With Indian cinema now well over 100 years old, picking just 11 of the best songs from this musically-fuelled art form is a seriously tall order. We’ve gone with some big crowd-pleasers and one or two critical darlings – including at least one Oscar winner to tap your toes to. For South Asian cinephiles, these will be instantly recognisable ear worms, but even for newbies, this line-up is the perfect playlist to get you into this colourful, quadraphonic corner of Indian culture. Get ready to want to get up and dance.

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1. ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’

‘ Dil Se.. ’ (1998)

A mesmerising, passionate Urdu love song performed on the roof of a train as it trundles through a jaw-dropping mountain forest backdrop. Item dancer Malaika Aror

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