Romancing The Letters – Khat, Chitthi and Sandesh Songs

By Aditi Thakur | May 21, 2019

There is something romantic in writing and receiving letters. The smell of the paper, the handwritten notes, the period of waiting and most importantly the efforts and time taken by the people to write the letter is something beyond explanation. The thrill that lies in a letter is sadly missing from the 100s of ‘messages’ that we receive today.

Not just between two lovers but there are many emotions which unfold with the letters and shared with many other relations; be it with a friend, parent or even someone who reminds you of your motherland. Let us look at the songs from our Hindi films which have used this idea and narrated a story through this wonderful, romantic form of communication – letters!

1.Likhe jo khat tujhe – Kanyadaan (1968)
This melodious composition is penned by Neeraj, composed by Shankar Jaikishan and is sung by Mohammed Rafi. It features Shashi Kapoor and Asha Parekh. The movie revolves around the subject of child marriage and its ill effects. This song is surely to remain with you for a long time after listening.

2.Phool tumhe bheja hai – Saraswatichandra (1968)
This song from the movie Saraswatichandra is sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Mukesh and is filmed on Nutan and Manish. It is a beautiful song depicting the blossoming of a new romance between an engaged couple in times when the bride and the groom were not even allowed to see each other. The lyrics are written by Indeevar and the music is by Kalyanji Anandji.

3.Tera khat leke sanam – Ardhangini (1959)
It is a rare treat to see Meena Kumari in a happy song (something she did with equal aplomb). It is sung by Lata Mangeshkar and is composed by Vasant Desai and the lyrics are penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSEXFi4XiLY

4.Chitthi aayi hai aayi hai – Naam (1986)
This iconic song became an instant hit as soon as it was released. It is still a favourite among many NRIs who truly love and miss their country. The song talks about the people who have gone away from their country and miss their near and dear ones.
Sung by Pankaj Udhas (also featuring him), the song is composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal and the hard hitting lyrics are written by Anand Bakshi.

5.Sandese aate hai – Border (1997)
This song is from the movie Border which depicts the dedication and sacrifice of our soldiers for our motherland. It is composed by Anu Malik and the lyrics are by Javed Akhtar, while the singers are Roop Kumar Rathore and Sonu Nigam. Javed Akhtar won the Filmfare award for this movie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQBidc3eHPY

6.Ye mera prem patra padh kar – Sangam (1964)
Sangam saw the confluence of many beautiful things; actors, story and music. This song is picturised on Vyjayanthi Mala and Rajendra Kumar. It is sung by Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar and is composed by Shankar Jaikishan while the lyrics are written by Hasrat Jaipuri.

7.Chitthi na koi sandes – Dushman (1998)
This wonderful Uttam Singh composition is penned by Anand Bakshi and sung by Jagjeet Singh. A very heart touching song which talks about the pains of the people while remembering their departed loved ones. Although this doesn’t talk about the letter but it does tell us about a place which cannot be reached via any letter nor does one get any messages from this place making life for people on earth miserable.

8.Kabootar ja ja ja – Maine Pyar Kiya (1989)
As mentioned earlier, writing letters is a romantic way of communication, but what if it is delivered to you the old fashioned way? Yes, you guessed it right; the pigeon!

Featuring Bhagyashree, Salman Khan and the very important Kabootar, this song is sung by Lata Mangeshkar and S P Balasubramanyam. It is composed by Ramlaxman and is written by Dev Kohli.

9.Masterji ki aa gayi chitthi – Kitaab (1977)
A fun filled letter this! It is a funny song featuring Master Raju Sreshtha and other child artists. This song is composed by R D Burman and penned by Gulzar. It is sung by Padmini and Shivangi Kolhapure. Enjoy this song especially VIP underwear baniyaan!

10 .Kissa hum likhenge dil beqarar ka – Doli Saja Ke Rakhna (1997)
The thrill of writing a love letter and waiting for the answer from the beloved is something which cannot be expressed easily. These emotions are narrated in the song composed by A R Rahman which is sung by Anuradha Paudwal and M G Sreekumar while the lyrics are by Mehboob. It features Akshaye Khanna and Jyothika.

11. Pal pal dil ke paas – Blackmail (1973)
This hit Kishore Kumar number is composed by Kalyanji Anandji and the lyrics are by Rajendra Kishan. The entire song is a communication through letters and features Dharmendra and Rakhee. Incidentally, the title of Karan Deol’s (Dharmendra’s grandson) debut film is also named Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas which is slated for a July 2019 release.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skLOvqxG3v0