Online Archive of Qawwali in Bombay Cinema

A project supported by India Foundation for the Arts, Bangalore

Although Bombay cinema (often incorrectly dubbed as 'Hindi cinema') is blamed for “spoiling” the traditional qawwali (a form of high-energy group song, usually sung for mystical purposes in Indo-Islamicate milieu), this archive proposes that Indian cinema has actually helped not only popularise the qawwali (among many who may probably not appreciate traditional forms such as thumri or even ghazal), but also allowed it to evolve from an image of sacrality to a secular entertaining mode that became flexible and inclusive enough to be used as a cinematic device of story telling and emotional communication. 

This online archive documents some songs that can be called qawwali that featured in movies produced in Bombay since 1940s. Please visit http://cineqawwali.in for more details.

Nigaah-e-naaz ke Barsaat Ki Raat 1960 Asha Bhosle

Na to kaarvaan ki talaash hai Barsaat Ki Raat 1960 Manna Dey, Asha, Rafi

Pehchanta hoon tumhari nazar ko Barsaat Ki Raat 1960 Asha, Sudha, Bande Hasan

Teri mehfil mein qismat Mughal-e Azam 1960 Lata Mangeshkar, chorus

Mera yaar bana hai dulha Chaudhvin ka Chand 1960 Mohd. Rafi , Chorus Johny Walker, wedding song, but sung like qawwali

Sharma ke ye kyun sab parda nasheen Chaudhvin ka Chand 1960 Asha Bhosle, Shamshad begum

Yeh dunya gol hai Chaudhvin ka Chand 1960 Mohd. Rafi Johny Walker, singing as a faqir, ends into a devotional qawwali

Haseenon ke jalwe pareshaan rahte Babar 1960 Mohammad Rafi, Manna Dey,Asha Bhonsle, Sudha Malhotra

Hum ne unke saamne pehle to khanjar Basant 1960 M.Rafi, Asha, O.P.Nayyar

Lag jaa gale Diler Hasina 1960 Jani Babu

Bade shokh hote hain yeh husn wale Black Tiger 1960 Yusuf Azad, dancing qawwali

Jawaani badi cheez hai husnwaalo Pedro 1960 Ismail Azad

kya shaan hai tumhaari haaji malang doola Aalam Ara Ki Beti 1960 Ismail Azad

Muhabbat ki duniya badi Aalam Ara Ki Beti 1960 Ismail Azad

Naazneenon se haseenon se tum uljha na karo Sharif Daku 1960 Ismail Azad

Recording not available
Ham salaamat rahen dildaar bahut milte hain Choron ki Barat 1961 Jani Babu, Shakila Bano Bhopali

Recording not available Raste mein bairada Choron ki Barat 1961 Jani Babu, Sudha Malhotra

Jab talak jal rahe hain parwaane Sanjog 1961 Mohd. Rafi, Asha Bhonsle Mehmood in double role (man-woman) in qawwali competition

Mere banne ki baat na poochho Gharana 1961 Asha Bhosle, Shamshad begum

Mere dilbar mujhpar khafaa naa ho Dharmputra 1961 Mohd. Rafi, Sahir Ludhyanvi

Yeh masjid hai wo butkhana chahe yeh mano Dharmputra 1961 Jaani Babu Qawwal, Rafi, Sahir

Recording not available
Deewana hoon mein tere pyar ka Gypsy Girl 1961 Yusuf Azad

Kabhi hum se kabhi ghairon se Arab ka Sitara 1961 Ismail Azad & Shamshad Begum

Dil ka fasaana koi na jaanaa Umar Qaid 1961 Asha Bhosle & Mahendra Kapoor

Recording not available
Nazar parda vafa parda muhabbat sar basar parda Black Shadow 1961 Jani Babu

Bewafa tune qayamat ki ada pai hai Miss Chalbaaz 1961 Ismail Azad

Recording not available
Chhinte pade hain khoon ke Room No. 17 1961 Ismail Azad

Husn ki shaan gai Room No. 17 1961 Ismail Azad

Sab ko maalum hai mein sharabi Room No. 17 1961 Ismail Azad

Aye mere pyare watan Kabuliwalla 1961 Manna Dey Not a qawwali but a Afghan singing about his home

O saba kehna mere dildar ko Kabuliwalla 1961 Mohd. Rafi Afghans sing a qawwali

Muhabbat ke fasane ko koi Elephant Queen 1961 Mahendar Kapoor, Asha Bhonsle Shakila Bano Bhopali

Recording not available
Pyar insan ko insan bana deta hai Shola jo Bhadke 1961 Yusuf Azad

Recording not available
Ham to ae hai zamaane mein haseenon ke liye Night Bird 1961 Ismail Azad

Kisne Chilman Se Maara Baat Ek Raat Ki 1962 Manna Dey

Meri Tasveer Lekar Kya Kala Samunder 1962 Mohd. Rafi, Asha Bhonsle

Iran Humne Dekha Ek Musafir Ek Hasina 1962 Mohd. Rafi, Asha Bhonsle Musically a qawwali, but visually a solo song

Hum diwane tere dar se Naqli Nawab 1962 Mohd. Rafi, Asha Bhonsle Walking/dancing qawwali on Eid (men/women competition -staircases (dances like holi revelry)

Denewaale ne di zindagi aur haseenon ne Jadoo Mahal 1962 Ismail Azad

dil hoga to mil jayenge dilfdar hazaron Madam Zorro 1962 Ismail Azad

Nigahen milane ko jee chahta Hai Dil Hi To Hai 1963 Asha Bhosle

Parda uthe salaam ho jaaye Dil Hi To Hai 1963 Manna Dey, Asha

Tumhe husn deke Khuda ne Jabse Tumhe Dekha Hai 1963 Mohammed Rafi, Manna Dey, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle

Chali chali kaisi hawa Bluff Master 1963 Shammi Kapoor, Shamshad Begum

Kehte hain jisko ishq tabiyat ki baat hai Aaj aur Kal 1963 Shamshad Begum Shakila Bano in appearance

Yeh husn mera yeh ishq tera Bahurani 1963 Asha Bhosle, chorus dance and qawwali

Chandi ka badan Taj Mahal 1963 Mohammed Rafi, Manna Dey, Asha Bhosle, Meena Kapoor qawwal from Barsat ki raat on screen

Allah bachaye naujawanon se Mere Mehboob 1963 Lata Mangeshkar, chorus (dance on stage with a group - in mujra style - can't be a qawwali

Mere mehboob mein kya nahin Mere Mehboob 1963 Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle (dance, 2 women, no instruments, but clapping and dholak sound - can be called a qawwali)

Jane mun ek nazar dekhle Mere Mehboob 1963 Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle women sing and dance, no instruments, can be considered a qawwali (some gestures of group clapping)

Jidhar ji mein aaya Ghar Basake Dekho 1963 Suman, Usha Mangeshkar women's qawwali, dance etc.

Milte hi nazar tumse hum ho gaye deewane Ustadon Ke Ustad 1963 Asha Bhosle, Mohammed Rafi and Manna Dey Shakila Bano Bhopali

Raaz ki baat ko raaz hi rehne do Rocket Tarzan 1963 Suman Kalyanpur Shakila Bano Bhopali

Husn waale husn ka anjaam dekh Qawwali ki Raat 1964 Mohd. Rafi, Asha Bhonsle

Jaate jaate ek nazar bhar dekh lo Qawwali ki Raat 1964 Mohd. Rafi, Shamshad Begum

Meri bhi laaj rakh le Qawwali Ki Raat 1964 Asha Bhosle Na't

Kehne wale tu bhi kehle Qawwali ki Raat 1964 Rafi with Asha, Manna Dey, S.Balbir qawwali competition

Unse nazarein milin aur hijab Ghazal 1964 Lata Mangeshkar women sing and dance in kathak/mujra style, but a lot of clapping (all women gesture strangely)

Tere karam ki dhoom Char Dervesh 1964 Jani Babu, Mohd. Rafi

Poochon na hame ishq mein kya nazar aaya Samson 1964 Asha Bhosle, Manna Dey, Mahendra Kapoor Shakila Bano Bhopali

Muhabbat mein agar daman kisi ka Badshah 1964 Asha Bhosle Shakila Bano Bhopali

Ek din ka badshah yun be sahara hogaya Ek Din Ka Badshah 1964 S Balbir, Surender Kohli, Mahendra Kapoor, Kishor Varma Group song at home

Koi jane na dil ki baat Marvel Man 1964 Suman Kalyanpur, Ganga Prasad Shakila Bano Bhopai

Husn walon se na milna yeh dagha Magic Carpet 1964 Mubarak Begum, Jani Babu

Arre yaron amiron ki sharafat Birju Ustad 1964 Usha Timothy, Jani Bahu

Aaj unke paaye naaz se sajda karenge Captain Azad 1964 Kabban Mirza

Husnwaalon ki kya baat hai Rustom-E-Rome 1964 Ismail Azad, Jani Babu

Aye meri zohra jabeen Waqt 1965 Manna Dey

Chhalke teri aankhon se sharab Arzoo 1965 Mohd. Rafi song, but may pass as qawwali

Haseenon ke dhoke mein Tarzan And King Kong 1965 Suman Kalyanpur Shakila Bano Bhopali

Nadan hain samajhte nahi samjhana Fauladi Mukka 1965 Suman Kalyanpur Shakila Bano Bhopali

Jo ishqe haqiqi rakhta ho Son of Hatimtai 1965 Jani Babu, Rafi

Phirte ho maare maare Noor Mahal 1965 Jani Babu

Recording not available Aaja sunle meri sada jhoom uthi hai yeh fiza Accident 1965 Jani Babu

Recording not available Nazar aate ho tum Black Arrow 1965 Jani babu, Mubarak Begum

Humne jalwa dikhaya to Dil Ne Phir Yad Kiya 1966 Asha Bhosle, Manna Dey

Mere dil ke andar chalati hai khanjar Phool aur Patthar 1966 Mohd. Rafi , Chorus Escaping criminals

Saqi ne meri pyas to kucchch aur Jadoo 1966 Yusuf Azad

Kabhi ae haqeeqat-e-muntazar Dulhan Ek Raat Ki 1966 Lata Mangeshkar, chorus Iqbal's poetry, sung by Lata

Recording not available Mehfil mein hamare saamne hi Tarzan aur Jadui Chiragh 1966 Lists SBB and Jani Babu

Mausam hai bada mastana Tarzan aur Herculas 1966 Krishna Kalle Shakila Bano Bhopai

Jab aap salamat hain Alibaba and Forty Thieves 1966 Asha Bhosle and Usha Mangeshkar clapping, dance and duff by girls

Main idhar jaoon ya udhar jaoon Palki 1967 Rafi, Asha, Manna D., Naushad

Waqif hoon khoob ishq ke tarz-e Bahu Begum 1967 Manna Dey, Rafi M.Rafi, No sacrality - a romantic qawwali at a shrine?

Ab ja balab hun shiddate Bahu Begum 1967 Manna Dey, Rafi the same laya at the shrine plays a different role in story - Dhoond ke laon kahan se…

Recording not available Bhari Mehfil mein hum CID Agent 302 1968 Shakila Bano Bhopai

Meethi baaton mein inki na aana kabhi Sakhi Lutera 1969 Jani Babu Shakila Bano Bhopai

Nazar ne uthate hi kuchh Gunda 1969 Lata Mangeshkar Shakila Bano Bhopali