Punjabi folk songs have always been making their way into Bollywood movies. Some are so revered that many music directors have inserted the same song into their music. There’s a unique charm to the Punjabi language itself that makes you want to keep listening to it even if you can’t understand it.
We have curated a list of some famous Punjabi folk songs which are worth listening
Lathe Di Chadar – Queen
Amit Trivedi’s soundtrack for the film Queen was a thing of beauty. Its most popular song London Thumakda featured a famous folk song called Lathe Di Chadar which can be heard in almost every Indian weddings. The makers have changed the lyrics of the original song completely, but the tune and the essence of the folk song remain alive.
Jungi – Oye Lucky Lucky Oye
Now there are tons of songs that have this folk device in them, but this one is the best among them. Sneha Khanvilkar takes the extremely popular Punjabi wedding song and weaves Kanu Behl and Venu Isc’s brilliant lyrics into an utterly enjoyable song.
Challa – Jab Tak Hai Jaan
This one has been composed by none other than Academy Award winner AR Rahman. This version of Challa has been created with lyrics from Gulzar. It has been sung to perfection by Rabbi Shergill moreover. The wonderful music, coupled with the brilliant vocal performance make you fall in love with this song.
Kaala Doreya – Kaalakaandi
This recent song from the Saif Ali Khan starrer Kaalakaandi did not quite become a hit, but it’s certainly an extremely enjoyable track. It takes the lyrics of the original folk song word to word and blends them with modern beats and electronic sounds. The tune of the original song was also used in the song Bhangra Te Sajna from the movie Veere Di Wedding.
Kinna Sona Tenu – Raja Hindustani
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s celestial rendering of Kinna Sona Tenu still gives us goosebumps whenever we listen to it. This old Punjabi folk song was used in the movie Raja Hindustani by Anu Malik. The makers of the film changed the lyrics completely to Kitna Pyaara Tumhein Rab Ne Banaya. Raja Hindustani still remains one of the most successful Bollywood albums of all time.
If you have some songs to add to this list, do let us know in the comments section down below.
