I’m exhausted from baby hosting, so I am going to put up a post to get a discussion started! Yes, I am going to be brave enough to attempt to RANK the best SRK songs. I expect all of you to disagree with me in some way.
1.Chaiyya Chaiyya
No duh, this has to be #1. Will anyone dare disagree????
2. Kal Ho Na Ho
It’s less showy than Chhaiya Chhaiya, but the way Shahrukh sells the song, and the song itself sells a simple perfect philosophy, makes it tops for me.
3.Main Koi Aisa Geet
Such a simple song! Just Shahrukh trying to cheer up Juhi and entertain the audience at the same time. But that’s all we need. (also, is there anyone who doesn’t covet Juhi’s yellow dress?)
4. Mitwa
Okay, I expect a fight here! I really really like this song. And I think, like Kal Ho Na Ho, it is a lovely perfect mood piece, the music and visuals and most of all Shahrukh’s reactions are just right.
5. Radha
I think this is the only recent entry? I had “Zaalima” on my longer list but then dropped it. Anyway, “Radha”! An amazing amazing character duet, also a fabulous song sequence just on its own.
6. Preity Woman
Again, I expect a fight on this one. The orange pants, for one thing. But it is just so joyous! And so perfectly shows what Shahrukh is to his audience, making us all smile and dance for joy.
7. Dheere Jalna
I think this is the only one on the list with no dancing or scene changes or anything. It’s just Shahrukh, walking around, and dancing with his face.
8. Ishq Kameena
Shahrukh’s item number! Yes, I am including this one and NOT Dard-E-Disco. It’s just a better song, I think. Better dancing, catchier music, everything.
9. Yeh Tara Woh Tara
I’m really tempted to move this one higher. The message is great, the kids are cute, Shahrukh is wonderful. But compared to the others on this list, it just isn’t quite as spectacular.
10. Tujhe Dekho To
His first great love song! The face, the cuteness, the little bit of sexiness.
11. Chalak Chalak
HA! I’m including a Devdas song! Just to surprise you all!!!! And also because the structure of it, the music, the whole thing is just really really good.
Okay, come at me! What did I leave off the list? What did I include that should go away? What should be moved higher or lower?
dontcallitbollywood 
I could be at this all night!
I might be the only one but after having listed to Chaiyya Chaiyya 35x in the last month (for my project) I am officially done and refuse to use the song in a performance. He’s super adorable, he’s on top of a train, he looks awesome doing it now (referencing Melbourne) blah blah but it’s too repetitive and monotonous. So I dare to disagree!
I like KHNH, Mitwa, Deere Jalna and Radha. The rest not so much.
Pretty Woman is a song that, if a friend who is not a Hindi Film lover watches it, will turn them off forever. It’s the worst example of too on the nose, too over the top, too many bad white dancers. And the rapping. With the hood on. No, just no. And don’t ruin African American church choral traditions by having a group strut down the street in choir robes! This isn’t Love Actually. Just all too much. Sorry.
My top 10-ish:
Radha
Gerua
Yeh Ladki Hai Allah
Udi Udi Jaye
Suraj Hua Maddham
Deere Jalna
Bole Chudiyan
Janaam Janaam
Manvaa Laage
Zaalima
Butterfly
Tere Liye
Raula
1234 from Chennai Express
Chammak Challo
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What’s your project Rachel? How does it reference Melbourne?
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Hey Zindagi! I was just mentioning Melbourne for the video of Shah Rukh dancing to Chaiyya (he’s still got it!) but my project is a live to film Bollywood show here (like an immersive party festival experience with vendors, comedians, film clips accompanied by dancers and musicians) in Los Angeles in May. Soon to be on tour if we do a great job!
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Boy, you went heavy on the modern stuff! I can accept all of them as feasible possible “best songs” except for Udi Udi Jaye and 1 2 3 4. Udi Udi Jaye doesn’t have enough dancing in it, feels like an odd mixture of a dance song and a montage song. And 1 2 3 4 has too much dancing, too frenetic for me, not enough costumes and sets.
On Tue, Oct 22, 2019 at 10:42 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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That’s what makes 1234 so great to me. His expressions are priceless. Such fast Farah choreo, lots of hands and the Meta Easter eggs (I’m making that up to mean references to his real life as opposed to references to another film) of him rolling across once in his pose and once with cigarette smoke drifting from his lips.
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I agree with Chaiyya Chaiyya, and that is about it. I like BIG dancing, and now that I think of it I like a lot of his more recent songs more than the older ones. It will take me a while to figure out what my 10 favorite are though.
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1. Yeh Ladka Hai Allah (I think those long scarves are ridiculous long pieces of useless fabric that look absolutely fabulous. SRK looks stunning in this dance.)
2. CHaiyya Chaiyya (my family is quite fond of trains)
3. Koi Ladki Hai (I’m a sucker for rain, and for children)
4. Tanha Hua (it isn’t a big dance, but it makes me feel so many emotions – I love it)
5. Ruk Ja O Dil Diwane (A combination of goofiness and choreography, and he even gets to drop Kajol!)
6. Jiya Re (I recognize that this is Anushka’s song and SRK is the eye candy, but he is particularly sweet eye candy, and the song is great.)
7. Janam Janam (Again I’m a sucker for rain, but I’m also a sucker for the fantasy song, whose ending brings us to the bummer of a reality, movie reality that is.)
8. Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte (I recognize that this is not the first ode to the past stars song, but it does do it particularly well.)
9. I Am The Best (When I think of SRK I often think of him singing this song. It isn’t actually my favorite song in the movie, BUT it is so SRK. I can’t think of anyone else pulling it off.)
10. Maahi Ve (Again those useless beautiful scarves!)
11. Soni Soni (It is about as big as they come)
It is hard to stop.
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I like your list! A lot there that I considered and rejected. I started with a lot more songs, then ranked them and dumped the ones below 11. Which is where Jiye Re and Soni Soni and Maahi Ve fell.
On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 1:04 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Yes! Tanha Hua! I feel the exact same way. I get shivers, it makes me want to cry, dance, scream, yell, laugh, everything! This song is insane! And the video is perfect. He captures the emotions so well, especially in that part when he is on the street with his nose bleeding and then the music halts, he looks around and then the music resumes and he does this thing with his arms and torso. It’s just wow.
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Take your time! Unlike me, you don’t have to squeeze this in before midnight to make it a daily post.
On Tue, Oct 22, 2019 at 11:31 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Dilse rey is always my favorite (above Chaiyya) in Dil Se movie. I rate Jiya jale and Ajnabee above Chaiyya.
Any song from KKHH, Yuhi chala from Swades (such energetic song), the rain song from Dilto Pagal Hai, Pardes song – could be added to the list
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I considered Yun Hi Chala! And I completely forgot about Dil Se Re, I agree, it is the best song in the movie.
On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 12:26 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Are we ranking the songs or videos? Because often the song can be beautiful but video not and vice versa.
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Song and video combined. So a great song with bad images, no go. But a great image with bad music, also no go. The whole experience.
On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 2:19 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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So Roshini Se must be on the list. And Jiya Jale. And Main Jahaan Hoon.
I never liked Pretty woman, both video and the song are kinda boring.
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NO! I disagree with all of those! Roshini Se is fine, but I find the visuals kind of repetitive. Jiya Jile, he has stupid hair. And Main Yahoon Hoon, besides the sexiness, is there really anything there?
On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 8:03 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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LOL So you are telling me sexy Shahrukh in leather jacket is not enough to be on the list? I’m shocked. But really there is so much more – the music is beautiful, scenes in the garden have this great old time look and I absolutely adore Preity’s yellow salwar-kameez (it’s one of my favourite outfits ever). For sure it’s much better than Preity Woman 😊
The same with Jiya Jale – the song is classic, it has this catchy malayalam intro. Yes the hair is bad but doesn’t he have the same hair in Chayyia Chayyia? And here we also have elephants and dancing on the boat and Preity being so young.
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It’s the same hair, but now it’s wet, and I don’t need that. Plus, forgive me, but he looks pudgy.
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Phir milenge chalte chalte is amazing for song, concept, and amazing production value! I’d move it up to the top!
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I cannot disagree for the simple fact that I feel like I have at least 100 songs that I could list as #1, depending on my mood and the day, sometimes even the hour. Right now Tanha Hua from Zero is probably what I could listen to on loop. But yesterday it was Aaj Ki Raat, the day before yesterday it was Phenk Hawa Mein EK Chumma from Ram Jaane. So yes, I agree with your list because there can be no ranking for me and thus every ranking is perfectly agreeable to me right now.
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I am so jealous that all these songs are new to you! They feel so tired and old to me now, I have heard them so many times over the years. In a similar “this is my favorite song in the universe” cycle where I listen over and over and then get tired of it.
On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 7:24 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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same to me…*sigh*…I have several different (very long) playlists with only SRK-movie songs…it not only depends on the mood but also on what I’m doing…adding songs from the new films and playing them in a random order.
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Not on the list but one that I really love for energy: Jabra Fan!
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I thought about including that one! But there is the uncanny valley effect which is a bit disturbing.
On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 8:05 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I would put way too much modern stuff on my own list, and also it would be impossible for me to actually rank them. Chaiyya Chaiyya is iconic, and Radha is so so good. I also have a soft spot for 1234 Get On the Dance Floor, and I’m constantly in awe of how incredible and gorgeous Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai is every time I listen to it.
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Ranking is so hard!!!!
For Tujhe Main Rab Dikhta Hai, in terms of the whole song and visuals and all, I would pick the female version but not the male.
On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 6:09 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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True though. I thought of it because the female version came up on my way to work this morning.
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This post inspired me to figure out how to make YouTube playlists, so now I’m stoked. My spouse, is not stoked.
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Youtube playlists are the best!
On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 8:44 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I would probably have very few of the new songs and mostly old ones.
1. Depending on my mood, I would pick Dil Se or Aye Ajnabi or Satrangi Re from Dil Se, though I would never get rid of Chhaiyya Chhaiyya.
2. I also really like Jadoo Teri Nazar from Darr but that might have a lot to do with how it made me (and everybody else) feel when I first saw it as a teenager.
3. Completely agree with you on Main Koi Aisa Geet Gaaoon and yes, I do covet Juhi’s dress.
4. From DDLJ, I actually like Mehendi Laga Ke Rakhna and Ho Gaya Hai Tujhko To Pyar Sajna over Tujhe Dekha To.
5.. Arey Re Arey from Dil To Pagal Hai
6. Yun Hi Chala Chal from Swades
7. The title track from Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani. Not sure if you know this, but that video made a splash when it first came out because it was one of the first Hindi movies that was promoted using a slickly shot music video instead of your standard trailer. It is not directly related to the plot of the movie, but it does a very good job of getting across the themes.
8. Ae Kaash Ke Hum from Kabhi Haan Kabhi Na
I do agree with a lot of your choices – Radha, Dheere Jalna, Pretty Woman etc.
On a different note, I really wish someone would make a good movie with Shahrukh and Aishwarya as a couple. The only times I have seen her have chemistry is with Hrithik in Dhoom 2 and Jodha Akbar, or with Shahrukh in the Ishq Kameena song and in the couple scenes they have together in ADHM. I did not feel any of it in Mohabbatein or Devdas, so I think they need a director who can do a good job. Maybe someone like Imtiyaz Ali or Gauri Shinde or Meghna Gulzar with a story about an older couple with insanely hot chemistry. Maybe you should come up with a story.
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Finally, another yellow dress fan!!!!
My theory with Shahrukh and Aish is that Shahrukh is very much a method actor, raw and emotional. And Aish is very much a pretty pretty actress, posing and gesturing but not truly feeling. If I director recognized that difference and worked with it, I think there could be something special. That is kind of what ADHM was like, Aish as this polished perfect type and Shahrukh needling at her with his ungainly emotions. Maybe something like Beauty and the Beast? Aish is a gorgeous model/actress, Shahrukh is a self-made millionaire who is in love with her, somehow he forces her to marry him but promises not to touch her until she asks. And then we have lots of tension between their different ways of being in the world.
On Thu, Oct 24, 2019 at 3:14 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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That is a very good point about the differences between Shahrukh and Aish. Have you seen the movie Two For the Road with Audrey Hepburn? I remember thinking about Shahrukh and Aish when watching that movie. Or, they should do a noir type movie with Aish in the stereotypical “Hitchcock blonde” type role and Shahrukh as the world weary detective.
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Oh I like the idea of a noir! Maybe Aish is the mysterious hard to read woman and Shahrukh is the detective who gets sucked in by her beauty?
On Thu, Oct 24, 2019 at 9:21 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I cannot do this list, but I have some songs, I have on every playlist I made with SRK-movie songs (in no preference-order): MeriMehbooba (pardes) – DilSeRe – Marjaani (Billu) – MereNaamTu – (Zero) – Chaiya – KoiLadkiHai (DTPH) – AnnaMerePyaarKo (KHKN) – Safar (JHMS) – ChammakChallo – IshqShava (JTHJ) – HauleHaule (RNBDJ)…
There are more, but it’s about 11 here 🙂
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I thought about Meri Mehbooba! It’s such a catchy song.
On Thu, Oct 24, 2019 at 5:37 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Speaking of KHKN, the song that always brings me to tears is Ae Kash Ke Hum. Firstly, he is absolutely adorable in this song, almost gut-wrenchingly so. And then the main refrain. I don’t know why but it gets under my skin like few songs do. I have a few songs like that. The main songs from Zero do that as well. Dil Se songs too. Okay, this will be going into the hundreds again, so stopping now.
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