Bachpan ke din bhulaa naa denaa
Posted on: October 15, 2009
- In: "Horse" song | "horseback" song | Children's song | Duet | expression of love | Feelings of heart | Flashback song | Lata song | Multiple version song | Nostalgic song | Rafi solo | Rafi songs | Shamshad Begam -Lata duet | Shamshad Begam songs | Songs of 1950s (1951 to 1960) | Songs of 1951 | Tonga song | Yearwise breakup of songs
- 11 Comments
I have posted a few songs from “Deedaar” (1951) but the most well known song from the movie is not one of them.
Yes, the most popular song from this movie is the iconic “bachpan ke din bhula na dena aaj hanse kal rula na denaa”. This song is so popular that everyone who is into Bollywood music has definitely heard it, even if he/she may not be aware about the movie this song is from. In fact, even I did not know till yesterday that this song was from “Deedaar” (1951).
Now that I am aware, I need to post this song and so here I am.
I have not watched the movie, and I suspect that the VCD of this movie is lying there somewhere with me, but I am too lazy to search for it. My curiosity is aroused after watching the picturisation of the song. This song has at least two , or perhaps more parts. The most well known part is the one sung by Lata and Shamshad Begam. I found that this part was picturised on two kids- a boy and a girl- playing the childhood roles of Nargis and Dilip Kumar, who are seen riding on a horse and singing this song. Now, one does not expect kids to sing songs of love, life, future, etc, but then this is a song written from the perspective of grown ups, and grown ups making Bollywood movies tended to treat kids like grown ups. The fact that small kids do no think of matters like love, future, separation and reunion etc like grown ups has been disregarded while framing the story as well as the song.
All these discrepancies aside, the song is indeed a timeless classic. It is written by Shakeel Badayuni (with a grown ups’ perspective, as mentioned above, and with the benefit of hindsight, since he knew that it was a separation and reunion story). Naushad is the music director. Lata sings for the girl while Shamshad Behgam sings for the boy. Shamshad Begam has obviously done a good job singing for a boy, and in future she would be asked to sing for grown up heroes too ( viz Shammi Kapoor and Vishwajeet).
While watching the picturisation, it is interesting to note that the girl playing the young Nargis is none other than Tabassum, who later made her mark as a radio presenter in radio Ceylon. I have no idea who the boy playing Dilip Kumar’s childhood is or whether he did anything of note after growing up.
PS-The boy is Parikshit Sahni, son of Balraj Sahni and he was billed as Ajay sahni in this movie. I thank Peevesie’s mom for this information. So the kid playing Dilip Kumar’s childhood did become someone of note. 😀
The happy songs ends up on a tragic note as the hosre goes out of control and the girl is thrown out of the horse. I have no idea what happens next, but I suspect that the girl loses her memory and is subsequently separated from the boy.
But as per Bollywood traditions, even an amnesiac remembers a song sung in childhood and it is this song resung in adult life that reunites people.
In another clip, we see Nargis driving a victoria (ie Tonga). Ashok Kumar is seated beside her and Dilp Kumar is seated in the rear seat. It is a small word, as the audience can see, but the actors cannot yet see it, since the movie still needs to run for two hopurs more. Dilip Kumar watches a horse going by with a kid riding it. This scene has a trigger effect on him and he starts singing the song “Bachpan ke din bhula na dena” in right earnest. This song, as expected , triggers a reaction in Nargis. She gets disturbed, as she can recall this song from her past, but she cannot put a finger to it. She begins to lose control over her tonga, and Dilip Kumar keeps adding fuel to fire by upping the ante and singing “bachpan ke din bhula na dena, bachpan ke din bhula na dena” at an higer and higher crescendo, till Ashok Kumar decides to take charge. With his left hand, he takes hold of the reins of the horse, and with his right hand, he shuts the mouth of Dilip Kumar. This is the most assertive action by Ashok Kumar in a Bollywood movie that I have ever seen.
Audio – Lata and Shamshad Begam version
Video – Lata and Shamshad Begam version
Audio – Rafi version
Video – Rafi version
song-Bachpan ke din bhulaa na denaa (Deedaar) (1951) Singers-Lata,Shamshad Begam,Lyrics- Shakeel Badayuni, MD-Naushad
Lyrics
Lata and Shamshad Begam version
————————–
o bachapan ke din bhulaa na denaa
o bachapan ke din bhulaa na denaa
aaj hanse kal rulaa na denaa
aaj hanse kal rulaa na denaa
bachpan ke din bhulaa na denaa
lambe hain jeewan ke raste
aao chalen ham gaate-hanste
lambe hain jeewan ke raste
aao chalen ham gaate-hanste
gaate-hanste
aaa
door desh ek mahal banaayen
pyaar kaa jismen deep jalaayen
door desh ek mahal banaayen
pyaar kaa jismen deep jalaayen
deep jalaayen
deep jalaakar bujhaa na denaa
aaj hanse kal rulaa na denaa
o bachapan ke din bhulaa na denaa
rut badle yaa jeewan beete
dil ke taraane hon na puraane
rut badle yaa jeewan beete
dil ke taraane hon na puraane
haa haa
nainon mein ban kar sapan suhaane
aayenge ek din yahi zamaane
haaa
nainon mein ban kar sapan suhaane
aayenge ek din yahi zamaane
yahi zamaane
yaad hamaari mitaa na denaa
aaj hanse kal rulaa na denaa
o bachpan ke din bhulaa na denaa
————————————
Rafi version
o bachpan ke din bhulaa na denaa
o bachpan ke din bhulaa na denaa
aaj hanse kal rulaa na denaa
aaj hanse kal rulaa na denaa
o bachpan ke din bhulaa na denaa
rut badle yaa jeewan beete
dil ke taraane hon na puraane
rut badle yaa jeewan beete
dil ke taraane hon na puraane
ho ho
nainon mein ban kar sapan suhaane
aayenge ik din yahi zamaane
yahi zamaane
yaad hamaari mitaa na denaa
aaj hanse kal rulaa na denaa
o bachpan ke din bhulaa na denaa
bachpan ke din bhulaa na denaa
aaj hanse kal rulaa na denaa
rulaa na denaa
rulaa na denaa
11 Responses to "Bachpan ke din bhulaa naa denaa"
September 5, 2010 at 12:10 am
just saw this post. do not know how i missed it on the day you posted it. the child star playing Junior Dilip Kumar is Parikshit Sahni. he was billed as Ajai Sahni in the movie. and we all that he grew up to be an actor in bollywood and teleworld
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November 15, 2011 at 7:46 pm
THANKS A LOT ATUL…..HEARING THIS SONG AFTER SO MANY YEARS…THAT TOO, BOTH VERSIONS, ONE AFTER ANOTHER, I COULD NOT CONTROL THE TEARS ROLLING DOWN MY CHEEKS…..THOSE DAYS WILL NEVER COME BACK…
M.JAYARAMAN, (REMEMBERING THE GOOD OLD DAYS..)
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January 13, 2013 at 9:52 pm
lovely song.always eager to hear and sing this heart touching sweet song.still at this age of 75 years i tune it.
your collection is highly appreciated.thank you
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August 30, 2014 at 12:21 pm
Hi, I wanted to get flute notes for this song, any help?
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May 6, 2021 at 1:19 pm
Seeing the movie for the first time in my life consciously. May have seen it ages ago on Doordarshan as a child.
Just found that this song appears one more time when the movie takes time leap and master Parikshit Sahni turns into Dilip Kumar. The song begins with Shamshad Begum singing a line and Mohd. Rafi the next line and the child has grown up or the time has flown
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
October 15, 2009 at 3:49 pm
This can also be classified as Basanti (aka taangewaali) song 🙂 … Story is different though 😉
Nice song/music.
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