*blush* This 70’s Bollywood Song!
By: After Thought
Tags: Hidden Meaning, Sensual, Bollywood, Songs

1970’s in India was a remarkable era for India. And Bollywood holds testament to this cultural upheaval going on India. I wasn’t even born then but have ample movies to suggest this was a decade of expression.

I watched most Hindi 70’s movies in the 90’s as VCRs made way into our home. The start of the decade was filled with patriotism (a feature from the previous decade) moving on to family relationships to the angry young men.

The evergreen songs from these movies were another gift of this era that propagated all things good. So, it was only in college that I started understanding the sexual and sensual overtones in these songs. It probably started with the likes of “Dum Maro Dum” and “Aap jaisa koi”( हर किसी को चाहिए तन का मिलन! — I agreed! ), but it was just the beginning.

On a trip back home, I visited my Nani’s place with my mom. My Nani was a brilliant lady in all respects and didnt like TV. I loved TV. She commented how she was absolutely aghast that women’s clothes were getting shorter each time the TV was turned. My mom agreed. I was a rebel teenager and made a snide remark to my mom telling her not to act “Holier than thou” when her era did the same in a subtle way.

Clearly obsession with birds and the bees was not going away any time soon.

Instead of being offended, I thought I saw my Mom blush. And she said quipped, “Yes! बेटे! How do you think you were born! What did you think of the song दूंगी तेनु रेशमी रूमाल?” She cocked her eyebrow.

I have never told her this, but I went back and listened to it. It was the time of floppy disks and mix tape cassettes and I got “Pooja music center” to record it for me.

So… it goes like this -Loose meaning in subscripts

दूँगी तैनू रेशमी रुमाल I will give you a silk kerchief

ओ बांके जरा डेरे आना -३ Please come home

गोरी गोरी है ये मेरे प्यार की निशानी This symbol of love is fair(light skinned)

बूनी धागे धागे में दिल की कहानी Every thread tells a story of love

ऐसा वैसा नहीं है रे पानी पंजाब का The water of Punjab is magical

घूँघट है प्यार का रंग है गुलाब का It’s coy and rose tinted

ओ मैंने रुमाल बड़े प्यार से बनाया I have made this kerchief with a lot of love

रोज़ रोज़ धोया और इतर भी लगाया Washed it everyday and perfumed it too

रखा छिपा के सोलह साल -२ I have kept it hidden for 16 years now

Woah! What?

Clearly she is not singing about a handkerchief that is fair, beautiful and has been washed and perfumed everyday. Moreover, she has kept it under wraps for 16 years (where was she drying it anyway?). 🙈

Well played your V-card Maám! 😀

If “Hanky-Panky” was common lingo of the 70’s, it would have been the pun of the decade.

As far as I am aware, this is one of the many many songs that have been inspired by Indian folk songs and I am quite happy to say that they are bawdy. Nothing warms my heart more than that.

I m naturally bawdy inclined. No crass. Bawdy and Sensual.

My top picks for Bollywood songs whose lyrics (not videos) rank high on classy sensuality.

There is a certain quality to these songs that is lost in current songs. Its probably because of cultural shift from hidden charm to in-your-face ownership of one’s sexuality. And I love that too…. from hidden meanings to saying stuff out loud.

In my brother’s pre-wedding sangeet, the folk singers asked all men to leave the room. The men did leave, but clearly just to humour the singers, who went on to belt out “Mera naada khul khul jaaye bua!” (my drawstrings keep becoming undone — Well Well Well!)

But more on that later.

Hope you enjoyed this article. I will be analyzing more songs and my relationship with lyrics sometimes defines my way of thinking. Do let me know if you have other hindi songs that qualify for this list!