Film Historian Dilip Thakur shared fascinating insights into the iconic song ‘Mere Angne Mein’ from the film ‘Laawaris’ and its cultural significance. He reminisced about how Amitabh Bachchan incorporated the song into his stage shows in the 1980s, with Jaya Bachchan joining him on stage during a particular verse.

He said, “When Amitabh Bachchan started doing stage shows in the 1980s, he used to sing ‘Mere Angne Mein’ at the end of the show. When the lyrics ‘jiski biwi chhoti uska bhi bada naam hai’ would come Jaya Bachchan used to arrive and Amitabh would lift her.”



Despite initial criticism labeling the song as vulgar, its folk roots and catchy lyrics contributed to the film’s success. He further stated, “When the Laawaris (1981) was released all the film critics, article writers, and reader reviewers criticized Amitabh saying the song was vulgar and cheap. Lyricist Anjaan decorated the folk song and gave it some variety. Laawaris became a hit because of the song. The Censor Board did not scrutinize the song but many people did. At that time, it was a rare case when a folk song was converted into a film song. Alka Yagnik also sang the song.”

The enduring impact of ‘Mere Angne Mein’ was evident as it played a role in Amitabh Bachchan’s political campaign, demonstrating its widespread recognition and resonance with the public. “The film ran for 50 weeks in theatres. When Amitabh Bachchan contested an election in Allahabad his publicity title was ‘Chhora Ganga kinare wala’. In response to that, his opposition candidate Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna used the line “Mere angne mein tumhare kya kaam hai”. Bachchan won the election,” he concluded.