End of another year, which means its time for the annual list of songs that made me sing (to much annoyance of Aditi). Disclaimer: This in no way is an exhaustive, scientific list of all the music released this past year. It is purely based on my personal likes.
Song: Emosanal Atyachaar
Movie: Dev.D
Singers: Rangeela, Raseela
Lyrics: Amitabh Bhattacharya
Music: Amit Trivedi
Amit Trivedi shined with Aamir last year and scored yet another winner with the soundtrack of Dev D in 2009. The Emosanal Atyachaar track is unique, rustic, crude and yet immensely hummable. The whole marriage band musical composition gives it an earthy feel (whilst the rock version is a trip in itself). Amitabh's words are to the point "Bol bol why did you ditch me whore?". An anthem for the loser lover types - there is a Devdas in most all of us and this one is for him).
Song: Pardesi
Movie: Dev.D
Singers: Tochi
Lyrics: Shellee
Music: Amit Trivedi
There are so many gems in the Dev D soundtrack that to choose a few is unfair. Right from the opening Sitaar sequence this song is a surefire winner. Amit shows a tremendous flair of combining the desi with the videsi (without the pseudo techno fusion feel) and Pardesi is one such number.
Song: Payaliya
Movie: Dev.D
Singers: Shruti Pathak
Lyrics: Shruti Pathak
Music: Amit Trivedi
What a trip this song is, the tender vocals of Shruti Pathak for this Hindustani classical inspired tune, a loopy beat of a windblower, the "by god" sound and incredible use of shehnai/sitar/tabla - all gel to form a trance like song which probably would take a whole new meaning when listened under the influence.
Song: Rehna Tu
Movie: Delhi 6
Singers: A R Rehman
Lyrics: Prasoon Joshi
Music: A.R.Rehman
A R Rehman had a rocking 2008 with an Oscar and some fantastic soundtracks in Yuvraaj, Ghajini and Jaane tu ya jaane na. 2009 opened with another ensemble soundtrack in Delhi-6. Each track saw ARR pushing the boundaries set by himself. Rehna Tu is sung by the man himself and the composition drips with luminosity - the tune and the poetry could light up the darkest of places. There is a simple mellifluous quality to this composition which grows on you with multiple listenings (note a subtle appearance of shehnai - or something that sounds like a shehnai).
Song: Arziyaan
Movie: Delhi 6
Singers: Javed Ali, Kailash Kher
Lyrics: Prasoon Joshi
Music: A.R.Rehman
Ohh boy, did I die and reach "Jannat" when I heard this for the first time. A classic ARR Islamic devotional song sung in perfect unison by Kailash Kher and Javed Ali. The words of Prasoon Joshi are luminous to say the least, sample these:
"Ek khushbu aati thi, Main bhatakta jaata tha,
Reshmi si maaya thi,Aur main taktaa jaata tha,
Jab teri gali aaya, sach tabhi nazar aaya
Mujh mein hi woh khushbu thi, Jisse tune milwaya"
"Sar utha ke maine to kitni khwahishein ki thi,
Kitne khwab dekhe the, kitni koshishein ki thi,
Jab tu rubaroo aaya, nazre naa mila paaya,
Sar jhuka ke ek pal mein maine kya nahi paaya"
Ethereal! If there is any chance that this non-believer will cross on the other side, it would be because of such compositions by ARR.
Song: Genda Phool
Movie: Delhi 6
Singers: Rekha Bharadwaj
Lyrics: Prasoon Joshi
Music: A.R.Rehman
Rekha Bhardwaj is once again at the top of her game in this one. ARR, Rekha and Prasoon have created a natural, completely Indian song with Genda phool. The opening of the song belies the beat that soon follows and sucks you in before you know it. Rekha teases and flirts effortlessly. This woman is magic. Watching Waheeda Rehman dance on the funky beats was another delight in itself.
Song: Dhan te nan
Movie: Kaminey
Singers: Sukhwinder Singh, Vishal Dadlani
Lyrics: Gulzar
Music: Vishal Bharadwaj
Gulzar and Vishal come up with a song that is total "masti" and total "dhingaana". Vishal Dadlani (of composers Vishal-Shekhar) and Sukhwinder Singh go to town with this catchy number - a full on throaty rendition to some pulsating music and fantastic lyrics:
"kahin kabre hain, kahin khabarein hain
Jo bhi soye kabron mein unko jagaana nahi"
Here's an interesting bit of trivia. This composition aired first on a small tv show called Gubbare on Zee Tv in the early 90s. The song was composed by Vishal himself so plagiarism here.
Waiting for the duo's next outing with Ishqiya in 2010.
Song: Raat ke dhaai baje
Movie: Sukhwinder Singh, Sunidhi Chauhan, Suresh Wadkar, Rekha Bharadwaj, Earl
Singers: Dominique
Lyrics: Gulzar
Music: Vishal Bharadwaj
What a joyous song this is - Rekha Bharadwaj, Kunal Ganjawala, Suresh Wadkar, Earl and Sunidhi Chauhan seem to be having a ball of a time singing this dhinchak song. If Rekha teases and taunts, Suresh Wadkar's voice comes as a surprise and delivers a punch to Gulzar's lines.
Getting married in the middle of the night was never more fun.
Song: Gulon mein rang
Movie: Sikander
Singer: KK
Lyrics: Faiz Ahmed
Music: Sandesh Shandilya
A beautiful melody composed for a ghazal-esque song. The original is a Mehndi Hassan ghazal.
KK's vocals hit the right notes with this new take by Sandesh Shandilya on this oldie Ghazal. Mohit Chauhan renders the same song with a different tune, but does not match up to KK's version.
Song: Iktara
Movie: Wake Up Sid
Singer: Kavita Seth, Amitabh Bhattacharya
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Music: Amit Trivedi
In an soundtrack where most of the songs are by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy with their rock-meets-trendy-desi-attitude style, this one song stands head and shoulders above the rest. When I first heard the song while watching the movie, it rung so different from the rest of the songs in the movie, that I almost thought this one has to be by some other composer and of course turns out this is composed by Amit Trivedi. The song is penned by Javed Akhtar and depicts the confusion of the two young urbanites who have fallen in love (but are unaware or unsure of it). Kavita Seth provides her rich deep throated vocals to this wonderful melody. The rest of the songs are good, but SEL cannot match up to this one.
Song: Mudi Mudi
Movie: Paa
Singer: Shilpa Rao
Lyrics: Swanand Kirkire
Music: Ilaiya Raja
The maestro returned back with a neat little soundtrack for this movie. This three minute track is the kind which will get in your head and stay there for a long time. You will find it playing in your head unconsciously while brushing your teeth or walking on the street. It is wonderfully orchestrated and Shilpa Rao sings this song with a lot of zing .
Song: Yeh Zindagi bhi
Movie: Luck By Chance
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
This song is an ode to the magical-ruthless-attractive world of movies. (Another such song that comes to mind is the wonderful forgotten gem by Gulzar from Sitara: "Yeh saayein hain"). Javed Akhtar's lyrics capture the hope in the hopelessness of the many dream-seekers who come to loose everything in this sinister world.
"Samjhaane se kab maana hain, dekho karta zid hain yeh dil
Choone hain taare isse, chahiye saare isse"
A mention must go to to Zoya Akhtar for a wonderful picturization of this song - possibly the best picturization of a song in 2009.
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Overall a stellar year for Hindi film music - we heard some new voices, the veterans kept their promise and we the music lovers had a plate full of delicacies to devour. Hoping for a rocking 2010 - music-wise and other-wise.
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