When Naina (Deepika Padukone) and Bunny (Ranbir Kapoor) played Holi in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, on the song “Balam Pichkari”, it wasn’t just a ‘filler’ festive song in the movie. It represented Naina’s new-found spirit, which also led to the moment where she found the courage to almost confess her feelings to him. This is one of the many times when in Bollywood, Holi as a festival has been used to convey complex emotions and allowing a character’s repressed thoughts to come to the fore. Whether it is a woman wearing widow’s whites in Kati Patang’s “Aaj Na Chhodenge” being sprayed with colour or two lovers declaring their attraction to each other in Ram-Leela’s flirtatious “Lahu Muh Lag Gaya”, Holi has always been more than an excuse for a song in Hindi cinema.
While lately, the number of Holi songs and sequences in Hindi films have reduced, it is safe to say that in the history of Bollywood, this festival took the story forward like none other. In a largely conservative society where public display of affection was frowned upon, Holi allowed for a certain amount of permissiveness, a licence that the films used as well.
In 1975 film Sholay, the popular song “Holi Ke Din Dil Mil Jaate Hai” expressed the villagers’ rare moment of joy with appropriately named Basanti (played by Hema Malini) at the fore. Unknown to the celebrating villagers, the song also plays like a backdrop for a brutal attack by Gabbar and his men. The few minutes of the song, that depicted strength and peace in the village of Ramgarh was followed by an extensive fight sequence, which led to the ultimate revelation of Thakur (played by Sanjeev Kumar) losing his arms to the dacoit years back. It was also a cinematic expression of a war horn, which started the end of the murderous Gabbar.
Another film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar and Jaya Bachchan, which gave an iconic Holi track was the 1981 film Silsila. The immensely popular song “Rang Barse”, written by poet Harivanshrai Bachchan became so famous that even after four decades, it is played at many Holi functions. This song carried the film’s premise of extramarital affair on its shoulders. The brazen flirtatious exchange between Amitabh’s character Amit and Rekha’s character Chandni, ignore the discomfort their respective spouses experience, paving way to the revelation of their past to everyone.
Holi songs have not always been about a light story line. Some films have also used the festival to set a darker plot. The sequence and festival nonetheless have served its purpose.
For instance, in 1993 film Damini, it is the day of Holi when Meenakshi Shishadri in the titular character, witnesses the gangrape of their house-help Urmi, which starts the battle for justice in the film.
Another song “Ang Se Ang Lagana” from the 1993 film Darr was a Holi song that gave chills to the audience as Rahul (played by Shah Rukh Khan) who is obsessed with Kiran (Juhi Chawla) covers his face with Gulaal and comes to play Holi with her. This iconic song is both melodious and scary to watch as a stalker shows an unhealthy amount of courage to enter a girl’s house in the presence of her fiance and family members.
So, with a festival playing such an important role in films, how can Holi songs go away, questions singer Udit Narayan. The veteran singer strongly believes that even if currently Holi songs are not finding a place in Hindi films, they will soon stage their return. Udit Narayan says, “Ye kabhi ho hi nahi sakta hai. Possible hi nahi hai, ye festival films mein ignore kar hi nahi sakte (This is not possible ever. This festival cannot be ignored in films at all).”
He adds, “Look, Holi is a festival which is part of our culture. For decades, iconic Holi songs have been made. Right now, there may not be many of them but when a film needs a situation, the songs will be made.”
So be it Naina’s almost confession after “Balam Pichkari”, or advocate Jolly Mishra’s lie being caught by Hina after the Holi song “Go Pagal”, here’s hoping that the zest of the Holi fest always be played on the 70mm screen.
Click for more updates and latest Bollywood news along with Entertainment updates. Also get latest news and top headlines from India and around the world at The Indian Express.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
