Best Songs Based on Raag Bhairavi 

The word Raga or Raaga means colour or hue but is associated with melody in Indian classical music. A raga uses a series of four or more musical notes upon which a melody is made. The way the notes are approached and rendered in musical phrases and the mood they convey are more important in defining a raaga than the notes themselves. In the Indian musical tradition, ragas are associated with different times of the day, or with seasons. Indian classical music is always set in a raga. Non-classical music such as popular Indian film songs and ghazals sometimes use ragas in their compositions. Today, we are going to take Raagas at random and associate them with time of the day and with Hindi songs.

Let's start with with Raag Bhairavi. It is a Hindustani music raaga of Bhairavi Thaat. A thaat is a mode in northern Indian or Hindustani music. Thaats always have seven different pitches and are a basis for the organization and classification of raagas in North Indian classical music. There are many Hindi films music directors who used Raag Bhairavi to base their songs. The most ardent of them were Shankar Jaikishen, so much so that when Jaikishen’s daughter was born she was named Bhairavi after their favourite Raag.

1.  Awaara Hoon

We start our journey into the Best Raaga based songs in Hindi movies with this song from the 1951 Raj Kapoor and Nargis starrer movie Awara that was also produced and directed by Raj Kapoor.This song in Raag Bhairavi became an international hit. The song was written by Shailendra and sung by Mukesh.

Here is the song - 

(aavaaraa huu.N, aavaaraa huu.N
yaa gardish me.n huu.N aasamaan kaa taaraa huu.N ) – 2
aavaaraa huu.N, aavaaraa huu.N

gharabaar nahii.n, sa.nsaar nahii.n
mujhase kisIko pyaar nahii.n – 2
usapaar kisiise milane kaa iqaraar nahii.n
mujhase kisIko pyaar nahii.n – 2
sunasaan nagar anjaan Dagar kaa pyaaraa huu.N
aavaaraa huu.N, aavaaraa huu.N

aabaad nahii.n barabaad sahii
gaataa huu.N khushiike gIt magar – 2
zakhmo.n se bharaa siinaa hai meraa
ha.nsatii hai magar ye mast nazar
duniyaa .a.a.a
duniyaa me.n tere tiir kaa yaa takadiir kaa maaraa huu.N
aavaaraa huu.N, aavaaraa huu.N
yaa gardish me.n huu.N aasamaan kaa taaraa huu.N
aavaaraa huu.N, aavaaraa huu.N

2. Naache Man Moraa, Magan, Dhiigadhaa Dhiigii Dhiigii

In this song, the Lyricist is Shailendra as in Awaara hoon song, but with a different music director, SD Burman. The 1963 movie Meri Soorat Teri Aankhen was a classic as far as its songs were concerned. In addition to this song there were, Tere bin soone nayan hamaare and Puuchho na kaise maine rain bitaayi.

Here is the song - 

aa aa aa…

naache man moraa, magan, dhiigadhaa dhiigii dhiigii -2
badaraa ghir aaye, rut hai bhiigii bhiigii
naache man moraa magan, dhiigadhaa dhiigii dhiigii -2
dhiigadhaa dhiigii dhiigii, dhiigadhaa

bansuri: tana~~N … tan tan tan tuu~~~~N tuu
sitar: tain tain tain, tataNtaN, tataNtaN, tataNtaN, tataNtaN

kuhuke koyaliyaa, kuhuke koyaliyaa, kahii.n duur papiihaa pukaare
daNaNaNaNaNaN
jhuulaa jhuule.n sakhiyaa.N, jhuulaa jhuule.n sakhiyaa.N, ke ghar aajaa baalam hamaare
ghir aaye, badaraa ghir aaye, rut hai bhiigii bhiigii
naache man moraa, magan, dhiigadhaa dhiigii dhiigii
naache re man moraa re
naache man moraa, magan…

tan ta tan taNa tanatu tan~~ tanatu
tainta taiN, tainta taiN

yahii.n ruk jaaye, yahii.n ruk jaaye, ye shaam aaj Dhalane na paaye
daNaNaNaNaNaN
TuuTe na ye sapanaa, TuuTe na ye sapanaa, ko_ii ab mujhe na jagaaye
ghir aaye, badaraa ghir aaye, rut hai bhiigii bhiigii
naache re man moraa, dhiigadhaa dhiigii dhiigii
e, naache man moraa re
naache man moraa, magan…

bansuri and sitar duet
tain tain tain, tataNtaN, tataNtaN, tataNtaN, tataNtaN
daNandaNandaNang DHUNg

chhup chhup aise me.n, chhup chhup aise me.n, ko_ii madhur giit gaaye
chhanchhanchhanchhan chhananchhan
giito.n ke bahaane, giito.n ke bahaane, chhupii baat ho.nTho.n pe aaye
ghir aaye, badaraa ghir aaye, rut hai bhiigii bhiigii
naache re man moraa, dhiigadhaa dhiigii dhiigii
e, naache man moraa, aa aa
naache man moraa, magan…

3. Do Hanson Kaa Joda Bichhud Gayo Re

It has Shakeel Badayuni as lyricist and Naushad Ali as the music director. Some of the finest songs in Hindi movies have been courtesy this pair. Naushad Ali’s larger family didn’t like his delving into music and he had to hide the fact of his composing music from them. And yet, he emerged as one of the greatest music directors in Hindi films. His compositions were often based on Raagas. Indeed, in his movie Baiju Bawra, the only movie in which he received the Filmfare Best Music Director award, each one of the 12 songs and a sargam is based on a Raaga. He was also adept in Western instruments such as accordion, clarinet and mandolin in his compositions and he has been credited with bringing Western musical notations into Indian Raagas.

Here is the song - 

Do hanso kaa joda bichhad gayo re
Gajab bhayo rama, julam bhayo re
Gajab bhayo rama, julam bhayo re
Do hanso kaa joda bichhad gayo re
Gajab bhayo rama, julam bhayo re

Mora sukh chain bhee, jivan bhee mora chhin liya
Papee sansar ne sajan bhee mora chhin liya
Piya bin tadape jiya, ratiya bitau kaise
Biraha kee aganee ko asuan se bujau kaise
Jiya mora mushkil me pad gayo re
Gajab bhayo rama, julam bhayo re
Gajab bhayo rama, julam bhayo re

Rat kee aas gayee, din kaa sahara bhee gaya
Mora suraj bhee gaya, mora sitara bhee gaya
Parit kar ke kabhee paritam se naa bichhade koyee
Jaisee ujadee hoo mai, ayese bhee naa ujade koyee
Bana khel mora bigad gayo re
Gajab bhayo rama, julam bhayo re
Gajab bhayo rama, julam bhayo re

Jite jee chhodungee saiyya naa dagariya toree
Bit jayegee yuhee saree umariya moree
Naino se hotee rahegee yuhee barsat balam
Yad me rotee rahungee teree dinarat balam

Nagar more man kaa ujad gayo re
Gajab bhayo rama, julam bhayo re
Gajab bhayo rama, julam bhayo re

Do hanso kaa joda bichhad gayo re
Gajab bhayo rama, julam bhayo re
Gajab bhayo rama, julam bhayo re.

4. Gareeb Jaan Ke Hamako Na Tum

In the first song, I told you that it was the favourite Raaga of the most accomplished duo of Shankar – Jaikishen. However, in addition to their song Awaara hoon as an example, I gave you songs of SD Burman (Naache man mora) and Naushad (Do hanson ka joda). Lets now take up other music directors composing in Raag Bhairavi.The first of these is OP Nayyar. Even though Raag Pilu and Pahadi were his favourites, he did delve in Bhairavi too. I love this song of his from the 1956 movie Chhoo Mantar penned by Jaan Nisar Akhtar. OP Nayyar was one director who made some excellent songs for the comedian Johnny Walker. Here, though, he is the hero as Baiju or Baijnath singing to Anita Guha as Ratnavali.

Here is the song - 

gariib jaan ke ham ko na tum daGaa denaa
tumhii.n ne dad.r diyaa hai tumhii.n davaa denaa
gariib jaan ke …

lagii hai choT kaleje pe umr bhar ke liye
ta.Dap rahe hai.n muhabbat me.n ik nazar ke liye
nazar milaake
nazar milaake nazaro.n se na tum giraa denaa
tumhii.n ne dad.r diyaa hai …

tumhaarii yaad ham.en har gha.Dii sataayegii
tumhaare bin to hame.n maut bhii na aayegii
tumhaarii yaad ko
tumhaarii yaad ko mushakil hai ab bhulaa denaa
tumhii.n ne dad.r diyaa hai …

5. Laaga Chunri Mein Daag

Roshan was born on 14th Jul 1917 and lived only for little more than 50 years. He died on 16th Nov 1967, much before many of his modern day fans were even born. And yet, such is his legacy that we listen to his compositions with the same gusto even today. He was the father of actor Rakesh Roshan and music director Rajesh Roshan and the paternal grandfather of actor Hrithik Roshan.

laagaa, chunarii me.n daag, chhupaaU.N kaise
laagaa, chunarii me.n daag
chunarii me.n daag, chhupaaU.N kaise, ghar jaaU.N kaise
laagaa, chunarii me.n daag …

(ho ga_ii mailii morii chunariyaa
kore badan sii korii chunariyaa ) – 2
aa … jaake baabul se, nazare.n milaaU.N kaise, ghar jaaU.N kaise
laagaa, chunarii me.n daag …

bhuul ga_ii sab bachan bidaa ke
kho ga_ii mai.n sasuraal me.n aake
aa … jaake baabul se, nazare milaaU.N kaise, ghar jaaU.N kaise
laagaa, chunarii me.n daag …

(korii chunariyaa aatmaa morii
mail hai maayaa jaal ) – 2
vo duniyaa more bAbul kaa ghar
ye duniyaa sasuraal
haa.N jaake, baabul se, nazare milaaU.N kaise, ghar jaaU.N kaise
laagaa, chunarii me.n daag …

aa aa~
dhiim ta na na na dir dir taanum
taa na dere na
dhiim ta na na na dir dir taan, dhiim ta dere na …
sapt suran tiin graam ba.nsii baajii
dir dir taanii, taa nii nii da, nii da pa ma, pa ma ma ga
ma dha ga ma ma ga re sa
dha dha keTe dha dha dha keTe dha dha keTa dha keTa
dharat paag pa.Dat nayii paraN
jhaa.Njhar jhanake jhana nana jhana nana
dir dir ta tuum ta da nii, ta na na na ta na na na