6 old time songs celebrating youth (Jawaani)
Doston,
Aaj tum jawaan ho, kabhi hum bhi jawaan thhe (Friends, you are young today, someday we were too)
Here are 6 songs with a reference to jawaani, often celebrating youth, across different decades. It is a reminder to us, that we’ll have generations after us, just as we have had before, and each of them will relish being young!
1. 1940s: Jawaan hai Mohobbat
Hear one of Bollywooeds greatest (then) singers Noor Jehan hum this song from Anmol Ghadi. The diserning reader will have observed that this song is not directly about jawaani (but rather about mohobbat), but what the hell! Listen in!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mttp129cf8o
2. 1950s : Jawaniya Yeh Mast Mast Bin Piye
Shammi Kapoor strolls in a garden to this melody from Tumsa Nahin Dekha (1957) reminding us that there was a time when being young was possibly a very chilled out experience!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR6jo2ZdIW4
3. 1960s : Josh e Jawaani
A relatively older Raj Kapoor does a youthful gig in this 1967 film “Around the World”. I must have heard this song only once, so I confess that I googled for this song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snH8JUNclxo
4. 1970s : Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani
Kishore Kumar lives up to his name in this amazingly peppy number that feels fresh even today! This is the 1972 film by the same name (Jawani Deewani) which has amazing music by RD Burman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FRAqWbce7Y
5. 1980s: Jawani Janeman, haseen dilruba
Get a flavor of early 80s, with Amitabh and Sashi in the same glitzy number. An ode to youth from two icons who the youth of that generation loved. This is how it looked like in the 80s, though it is unfair to judge any generation from their songs!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5bEkgKTZmw
6. 1990s : Jawan ho yaaro
If you are in your 30s, you’ll surely remember the amazing cycling race of Jo Jeeta Vahi Sikandar (1992). Though not an exceptional song, it has Aamir Khan losing to the richer boys in a dance competition. The part where judges change the scores after the performance is most amusing, and the class issues still remain!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwNrxs_0cOo
As time has travelled, youth have become more choosy. One can say that from the 2010s ode to youth : Nahin Chahiye Mujhko tere Second Hand jawani! Or, maybe that it is more individualistic (Sheela ki jawaani).
Either ways, for now, let’s celebrate being alive and being young!