Cross Dressing In Bollywood – When Men Dressed Like Women – Part 1

By Aditi Thakur | March 30, 2018

Cross dressing finds its mention way back in history. There are many instances in Greek and Hindu mythology where people dressed like the opposite sex. They did it for fun, sometimes for entertainment or even as a punishment. If a concept is so deep rooted in our systems then how can it be spared from the imagination of our Bollywood directors!

In this article, we will see some old songs in which the male actors are dressed as women.

1. Aake seedhi lagi dil pe – Half Ticket (1962)
This hilarious song features Kishore Kumar dressed as a gypsy woman trying to escape from the eyes of Pran. It is composed by Salil Chowdhary and sung by Kishore Kumar. Interestingly, he has sung both male and female parts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJwOzpW3k7g

2. Kajra mohobbat wala – Kismat (1968)
In this hit song both the hero and heroine have cross dressed. Vishwajeet is dressed as a beautiful woman while Babita has dressed as a Pathan. It is composed by O.P.Nayyar and lyrics are by S.H.Bihari. Asha Bhosle and Shamshad Begum have lent their voices for Babita and Vishwajeet, respectively.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3zry-9fD_M

3. Mere angane mein – Lawaris (1981)
No one can forget Amitabh Bachchan’s portrayal of various women in this song. It is sung by Amitabh himself and is composed by Kalyanji Anandji while the lyrics are by Anjaan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2WCt8tdc6M

4. Gori gori raat hai – Chhoo Mantar (1956)
Can you imagine Geeta Dutt singing for Johnny Walker? Yes, this song does exactly that. It features Johnny Walker dressed as a woman and singing and dancing like a fiery courtesan. It is composed by O.P.Nayyar.

5. Chhuk chhuk chhak chhak – Rafoo Chakkar (1975)
Rishi Kapoor plays the female character with so much grace and looks so beautiful that there are scenes in which he looks even better than the heroine Neetu Singh. This song features Rishi Kapoor and Paintal dressed as pretty trendy girls singing in a bus. The song is composed by Kalyanji Anandji and the lyrics are by Gulshan Bawra. It is sung by Asha Bhosle and Usha Mangeshkar.

6. Chhori mujhko hua tujhse pyar – Jungle Mein Mangal (1972)
The very handsome Pran is seen dressed as an old woman in this song along with Kiran Kumar dressed as a young woman. It is a Shankar Jaikishan composition written by Hasrat Jaipuri and sung by Asha Bhosle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlhtzRM_-8A

7. Chali chali kaisi hawa – Bluff Master (1963)
Another hunk dressed as a female stage singer is Shammi Kapoor. This song is composed by Kalyanji Anandji and sung by Shamshad Begum.

8. Nathaniya haale – Johar Mehmood In Hong Kong (1971)
Shamshad Begum again lends her voice for a male actor dressed as a woman. This time it is Mehmood who plays the character of Ms. Dhanwanti. It is composed by Kalyanji Anandji. Just watch this song and laugh our hearts out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0NjYXXICdY

9. Suno suno kanyaon ka – Haseena Maan Jayegi (1968)
Another Kapoor to dress up as a woman, and with ease, was Shashi Kapoor. This song is sung by Mohd. Rafi and is composed by Kalyanji Anandji while the lyrics are by Prakash Mehra.

10. Suno jaana suno jaana – Hum Sab Ustad Hai (1965)
This time the bad guy, Sheikh Mukhtar, is dressed as a woman. He, along with Kishore Kumar, creates quite a comedy in this song. It is composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal and lyrics are by Asad Bhopali and sung by Kishore Kumar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M1UOTRFiP0

There are many more songs in which men have dressed as women. Can you believe that even a macho man like Dara Singh also dressed up as a woman in Lootera (1965)! Unfortunately, we could not find the video of that song.

Do let us know if you find any other number as interesting as the list above.