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Hindi Film Songs That Became Global Hits Long Before ‘RRR’s ‘Naatu Naatu’

There have been many Hindi film songs, which made the world sway to their tunes long before the south sensation from SS Rajamouli’s ‘RRR’, ‘Naatu Naatu’, which ended up winning the Golden Globe Award.

Manish Pandey

Updated on: 13 January 2023 12:24 pm

A Still From 'Naatu Naatu' From 'RRR'

A popular south number, ‘Naatu Naatu’ from director SS Rajamouli's film ‘RRR’ has been awarded the prestigious Golden Globe Award. However, this is not the first time that an Indian song has gained worldwide fame. There have been many such songs, which have made the world sway to their tunes in the past.

Here is a list of Hindi songs that have captured the imagination of global music lovers over the years.

‘Awara Hoon’ (‘Awara’)

The song 'Awara hoon' from Raj Kapoor's 'Awara' turned out to be the first mega-global hit in Hindi cinema. Shankar-Jaikishan composed this song written by Shailendra and rendered by singer Mukesh. It crossed the borders of the country and earned immense popularity in the erstwhile USSR. There are 15 countries that have translated "Awara hoon" into their languages, including China, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Greece.

‘Jai Ho’ (‘Slumdog Millionaire’)

The song 'Jai Ho' from the British film director Danny Boyle's film Slumdog Millionaire gained international acclaim and popularity. Music director A R Rahman composed this song written by Gulzar. The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2009.

‘Mera Joota Hai Japani’ (‘Shree 420’)

The song ‘Mera Joota Hai Japani’ from Raj Kapoor's film ‘Shree 420’ also gained fame all over the world. Written by lyricist Shailendra and composed by composer Shankar Jaikishan, it became very popular in the Soviet Union and made Raj Kapoor and Mukesh local icons.

‘Chamma Chamma’ (‘China Gate’)

The song ‘Chamma Chamma’ from Rajkumar Santoshi's film ‘China Gate’ was well received across the world. Written by lyricist Sameer, the song was composed by music composer Anu Malik and sung by singer Alka Yagnik. The popularity of this song can be gauged from the fact that it was used in the Hollywood film ‘Moulin Rouge'.

‘Chammak Challo’ (‘Ra.One’)

The song ‘Chammak Challo’ from director Anubhav Sinha's film ‘Ra.One’ was well received worldwide. The popularity of Shah Rukh Khan and international singer Akon took the song to many countries. Composed by music composer Vishal Shekhar, it gained popularity across the world.

‘Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Aaja’ (‘Disco Dancer’)

The song 'Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Aaja Aaja' from film director B. Subhash's film ‘Disco Dancer’ became a huge hit in China. It was used by Chinese citizens to protest against the government. Sung by Parvathi Khan, written by lyricist Anjaan and composed by music composer Bappi Lahiri, this song has found a place in the hearts of the people of India and China.

‘Mera Dil Ye Pukare Aaja’ (‘Nagin’)

The song 'Mera Dil Yeh Pukare Aaja' from the film ‘Nagin’ (1954) has suddenly gained popularity after many decades in the internet era. This song rendered by Lata Mangeshkar is being heard in every Instagram reel and YouTube short today. Written by lyricist Rajendra Krishna and composed by music composer Hemant Kumar, this song has become very popular among the young generation these days after the video of a Pakistani girl dancing to its tunes went viral.