BizAsia Special: Five Bollywood characters who played the piano
29th March 2025 marks ‘World Piano Day’ a day where this beautiful instrument is celebrated. When it comes to Indian cinema there have been many films that have made use of this instrument, be it through the music of the film or through the characters within the story. BizAsiaLive.com will list five characters from five films where the piano played a big part in their story.
Arun Verma in ‘Meri Jung’ (1985)
Anil Kapoor played the role of a capable lawyer who had not been in the field for long yet in a short amount of time managed to attain a great reputation for himself. Arun (Kapoor) in his childhood loved to play the piano but after the piano in their home was auctioned off he forgot about this hobby.
There is one scene in the film where Arun has been invited to a party but he is the first one to arrive. While waiting for the other guests to make an appearance his eyes fall on the piano in the room. It isn’t just any piano, in fact it is the same piano he once had in his home. He realises this after recognising the illustration on the piano as well as seeing a photograph on the wall of the person who bought the piano many years ago.
Unable to stop himself, he sits down and begins to play the tune he remembers playing with his father when he was a child.
Raj Malhotra in ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ (1995)
Raj (Shah Rukh Khan) was a playful guy who had a habit of flirting with beautiful girls. Then there was Simran (Kajol) who wanted to make the most of whatever time she had left before she had to get married. The two meet for the very first time on a train where the two will be going on a trip around Europe with their friends. From their first meeting Simran isn’t impressed and finds him quite annoying. The next time they meet is in Paris where both group of friends gather for an evening of dinner and dance.
Raj unable to help himself starts flirting with Simran’s friend and not only that he repeats everything he had said to Simran on the train. Simran silently listens on and hears Raj talking about how good of a piano player he is, he says he is so good that he could play it better than the pianist on stage. Simran sees this as a chance to get back at him for being overconfident and calls Raj up on stage to play the piano unaware that things will backfire. It was a comical situation with the perfect use of the piano and some great acting by Khan and Kajol.
Annie Joseph Braganza in ‘Khamoshi: The Musical’ (1996)
This musical drama showed what music meant to the characters and how it shaped their lives. The main character Annie (Manisha Koirala) had grown to love music and playing the piano thanks to her grandmother. However Annie’s parents are unable to speak or hear and because of this her father would often struggle to find work. Unable to pay the bills her parents had no choice but to sell many things in the house including Annie’s beloved piano whom she called her friend. Her grandmother told her not to cry and reassured her that one day this piano would return in their lives.
After the death of her grandmother and her younger brother, music was something that her parents didn’t want to speak of as it reminded them of the loss of their close ones especially their son. As Annie grew up music still remained a passion for her and she continued to play the piano thanks to a family friend who bought the piano from them. Luckily for Annie one Christmas her parents buy the piano back as they know how much the piano means to her.
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Radhika Shekhar Rai Banerjee in ‘Ta Ra Rum Pum’ (2007)
Rani Mukherji played the role of Radhika the daughter of a wealthy businessman who studied music at Columbia University. From a young age Radhika had decided that she wanted to be a pianist and had started practising from the age of ten. One day she ends up sharing a taxi with RV (Saif Ali Khan) and in that meeting he accidentally bumps into Radhika damaging her iPod which she can’t forget. Coincidentally the two meet again a number of times and in those meetings they realise that they have a connection. Although Radhika’s father disapproves of their relationship they decide to get married and have two children. With RV doing well as a racing driver they live a comfortable life.
However a day comes when RV has a terrible accident and after that he is unable to race again due to trauma. Things become difficult for the couple and their belongings are auctioned off as they’re unable to pay off their loans. Radhika realises how difficult it is to find work as a pianist due to her not completing her degree but she doesn’t give up. She begins playing the piano regularly at a hotel and at children’s birthday parties while RV drives a taxi.
After some time RV overcomes his trauma and starts racing again. Soon they manage to return to their previous lifestyle. Even Radhika decides to complete her degree and after doing so gets to perform at concerts where her family come to watch her play every weekend.
Akash Saraf in ‘Andhadhun’ (2018)
Ayushmann Khurrana played the role of a skilled pianist named Akash who pretends to be blind. The reason he does this is that he believes by pretending to be blind he would be able to create better music. For him the whole thing is an experiment, a harmless trial. His goal is to win a music competition taking place in London and he continuously practises for that.
While waiting for the competition to take place he tutors various people to play the piano in order to make an income. One day while crossing the road he is accidentally hit by Sophie’s (Radhika Apte) scooter. She apologises and after some interaction she learns that he is a pianist and asks if he wouldn’t mind going to her father’s bar/diner. There both Sophie and her father hear him play and are amazed by his talent. Her father offers him a job which he happily takes on and performs almost every evening. One evening a retired actor mesmerised by Akash’s skills praises him and asks if he could come to his house and play something for his wife as it is their wedding anniversary. Akash agrees unaware of what incident is going to take place after he arrives at their house the next day.
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