Singer-actress Sulakshana Pandir passed into the ages on November 6 after a prolonged illness.
Besides her acting roles, she leaves behind some beautiful songs to remember her by.
Dinesh Raheja looks back at her 10 hit songs.
Beqarar Dil Tu Gaaye Ja (Door Ka Rahi, 1971)
Music Director: Kishore Kumar
Sulakshana's first assignment as a playback singer for a well-known heroine (Tanuja) came courtesy Kishore Kumar.
The maverick actor-singer was also a music composer for many of his film productions, and he decided to give a break to Sulakshana, who had been singing on stage shows and in films since she was a child.
In the Door Ka Rahi (1971) song Beqarar Dil Tu Gaaye Ja, Kishore Kumar can be seen on screen but oddly enough, his singing voice is lent to his older brother Ashok Kumar till he is interjected by Tanuja who takes over the song in Sulakshana's voice.
Sulakshana's melodic gifts are crystal clear in this song.
Tu Hi Sagar Tu Hi Kinara (Sankalp, 1975)
Music Director: Khayyam
Khayyam explored the full range of Sulakshana Pandit's voice.
Consider the bubblegum teeny-bopper flavour of Sulakshana and Anwar's voices in Thodisi Bewafai's pop duet Mausam Mausam Lovely Mausam filmed on a young Padmini Kolhapure and Siddharth Ray in 1980.
Contrast it with the starkly different ghazal Mana Teri Nazar Mein from Ahista Ahista, 1981, sung by Sulakshana with archetypal Cancerian sensitivity and emotionalism.
Yet the definitive number from this combination has to be Tu Hi Sagar Tu Hi Kinara, a serene bhajan from a little-known film called Sankalp (1975).
Beautifully penned by Kaifi Azmi and feelingly rendered by Sulakshana, the song won her the Best Female Playback Singer award from Filmfare that year.
Chal Chal Kahin Akele Mein (Salaakhen, 1975)
Music Director: Ravindra Jain
Chal Chal Kahin Akele Mein is a multi-version with Sulakshana dueting with Hemlata when her character is a child and then singing solo for her adult self.
Though quite popular in its day, this song is now lost in the labyrinths of music from a bygone era.
Bandhi Re Kahe Preet Piya Ke Sang (Sankoch, 1976)
Music Director: Kalyanji-Anandji
Kalyanji-Anandji composed the music for both of Sulakshana's early successes as an actress, Uljhan and Sankoch.
But in Uljhan (1975), they asked Lata Mangeshkar to sing two popular solos filmed on Sulakshana: Apne Jeevan Ki Uljhan Ko and Subah Aur Shyam Kaam Hi Kaam.
Sulakshana only got to sing the duet Aaj Pyare Pyare Se Lagte Hain and she made the most of the opportunity.
In Sankoch, the composers lavished on Sulakshana's vocals the well-received theme song of her character, Bandhi Re Kahe Preet Piya Ke Sang, which appears in her voice in two versions.
Sulakshana's voice sounds achingly sweet as she expresses, through song, her introverted character's romantic regrets.
Jana Kahan Hai (Chalte Chalte, 1976)
Music Director: Bappi Lahiri
Sulakshana's voice sparkles as she navigates the high notes in this duet with Bappi Lahiri. The throw in her voice as she croons Tururu Ruru adds zing to the number.
Onscreen, there's actress Nazneen in a bikini and Amit Khanna's lyrics speak of Chanchal Aaj Pawan Hai, Meethi Meethi Si Chubhan Hai but Sulakshana sounds more sunny than sensuous.
The honeyed innocence in Sulakshana's voice was captured by Bappi Lahiri a couple of years later in the oft-heard song from Dil Hi Dil Mein: Hathon Mein Mere Bhi Mehndi Lagao, Jaldi Se Jao Mera Dulha Leke Aao.
Lyrics which cannot but sound poignant now.
Somwar Ko Hum Mile Mangalwar Ko Nain (Apnapan, 1977)
Music Director: Laxmikant-Pyarelal
Sulakshana's tally of songs may not be numerically impressive, but she has had a high percentage of hit songs.
Laxmikant-Pyarelal gave her a chance to sing for herself in memorable songs like Jab Aati Hogi Yaad Meri from the Shashi Kapoor-Sulakshana starrer, Phaansi (1978).
But perhaps their most crowd-pleasing creation together was the 1978 hit Apnapan's Somwar Ko Hum Mile Mangalwar Ko Nain.
In the film, while Reena Roy had a grey-shaded role as Jeetendra's first wife, Sulakshana played the good-hearted second spouse.
She imbued the duet with the same unruffled sweetness.
Ghadi Milan Ki Aayi (Ek Baap Chhe Bete, 1978)
Music Director: Rajesh Roshan
Even when she was a busy actress, Sulakshana was willing to devote time to her primary passion: Music.
Earlier, actress-singers in the Hindi film industry like Noorjahan and Suraiya did not sing for other actresses once they reached a position of eminence.
But at every stage of her career, Sulakshana was sportingly acquiescent to playback singing for other actresses.
Sulakshana sings for Moushumi Chatterjee in the song Ghadi Milan Ki Aayi from Ek Baap Chhe Bete, which has enjoyed considerable airplay on the radio over the years.
Moushumi (in a special appearance) enacts the role of Mehmood's wife in this tongue-in-cheek number, and the lilt in Sulakshana's voice matches the song's rhythmic energy.
Boliye Surili Boliyan (Griha Pravesh, 1979)
Music Director: Kanu Roy
Filmmaker Basu Bhattacharya, lyricist Gulzar and composer Kanu Roy were all well known for their off-beat sensibilities.
As an actress, Sulakshana worked only in hard-core commercial films but as a singer she fit right into this milieu.
Listen to this trained singer deliver the long alaap with elan, cruise through the sargam and the murkis and intersperse this absolutely delightful song with laughter.
An obviously impressed Kanu Roy had Sulakshana next sing all the songs for the Naseeruddin Shah-Shabana Azmi critical hit, Sparsh.
Kajre Ki Baati (Sawan Ko Aane Do, 1979)
Music Director: Raj Kamal
Rajshri Productions often looked beyond the mainstream playback singers and composers.
They gave the practically unknown composer Raj Kamal an opportunity with Sawan Ko Aane Do (1979), and he delivered an outstanding soundtrack festooned with multiple hit songs that would probably be called bangers by Gen Z today.
For the only female song in the album, Raj Kamal chose Sulakshana and she effectively communicated leading lady Zarina Wahab's anguish through the song.
Jiske Liye Sabko Chhoda (Saajan Ki Saheli, 1981)
Music Director: Usha Khanna
Belting out a high-energy zestful song is a challenge for many a singer but Sulakshana proves equal to the task with the superhit Jiske Liye Sabko Chhoda number from Saajan Ki Saheli (1981).
Matching Rekha's ebullient energy onscreen, Sulakshana electrifies the sing when she proclaims Main Bewafaa! Haan Main Bewafaa!
Usha Khanna brought out a hitherto little expressed exhibitionism and rebelliousness in Sulakshana's voice.
Listen to Sulakshana's dulcet voice in her heyday and one can't help rue the fact that though indubitably talented, this singer was tragically overlooked.
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
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