1. Gum Hai Kisi Ke Pyar Mein
2. Tumne Kisi Se Kabhi Pyar Kiya Hai
3. Kaahe Manwa Naache Hamra
4. Aajkal Paon Zameen Par
5. Salam-e-ishq Meri Jaan
6. Pardesiya
7. Ye Kahan Aa Gaye Hum
8. Sun Sun Sun Didi Tere Liye
9. Man Kyun Behka
10. Katra Katra Milti Hai
1. Gum Hai Kisi Ke Pyar Mein
2. Tumne Kisi Se Kabhi Pyar Kiya Hai
3. Kaahe Manwa Naache Hamra
4. Aajkal Paon Zameen Par
5. Salam-e-ishq Meri Jaan
6. Pardesiya
7. Ye Kahan Aa Gaye Hum
8. Sun Sun Sun Didi Tere Liye
9. Man Kyun Behka
10. Katra Katra Milti Hai
1. Gum Hai Kisi Ke Pyar Mein
Film: Raampur Ka Lakshman (1972)
Music: RD Burman
Singers: Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar
Rekha and Randheer Kapoor are in the first flush of love and are hinting out their feelings towards each other in this playful song. It was one of her earlier films but look at her expressions and you’ll realise what a polished actress she was even then. Her face, her eyes, caught the meaning of the song superbly. It remains a go-to number for all Rekha fans even today after all these years.
2. Tumne Kisi Se Kabhi Pyar Kiya Hai
Film: Dharmatma (1975)
Music: Kalyanji-Anandji
Singers: Mukesh, Kanchan
Feroz Khan was one macho actor but Rekha matched his screen presence with an oomphalicious charisma of her own. The song’s lyrics are poignant and talk about the rare nature of love but what comes across on the big screen is the sheer sex appeal of the two lead stars. Turn to this song if you want to experience what the big screen swag should feel like. It has never gone out of our playlists and will forever be enshrined for its haunting beauty.
3. Kaahe Manwa Naache Hamra
Film: Alaap (1977)
Music: Jaidev
Singer: Lata Mangeshkar
Kudos to cinematographer Jaywant Pathare for shooting this poetic song. A beam of light falls on Rekha from a hole in her house’s roof and she plays with it, singing this song, which is all about longing, about love. It’s one of the most beautiful songs sung for Rekha by India’s Nightingale, Lata Mangeshkar. It’s certainly worth a visit for its sheer elegance. It’s a prime example of an actor, cinematographer and singer coming together to create something beautiful.
4. Aajkal Paon Zameen Par
Film: Ghar (1978)
Music: RD Burman
Singer: Lata Mangeshkar
You come to know when two people are in love. There is a certain aura, a certain mystique around them which brings out their romance without them uttering a word. That’s the kind of chemistry you see in the song between Rekha and Vinod Mehra. The song is shot at an even pace and sung with a dash of laughter by Lata. She’s captured the happiness of a woman very much in love with her beau admiringly well.
5. Salam-e-ishq Meri Jaan
Film: Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978)
Music: Kalyanji-Anandji
Singers: Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar
Rekha plays a courtesan in the film. We see Amitabh Bachchan sitting mesmerised as she sings the song. She’s singing for everyone but has eyes only for him and he too has eyes only for her. And it’s sheer magic when he joins her in the singing. You get transported to another world altogether. Lata and Kishore add another layer to it with their apt renditions of course but you can’t imagine other actors than Amitabh and Rekha doing justice to it. It’s a must for all Rekha-Amitabh fans.
6. Pardesiya
Film: Mr. Natwarlal
Music: Rajesh Roshan
Singers: Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar
Some songs happen to have a poetic elegance to them and this is surely one of them. Everything fell into place with this one. Be it, the beauty of the hills, the melodious tune by Rajesh Roshan or Lata and Kishore’s singing. And the way Rekha and Amitabh looked into each other’s eyes on the big screen was a masterclass in how to emote during a romantic song. It’s a mood lifter of a song. You put it on and all your blues just disappear. It’s one of those songs you can listen on loop all day and not get bored.
7. Ye Kahan Aa Gaye Hum
Film: Silsila (1981)
Music: Shiv-Hari
Singers: Amitabh Bachchan, Lata Mangeshkar
The sheer beauty, the sheer elegance, the sheer poetry contained in this song is indeed indescribable. It captures the essence of two people very much in love. They are lost in love and don’t know where love will take them. They don’t care and just want to live in the moment and they want this moment to last forever. It’s a slow burner of a song and has the power to stick to your memory once you’ve seen it. Both Rekha and Amitabh showed that they have no equal when it came to emoting love on screen.
8. Sun Sun Sun Didi Tere Liye
Film: Khubsoorat (1980)
Music: RD Burman
Singer: Asha Bhosle
It’s one of those songs which makes you smile every time you see or hear it. It brings forward the joy of a younger sister whose elder sister is getting married. She can’t contain her happiness and yet wants to tease her sister at the same time. Rekha captured all those expressions admirably in the picturisation and the song still feels so fresh and frothy even now because of her playful expressions.
9. Man Kyun Behka
Music: Laxmikant-Pyarelal
Singers: Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle
Utsav was a heavy-duty costume drama which dealt with the origin of the Kamasutra, among other things. The present song, though playful in nature, deals with a woman’s desire for her lover. Look at the interplay of emotions on Rekha’s face which changes with every stanza. It’s pure bliss to both see and listen to.
10. Katra Katra Milti Hai
Film: Ijaazat (1987)
Music: RD Burman
Singer: Asha Bhosle
It’s said Rekha is one of the best actors when it comes to lip-synching a song. Watch the song and you’ll feel as if she’s singing it herself. The song is all about living in the moment and cherishing all aspects of life and Rekha, as she’s singing the song on-screen, makes emphasis on the correct words. The song kind of encapsulates what her character is in the film — someone who wants her spirit to be free, someone who wants her heart to fly, someone who isn’t afraid to showcase her emotions…
