"This is the most iconic romantic song."
Within the sterling art form of Indian movies, courtesans make intriguing characters.
In the songs in which they appear, they ooze charm, elegance, and vivacity.
The actors that perform in these roles are confident and graceful, leading fans to swoon over them.
In Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s enigmatic web series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar (2024), these characters take centre stage.
However, that show is not the only platform where viewers can enjoy songs filled with melody.
DESIblitz invites you on a musical odyssey that will introduce you to 10 Bollywood songs featuring courtesans.
Jab Pyaar Kiya Toh Darna Kya – Mughal-E-Azam (1960)
Mughal-E-Azam is an enduring epic of Indian cinema.
The film stars Madhubala as the courtesan Anarkali, who falls in love with the conflicted Prince Salim (Dilip Kumar).
Salim’s father Emperor Akbar (Prithviraj Kapoor) stands as an obstacle in their path of togetherness.
‘Pyaar Kiya Toh Darna Kya’ showcases Madhubala at her very best, as she glides and sways around the royal court.
The chartbuster also contains one of Bollywood’s most elegant dance sequences.
Lata Mangeshkar’s soul-stirring rendition contains love and longing that adorn this number.
That makes Anarkali’s tragic saga all the more heartbreaking.
The lyrics in the song go: “Falling in love is no theft. Why fear when you’ve fallen in love?”
This theme rings true in Indian cinema over 60 years after the film’s release.
It is truly a musical masterpiece.
Raat Bhi Kuch Bheegi Bheegi – Mujhe Jeene Do (1963)
The black-and-white picturisation of ‘Raat Bhi Kuch Bheegi Bheegi’ increases the mysticism of the song.
It features the luscious Chameli Jaan (Waheeda Rehman) while Thakur Jarnail Singh (Sunil Dutt) watches on.
Lata Mangeshkar infuses life into the track.
A review of Mujhe Jeene Do on Membsaabstory praises Waheeda’s performance and the song:
“How we are supposed to believe that someone as lovely as Chamelijaan came out of Manorama is beyond me, but I am thrilled to see both of them anyway.
“And the song is just beautiful too.
“Jarnail Singh is smitten with Chamelijaan on sight, and who wouldn’t be?”
In the 60s, Waheeda was known for her onscreen glamour and grace.
It is wonderful to see her become one of the most historic courtesans in the history of Bollywood.
Neel Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein – Amrapali (1966)
Continuing with the evergreen work of Sunil Dutt, we come to the film Amrapali.
The movie features Dutt Sahab as Magadh Samrat Ajatashatru.
Veteran star Vyjayanthimala brings the titular courtesan Amrapali to life.
An accomplished dancer, Vyjayanthimala makes ‘Neel Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein’ a sight to behold.
The nightingale Lata Mangeshkar, with her soft tones, embeds soul and emotion into the song.
On YouTube, a fan notes the lack of artificiality that beautifully surrounds Vyjayanthimala:
“No plastic surgeries, No video effects, nothing artificial about her! She’s so beautiful.”
Despite their differences in status and society, Magadh and Amrapali fall in love.
‘Neel Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein’ is a tribute to the art of choreography and emotion.
Chalte Chalte – Pakeezah (1972)
Fans of Bollywood’s Golden Era adore Pakeezah, especially for containing this legendary song.
Meena Kumari is fantastic as Nargis/Sahibjaan in the film. ‘Chalte Chalte’ is as graceful as one can get.
Sporting red attire, the actress shimmers in the song, as Lata Mangeshkar’s voice gives one goosebumps.
An online review of Paakezah comments on the melody of ‘Chalte Chalte’:
“Once in a long while there comes a melody that can make time stand still, make all your worries disappear, and even transport you into the world of music and lyrics that it comprises.
“‘Chalte Chalte’ is that song for Paakezah.“
“It is hard to imagine that these songs were recorded in just one take when you can understand the detail of music and singing that goes into creating a track like this.
“Lata’s vocals take us through a high-wire trapeze act, and the instrumentation matches every vocal note!
“It was truly the golden age of music.”
Unfortunately, Meena Kumari passed away just weeks after the release of Paakezah, leaving behind a mesmeric act that is never more visible than in ‘Chalte Chalte’.
Pehle Sau Baar – Ek Nazar (1972)
Jaya Bachchan – famous for her shy roles – is a powerhouse of talent. In the classic Sholay (1975), she creates a massive impact as Radha by saying so little.
However, few people know that Jaya has played one of the most memorable Bollywood courtesans in her career.
In the film Ek Nazar, she features as Shabnam.
The sterling song ‘Pehle Sau Baar’ presents her without a shed of vanity.
Meanwhile, Manmohan Tyagi/Akash (Amitabh Bachchan) watches her with a serene expression.
It takes place in a hall where the instrumentation of the tabla, dholak, and harmonium are just as much of stars as the character herself.
Lata Mangeshkar skillfully weaves poetic vocals into the beats, creating an evergreen track.
Jaya shows off her versatility in ‘Pehle Sau Baar’. It is surprising that she has not taken on more of these roles when she clearly has the knack for them.
Jitendra Mathur speaks glowingly of the music on WordPress, also underlining Kishore Kumar who provides some of the male vocals in the soundtrack:
“The melodious music serves as the icing on the cake.
“Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar have sung the ear-soothing songs of the movie which do not hinder the flow of the story.
“Instead they support it and add to its strength.”
Salaam-E-Ishq Meri Jaan – Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978)
This sublime track from Muqaddar Ka Sikandar profits from the ace onscreen pair of Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha.
A gorgeous Rekha stars as Zohra Bai, with Amitabh featuring as Sikandar.
‘Salaam-E-Ishq Meri Jaan’ is a duet between Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar.
The song showcases Sikandar watching Zohra Bai perform before he joins her in the rendition.
‘Salaam-E-Ishq Meri Jaan’ is a delicate yet moving song.
An IMDB user admires the composers Kalyanji-Anandji:
“The music by Kalyanji-Anandji is just excellent with superb songs.”
Another fan adds: “This is the most iconic romantic song in the history of Bollywood.”
The charm in this song is conveyed beautifully by Rekha and the result is clear as crystal.
In Aankhon Ki Masti Mein – Umraao Jaan (1981)
Few actresses have mastered the art of portraying courtesans quite like Rekha.
We therefore come to another intricate representation of her displaying melody onscreen.
In Muzaffar Ali’s Umraao Jaan, the star plays Amiran/Umraao Jaan – a young girl sold to a brothel.
Khanum Jaan raises Amiran to perform for the gratification of customers.
Rekha outdoes her celluloid magic in this track which is sung beautifully by Asha Bhosle.
Khayyam’s score also serves as an inspiration.
Rekha talks about how iconic nawabs helped her perform the song.
She says: “Muzaffar Ali had invited many nawabs of the bygone era.
“These nawabs were exclusively called to monitor my Kathak steps.
“Many a time, they guided me and came up with valuable suggestions, thus making my dance stand out.”
Umraao Jaan was remade in 2006 with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan starring as the titular character.
However, one might argue that the magic of the original work is irreplaceable.
Dola Re Dola – Devdas (2002)
In Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan shines like a pearl as Parvati ‘Paro’ Chaudhary.
However, Madhuri Dixit is just as bright as the courtesan Chandramukhi, who is a source of solace for a despairing Devdas Mukherjee (Shah Rukh Khan).
This opulent number shows Chandramukhi and Paro in a vivacious display of choreography.
‘Dola Re Dola’ marks the launch pad of the famous singer Shreya Ghoshal, who invests every fibre of her being into the song.
Along with KK and Kavita Krishnamurthy, Shreya proves that she has the potential to make it big in the Indian music scene.
In a music review of Devdas, Joginder Tuteja underscores Shreya’s tremendous vocals:
“Listen to [Shreya] in the dance competition song ‘Dola Re Dola’ between Madhuri and Aishwarya and you just can’t stop raving about her voice.
“Don’t know who wins the dance competition finally but at least in the song Shreya does give tough competition to Kavita, which is no mean achievement.
“The best track of the album that also features KK.”
Despite Aishwarya being the main attraction of Devdas, Madhuri certainly glimmers with her underplaying in the role of one of Indian culture’s most iconic courtesans.
‘Dola Re Dola’ was recreated in Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023), signifying the longevity of the chartbuster.
Bhaage Re Mann – Chameli (2004)
Chameli sees a young Kareena Kapoor Khan become the titular courtesan.
Iconically shot in the rain, ‘Bhaage Re Mann’ is a sexy and pure showcase of smiles and sultriness.
Clad in a saree, Kareena glistens as she croons to the outstanding voice of Sunidhi Chauhan.
Meanwhile, Aman Kapoor (Rahul Bose) humours Chameli’s antics.
It was unlike anything else to see Kareena play a courtesan in one of her more underrated movies.
In a music review, Chitra Parayath from lokvani.com highlights ‘Bhaage Re Mann’:
“[Composer] Sandesh Shandilya delivers a sure-fire winner – a solo by the chameleon-like singer Sunidhi Chauhan.
“The lyrics by Irshad Kamil are dreamy and are a perfect match for Sunidhi’s vocals.
“The song was picturised on a very wet-in-rain Kareena Kapoor.”
In a 2023 interview with Film Companion, Kareena reflects on her choice to take on the lead role in Chameli:
“I was 21 years old when I played Chameli at a time when nobody was doing films like that.
“Today, I’m 42 and people still talk about that film.
“It really built up a certain perception in the minds of the audience about my work.”
Jab Saiyaan – Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022)
Heeramandi fans may be aware of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s genius in this enthralling film.
Alia Bhatt takes on the role of the titular sex worker.
Set in the brothels of Kamathipura, Mumbai, ‘Jab Saiyaan’ presents Ganga ‘Gangubai’ Kathiawadi spending time with her lover Afsaan Badr-ur-Razzaq (Shantanu Maheshwari).
The song is a melodious track, rendered by Shreya Ghoshal.
When discussing courtesan characters in Bollywood, people often talk about their brashness and outgoing nature.
‘Jab Saiyaan’ is one of the few songs that unmasks a courtesan’s vulnerability.
Gangubai simply desires care from Afsaan, rather than the physical intimacy she deals with regularly in her profession.
In a review of the film, Anupama Chopra comments on the picturisation:
“Gangubai is a big fan of Dev Anand. His photo hangs in her room.
“There’s a lovely moment in which she flirts with Afshaan.
“She turns the photo around so Dev Sahab can’t watch.”
This innocence is the jewel in ‘Jab Saiyaan’, which makes the melody all the more pleasurable.
Bollywood songs featuring courtesans are rich with melody, longing, and desire.
Fans love seeing these characters display their emotions.
A lot of the time, simmering beneath the brashness is an ocean of confusion and unguardedness that can come to the fore.
The singers who render these numbers use soul as their main brushstroke, and the results are charming and iconic.
So, if you’re interested in soulful songs, gather your playlists with these beautiful tracks.
And embrace the wonderment of courtesans.
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