This is week two of the project to find, by the end of 2012, the top 24 Hindi film songs of all time. The results from last week are on the web page: Click here.

This week’s song category is “fun songs.” The list contains 13 songs. Here are my brief comments about each song on this week’s list:

• “Shayad meri shadi ka”:  Like the part : “Chai pe bulaya hai.”   Rajesh Khanna looks like Elvis.
• **** “Hal kaisa hai janab ka?”: Kishore Kumar pretending to be sick and Asha’s voice. A combination of innocence and fun.
• “Suno na”: Bulldog. The words just flow. Rani Mukherjee’s reactions. I may also include the song under romance category.
• “Paan Khaye sayan hamaro”: Check out Waheeda Rehman describing how to eat a paan. The mischief in her eyes is fun.  A warning to all paan addicts!  And, that little laughter in the song (sung by Asha Bhosle) is priceless.
• “Baki jo bacha tha mehengai mar gai”: The idea that increasing prices inflation killed us. War, separation, yearning for love, religion, and of course inflation.  The singer prompting the dancer for the next verse is funny. Of course, Qawaali style makes it upbeat.
• “Aaj main upar”: The state of confusion due to love clearly upbeat. The idea that you are up and sky below is interesting.
• ***** “Masakali” This has to be my favorite song in the set. The funny word combination. The goat and  Sonam Kapoor with the pigeon on her head. Sonam spitting on Abhishek is hilarious. Funny, funny song. We know what happens when a song gets stuck in our head.
• “Angrezi me kahate hai”: Well, finally a Amitabh number in thelist of songs. Combination of languages especially choo, choo, choo. Check our Parveen Babi playing the straight man.
• **** “Dum dum diga diga”: That sudden onset of rain can be funny is shown in this song. Watch out for the rooster trying to get away from the rain. Raj kapoor stealing umbrella, plus the “dum, dum” sound are very funny.
• “Chup  chup khade ho”: Old movie song. The humor is subtle about a couple not revealing that they are in love. Facial expressions of the dancer conveying the various emotions.
• “Jhumka gira re” Sadhana dancing and singing about an ear ring fallen in a Bazaar. The mischief in the song is great. Upbeat song. I will also include this song in the dance category.
• **** “Ek chatura naar”: Again Kishore Kumar lip synching for Sunil Dutt to impress Saira Banu and Mahmood as the South Indian coach also trying to impress Saira Banu. Amazing! Mahmood, Kishore Kumar unbeatable.
• *** “Dayaa re dayaa me kahan phasi”: Song from caravan is funny because we all have been in a situation where we are totally unprepared.  Love the part where Jeetendra asks Asha Parekh to try a different song “Nahi chalega, ” while still dancing.  And facial expressions of Asha Parekh are humorous.

To vote for your favorites, please click here

No one ever remembers what page of a specific math book they were reading when they first saw that special someone or first arrived at a special location but many remember the exact song they were listening to at that moment.  If only we could switch to episodic memory linked to math problems may be we could alleviate the math education challenge facing many nations.

Several months back a question came to my mind: “What is the top Hindi film song of all time?”  I realized that the question was interesting because the answer was not obvious. I began wondering if there was a way to find that answer. But before I started the quest, I shared this idea with my friends Prakash Lakhsmanan (SAP Guru), Ram Seetharam (Gaana Pehechhana fame), Pradeep Anand (author of “An Indian in A Cowboy Country”) and S K Srinivas (www.analysciences.com) and they all agreed that the question was “interesting.” Having received positive input from my friends, I decided to explore the issue some more.

I did what any professional person does these days. I googled different search terms. (My apologies to English teachers who still refuse to accept Xerox as a verb.)  I discovered that there have been many good attempts at finding the answer to a similar question. I also realized that not only is music very subjective but also it has different “moods” or emotions linked with it.  I concluded that a better question was: “What are the top “x” Hindi film songs of all time?”

Next, I analyzed the various moods evoked by different Hindi Film Songs and concluded that a set of 24 songs could in principle include all the various “moods.”  Purists will argue about the choice of 24. To be honest, this being 2012, I picked 24.  I have reviewed many different lists on the Internet and iTunes, etc. and compiled a source list of close to 600 songs. Any one of these songs could end up being in the top 24. Individual preferences can be affected by many different factors. Ten years ago, it may have been purely based on audio or words. Today, with the posting of hundreds of videos on YouTube, the selection can now be based on video or audio or video and audio, etc. I decided to launch this project called “Top 24 Hindi Film Songs of All Time.” The idea is simple. Each week, fans of Hindi film music will be given an opportunity to vote on their favorite songs. The selection process will go through a few rounds and by the end of 2012 we will narrow the list down to top 24 Hindi film songs of all time.

The project was initiated by curiosity. It is being executed to generate fun, joy and a sense of community.  There are no hidden agendas or things to sell or buy. It is a simple inquiry. Along the way we will learn about music, songs and may be about ourselves.  To those who are young this will give them an opportunity to check out the classics. To those older this might expose them to some really good new music.  I have also decided to donate 10 cents for every valid vote cast (up to first 3000 votes) to Pratham USA (www.prathamusa.org) a charity dedicated to education of the underprivileged in India.

Go to the web page: T24 HFS of All Time. Examine each week’s song selection. If you do not know a song, click on the link to view its YouTube video. Once you examine all songs, note down your top four or five favorites from that list. Then, go to the second step. Click on the “Vote” link. A survey will open up. The survey is anonymous and you will only be able to do one survey per IP address. All questions are of multiple-choice type. Initial questions are demographic simply to cross tabulate the results and eventually remove noticeable biases.  If you have time you can check out this week’s quiz and if you have comments on the songs selected or any other comments about the contest, you can join an online discussion forum. You do not have to register to view the contents of the forums but will need to register to share your opinions. Speak with someone under the age of 21 and they will show you how to join an online discussion forum. If you like the advice given by this young person, forward their name to me and may be this person can educate the rest of us. Click on other links on the page to contribute quizzes and articles.

Since it is the beginning of a new year, the first song category or type is what I call “fun songs.”  These are songs that either have funny sounds, words, type of music or images.

Remember, this is a fun project with an unknown outcome. Visit Top 24 HFS of All Time today and every week to check results and new features. Let’s play!

I read somewhere that when Jerry Seinfeld was starting out as a comedian, he would do a lot of private parties. He soon learned that many of these events were a waste of his time. His new criterion for accepting a gig was based on the answer to a simple question. Are there going to be any round tables at the event? If the answer was “Yes” he would decline the invitation. As a professional comedian , based on my experience, I agree with his assessment. I did one of those events a few months ago. I showed up on time and noticed they had round tables. The event ran late and just when I got on stage the people got up and got in the buffett-line. I have now also concluded that in the battle of food vs. humor, food always wins.  Afer the event, as I was driving home, I reminded myself of a quote from Woody Allen-  “80 % of winning is simply showing up!” That I did!