Hai Apna Dil

The moment you hear Hemant Kumar's voice as he starts, 'Hai apna dil, toh awara,' and humming the next line, making us wait for what will unfurl after that tantalising intro, you're in an endorphin bubble. From the 1958 Dev Anand-Waheeda Rehman-starring film, Solva Saal, we turn carefree and the heart readily unburdens.

From the very first line of this SD Burman classic, Kumar captures a chap who wears his wanderlust proudly, like a badge stitched to his kurta, loose and fluttering in a B&W Bombay breeze.

The clip-clop of the song, and the way it skips with the percussion and harmonica, all conjure up a 'forget everything, everything's fine' smile. It's a tune that doesn't walk-it saunters, with hands in its pockets and turn of the head.


'Haseenon ne bulaya/ Gale se bhi lagaya/ Bahot samajhaya,/ Yahee na samajha...' goes Majrooh Sultanpuri's delighful lyrics, perfectly capturing what Chaplin's Tramp may be constantly singing if not in silent films.

The song's joy is unshackled by a singular purpose: extolling the sheer pleasure of freedom. This is happiness in 4:25 minutes.