A road trip is undertaken to visit a distant friend or relative, get you from here to there, or explore a road untraveled.
The following 5 Bollywood films feature a road trip as part of the story. The accompanying music reflects the forward momentum and spirit of the journey - the exciting adventures along the way, the time spent on the road, the shared conversations and experiences.
1. "Dil Chahta Hai"
The Journey: The best road trips are made with a small group of good friends. Friendships deepen as you take turns riding shotgun, explore places heretofore undiscovered, and engage in meandering conversations with people you know and trust. Long-time friends Siddharth (Akshaye Khanna), Sameer (Saif Ali Khan), and Aakash (Aamir Khan) take a spontaneous road trip from Mumbai to Goa after Sameer breaks-up with his girlfriend. The time spent together here strengthens their bonds - bonds they will need to draw on in the future as they draw apart.
Film: Dil Chahta Hai, 2001
Singers: Shankar Mahadevan, Clinton Cerejo
Composer: Shankar Ehsaan Loy
Lyricist: Javed Akhtar
Length: 5:11
2. "Aao Milo Chalen"
The Journey: When you start out on a road trip it isn't the destination that matters as much as the adventures along the way. Road trip experiences change how we perceive the people in our lives and the world around us. Sometimes the journey offers us an epiphany about how who we are and what we value most. With Geet Dhillon (Kareena Kapoor) as a traveling companion, Aditya Kashyap (Shahid Kapoor) realizes he wants the journey to continue.
Film: Jab We Met, 2007
Singers: Shaan, Ustad Sultan Khan
Composer: Pritam Chakraborty
Lyricist: Irshad Kamil
Length: 5:28
3. "Dil Dhadakne Do"
The Journey: Kabir Dewan (Abhay Deol), Imraan Qureshi (Farhan Akhtar), and Arjun Saluja (Hrithik Roshan) fulfill a long-standing pact to take a three-week road trip to Spain where each of them picks an adventure sport that all three must take part in. The song "Dil Dhadakne Do" is part of the opening credits of the film and sets the mood for what turns out to be an exhilarating, unforgettable, and life-changing experience.
Film: Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, 2011
Singers: Shankar Mahadevan, Suraj Jagan, Joi Barua
Composer: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Lyricist: Javed Akhtar
Length: 3:51
4. "Ilahi"
The Journey: Sometimes taking regular road trips is part of your day job. Because of jobs I've had, I was also able to scuba dive off the Bahamas, explore the mountains of Slovakia, and visit Indonesia's Bogor National Park during a monsoon. Kabir "Bunny" Thapar (Ranbir Kapoor), works as a television cameraman for travel shows and roams the world - a life he had planned. However, even those predisposed to a life of road trips eventually feel the need to reconnect with their roots.
Film: Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, 2013
Singer: Arijit Singh
Composer: Pritam Chakraborty
Lyricist: Amitabh Bhattacharya
Length: 3:33
5. "Tera Rastaa Chhodoon Na"
The Journey: As the road trip nears its conclusion, people begin to reminisce about the events of the journey, how relationships were formed or changed, and what impact the journey had on their lives. Near the end of this road trip, Rahul (Shah Rukh Khan) and Meenalochni Azhagusundaram (Deepika Padukone) reflect on a journey which has them walking on a path neither wants to abandon.
Film: Chennai Express, 2013
Links: Official Video Song (T-Series)
Singers: Amitabh Bhattacharya, Anusha Mani
Composer: Vishal-Shekhar
Lyricist: Amitabh Bhattacharya
Length: 4:13
The following video playlist features videos for each of these songs though, in some cases, the videos are different than what you will find in the final film.