Mere Sapno Ki Rani

"Mere Sapno Ki Rani" is a popular Hindi song from the 1969 Bollywood movie Aradhana. The song was composed by Sachin Dev Burman and performed by Kishore Kumar. In the film, Rajesh Khanna, the male protagonist, sings the song atop an open jeep virtually chasing the heroine, Sharmila Tagore, who was aboard the toy train in Darjeeling (Darjeeling Himalayan Railway).^[1][2] R. D. Burman composed the song after his father, S.D. Burman, became too ill to finish the film's music. The song became a superhit in India.^[2] Many other versions of this song were made such as the song "Atha Dilisena Hiru" by famous Sri Lankan singer H. R. Jothipala^[3]

Picturization

In the film, Rajesh Khanna stars as Arun Verma, a young pilot from the Indian Air Force. On the Darjeeling toy train, Sharmila Tagore is Vandana, a freshly graduated college student who is returning to her hill station home. Arun and his friend, Madan (Sujit Kumar) have taken leave without permission, and as Madan drives the open top jeep, Arun sings the song in Kishore Kumar's voice, flirtatiously eying Vandana, and later in the film, when they meet again, they fall in love.

Singer

Originally, Mohammed Rafi was supposed to have sung all the songs in the film, but the composer, Sachin Dev Burman fell ill. His son, R.D. Burman reportedly ghost-composed this song, and took a chance and gave the song to Kishore Kumar.^[4] It, along with "Roop Tera Mastana" turned Kishore into an overnight sensation along with Rajesh Khanna, and the two became best friends in the industry.

References