1 Deva ho deva ganpati deva (Humse Badhkar Kaun, 1981)
If ever there was a Hindi film song that was perfect for Ganesh Chaturthi, it is this glorious number by Raam Laxman. The rhythms of the manjeera, coupled with the rousing voices of Mohammed Rafi, Shailendra Singh, Bhupinder Singh and Asha Bhosle remind you why this song is mandatory on the playlist of Ganpati pandals every year.
2 Ganpati apne gaon chale (Agneepath, 1981)
This is more of a send-off song to the beloved deity, but it remains quite a popular one. Picturised on Amitabh Bachchan and Mithun Chakraborty, it was composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal for Agneepath. If you are familiar with the frenzy of the visarjan, this is the perfect theme song to go with it.
3 Sindoor lal chadaayo (Vaastav, 1999)
Vaastav was Sanjay Dutt's Godfather moment. His portrayal of a young man caught in the crossfire of the gangs in Mumbai revived a faltering career. Considering the film is set in Mumbai, it was inevitable that it would have a Ganpati song. This is about as traditional as it goes, except with the contrasting visuals which heighten the emotions behind it.
4 Morya Re (Don, 2006)
This song features the entry of two superstars — Shah Rukh Khan and Ganpati Bappa. Farhan Akhtar's remake of the Amitabh Bachchan classic makes it to the playlist for the magical charm of King Khan combined with the vocal energy of Shankar Mahadevan.
5 Tera hi jalwa (Wanted, 2009)
Salman Khan's steady run of box-office domination began with this Prabhudeva action hit, Wanted. This song marked the entry of Bhaijaan on screen. Perhaps, Ganesha was impressed with Sajid-Wajid's composition as well. Khan has not seen a flop film ever since.
6 Deva shree Ganesha (Agneepath, 2012)
Maybe it is the rousing chants or the high percussion that goes with it, but Ganpati songs make for some great action sequences. Hrithik Roshan's turn as the dreaded Vijay Deenanath Chauhan came with this fabulous aarti. It was apt that this invocation marks the beginning of Vijay's vendetta against Sanjay Dutt's Kancha Cheena.
7 Shambhu sutaya (ABCD, 2013)
Prabhudeva shares a close relationship with the elephant God. This dance musical by Remo D'Souza featured a spectacular dance number on a Ganesh aarti. With Prabhudeva around, can manic dance numbers be far? We think not.
8 Gajanana (Bajirao Mastani, 2015)
Talking about action sequences, this poignant sequence from Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Bajirao Mastani made quite an impact. As serious as Ranveer Singh looks during the aarti, it is Deepika Padukone's courage that steals the show.
9 Hey Ganaraya (ABCD2, 2015)
If ABCD was cool, ABCD2 took it a level up. Considering the popularity of the first film and its songs, it was natural that director Remo D'souza decided to pay homage to Ganesha in his final climactic number. Stylish and impeccably executed, this is one song worth watching.
10 Bappa (Banjo, 2016)
2016 did not see a lot of films mentioning the beloved Ganpati. No surprise then, that a true Marathi mulga, Riteish Deshmukh featured a rocking Ganpati number in his latest, Banjo. The song harks back to the 80s and 90s when the banjo was a mandatory instrument at Ganpati festivals around the city.