This evergreen song was shot 57 years ago in the real rain of Mumbai, became Bollywood’s ‘cult classic’ even without dance.

As soon as the name of rain comes, the first thing that comes to the mind of Bollywood lovers is the famous song ‘Rimjhim Gire Sawan’ by Amitabh Bachchan and Moushumi Chatterjee. This song from the 1979 film ‘Manjil’ remains synonymous with monsoon even today. Even after 57 years, this song has not lost its freshness. Do you know that the makers of the film not only waited for real rain to shoot this song, but it was also shot without any choreography or dance steps, which was no less than a miracle in that era.

Mumbai’s real rain and Basu Chatterjee’s ‘Risk’

Basu Chatterjee, director of the film ‘Manjil’, and his passion for simplicity and realism is clearly visible in this song. Usually, rain scenes in films are shot artificially, but ‘Rimjhim Gire Sawan’ was shot on Mumbai’s Marine Drive when it was actually raining from the sky. The director wanted this scene to look absolutely natural, so without any frills or dance sequences, he asked Amitabh Bachchan and Moushumi Chatterjee to roam on the streets and get wet. While sharing the story of the shooting at that time, Moushumi Chatterjee had told in an interview that she did not even know when the shooting had started. She kept getting wet in the rain for a long time and during this beautiful sequence was captured on camera, in which even her kajal got washed away, which makes it more real.

Kishore-Lata’s voice and RD Burman’s magic

The credit for making this song evergreen goes to great composer RD Burman and lyricist Yogesh. When Lata Mangeshkar’s melodious tune combines with Kishore Kumar’s velvety voice, this song touches the hearts of music lovers. RD Burman’s music and Yogesh’s lyrics make this song not only pleasant to listen to, but also gives a different kind of relaxation. Without any commercial dance, just the rain and the fun between the two characters has made it the most ‘romantic and natural’ rain song of Indian cinema.

Why is it still people’s first choice?

In today’s era when heavy production and auto-tune are used in songs, ‘Rimjhim Gire Sawan’ is a living example of simplicity. This is the reason why even after 5 decades, this song remains in the trending list every monsoon, from radio to digital platforms. This song is not just a tune, but a journey into the nostalgia of the streets of Mumbai, which every generation considers its own. This proves even today that if there is truth in music and presentation, it does not need any pretense.