’s real  funeral... permission for which could only be granted by Indira Gandhi , who insisted on hearing the song first .The great  composer Madan Mohan  accompanied the producer with the tape , played the song personally to her and  she loved it.She also told the composer she  loved  his songs  .

4. Ek tu hi bharosa: Lata Mangeshkar (Pukar): This  hugely  underrated song from Rajkumar Santoshi’s Pukar pleading for world peace is  a masterclass  in mellow musicianship. Lataji’s  most celebrated song with A R Rahman is  Jiya jale from Dil Se when in  fact it is  this   composition that melts your heart like an icecream in the sun. Not only is the number special in its evocative images  of world peace, it is  extra-special because producer Boney Kapoor cajoled Lataji to sing the song on screen. The children’s choir as her chorus is an extra bonus. To my mind this is Rahman’s best Hindi composition to date.

5. Ae watan abaad rahe tu: Arjit Singh(Raazi): This Raazi number is  the only patriotic  number  I’ve heard in any recent  film, and hence included here strictly for the sake of contemporaneity.  The  lyrics by Gulzar Saab are  filled with emotions  that scarely get  an ample voice in the rendition. Arjit’s version is  more affluent in feelings. Alia Bhatt…ummm…more try-colour than tri-colour.