Happy birthday, Hariharan: Revisiting singer-composer's best Hindi songs

Multilingual singer and composer Hariharan has turned 68! Credited with singing over a whopping 15,000 songs across 10 languages, he is also a recipient of the Padma Shri and two National Film Awards, among other accolades and honors. He started his career in 1977 and is indefatigably still going strong! What better day than today to revisit some of his most melodious Bollywood songs?

An AR Rahman composition, Roja Jaaneman is from the 1992 romantic musical thriller film Roja, directed by Mani Ratnam. The 5:07-minute-long song was sung by Hariharan and Sujatha Mohan and narrated the passionate romance and the subsequent longing between the lead actors of the film: Rishi (Arvind Swamy) and Roja (Madhoo). The National Film Award-winning movie is streaming on Amazon Prime Video and ZEE5.

The slow-paced rhythmic melody Bahon Ke Darmiyan belongs to the 1996 musical romantic film Khamoshi: The Musical, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali in his directorial debut and featuring Salman Khan and Manish Koirala in the lead. Co-sung by Alka Yagnik, the song is an ode to the starting stage of love, full of uncertainty, euphoria, and unprecedented joy. The music was composed by Jatin-Lalit.

Bharat Hum Ko, again from Roja, is another song that stands testimony to Hariharan's versatility and grip over the craft. The song is soaked in the colors of nationalism and patriotism and speaks volumes about India's culture, diversity, ethos, and social fabric while also underlining what one can do in the nation's honor. Listen to the song on YouTube, Spotify, or Wynk.

Rangeela's album is considered to be one of Rahman's best works, and Hai Rama stands out due to Hariharan's high notes and the way they seamlessly blend with those of his co-singer Swarnalatha. The 1995 film stared Urmila Matondkar, Aamir Khan, and Jackie Shroff and can be watched on Voot/Jio Cinema. The song has been viewed over 1cr times on Tips Official's YouTube channel.