Romancing the nation: An excellent deshprem playlist

Editor’s note: With Independence Day right around the corner, Aakriti curates a list of Hindi gaanas (with a bit of Tamil thrown in)—that express our mad love for the country—from pan-Indian collabs to Bharathiyar songs and totally filmi Shah Rukh Khan numbers. As always, we’ve put all the music referenced in the article in a YouTube playlist for you to enjoy.

Written by: Aakriti Anand, News Editor 

We’re a hopelessly sentimental nation, infatuated with romance in every form—including mad love for India. Heck, we’re still belting out AR Rahman’s rendition of ‘Vande Mataram’ from 1997, and we all still shed a tear each time we hear Lata Mangeshkar’s immortal voice in ‘Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon’. While there are enough loud-and-proud patriotic numbers (that’s a whole other list, available by the dozen online), I personally appreciate the beauty of songs that bring out the aching love we all feel (at least some times) for our country. These songs barely mention des, watan, Bharat, Hindustan, or India, (okay, some do) but truly epitomise the idea of India as home. 

Sindhu Nandhiyin Misai from Kai Kodutha Deivam: My colleague Aarthi’s mother offers this song from a 1964 Tamil film. Bharathiyar's lyrical ode to national integration namechecks wheat by the Ganges river, poems of the Marathas and more. Here unity is expressed as a moon-lit boat ride along the Indus—serenaded by women from the land of the Cheras singing songs in Tamil (rough translation here).

Mile Sur Mera Tumhara by various artists: This updated version from 2010 was put together by Zoom TV—and features everyone from Baichung Bhutia to Aamir Khan, Yesudas, Amjad Ali Khan and Vikram. The song was originally arranged by Louis Banks—with Bhimsen Joshi’s composition—with ad man Piyush Pandey’s lyrics. You can hear the 1988 version here, and watch the millennium update below. 

Indhiya Naadu En Veedu from Bharatha Vilas: Another gem recommended by Aarthi’s mum—this one is from the 1973 film ‘Bharatha Vilas’. The film tells the story of a couple sharing a house with three other tenants—from different parts of the country. It speaks of these tenants as children of the same mother (aka Bharat Mata)—and India quite literally as home. Btw, the cast included ‘Baby’ Sridevi.

Ranga Ranga from Maidaan: This energetic number from ‘Maidaan’ was picked by my colleague Raghav Bikhchandani. It transforms the most common form of patriotic love—support for your country’s team—into an elegant ode to sport—be it football in ‘Maidaan’ or hockey in ‘Chak De’. The visuals—that trace the culture and history of Indian football—offer added punch to this AR Rahman composition.

Lehra Do from ‘83: This is a recent release—and a little more on the nose with its lyrical flag-waving. The movie is about the legendary World Cup victory of the Kapil Dev-led team—but it has become a rallying anthem across sports (including the Asian Games). It’s also being recycled for the Paris Olympics campaign. 

Heer Aasmani from Fighter: This is a personal favourite—despite the disaster the film turned out to be. It expresses the desh prem of fighter pilots—in B Praak’s appropriately soaring vocals. Although, I will say I enjoy the swooping fighter jet shots in the video (Bonus: a Hrithik Roshan money shot). 

Ae Watan from Raazi: I consider Meghna Gulzar’s ‘Raazi’ the most nuanced take on patriotism—exploring the difference between love of country and blind nationalism. In the movie, Alia Bhatt (playing an Indian agent) sings the song in Pakistan—while holding India in her heart. I prefer the Sunidhi Chauhan version (see below) but you can also hear the song in Arijit Singh’s voice here. 

Ghar Aaja Pardesi from Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge: This song has become a cliché for good reason. It’s a brilliant expression of Indian immigrant nostalgia—and reflects the inevitable romanticising of ‘desh’ it involves. Trains cut across lush fields, dupattas fly in the air—as the family finally returns to their motherland. This is literally a “yaadon ki bandook” that hits the bulls-eye. Bonus trivia: Pamela Chopra, Yash Chopra’s wife, lent her voice to this song. 

Main Jahaan Rahoon from Namastey London: The movie has its share of silly “India is best” moments, but this song strikes a softer note—a first-person companion piece to ‘Ghar Aaja Pardesi’. It expresses the loneliness of the diaspora—and is the perfect ad for Indian tourism:) 

Jee Ve Sohneya from Jab Harry Met Sejal: This a left-field pick, but the magic is in the lyrics by Irshad Kamil, and the spare arrangements by Pritam. The song is Harry’s (Shah Rukh Khan) inner voice—urging him to go back home—abandoning the superficial escape offered by his life in Europe. The Nooran sisters’ voices breathe life into its yearning lyrics. I’d recommend you check out the audio version, rather than get distracted by a video montage of misplaced scenes from the film. 

Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera from Swades: This is the quintessential AR Rahman track—brimming with adoration for ‘desh’. Who can deny the goosebumps inspired by that shehnai opener? It is also a clarion call to the diaspora—expressing their unbreakable bond with India. You can listen to the original here, but I would recommend the MTV Unplugged version below, which also has the chorus in Tamil.

Aisa Des Hai Mera from Veer-Zaara: This seven-minute number from Yash Chopra’s memorable film offers a twist on the usual patriotic number. It is sung by an Indian (Veer) on a journey to introduce a Pakistani (Zaara) to the wonders of his country. What makes it special: The song also acknowledges the shared culture that binds the two nations together.