Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte – Star Pairs Through the Decades – Part I

‘Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte’ is a song from the 2008 Hindi film Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (A Match Made By God). The songs title means We Are Travelling The Love Lane (according to the subtitles). There Shahrukh Khan encompasses different movie stars of the decades with an ever-changing second-lead in the song to accompany him as the other half of the star pair of that particular decade.

Heads Up! I am making my own post by following the one from Wikipedia about the song, which sadly doesn’t add the link to the songs there so I thought I would do this where I add the songs and tell my own opinion at the same time! It has probably been done before, but I want to make my own. 

 

 

We start in the 1950’s. A time in Indian film history where many of its now well known and loved clichés were formed, along with the way films were made and the stories that were to be told. Films were made in India even before independence in 1947, but they were movies that were very much Western in their look, though with an Indian heart as long as the British didn’t catch on the messages sent. So as independence came films had a socialist awakening as the first needs were to be for the people, and the man who caught the air of the times and made one classic film after another was Raj Kapoor. The man who Shahrukh emulates in the first section of the song.

Then there is the other half of the pair in Nargis whom Kajol emulates, wearing the white sari which became a trademark of Raj’s heroines throughout his movies. The two of them would be in 16 movies together, while having a public affair that lasted for a good decade until Nargis met Sunil Dutt. Raj was already married to his wife Krishna when he met Nargis who had been working in film since 1943. Nargis and Raj shared everything for the decade they worked and loved together. They were the original Jodi (pair) of Indian Cinema that has only been compared to Shahrukh and Kajol in the amount of electric chemistry on screen, which is what makes the two modern screen pair emulating the old original so much more spectacular.

 

(Raj and Nargis being cute together)

 

The song starts with the echo ‘Awara Hoon‘ from the title song of the movie Awara from 1951. Raj’s first movie under his banner of R.K. studios, which he produced and directed himself with Nargis as his heroine. The film was an international hit, making Raj and Nargis stars around the world for those who saw the film (especially in Russia where they even went on tours to).

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VY1pWTek2sY

(The people in the arches are dressed like Raj and the big bowler hat is an homage to Awara. Shahrukh is dressed like Raj from both Awara and Shree 420, where both of his characters were Chaplin-like tramps)

 

The melody underneath it is that of the song ‘Pyar Hua Ikraar Hua‘ from Shree 420 from 1955. Indeed they are the first lines said in ‘Phir Mileage Chalte Chalte‘. The song is a classic just by its simplicity as the two walk together in the rain on the empty streets at night while under a black umbrella. It’s so simple it stays in your mind as Manna Dey and Lata Mangeshka provide the signing voices for the two of them. The umbrellas and street lamps on the sides of the completely white set are a tribute to this song. The choreography also emulates the different films, but I think that would be too much in this info dump of a post, so I’ll let you search for yourself.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y01uvU0UAoU

(So simple it stays in your mind and is a classic love song because of it!)

 

Next are mentions of movies in a single line, like the already mentioned Awara, but there are three more; Anari (1959), Amar Prem (1948) (though I have to admit I as of yet don’t see in reference, correct me in the comments) and Sangam (1964). Translation from this site:

Maana Dil Toh Hai Anari,

(I agree the heart is naive)

Yeh Awaara Hi Sahi,

(May even be poor as well)

Are Bol Radha Bol Sangam Hoga Ke Nahin 

(But tell me Radha, will we be together or not?)

 

Here are the posters for the three movies!

 

According to Wikipedia the reference of Amar Prem is in the mention of Radha Krishna in the song. But the only Radha I can think of in reference to his movies is that of Vyjayanthimala’s character in Sangam. So either I missed a reference or Wikipedia is wrong. Anyhow, since I mentioned Vyjayanthimala I might well continue the story of Raj and his women. Since Nargis left him for Sunil Dutt and this  made Raj mad at her for “leaving” him (good for her if he had this attitude after she left, since he was insecure about his height and never letting her wear high-heels or do a film without his approval), though he lost her when she chose to do the highly acclaimed and patriotic Mother India (1957), India’s only nomination (but lost by one vote) in the Foreign Language category for The Oscars (until Lagaan in 2002, which was nominated, but didn’t win) and where she met Sunil Dutt who played her son in the movie. There was an incident with a scene for the movie where Sunil Dutt saved Nargis, thus making their love story one of the most filmy and daring I can think of.

So, what does Raj do? He goes and has a rebound with Vyjayanthimala and later on makes a movie starring her, where he examines the whole Raj-Nargis-Sunil love triangle from hindsight with him, Vyjayanthimala and Rajendra Kumar (its Sangam for those wondering).

 

(In the end with the wide shot is where reality and film history merging as Sunil Dutt saves Nargis from the fire and the director Mehboob Khan left it for the film)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9a-ONy8iGNQ

(Here Raj sings the third line to Vyjayanthimala as she bathes in the river, while Raj is like Krishna with the Gopi’s in taking her clothes with his fishing rod)

 

The song’s melody changes to that of another song form Shree 420, that of ‘Mera Joota Hai Japani’ that completely takes over for the rest of the 1950s section except for the chorus which remains the same throughout the homage song. The original song sung by Mukesh is symbolic of India after independence, divided because of colonial rule and new ideas like socialism, but with a heart that is still very much its own. Patriotism was important and the song capitalised/commented on it with the simple clothes Raj’s tramp wears.

Mera joota hai Japani,

(My shoes are Japanese)

Ye patloon Inglistani,

(These trousers are English)

Sa pe laal toopi Rusi,

(The red cap on my head is Russian)

Phir bhi dil hai Hindustani 

(But still my heart is Indian)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wjGc1zGWBc

(Travelling on the road with the symbolic India upon him to find a way to make his fortune!)

 

So here ends the first section of the song with Kajol! Hope you enjoyed it and next time is on to the 1960s with Bipasha Basu as Sadhana!

 

Most of my information is from This blog (click Hindi 101 for Indian film history) which I read daily. Half of the things I know about Indian Cinema is because of this and it deserves a mention, because without it I wouldn’t have found a community as deep in the rabbit hole that is Indian Cinema. Highly recommend!