Nowadays, Bollywood songs unfold on sprawling sets built at the cost of crores, but there was a time when magic was created with words, rhythm and unforgettable dance steps rather than lavish backdrops. Choreography and lyrics once mattered so deeply that audiences returned to theatres just to watch a song again. In a rare twist of fate, Hindi cinema witnessed three extraordinary moments when songs were filmed on dilapidated, half-dismantled sets. Against all odds, each of these songs went on to become iconic, leaving a lasting imprint on popular culture, and every film made box office history.

Many filmmakers dream of shooting songs amid towering sets and grand backdrops, but Bollywood has a habit of turning chaos into magic. When deadlines closed in and sets were torn down, three iconic songs were filmed among broken walls and bare frames, only to become legends. Let’s revisit these iconic songs and the superhit films they belonged to.

Let’s begin with Don, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Zeenat Aman, released on May 12, 1978. The song Khaike Paan Banaras Wala is considered one of Hindi cinema’s most iconic numbers. Director Chandra Barot was short of funds and ended up shooting the song in a cowshed. The lyrics were written by Anjaan, father of lyricist Sameer, who himself hailed from Banaras. As a result, the visuals include cows, buffaloes and even cow dung, details the audience never quite questioned.

Lyricist Sameer later revealed the story in an interview. He said, “This song was not even meant to be in the film. Even today, whenever Amitabh Bachchan’s name is mentioned, my father’s name comes up too. I went to the studio to see Kishore Kumar. He arrived wearing a lungi and slippers. When he heard the line ‘Bhang ka rang jama ho chakachak’, he put his pen down and asked what ‘chakachak’ meant. When the mukhda ‘Khaike Paan Banaras Wala’ came, he said he would sing it only after eating paan. My father explained the meaning to him. Due to lack of money, the song was shot in a cowshed.”

Don was directed by Chandra Barot and produced by Nariman Irani, with a story by Salim-Javed and music by Kalyanji-Anandji. The film also featured Pran, Iftikhar, Om Shivpuri, Satyen Kappu, Kamal Kapoor, Helen, M B Shetty, Mac Mohan, Yusuf Khan and Pinchoo Kapoor in key roles.

The origins of Don trace back to Manoj Kumar’s Roti Kapda Aur Makaan. Nariman Irani, a renowned cinematographer of the 1970s, had earlier produced Zindagi Zindagi (1972) starring Sunil Dutt and Waheeda Rehman, which flopped, leaving him in debt of Rs 12 lakh. On the sets of Roti Kapda Aur Makaan, Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman and Pran encouraged him to make another film and even promised to work without fees. Nariman Irani approached Salim-Javed, who reworked a rejected script into Don, with Chandra Barot as director.

Shooting began in 1974, but tragedy struck midway when Nariman Irani died in an on-set accident. Chandra Barot borrowed Rs 40,000 from his sister to complete the film. Don eventually earned Rs 7.2 crore worldwide and became a superhit, enabling Nariman Irani’s family to clear all debts, though he was not alive to witness its success.

The second film on this list is Nagina, released on November 28, 1986, directed and produced by Harmesh Malhotra. Written by Jagmohan Kapoor with a screenplay by Ravi Kapoor, the film starred Sridevi, Rishi Kapoor, Amrish Puri and Prem Chopra. Nagina took Sridevi’s career to new heights, with music composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal.

Its most famous song, Main Teri Dushman, Dushman Tu Mera, remains a staple at weddings and parties even today. Interestingly, the song was filmed when the set was being dismantled and only a single wall remained. If you watch closely, Sridevi’s performance is confined to a very small space.

The tune itself was inspired by a folk melody from a 1983 Afghan film, played on the tambur by Bahauddin, accompanied by Ghulam Safi on the tabla.

Harmesh Malhotra, who began his career with Beti in 1969 and later made films such as Nigahen, Dulhe Raja, Gaddar, Patthar Aur Payal, had previously seen one of his films, Sherni, shelved midway. Around that time, he received the script for Nagina. Sridevi’s mother immediately recognised the importance of the role and advised her daughter to commit fully to the film. This was Sridevi’s first film with Rishi Kapoor. At the time, she spoke little Hindi and remained reserved on set. Made on a budget of Rs 2 crore, Nagina collected around Rs 13 crore worldwide and emerged as a superhit.

The third film is N Chandra’s Tezaab. Inspired by the 1984 American film Streets of Fire, Tezaab featured the legendary song Ek Do Teen, released with the film on November 11, 1988. Sung by Alka Yagnik and composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal, the song turned Madhuri Dixit into an overnight sensation. Remarkably, this song too was shot on a broken and damaged set.

In a recent interview with Radio Nasha, Madhuri Dixit shared, “When the song was recorded and we first heard it, we didn’t like it. It was just numbers. But once we heard the complete song, we understood how Javed Akhtar had written it; the girl is counting days as she waits for her lover. Saroj Khan told me I would have to do proper Bollywood dance for the first time. I rehearsed all day, and the costume arrived at the last minute. It was the final day of shooting, the set was being dismantled, and by 3 am, I was exhausted. Around 80 per cent of the set had already been broken. We shot from 4 am to 10 am. The ramp you see in the song was all that remained.”

There’s another fascinating anecdote behind Ek Do Teen. In an interview on Doordarshan Sheshadri, Chunky Pandey recalled attending a birthday celebration with filmmaker Pahlaj Nihalani at composer Laxmikant’s house. At the time, Laxmikant had adapted a Marathi song, Popat Majha Hai, Meethu Meethu Bole Hai…, for Tezaab. When told that Bappi Lahiri had already used a similar tune in Paap Ki Duniya, Laxmikant was disheartened. He then created a fresh tune, with dummy lyrics ‘Ek Do Teen’. Javed Akhtar later wrote the song around these words, and it went on to change Madhuri Dixit’s destiny forever.