'Rangeela' completes 30 years, these singers including Asha Bhosle gave voice to the songs; Read what was special in the film?

News Topical, Digital Desk : When 'Rangeela' hit the theatres for the first time, a new chapter was added to the history of Hindi cinema. On September 8, when this film will celebrate its 30th anniversary, the same day marks the celebration of Asha Bhosle's 92nd birthday. A film that changed an entire generation, and a voice that kept itself fresh in every era. Asha Batra's article on this double celebration...

Rangeela film completes 30 years

In the last decade of the 20th century, economic liberalization was taking place in India and the youth were moving towards globalization. Music channels like VTV and MTV were rapidly becoming the choice of the youth. At this time, the film 'Rangeela' was released in theatres. This was a completely different film. The heroine's look, screenplay, songs, music, cinematography, dialogues, everything was fresh and the biggest surprise of this new freshness was 63-year-old Asha Bhosle.

Her voice sounded so youthful in the film that everyone was stunned. Although Ram Gopal Varma did not like romantic comedies, he was so impressed with the filming of songs in Mani Ratnam's films that he thought of experimenting. Seeing Urmila Matondkar's beauty and dance, he felt that this was his discovery.

How did the story of the film come out?

Ram Gopal Varma was a part of a gang of bullies during his college days. One of his bullies was in love with a girl, but she loved a rich and handsome man. Like a true lover, he did not want to get the girl by force of his dominance, but wanted her to stay with her lover. Ram Gopal was so impressed by this that he brought it to life in the form of Munna (Aamir Khan) in 'Rangeela'. Remember the scene when Munna takes Mili to the hotel wearing a yellow shirt and pants and asks the waiter to turn the AC towards him. This scene was based on the antics of the same friend who used to try to attract the attention of the girl by wearing strange clothes.

Ram Gopal Varma wanted to cast Hindi cinema's stalwarts like Javed Akhtar, Neeta Lulla and Saroj Khan in the film, but all of them had to leave the film due to their busy schedules. Then call it fate or compulsion, a new team was formed. 19-year-old Ahmed Khan was the choreographer, new lyricist Mehboob, Manish Malhotra who had become costume designer from assistant, A.R. Rahman composing music for a Hindi film for the first time and Ram Gopal Varma himself was standing in Hindi cinema without any hit. This film was actually a caravan of new dreams and perhaps the biggest strength too. Lyricist Mehboob has beautifully expressed the sentiments of this team through these lines of his song 'Rangeela Re' - ‘Itne Chehre Mein Apne Chehre Ki, Pehchaan To Ho Pehchaan To Ho. Bade Bade Naam Mein Apna Bhi Naamonishan To Ho Pehchaan To Ho.’

Asha Bhosle's voice made the film special

Among this new team, one voice was old - Asha Bhosle, but just as fresh. Even at the age of 63, the same resonance and flexibility in the voice. Lyricist Mehboob had told in one of his interviews that when Asha Bhosle came for the recording of the song 'Tanha-Tanha', he was very nervous. As soon as she came out of the recording, Asha ji told Mehboob, 'Today you reminded me of Pancham.' Mehboob says, 'Then what, I was overwhelmed and I understood that history is about to be made.' With this film, Asha ji returned to the Filmfare list after 17 years. Asha ji herself had said, 'The songs of the film 'Rangeela' made me young.'

Then comes A.R. Rahman! He changed the definition of film music. Such a confluence of electronic beats and Indian tunes that the listeners heard a new sound. The commendable thing is that Asha ji also accepted this experiment with an open mind. She says, 'When I was recording in a small room of Rahman's house in Chennai, I saw that there was only one mic and I had to sing the song on it, the next day when I heard the recording of the song, dozens of layers and instruments had been added to it.' This was the same magic, which made the film different.

The film had three characters - Jackie Shroff as star Kamal, Aamir Khan as tapori Munna and Urmila as Mili who dreams of becoming an actress. Their characterization was so mature that it is still in the memories of the audience, but the end of the film is very unique. No hug, no meeting drenched in tears - just lovers fighting and laughing and a third character standing at the side, who is hiding tears in a smile. This end was as open as the thinking of that era - something old, something new.

Rangeela gave something new to cinema

Any film gets the love of the people only when it entertains that generation. The audience of that time was living in two worlds. On one hand, the habit of Indian films, on the other hand, the effect of globalization. TV and MTV were creating an era and Ram Gopal understood that time. 'Rangeela' became very successful and then was also made in Tamil and Telugu.

Today, when we are celebrating 30 years of 'Rangeela' and also the 92nd anniversary of Asha Bhosle, it is not just a coincidence of dates. It is the confluence of two journeys that taught us that only that which remains fresh on the test of time is new. 'Rangeela' defined newness in Hindi cinema and Asha Bhosle proved that age is recorded only on the calendar, not in the voice. 'Rangeela' and Asha Bhosle - both tell us that real magic happens only when tradition and modernity join hands and today when we listen to 'Tanha Tanha' or 'Rangeela Re', we understand that magic never gets old.

Read More: The 2-hour 30-minute family drama is a must-watch on OTT platforms, boasting a 7.1 IMDb rating.