1 'Ankhon mein jal raha hai kyun'
One of Gulzar’s finest, and perhaps the most lyrical of Jagjit Singh’s ghazals, this track from the 2000 album Marasim is a masterpiece.
2 'Uske honthon pe kuch kaapta reh gaya'
“Aap ko dekh kar dektha reh gaya, kya kahun aur kehne ko kya reh gaya.
Aate aate mera naam sa rehgaya,
Uske honthon pe kuch kaapta reh gaya”
Need we add more?
3 'Kiska chehra ab main dekhun tera chehra dekh kar'
Adesh Srivastava got it horribly wrong in the film Tarkeeb, but Jagjit Singh unraveled the magic of this ghazal during a live concert
4 'Huzoor aapka bhi ehtraam karta chalu'
Written by Shadabh, the 'Huzoor aapka bhi' track ghazal will live on. A great lyrical excuse to meet and greet your beloved.
5 'Baat niklegi toh bahot door talak jayegi'
This ghazal from Jagjit and Chitra Singh’s first album was all about maintaining discretion. This improvised solo performance captured live at the Esplanade in Singapore cast a spell on the audience.
6 'Meri zindagi kisi aur ki'
Every broken heart will relate to this sombre track from the 1990 album Someone Somewhere. Penned by Muzaffar Warsi, it later inspired Nadeem-Shravan to compose the popular track ‘Tu pyaar hai kisi aur ka, tujhe chahta koi aur hai’ for the 1991 film Dil Hai Ke Maanta Nahi. However, the true architect of this ghazal belongs to Mehndi Hassan, whose 'Main khayal hoon kisi aur ka' inspired both Jagjit Singh and Nadeem-Shravan.
7 'Aap aaye janab barso mein'
This is the perfect accompaniment to a glass of whisky.
8 'Baad muddat unhein dekhkar yun laga'
Many regarded this as Jagjit and Chitra Singh’s finest duet. This was not just a ghazal, but a prayer, a plea by every lover longing to see his/her love.
9 'Bahut pehle se un kadmo ki'
"True lovers sense each other’s presence by the sound of their steps. My dear, I sense your presence from miles away".
10 'Sarakti jaye rukh se'
Written by 18th-century poet Ameer Minai, this live version brought a lucky audience to its feet. You can hear the loud cheers. It hits you like slow sweet poison.