Celebrating labor is a Bollywood tradition. On this labor day, we are delighted to highlight two classic songs about farmers and workers.

The first is a song that has been sung by every generation since Saigal's rendition of "Ek Bangla Bane Nyara" in the 1937 film President. This is a dream of a farmer's paradise, just before the world was plunged in to war.

"Let a golden manor be built in which all farmers may live, a golden manor in a sandalwood forest, so tall, so tall, that it looks like a star in the sky".  The words might have lost their luster but the music is evergreen.

           ("Ek Bangla Bane Nyara" - Saigal - 1937)


The second is from the 1957 classic "Naya Daur" called "Saathi Haath Badhana" or "friends, let us join our hands".
We could not find a good quality clip on YouTube. But that does not dim the magic of the song.

          ("Saathi Haath Badhana" - 1957 - Naya Daur)

The original Black & White film has been colorized and a color DVD has been released. This is a collector's edition with unforgettable songs.

Send your comments to editor@cinemarasik.com.