The great soundtracks of YRF and Red Chillies: the back story

About The great soundtracks of YRF and Red Chillies: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Mumbai Editorial Team

Regional Editor, South Asia: Tara de la Motte

A Hindi film is often remembered for its songs before anything else. Yash Raj Films’ music pages credit the composers and lyricists of each album, and together they tell the story of film music over fifty years.

The poets

The early Yash Raj films were written with poets. Daag (1973) has music by Laxmikant–Pyarelal and lyrics by Sahir Ludhianvi; Sahir also wrote the words of Kabhi Kabhie (1976) and Kaala Patthar (1979), for which Rajesh Roshan composed the music (Yash Raj Films).

Shiv–Hari

For Silsila (1981), Chandni (1989), Lamhe (1991) and Darr (1993), Yash Chopra turned to the composers Shiv–Hari. Silsila’s lyrics are by Javed Akhtar, Rajendra Krishan, Nida Fazli, Hassan Kamal and Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan; the three later films are written by Anand Bakshi. Dil To Pagal Hai (1997) has music by Uttam Singh, with Anand Bakshi’s lyrics again.

Yash Raj Films credits Veer-Zaara’s music to the late Madan Mohan, with words by Javed Akhtar.

Jatin–Lalit and Anand Bakshi

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) and Mohabbatein (2000) pair the composers Jatin–Lalit with Anand Bakshi, and Jatin–Lalit also wrote the music for Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), with Sameer’s lyrics.

Madan Mohan and Javed Akhtar

For Veer-Zaara (2004), Yash Raj Films credits the music to the late Madan Mohan and the lyrics to Javed Akhtar; the songs are sung by Lata Mangeshkar, Udit Narayan, Sonu Nigam, Roop Kumar Rathod, Jagjit Singh and Gurdas Maan.

A. R. Rahman, Gulzar and the new sound

Dhoom (2004) brought Pritam’s music and Sameer’s lyrics, with a version of the title song, “Dhoom Dhoom”, sung by Tata Young. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008) has music by Salim–Sulaiman and lyrics by Jaideep Sahni. For Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012), Yash Chopra’s last film, A. R. Rahman composed the music and Gulzar wrote the words. Vishal & Sheykhar scored Sultan (2016), with lyrics by Irshad Kamil, and War (2019) and Pathaan (2023), with lyrics by Kumaar. For Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015), Anu Malik composed the music and Varun Grover won the National Film Award for Best Lyrics for “Moh Moh Ke Dhaage” (Yash Raj Films).

Red Chillies

Shah Rukh Khan’s company has its own soundtracks: Farah Khan’s Main Hoon Na (30 April 2004), with music by Anu Malik, and Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki (2023), with music by Pritam and lyrics by Javed Akhtar (Red Chillies; Yash Raj Films).

Our advice: if you hear only one album, make it Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge; then Veer-Zaara, for the Madan Mohan melodies.

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