Hollywood may have had its share of rain ? think films such as Psycho, Hard Rain, Shawshank Redemption or Saving Private Ryan among the many that have spectacular rain scenes. Invariably, the scenes are of gloom or doom, where the forces of nature, in the shape of relentless rain, or lightning, preferably both, are a metaphor for the human turmoil.
Well, Indian cinema has been far more imaginative. Raindrops were almost de rigueur for a while in mainstream cinema, especially, in Bollywood, Kollywood or Tollywood… Rain have reflected almost every nuance, and the audiences have lapped it up. More significantly, rain songs have often ensured that the box office remained a happy place.
Every decade of the Indian cinema has either used rain as a character, a situation to initiate a dialogue or a backdrop to narrate the whole plot. Shri 420 featured memorable shots of Raj Kapoor and Nargis standing under an umbrella, professing their love for each other in Shanker-Jaikishan?s meliflous composition, ?Pyaar hua iqraar hua?. Memorable sequences include those from Satyajit Ray?s Pather Panchali where rain is itself a character to Ram Gopal Varma?s Kaun where rain drops add more fear and of course ?Aaj rapat jaye to? from Namak Halaal with sari-clad Smita Patil footsteps driving her co-star wild. And the list goes on. In Sudhir Mishra?s Chameli, two strangers meet each other and their lives change paths on a rainy night .
Whether it is a confession or flirtation, a rainy day packs in a whole range of emotions in Bollywood.. Not many have forgotten a rain drenched Sridevi as she crooned ?Kaatey nahin kat-te? in Mr India. Aditya Chopra acknowledged the rains in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge by making the ?serious? Kajol cavort. Rains have been a metaphor for tears Gulzar?s Maachis has Tabu lamenting with ?
Pani pani re?, while in Yash Chopra?s Chandni, the protagonoist remembers his deceased beloved in ?Lagi aaj sawaan?.
Rains also heighten the drama during an emotionally-charged scene. Think just about every mega blockbuster, from Barsaat to Lagaan and beyond. Nor have lighter moments ignored the vital element. Kishore Kumar and Madhubala?s playful banter is hard to miss in Satyen Bose?s Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi?s ?Ek ladki bheegi bhaagi si?.
Of course, thrillers and murder mysteries have not forsaken rain. Recollect Mehmood and RD Burman sneaking on a rainy night in Mehmood?s Bhoot Bangla or a raincoat-clad Jackie Shroff heading mysteriously for his apartment in Partho Ghosh?s 100 Days.
And this is just Hindi cinema.
Rains have made the divas more popular, added suspense, been part of evergreen melodies, added layers to the villain?s villainy. And despite this year?s erratic monsoon, show no sign of disappearing from the big screen.
TANUJA CHANDRA FILM-MAKER
Uncontrollable passion
Rain has always been a device in movies, with which to show what one can call ?veiled sex?. The woman is drenched, the man is wet. The song is about desire, love, uncontrollable passions ? whatever you might like. With this combination, it would require super-human strength to stay away from each other! And so romance allows for intense physical feelings to bloom, and the audience gets its fill of vicarious pleasure. Rain has been in Hindi movies, a license to feel sensual, not just for the characters on screen, but also for the viewers watching.
Supplementing content
Anything is valid in cinema, as long as it fits the narrative logic. Or doesn?t. That rain songs are pleasurable, cannot be denied. It?s also fascinating that family audiences view the sensual moments in rain songs without cringing. That surely is a stroke of genius on the part of film-makers. A rain song can be memorable, and much loved, but it alone cannot create box-office success. It can supplement a good film?s performance, but it would be too much to depend on one song to make profits. Conversely, there have been many flop films that have had hit rain songs. It would make sense to have the song fit the plot as seamlessly as possible, so that the plot would work along with the song.
There is a full spectrum of the rain song, from beautiful, ethereal, to utterly romantic and sparkling, to bold and raunchy, to downright vulgar. Rain is a symbol of life. So it?s use in Hindi movies is natural.
A never-ending story
Too many to name. It?s a trend that?s been over-used and abused as well. I would still wish for this wonderful narrative tool to continue to remain popular with directors as well as audiences. To my mind, the rain song hasn?t exhausted its possibilities, and there is still so much that can be done with it. It only requires a soaring imagination and some tankers of water!
SHYAM BENEGAL FILM DIRECTOR
Glorifying the siren
Rain in Indian cinema is wet, body-clinging saris on the heroine. If the narrative calls for it or it adds to the atmosphere or is used to interpret or in lesser cases, illustrate or strengthen an emotional character of the scene etc.
So far so good
Everything can be used or misused. Thus it wholly depends on the film-maker how he wants to take it forward. Many filmmakers have used the device to add sexiness to scenes. By far Raj Kapoor was the most successful.
Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra FILM-MAKER
Infusing life
Monsoon has a deep rooted meaning in the Indian psychology as we are an agricultural society. Once it rains, everyone is happy. If you see Do Bigha Zamin or Mother India ? there is the use of rain, which has been borrowed by the latest movies such as Lagaan, where for the failure of rain the characters have to play a cricket match. In Guide, the rain happens in Allah megh de paani de re. On an emotional ground, it?s been a part of our movies. Of late, the rain is being used as an instrument of sensuality that hardly has any meaning.
ANU MALIK MUSIC COMPOSER
High on romance
My sense of romance is at its creative best when the rains come. The way the songs have been picturised, they just say it all, for instance, the way Raj Kapoor shot Pyar hua iqraar hua. I don?t like vulgar interpretations. It should be aesthetically done. Lust never interests me. My all time favourite rain song is ? (sings) Rain drops keep falling on my head by Burt Bacharach.
The romantic mood gets its sensual best at the pitter-patter of rain. Zindagi bhar nahi bhulenge barsaat ki raat reflects the same. Rain sequences are also incorporated in films, for example, Suhana safar aur ye mausam hasin.
HITESH MADAN GUITARIST, EUPHORIA
A showstopper
The whole feeling of rain in cinema is a joyous feeling. It?s like a catalyst that creates the mood of celebration. The rain songs capture that particular spirit of rain. A lot of sensuality is associated with rain as well. It?s about how the rain goes with the music and dance. In our videos, we have had rain sequences. Ab Na Ja had a rain sequence, also in Sonia from our album Mehfuz, we have used the idea of having rain in our videos. Ghananan ghanan by AR Rahman in Lagaan is a rain song that will be always remembered. Rain has been a showstopper whenever we have staged live concerts.
HARD KAUR RAPPER
Long live rain
The true flavour of rain is seen in Indian cinema. Rim Jhim Rim Jhim from Mahaadev (1989) turns me on. The depiction of rain in Ram Teri Ganga Maili where the woman is at her sensuous best, clad in just a sari is something that will keep inspiring the film fraternity for the years to come. In my last album Supawoman, in Smile, I?ve also used rain. Also a lot of people have used rain for more sensual reasons. A sari can stick to the heroine?s body and the rain highlights it. And Mandakini is of course the sexiest in Ram Teri Ganga Maili .
