Gaata Rahe Mera Dil: 50 Classic Hindi Film Songs

A wonderful compilation of selected songs with tons of background information complete with interesting trivia. I enjoyed reading this book. You may or may not agree with all choices listed in the book but it's hard to ignore the hard work and meticulous effort that was undertaken by the authors. I recommend this book for those who love old hindi film music.

I was really looking forward to this book since I had liked the authors' book on R.D. Burman. But I must confess I was a tad disappointed. The main problem is, I think, the selection of songs. The authors have confessed that a lot of their selections were based on personal choices and therein lies the rub. The authors sometimes choose songs that were less popular than some of the other songs from a movie and they don't always mention the reason for their choice. The writing is sparkling, the anecdotes are entertaining and the notes about the actual song are quite informative (although somewhat redundant).

Superb Book. Bought it as Delhi Airport. For music lovers, the level if detail is a delight. It was fantastic to know details of songs that we have heard so many times.

When the authors are Anirudha Bhattacharjee and Balaji Vittal, that book is bound to be extremely interesting. This book encompasses fifty of the most ground breaking Hindi movie songs, since the time playback singing was introduced. Needless to say, it's a Herculean task to handpick just fifty songs from a repertoire of more than one lakh. And here goes the credit of the authors ! Extremely informative, full of anecdotes and highly engaging contents. This book is highly recommended for all music lovers. Really a book worth reading...

This book is essential reading for anyone who grew up in post-indepence India and had exposure to Hindi Film music. Similar to quality coffee or wine, concentration and dedicated time is necessary for enjoying it. My approach was to initially read a chapter, followed by listening to the song (on YouTube) and then re-reading the chapter with the song playing in the background. But a lot of additional time was spent in reflection on the pertinence or personal significance that most of these songs had for me.Anirudha Bhattacharjee and Balaji Vittal deserve every congratulation for coming up with an absolute gem which deserves to be read and reread multiple times by anyone interested in Indian music (and not merely Hindi film music). Perhaps a lot depends on how the individual reader wishes to utilise it, but this book goes well beyond being a trivia-trove, though there is no shortage of the latter.One personal observation: the book would have benefitted from an appropriate academic referencing style; since it contains a lot of material that would be of potential interest to scholars working in fields like cultural studies and sociology.

Interesting insights into the songs selected but a very odd fifty. My list would have been quite different and include only ten of his.

I ordered Balaji Vittal and Anirudha Bhattacharjee's 50 Classic Hindi Film Songs with great anxiety, not because the subject of the book in itself is very subjective and personal, but because the authors had set an extremely high benchmark for themselves given their award-winning debut book on R.D. Burman. But the authors have once again put forward a fine book for readers, which in many ways is a quick sneak-peak on the evolution of the Hindi film song and talks about the many singular talents who have contributed in its journey. From providing fascinating back-stories, to discussing the technicalities of music to providing interesting trivia on the making of each song, Balaji and Anirudha have played to their strengths (their R.D. Burman book was also authored in this fashion). One of the best qualities of this book is that a lot of the songs have made it into the book for reasons other than their music/melody alone, which suggests that the authors did keep their personal biases' aside while putting the list together. My only quibble is that perhaps there should have been a few more songs that could have been included based on their visual appeal because the Hindi films song is one of the rare places where cinema becomes a pre-dominantly visual medium. But this is a minor quibble among several strong reasons to go ahead and buy this book. Well done Anirudha and Balaji and more power to both of you!

Aniruddha Bhattacharjee and Balaji Vittal need to be congratulated for a fantastically compiled book. They are superb raconteurs. The subtle nuggets of each song and the intricate analysis of songs make for a compelling read. I recommend this book eminently . The caveat at the beginning to suggest that there cannot be a definitive list of 50 songs ever. I agree . The subtlety of writing , focus on musicality of each song, and better paced writing engages each reader. My best to both the authors. Well done. I heard each of the songs online and simultaneously read the chapters, it works really well . I recommend this mode of reading at listening at the same time.