Anuradha Paudwal's birthday: Revisiting her classics with Udit Narayan
National-Award-winning singer and Padma Shri honoree Anuradha Paudwal has enjoyed an incomparable run in the music industry, having laced Hindi, Tamil, Odia, and Punjabi, among other, songs in her mellifluous voice. Out of her numerous partnerships with her contemporaries, one of her most special collaborations was formed with Udit Narayan. On Paudwal's 69th birthday, let's revisit some of their classic duets.
'Chaha Hai Tujhko'
Indra Kumar's Mann has some extremely tragic plot points at its core, and Chaha Hai Tujhko encapsulates the melancholic lives of its protagonists extremely well. Written by Sameer and composed by Sanjeev Darshan, the song is used at a consequential point and sets in motion a story-within-a-story sequence that leaves the leads Dev (Aamir Khan) and Priya (Manisha Koirala) teary-eyed.
'Dhak Dhak Karne Laga'
Dhak Dhak from Beta is particularly noteworthy not only because it's one of the many songs on which Narayan and Paudwal collaborated, but also because it became one of the defining songs of Madhuri Dixit's career. The song's tune was composed by musical maestro Ilaiyaraaja for the song Abbanee Tiyyani from the Telugu film Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari, with the Hindi lyrics by Sameer.
'Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam'
Shah Rukh Khan-Dixit-Salman Khan starrer love triangle drama Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam was bolstered by intense performances from these three lead actors. It also remains memorable for its glorious soundtrack, which comprises songs composed by numerous music directors. The title track, a declaration of love, longing, and loyalty, was put to the tune by composers Nikhil-Vinay, with lyrics by Sameer.
'Akela Hai Mr. Khiladi'
And now, a fun one! Akela Hai Mr. Khailadi, from the immensely rewatchable comedy Mr. and Mrs. Khiladi, anchored by Akshay Kumar and Juhi Chawla, is another testament to the magic Paudwal and Narayan concocted together. Penned by Dev Kohli, the song has a sprightly, lively vibe to it, brought alive by the two vocalists. Re-watch the David Dhawan directorial on YouTube.
