In the day and age of cars, trains and flights, the humble and the most healthy mode of transport – a bicycle seems lost. However, it has symbolised a lot and given many moments to Bollywood – on and off screen! Film Historian Dilip Thakur, lists some of them. Read on…
Sangeeta Bijlani and Salman Khan
Dilip Thakur recalls, “Sangeet Bijlani entered the film industry before Salman Khan.At Gunahon Ka Devta’s shooting at Mehboob Studio, Salman Khan came to meet Sangeet Bijlani wearing shorts and riding a bicycle. It became a piece of news that Salman rides a bicycle and roams around in shorts.”
An artist and the muse
A photoshoot created a lot of buzz when people saw renowned painter M.F. Hussain riding a bicycle and Madhuri Dixit sitting behind him.
Sign of a hit
In the B and C centres, if cycle stands outside theatres were fully parked then it was a signal that the film was a hit. It was a barometer because in small towns people use bicycles as their mode of transport.
Dev Anand‘s iconic moments
According to me, Dev Anand rode bicycles a lot in movies. For example, the Maana Janaab Ne Pukara Nahin song from Paying Guest (1957). There was a piece where Nutan and Dev Anand ride double-seat on the cycle. The censor board took an objection to that piece. Later, when Dev Anand and Mumtaz rode a double-seat in Yeh Maine Kasam Lee song from Tere Mere Sapne (1971), the censor board did not take any objection. Their sensibilities were matured by then. Dev Anand rode a bicycle double-seat with Zeenat Aman in Heera Panna (1973). Dev Anand also did a cycle song called Akela Hoon Main from Baat Ek Raat Ki (1962). There was a bicycle song Jeevan Chalne Ka Naam in Manoj Kumar’s Shor (1972). There was a trend in those days to collect donations from people riding bicycles.
Cycle songs
There was also a cycle song featuring Kishore Kumar and Mala Sinha in Bewaqoof (1960). Nainon Mein Darpan Hai song from Aarop (1974) featured Vinod Khanna and Saira Banu on a bicycle. Saira Banu featured in another song where she rode a bicycle. It was Main Chali Main Chali from Padosan (1968).