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It Is All In The Name
When a baby is to be born, the very first thing that the parents to be think of is the what would they name him/her. This can be a topic of debate, heated arguments or even bitter fights with each rooting for their choice of name. It is a matter of the child’s entire life!
A more philosophical/poetic view has a different story to tell. “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” is a quote from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. It refers to the fact that names of the things do not really matter or affect their nature or what they really are. ‘After all what’s in the name.’
Many might agree to this while many would strongly oppose, maybe quoting the law of identity and what not. So let us steer away from this topic; well, let us try to, because no matter how much we discuss or argue, a name holds an important place in our life. It is all in the name!
In the following article, we will have a look at some of the songs where the actors are featured in a song in which they are either introducing themselves to the world or simply telling what they are. The name can be the actual name of the character in the movie, or a pseudo name of that character taken for a small time.
1. Mera naam Chin Chin Chu – Howrah Bridge (1958)
In this movie, Helen plays a flirtatious dancer called Chin Chin Chu who hails from Shanghai. It is sung by Geeta Dutt and the music is given by O.P.Nayyar. The lyrics are written by Qamar Jalalabadi. This was a super hit song and one of the major hits of Helen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQjXKdyp_wM
2. Naam Abdul hai mera – Shaan (1980)
Featured on actor Mazhar Khan, this song is composed by R.D.Burman and is sung by Mohammed Rafi. Here, Mazhar Khan plays the part of Abdul who is a homeless cripple who knows about everyone and keeps an eye on every activity under the sun and is proud to flaunt this art of his.
3. Parda hai parda – Amar Akbar Anthony (1977)
This amazing qawwali is featured on Rishi Kapoor who plays the character of Akbar Allahbadi in this action comedy. A stage singer, he sings this song in a jam-packed hall and takes up a challenge to pull down the veil from his beloved’s face and express his love in front of everybody otherwise, he’ll give up on his name.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBEUOZ1-_gE
4. I’m Krishnan Iyer M.A. – Agneepath (1990)
Mithun as Krishnan Iyer M.A. was loved by everyone in this movie. He plays Neelam’s bodyguard in the movie. Ridiculed by her hep friends, he shows them that even Krishnan Iyer can do disco in a lugni and can make a style statement. The song is sung by S.P. Balasubramanyam and the music is by Laxmikant-Pyarelal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8YwGa2zbis
5. Mera naam Shabnam hai – Kati Patang (1970)
This song comes under the category of talk-sung style of singing. It was used by R.D. Burman for the first time in the Hindi Film Industry. It is sung by Asha Bhosle and is featured on Bindu where she plays a cabaret dancer. In the song Bindu is seen blackmailing the heroine indirectly, and threatens to reveal her true identity in front of everyone. The entire lyrics of the song are actually what the character wants to convey the heroine; it is penned by Anand Bakshi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqZV5wKs5ik
6. Mera naam Salma – Aap Ke Saath (1986)
Here the heroine takes the alias of Salma so that she can spend time with the hero who she really loves. The hero here, is a womaniser and visits ‘Salma’ to get entertained, completely unaware of her true identity. Sung by Salma Agha, this number is penned by Anand Bakshi and the music is by Laxmikant-Pyarelal.
7. My name is Anthony Gonsalves – Amar Akbar Anthony (1977)
Another Anand Bakshi and Laxmi-Pyare composition, this song is sung by Kishore Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan. The iconic character of Anthony Gonsalves is played by Amitabh Bachchan and the song was a chartbuster. It is a fun party song enjoyed by all age groups.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl2T-Itb7WQ
8. Mera naam hai Chameli – Raja Aur Runk (1968)
This song is sung by Lata Mangeshkar and is composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal. It is featured on Kumkum. The lyrics are penned by Anand Bakshi. The actress here says that her name is Chameli and she is an extraordinary gardener and that she hails from Bikaner.
9. Main jadugar hai mera naam Goga – Jaadugar (1989)
Amitabh plays the character of Goga-The Magician. He gives different stage shows and introduces himself to the audience by telling them that there’s no one else like him. The song is composed by Kalyanji-Anandji and is sung by Kumar Sanu.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1lxztXkpMc
10. Mera naam Abdul Rehman – Bhai-Bhai (1956)
Here again the hero takes the name of Abdul Rehman to amuse the heroine and the audience as well. Featured on Kishore Kumar and Nimmi, this song is composed by Madan Mohan and the lyrics are written by Rajendra Krishan. It is sung by Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgMS5O-CBZQ
