Bollywood movies have always loved the monsoon: Here's how the songs make it magical

Time of India

18 hours ago

Bollywood doesn't just welcome the monsoon, it throws a grand musical party for it. From dripping chiffon sarees and shy glances under umbrellas to full-blown dance-offs in puddles, Hindi films have always celebrated rain not as mere weather, but as a full-bodied emotion.
As soon as the skies turn grey and the first drops hit the dusty ground, we find ourselves humming 'Tip tip barsa paani, paani ne aag lagayi' or feeling our hearts twist to 'Rimjhim gire sawan, sulag sulag jaaye mann'. These songs have soaked themselves into our very souls.
So open your umbrella, or better still, toss it aside, because here's how Bollywood's timeless songs have turned monsoons into the ultimate season of love, longing, and playful chaos.
Where love finds shelter
It's impossible to speak of rain in Bollywood without first bowing to the iconic moment when Raj Kapoor and Nargis huddled under a black umbrella in 'Pyaar Hua Ikraar Hua Hai' from 'Shree 420'. The umbrella wasn't just a prop; it was a cosy little world where two hearts confessed what words struggled to. Even today, couples sharing an umbrella on Mumbai streets can't help but feel a tingle of that same shy magic.
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That melody from 1955 turned rain into the ultimate matchmaker. It whispered that love sometimes needs a little drizzle to bloom. Even decades later, we can't resist a sigh when we see two people awkwardly trying not to bump heads under an umbrella, hearts thumping just like Raj and Nargis once did.
Then there's
Kishore Kumar
and Madhubala in 'Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi Si' from 'Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi' (1958), turning a car breakdown into a giggly flirt-fest.
Kishore's playful mechanic didn't just fix the engine — he revved up hearts under that downpour. It's proof that sometimes, the sweetest love stories start with a little drizzle and a lot of mischief.
When rain says, 'Come dance with me!'
But rain in Bollywood isn't always about gentle sighs and shy glances. Sometimes, it wants to rip its hair loose, drag you outside, and dance till you're soaked to the skin.
Think of
Amitabh Bachchan
and
Smita
Patil in 'Aaj Rapat Jaayen' from 'Namak Halal' (1982).
No slow-motion eyelocks here — just the two superstars slipping, sliding, laughing like naughty schoolkids on drenched grass. The monsoon became a mischievous third character, egging them on to play, slip and get gloriously messy. Smita, often celebrated for her intense dramatic roles, revealed her playful side, while Amitabh danced as if no one was watching.
It was rain roaring with laughter, not whispering sweet nothings.
Then came the song that pretty much owned the 90s , 'Tip Tip Barsa Paani' from 'Mohra' (1994). Raveena Tandon, in that unforgettable yellow saree, had the entire country hooked. But behind the steamy visuals was a story of real grit.
Raveena once candidly shared to Bombay Times, 'I remember shooting for that song wearing a yellow saree and, on the sets, they used chilled tanker water. I had a fever and had shot for the song despite that.
At that time, it was all about how work came first. Also, I was always sure that I would never wear transparent or translucent clothes in my films. And romance in films, I feel, is always about expression than anything else.
'
We make different kinds of films now, but romantic monsoon songs in films are eternal and will never lose their charm.
Raveena Tandon, Actress
Truer words haven't been spoken. Because let's face it, who hasn't tried a little slow twirl in the rain, hoping to feel just a bit like Raveena?
If there's one monsoon song that makes you want to fling your shoes aside and dance till your heart explodes, it's 'Barso Re Megha' from 'Guru'. Watching
Aishwarya Rai
twirl on slippery stones, her maroon-blue lehenga swirling, hair plastered to her smiling face, eyes sparkling with pure joy, that's rain becoming a festival.
Aishwarya once gushed,"The monsoon is so romantic! It always invokes wonderful memories."
There are lots of rain songs that I love, but my favourite one is 'Barso Re Megha' from 'Guru'. I love the sheer exuberance, freshness, purity, innocence and celebration of nature and the spirit in the music. And the fact that Abhishek was also part of it added to the beautiful feeling."
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Actress
When monsoon brings out the inner child
Rain doesn't just belong to lovers in Bollywood. Sometimes it splashes into the streets to bring out the inner child in all of us. Take 'Chak Dhoom Dhoom' from 'Dil To Pagal Hai' (1997). Yes, the film gave us romantic monsoon moments too (hello 'Arre Re Arre Ye Kya Hua'), but this song was different.
It was a burst of children breaking into spontaneous dance as the rain poured down. No silk sarees clinging to trembling hearts here, just the kind of puddle-splashing joy that reminds us why we loved rains as kids.
The gentle and peaceful monsoon melodies
Not all monsoon songs are wild dances or steamy glances. Some simply wrap around your shoulders like a soft shawl and feeling you get while sipping a hot cup of chai or coffee while watching the rain from your balcony, whispering of dreams and secret heartaches.
'Bhage Re Man' from 'Chameli' is one such gem. The visuals of
Kareena Kapoor
twirling on street, rain streaming down her face, red saree clinging to her like second skin , it's vulnerable and hopeful. Kareena once confessed,
It has to be my song 'Bhage Re Man' from 'Chameli', 'Kehta Hai Man'... The lyrics are so beautiful and romantic! I like the way it is picturised, with me prancing in the rain, looking very sensuous in a red sari.
Kareena Kapoor Khan, Actress
And who can forget 'Iktara' from 'Wake Up Sid'? It may not explicitly show rain, but it feels drenched in it. Remember
Ranbir Kapoor
telling Konkona Sen Sharma,
'Actually Aisha, tumhe sab baarish mein dekhna chahiye. Bombay monsoons are to die for.'
Kavita Seth, the soulful voice behind the song, once beautifully summed up how modern monsoon songs have evolved. In a past chat wth BT, she explained, "Today's generation is no longer keen on using rains as a prop to express sensuality. Hence, rain songs aren't about wet saris."
Look at the lyrics of 'Iktara', 'Jo barse sapne boond boond...' That's quintessential rain lyrics for me. To the educated and sensitive audience, romance of the rains lies in unearthing hidden meanings in lyrics that are connected with Nature.
Kavita Seth, Singer
She's right. 'Iktara' doesn't need thunderclouds or drenched sarees, its poetry does the raining, one delicate droplet at a time.
In the same chat, music composer Pritam Chakrabarty reflected on this shift, 'No director has ever given me such a brief.
Even for the 'Tum Se Hi' number, Imtiaz (Ali) used the rains while filming the song. It's fine if the word 'barish' crops while penning the lyrics. But otherwise, there's no pressure to use the words.'
Why we'll never stop swaying to monsoon tunes
From umbrellas that hide shy confessions to yellow sarees that lit up a generation's fantasies, from playful dances on drenched lawns to quiet tears under streetlamps rain has been Bollywood's most versatile scene-stealer.
Maybe it's because, like love, rain is unpredictable. It can whisper or roar, tease or console, hide or reveal. It makes ordinary streets sparkle, slows down racing hearts, and turns the simple act of getting soaked into a million stories of longing, laughter and sometimes even heartbreak.
So every year when the skies darken and the air smells of wet earth, we automatically reach for these songs. We twirl a little in our balconies, hum 'Rimjhim gire sawan', maybe get misty-eyed remembering an old crush, or laugh thinking of slipping on muddy roads. That's the timeless monsoon spell Bollywood casts on us year after year, song after song. As Raveena wisely said, these rain melodies 'are eternal and will never lose their charm.
' And honestly, who are we to argue?