INDIAN FILM SONGS AND THE YEAR 1960

Scene from Bollywood film, "Barsaat Ki Raat"(1960)

This page is but a small sampling of film songs for the year 1960. So sit back, relax, and enjoy

** World Events ** South Asian Events ** Film World Events ** Notable Films ** Film Song Videos ** Non-Musical Videos **
Last Year ** 1960 ** Next Year

World Events of 1960

A US surveillance Aircraft is shot down over Russia. The pilot, Gary Powers is taken prisoner and tried for espionage.

U2 spy plane
Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann is captured by Israeli agents in Argentina.
The number of US "advisors" in Vietnam reaches 900.
China and the Soviet Union part ways over ideological differences.
Chubby Checker scores a big hit with his "Twist". Although this was inspired by Hank Ballard's song a year earlier, it is Chubby Checker's song which starts the whole "Twist" dance craze.

Chubby Checker's the Twist
Zaire, Ghana, Camaroon, Nigeria, Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Gabon, and Madagascar gain independence.
Mau Mau uprising in Kenya ends.
The Algers insurrection against the French continues.
France tests its first atomic bomb.

A-Bomb
The United States launches the first weather satellite, TIROS-1.

TIROS - 1 weather satellite

** World Events ** South Asian Events ** Film World Events ** Notable Films ** Film Song Videos ** Non-Musical Videos **
Last Year ** 1960 ** Next Year

Maharashtra State formed.
Air India enters USA with flights to New York.

Air India logo
Bajaj Auto goes public.
Clashes occur along the Indo-Chinese border.
Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) elects Sirimavo Bandaranaike Prime Minister, the world's first elected female head of government.

Sirimavo Bandaranaike
King Mahendra of Nepal deposes the government and takes power into his own hands.
Iona Pinto is awarded the title "Miss India".

Iona Pinto
The Hindustani sarod player Hafiz Ali Khan is awarded Padma Bhushan

Hafiz Ali Khan with sarod

one-Rupee note

** World Events ** South Asian Events ** Film World Events ** Notable Films ** Film Song Videos ** Non-Musical Videos **
Last Year ** 1960 ** Next Year

"Sujata" wins Filmfare Award for "Best Picture".

Nutan and Sunil Dutt in "Sujata"
Excise duty begins to be levied on film prints.
The Film Finance Corporation (FFC) started.
"Mughal-e-Azam" is released.

Scene from "Mughal-e-Azam"
Mukesh wins the Filmfare Award for "Best Male Playback" for the song Sab Kuch Seekha Humne from "Anari".

Mukesh
Prabhat Studios is acquired by the Indian Government to set up The Film Institute of India.
The Institute for Film Technology is started in Madras.
Film-maker / actor / playback-singer Kishore Kumar marries actress Madhubala (a.k.a. Mumtaz Begum Jehan Dehlavi). Because he is Hindu and she is Muslim, they opt for a civil ceremony.

Madhubala and Kishore Kumar in scene from "Chalti ka Naam Gaadi"
Shankar / Jaikishan win Filmfare award for "Best Music Director" for their work in "Anari".
"Movieland", a weekly film tabloid is launched in Madras.
South Indian Actor M.G. Ramchandran is awarded the Padma Shree.

MGR
Raj Kapoor wins the "Filmfare Best Actor Award" for his performance of Raj Kumar in "Anari"

Raj Kapoor and Nutan in Anari
Nutan wins the "Filmfare Best Actress Award" for her performance of Sujata in "Sujata"

Nutan
Sanjeev Kumar make his film debut in "Hum Hindustani"

Sanjeev Kumar
Manoj Kumar has his first leading role in "Kaanch Ki Gudia"