1. Yeh dil na hota bechara (Jewel Thief, 1967)
Out of the holy trinity of Indian cinema, it was city slicker Dev Anand who had the most peppy songs picturised on him on the road. Tragedy king Dilip Kumar and loveable tramp Raj Kapoor's screen personas wouldn't allow such indulgences. In this song, nymphet Tanuja is behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Bel Air convertible. Charming wayfarer Dev Anand blocks her way, forcing her to drive slowly on a narrow road in the country side. The "parp" (sound of the horn) at the end of each stanza adds zest! One of Kishore Kumar's most popular songs. Burmanda at his playful best.
2. Mere sapnon ki rani (Aradhana, 1969)
The song and the film that launched Rajesh Khanna's career. He of the fur cap, the tilt of the head and the shy smile fame. The film that also saw Kishore Kumar's career as a singer soar. Shakti Samanta's pioneering ploy of showing the hero in a jeep (a Willys left hand drive) driving alongside a train worked and how! One really didn't care if the portions with Sharmila Tagore sitting in a train were shot in a studio. The chug of the train, the peppy music by S D Burman (assisted by RD Burman), a coy Sharmila Tagore pretending not to notice her suitor, the shots of the heritage Darjeeling Railway bogies winding their way around the scenic tea gardens, make this one truly special. Serenade ho to aisa.
3. Yaaron nilaam karo susti (PremPujari, 1970)
The espionage drama Prem Pujari, written, produced and directed by Dev Anand, had one of the best soundtracks by Sachin Dev Burman. Whether it is "Shokhiyon main ghola jaye", or "Rangeela Re", or "Phoolon kay rang se", each song has been beautifully written and composed, and remains at the top of most music compilations of the 1970s. Dev Anand and Anup Kumar are shown singing this song in a jeep (also a left-handed jeep, probably a Willys) to an inscrutable stranger, Zaheeda. The song has been beautifully picturised in the hills of West Bengal, particularly Kalimpong, and ends ostensibly at the Indo-China border where the hero's adventures begin. The film was also shot at Himachal Pradesh, Khem Karan, Punjab, and at several stunning locations across Europe, including London, Paris and Switzerland.