Mere Sapno Ki Rani, Aradhana (1969)

Aradhana even to this day is best remembered for the ever green Kishore Kumar number ‘Mere Sapnon Ki Rani Kab Ayegi Tu...’ The number moved the nation and made Rajesh Khanna’s mannerisms- tilted head and grin, a rage with his fans.  The song sequence is pictured on a dashing Rajesh Khanna as Arun, Sujit Kumar as Madan Varma and a coy Sharmila Tagore(Vandana).

The hero and his friend that is Rajesh Khanna and Sujit Kumar are on an open Jeep. The song has Rajesh Khanna singing and wooing Sharmila Tagore seating pretty on the compartment of the famed Darjeeling Toy Train. While Sujit Kumar is driving the jeep trying to be in tandem with the train and providing music with his mouth organ player.

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Darjeeling

Darjeeling

The song with glimpses of the idyllic hilly terrain of Darjeeling played a stellar reole in the success of Aradhana, a story of love, passion and penance.

The song captures in full essence the historic Darjeeling toy train aka Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) one of the most famous engineering feats of the world. The 88 km long journey originates from New Jalpaiguri Station (NJP) and after passing through some breathtaking sceaniorios as depicted in the song- sloped tea plantations, zig zag road running parallel to the railway track, dense forests terminates at Darjeeling the charming hill station nestled in the  eastern Himalayan ranges.