Some Different Bedtime Stories

By Aditi Thakur | August 26, 2016

A lullaby is a soothing song which is usually sung to a child to make him sleep peacefully at night. In our country, mothers are known to follow this routine every night. The beauty of this particular genre is that you don’t need to be a singer to sing this song. No matter how bad you are at singing, your child will listen to your voice, enjoy it and love it, making this routine a sacred ritual. When we think of lori songs from Bollywood, the following might not come in our mind instantly, but they are beautifully made nonetheless.

1. Chandani re jhoom – Nauker (1979)
This song from the film Nauker has brighter notes as compared to the standard lullabies. But if you are a parent, you will surely agree that a child sometimes needs these notes and sleeps soundly after listening to them. This song has two versions, one by Kishore Kumar and the other by Lata Mangeshkar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8lHUe6PxmE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-iywGo9IgY

 

2. Duur kahin ik aam ki baghiya – Zubeida (2001)
The magic of A. R. Rahman paints a picture right in front of your eyes and lulls you to sleep in the cradle of his tunes. Lata Mangeshkar’s soothing voice gives you the warmth of a blanket and you will snuggle up and sleep like a baby.

3. Nindiya hai sapna hai – Saaz (1998)
Music is the backbone of this film. There are so many beautiful songs that one wonders which one is the best out of the lot. This humble lori slowly captures your heart.

4. Halke halke aayi chalke – Apne Paraye (1980)
A soothing song from Bappi Lahiri. Yes, for a change.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OR4GRih7Uk

5. Surmayee akhiyon mein – Sadma (1983)
Yesudas casts a sleeping spell on you instantly with this rendition. This movie also marks Illaiyraaja’s debut in Hindi films.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvM2un5faSg

 

6. Soja chanda – Mission Kashmir (2000)
The situation in the movie is so peculiar that a mother has lost her child and she meets another boy who has lost his entire family in Kashmir riots. Here, the mother is singing the lullaby to this young boy who is unable to sleep as his past still haunts him in his dreams. But the song is equally soothing to the woman too as she soothes herself with motherhood yet again through this young boy. The same calm is felt in the tune too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpaxpRbF9Ho

7. Lalla Allah tera – Abdulla (1980)
Although not a typical lullaby, it is sung to a child in the movie. Raj Kapoor’s expressions get thumbs up as they so smoothly complement the song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuG3rfHE8X8

8. Gudiya rani – Lamhe (1991)
When we sing a lori to a girl, words like pariyan, mahal and rajkumar will somehow find a way into the song.

9. Khoya khoya chanda – Duur Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein (1964)
The simplicity of the song and its depiction on screen is so heart warming that you immediately fall in love with the song. Kishore Kumar’s music, Shailendra’s lyrics and Asha Bhosle’s vocals is a unique and a lovely combination.

10. Aaja ri aa nindiya tu – Do Bigha Zameen (1953)
Do Bhiga Zameen can be classified into parallel cinema of those times. Apart from entertaining, it made you think deep. The song too is a little different in terms of its tune and picturisation.