When The Song Khoya Khoya Chand, Starring Dev Anand, Was Written In A Day

The music of Dev Anand’s films, much like the man himself, was characterized by its fashionable flamboyance and popularity among the masses. It has stood the test of time, leaving an indelible mark on Hindi film music. Even today, many songs from his movies are cherished and hummed by people of all generations, evoking a sense of nostalgia for those who grew up in the 60s or 70s. Surprisingly, one of the most popular songs from the 1960 film Kala Bazaar, featuring Dev Anand and Waheeda Rahman, was created in just a single day.

Kala Bazaar is renowned for both its storyline and its remarkable music album. Produced by Dev Anand, the film was written and directed by his younger brother, Vijay Anand. Shailendra wrote the lyrics of the song, while the legendary composer S D Burman composed the music.

The fascinating story behind the creation of “Khoya Khoya Chand” was narrated by none other than R.D. Burman himself in an interview. Dev Anand had approached Shailendra to write songs for the film, but the lyricist was preoccupied with other projects and lacked the time to do so.

Meanwhile, S.D. Burman set to work composing the tunes for the songs. When days passed without any response from Shailendra, S.D. Burman became furious and sent R.D. Burman to the lyricist’s house, instructing him not to return without the lyrics for the song.

R.D. Burman, affectionately known as Pancham Da in the music industry, arrived at Shailendra’s residence. Shailendra informed him that he needed the lyrics by the end of the day. Both of them then headed to Shanker-Jaikishen’s studio. R.D. Burman waited in the car as Shailendra went in, but when he emerged, he still didn’t have the words.

Frustrated and under pressure, Shailendra instructed his driver to take them to Juhu Beach. There, they began walking barefoot along the seashore. Shailendra smoked a cigarette while gazing at the full moonlit sky. In this serene setting, he began writing on a piece of cigarette pack foil. Eventually, he turned to Pancham, who had given up all hope and was pondering how to break the news to his father, and said, “You can go home; just inform Dada that I’ll be at your house in the morning with the complete song.”

R.D. Burman inquired about the lyrics, and Shailendra sang them aloud. Pancham immediately knew that the song was destined to be a hit. With a smile on his face, he took the piece of paper with him, eager to show his father, S.D. Burman. The rest, as they say, is history.