Sab se achchee maa
Posted by: Atul on: August 30, 2026
This article is written by Arunkumar Deshmukh, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a contributor to this blog. This article is meant to be posted in atulsongaday.me. If this article appears in other sites without the knowledge and consent of the web administrator of atulsongaday.me, then it is piracy of the copyright content of atulsongaday.me and is a punishable offence under the existing laws.
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Today’s song is the Last and Final song from a remake of a Hit Tamil film – Gai aur Gori-1973.
First I thought that the title is Gai aur Gauri. To support my wrong notion, I found that the heroine’s name in the film was Gauri. However, this balloon burst shortly and I saw that the title was Gai aur Gori when I saw the actual film.
This was a film based on the Hit Tamil film” Komatha en Kulmatha ” which was released in early 1973. The film being a Hit in Madras territory, remakes were made in Hindi (Gai aur Gori), Telugu (Pulle Paduchu) and Kannada (Seethe alla Savithri).
This was absolutely a typical South movie. The films made (atleast many,if not all), in my opinion, have two common points. One – the film will have fantastic creative ideas from the story written and two the films have many many artists. Thus, the audience in other parts of India think that these films stretch the imagination too far. If i start giving examples, there would be hundreds of them.
But some good points are also there. One major point was that the stories are entirely different from the usual Love- songs- opposition- Union type films. Take the example of this film only. Did any Hindi filmmaker ever think that a mute animal has better imagination, loyalty and dedication than a Human being ? In the last over a Hundred years, was a single such movie made in any other area/language in India ? Animals have always been used in a Hindi film as a tool to help the hero or Heroine in a stunt or a C grade film.
This was not the first such film in the South. Earlier, you will remember, there was yet another remake of a Tamil film – Haathi mere Saathi-1971, starring Rajesh Khanna and Tanuja. The original Tamil film was Deiva Cheyal- 1967. It was such a Hit and successful film that it was again made in Tamil in 1972 as Nalla Neram. This film too was remade in all southern languages with different suitable titles.
The pair of producer Chinnappa Dewar and Director M.A.Thirumugam were an expert jodi in such films.
Film Gai aur Gauri-1973 was made and released in 1973 by this pair, under Dever’s banner Danduthpani Films, Madras. The story was written by Inder Raj Anand,songs by Anand Bakshi and Music was by Laxmikant- Pyarelal.
In the decade of the 40’s and upto 1958 the pair of Lyricist Rajendra Krishna and MD C.Ramchandra were ‘the most wanted’ by southern producers and in the 60’s and the 70’s it was Anand Bakshi and Laxmikant- Pyarelal jodi.
The cast of the film was Shatrughna Sinha, Jaya Bhaduri, Bindu, Manmohan, Sulochana, Mohan Choti, Krishnakant, Narbada Shankar, Vijayalakshmi (southwali) and a long-very long list of south and Bombay artists.
The story of the film was….
Gaai Aur Gori (literally The Cow and the Girl) is a sentimental and emotionally charged rural drama that tells the story of Gauri (played by Jaya Bhaduri), a kind-hearted village girl whose life is closely bonded with her beloved cow, Lakshmi. Orphaned at a young age, Gauri is raised by her uncle and aunt in a traditional village setup. Lakshmi, the cow, is her only true companion and emotional support, symbolizing purity, devotion, and motherly love.
As Gauri grows up, she falls in love with Ravi (played by Shatrughan Sinha), a progressive and educated young man. Despite their mutual affection, their path to happiness is obstructed by caste prejudices, societal norms, and family politics. Ravi’s family initially disapproves of Gauri due to her lower social status and humble background.
The cow, Lakshmi, becomes a symbol of Gauri’s virtues and resilience. In moments of hardship, betrayal, and emotional isolation, Lakshmi stands by her, almost like a divine protector. Tragedy strikes when Gauri is falsely accused and ostracized. Ravi is forced to choose between his love for Gauri and the pressures of his conservative family.
The climax involves the moral transformation of the villagers and Ravi’s family, who eventually recognize Gauri’s dignity and selflessness – thanks in part to the symbolic and sacrificial role played by the cow, which becomes a pivotal emotional device in the story. The film ends on a reconciliatory and hopeful note, reaffirming values of compassion, love, and social harmony.
This hit film of the South could not do that well here because the films offered by Bombay in 1973 were more entertaining, believable and with excellent music and songs.
One of the cast members was Sulochana Latkar.
Sulochana Latkar (born Rangu Diwan/ Sahib jaan, 30 July 1928 – 4 June 2023), known by her screen name Sulochana, was an actress of Marathi and Hindi cinema, who acted in 50 films in Marathi and 248 films in Hindi. She was most known for her performances in Marathi films such as Sasurvas (1946), Meeth Bhakar (1949), Vahinichya Bangdya (1953), Dhakti Jaoo (1958) and Sangte Aika (1959) in the lead roles, as well as for the mother roles she played in Hindi cinema right from 1959 film Dil Deke Dekho to the year 1995. She and Nirupa Roy epitomized the “mother” roles right from 1959 until the early 1990s.
Sulochana Latkar’s illustrious career in both Marathi and Hindi films. She has worked in 248 Hindi films and around 50 Marathi films and made her debut in films in 1946. She was lead actress in Marathi films from 1946 to 1961 with films like Sasurvas (1946), Vahinichya Bangdya (1953), Meeth Bhakar, Sangtye Aika (1959), Laxmi Ali Ghara, Mothi Manse, Jivacha Sakha, Pativrata, Sukhache Sobti, Bhaubheej, Akashganga and Dhakti Jau.
She was often paired opposite Nazir Hussain, Trilok Kapoor and Ashok Kumar throughout her career in Hindi films. She quoted in an interview that she loved playing mother to three actors – Sunil Dutt, Dev Anand and Rajesh Khanna. She often played mother or as close relative in Hindi films with Sunil Dutt as the leading man such as in Heera, Jhoola, Ek Phool Char Kante, Sujatha, Mehrbaan (1967), Chirag, Bhai Bahen (1969), Reshma Aur Shera, Umar Qaid, Muqabla, Jaani Dushman and Badle Ki Aag. She was a regular in films with Dev Anand in the lead roles, where either Dev Anand was her son or relative and some of their films together were Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai, Pyar Mohabbat, Duniya (1968), Jhonny Mera Naam, Amir Garib, Warrant and Joshila.
Since 1969, she often played an on-screen close relative to the character played by Rajesh Khanna and some of their famous films included Dil Daulat Duniya, Bahraon Ke Sapne, Doli, Kati Patang, Mere Jeevan Saathi, Prem Nagar, Aakraman, Bhola Bhala, Tyaag, Aashiq Hoon Baharaon Ka and Adhikar (1986). Her other best known films include Nai Roshni (1967), Aaye Din Bahar Ke, Aaye Milan Ki Bela, Ab Dilli Dur Nahin, Majboor, Gora Aur Kala, Devar, Bandini, Kahani Kismat Ki, Talaash (1969) and Azaad (1978).
In 2003, she was awarded the Chitrabhushan Award instituted by the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Chitrapat Mahamandal, on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Baburao Painter, one of the founders of the modern Marathi cinema.
Latkar lived in Prabhadevi, Mumbai. She was married at the age of 14. Her daughter’s name is Kanchan Ghanekar who was the wife of Marathi stage superstar Dr. Kashinath Ghanekar.
Latkar died from respiratory failure at Shushrusha Hospital in Dadar, Mumbai, on 4 June 2023. She was 94. Latkar was a recipient of the civilian honour of Padma Shri (1999). She was awarded the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. In 2009, she was awarded the Maharashtra Bhushan Award by the Government of Maharashtra.
Today’s song is the last and final song of this film, sung by Lata Mangeshkar and chorus. With this song, the film gets YIPPEED !
Song- Sab se achchee maa (Gaai Aur Gori)(1973) Singer- Lata,Lyricist-Anand Bakshi, MD-Laxmikant PyarelalChorus
Lyrics:
sabse achchee maahaan
na boloon ya haan
haan
sabse achchee maa
haan na boloon ya haan
haan
maa lekin bas apne hee
bachchon ko doodh pilaaye
gaai sab ko paaley
kya apne kya paraaye
gaai sab ko paaley
kya apne kya paraaye
gaai aur goree haan
gori kee ye gaai haan
gaai kee ye gori haan
gori kee ye gaai haan
aa aa
aa aa aa
aa aa
aa aa aa
nadiya kinaare ho
gaanv hamaara ho
panghat ke peechhe ree
peepal kee chhainyaa
nadiya kinaare ho
gaanv hamaara ho
panghat ke peechhe ree
peepal kee chhainyaa
aao ree aao ho
jhoomo ree gaao ho
bansee bajaao ho
ban ke kanhaiyya
gaatee meree gaiya
chale purvaiya
o jhoome dhartee aasmaan
sabse achchee maa
haan
na boloon ya haan
haan
maa lekin bas apne hee
bachchon ko doodh pilaaye ae
gaai sab ko paaley
kya apne kya paraaye
gaai sab ko paaley
kya apne kya paraaye
gaai aur goree haan
gori kee ye gaai haan
gaai kee ye gori haan
gori kee ye gaai haan
aa aa aa aa
aa aa aa aa
maa ne dil toda
ho
bachpan mein chhoda
ho
main kitna rotee
jo gaai na hotee
maa ne dil toda
ho
bachpan mein chhoda
ho
main kitna rotee
jo gaai na hotee
de mujhko deenee(?) ho
isko na chheene ho
duniya se maangoon main
heere na motee
yahi mera motee
yahi meree jyoti
o mera jeewan meree jaan
sabse achchee maa
haan
na boloon ya haan
haan
maa lekin bas apne hee
bachchon ko doodh pilaaye ae
gaai sab ko paaley
kya apne kya paraaye
gaai sab ko paaley
kya apne kya paraaye
gaai aur goree haan
gori kee ye gaai haan
gaai kee ye gori haan
gori kee ye gaai haan
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