Anu Malik

Before the five of you who read my blog decide to judge me over this post or abandon me and my blog completely hear me out. I am no fan of Anu Malik and this post is not any attempt to change your personal opinion about the person. This post is about those songs composed by Anu Malik that I personally enjoyed and liked at some point of my life. Some of these, I still do. Anu with all his plagiarism or "inspired" compositions aside, did manage to give some memorable music. There is no denying that Anu ruled most of the 90s when it came to Hindi film music. His minor detour of dabbling in pop music is the kind of stuff SNL writers sink their teeth in :

Exhibit A -

"Dekho baarish ho rahee hain, its raining, its raining

Mera dil ro raha hain, my heart is crying, crying"

Eeeegaawwddd!!

His musical career is mostly marred with such self-adulatory compositions or blatant plagiarism. Somewhere in between however, this son of Sardar Malik managed to churn out some decent melodies. This list is a quick collection of my personal Anu favorites (not in an order of liking). Do you have yours, if you care and dare to admit, i.e.?

Badalon mein chup raha hain - Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee

Many of the Bhatt factory movies had Anu's music.The entire soundtrack of this movie is pretty awesome - Kaifi Aazmi's shayari is also noteworthy. On another note - remember Rahul Roy??

Churaake dil mera - Main Khiladi Tu Anari

This is an immensely hummable tune, although it falters in the antaras. Shilpa Shetty still can carry that leopard print outfit.

Aankhon mein base ho tum - Takkar

Aah, Sonali Bendre.....Ugh, Sunil Shetty. Beauty and the ugliest beast.

Sambhala hain maine - Naraaz

Another from the Bhatt factory. On another note, remember Atul Agnihotri?? What can be worse than a movie with Atul Agnihotri in it? A movie with both Atul Agnihotri and Rahul Roy in it!!

Panchee nadiyaan - Refugee

A beautiful tune and equally beautiful picturization. J P Dutta knew how to shoot Indian locales, especially Rajasthan.

Raah mein unse mulaqaat - Vijaypath

A fairly traditional track, but wins with its simplicity. Do you remember Ruk Ruk Ruk from this movie? Tabu shaking her Thunder Thighs like it's nobody's business.

Dekho Dekho Jaanam hum - Ishq

Another simple melody, from Kajol's unibrow days.

Aane wala kal ek sapna hain - Phir Teri Kahaani Yaad aayee

I am still trying to understand the lyrics of this song, Kumar Sanu surely ruled the 90s and featured in many of Anu's songs.

Jiske aane se - Diljale

Ignore the nasal "heenhh heennh heenhh" of Kumar Sanu, and this one is a decent melody, and of course Sonali again.

Koi Jaaye to le aaye - Ghatak

Mamta of the Kulkarnis gyrating to this catchy number from this Sunny-Raj Santoshi movie.

Taare hain baraati - Virasat

This was when Priyadarshan knew how to make decent movies. This song is one of his best picturised songs ever. It creates the atmosphere of a traditional Indian wedding wonderfully and the lighting in each frame is near perfect....fantastic. Jaspinder Narula's strong vocals elevate the tune even more.

Hume jabse mohabbat ho gayee hain - Border

A soft melody and J P Dutta captures the rustic Indian countryside beautifully once again.

Chunari Chunari - Biwi No. 1

Most of us know this from Monsoon Wedding, but this was it's original avatar. A terrific dance number.

Dil kehta hain - Akele hum akele tum

The Indian Kramer Vs Kramer had some plagiarized songs, but this one I think was an original.

Ajnabi shehar hain - Jaan-e-mann

Ok, the following two are not from the 90s, but neverthless beautiful tunes and yes Gulzar's words.

Sau Dard - Jaan-e-mann

Best Songs of 2009

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.

Kaminey - Music review

The last Vishal-Gulzar outing was with No Smoking, the stoner movie by Anurag Kashyap. The duo is back in Vishal's own directorial venture named "Kaminey". The trend of using swear words in songs has been around for a while and was popularized in the recent past by "Kambakht Ishq", a high energy number from the RGV flick "Pyaar tune kya kiya". It was sung with tremendous gusto by Sukhwinder and Asha Bhosale (Sonu Nigam also had some lines, but he fails miserably in comparison to Sukhi and Asha).
Fast forward to 2009 and we have reached a new high (or low, depending on how you look at it) - with a movie title called "Kaminey" (as in the wise words of wisdom from Dharam paji: "Kutte Kaminey, main tera khoon pee jaoonga").

Kaminey looks like a gangster comedy set in the ever fascinating underworld of Bombay. Gulzar once again deftly weaves English, Hindi, Urdu and street slang into his words and challenges the composer to weave melody around his sometimes unusual and complex poetry. Vishal does a fantastic job at it - RD would have been proud of this man.

Dhan tan nan
This one is what one calls a complete KNOCK-YOUR-SOCKS-OFF number. It's a heady concoction of a James Bond theme, 70s Hindi Cinema background score and RD Burman (somewhere I sensed the Pulp Fiction's theme in the background). Sukhwinder Singh and Vishal Dadlani (of Vishal-Shekhar) are in high gear and in a complete masti mood. This one will have you hit the repeat button on your mp3 player a number of times (and it also makes for a fantastic running track). There is a remix version of this, which is also groovy, but I am still hooked to the original one, and why not when it's so damn good. Sample these lines and you will notice how Gulzar weaves English words seamlessly:

Aaja ke one way hain yeh zindagi ki galee ek hi chance hain
Aage hawaa hi hawaa hain agar saans hain toh yeh romance hain
(Another brilliant usage was in 'Kajra re' of Bunty aur Babli:
Aankhen bhi kamaal karti hain, personal se sawaal karti hain)

Kaminey
Who else can weave this obnoxious word in a delicate verse other than Gulzar?

Meri aarzoo bhi kaminee
Mere khwaab bhi kaminey
Ek dil se dosti ki thi, yeh huzoor bhi kaminey!!

Maan gaye ustaad! Vishal Bharadwaj keeps this for himself and lends his voice for this number which is soaked in a beautiful symphony with interesting orchestration (notably - piano and trumpet). This is like a glass of good wine, will win you slowly, steadily but surely.

Fatak
Listening to this one for the first time, it was hard to comprehend what the song was about, the occassional sound of a whiplash just added to the puzzle. And then there was the revelation in the end:
Yeh ishq nahin aasaan, AIDS ka khatraa hain
- the entire song fell into perspective. Yes, this is a song with a social message around safe sex and AIDS. This one could be an anthem for the AIDS awareness campaign. Kailash Kher and Sukhwinder Singh both have the throaty quality in their voice which lends well to such songs. Gulzar uses many similes and metaphors in the lyrics which are revealed to you once you know the underlying message in the song.

Raat ke dhaai baje
Rekha Bharadwaj can do no wrong. She teased in "Namak" in Omkara, she was melancholic and naughty in "Gendaa phool" of Dilli-6 and here she is back to rock our world. She is joined by Sunidhi Chauhan, Kunal Ganjawala and Suresh Wadkar. It's always a treat to hear Wadkar's voice, last heard in another Vishal composition - Jag ja from Omkara.

Rekha has the unique quality of giving an impression of just fleetingly touching the words, like hovering over words without actually saying them. Right from the opening notes this one keeps you wanting for more and more. A great ensemble song.

Pehli baar mohabbat ki hain
This is a lazy love ballad sung by Mohit Chauhan who delivers on every note, staying and lingering on sounds and words just enough for creating the right effect. Once again Gulzar's words are dripping with many emotions:

Khwaab ke bojh se kapkapaati huyee halki palkein teri,
yaad aata hain sab, tujhe gudgudaana sataana yunhi sote huye,
gaal pe teepna meechna bewajah besabab,
yaad hain peepal ke jiske ghane saaye the,
humne gilharee ke jhoothe matar khaaye the!

Classic Gulzar - hits all the right spots.

Overall a knock-out soundtrack. More power to the Gulzaar/Vishal teaming.

Gulzar Kuch Huye Nagme - 8

Movie: Kabuliwala (1966)
Music Director: Salil Choudhury
Singer: Hemant Kumar

In 1966 Bimal Roy Productions adapted the short novella of Rabindranath Tagore “Kabuliwala” to the silver screen. Salil Chaudhury composed the music to Gulzar’s poetry. Manna Dey’s soulful rendition of “Aye mere pyaare watan” still evokes emotions in all those who have left their homelands in search of a better life in a distant foreign nation. The song that got overshadowed by the popularity of the above song was the one sung by Hemant Kumar – “Ganga aaye kahaan se”.

The composition purely relies on the vocals and makes minimal use of musical instruments - the most prominent being a one string instrument and a small percussion instrument (called – duff or duggi) used in rural eastern India. Gulzar uses Ganga as a larger being to drive home the point: “Equality amongst religion, color, race, social status, languages and caste”. Gulzar shies away from using Urdu or difficult Hindi words, instead chooses light rural slang, sample these: Maati instead of Mitti, Ujiyaaraa instead of Ujiyaalaa, Kaari instead of Kaali.

Gangaa aaye kahaan se, Gangaa jaaye kahaan re aaye kahaan se,
jaaye kahaan re laharaaye paani mein jaise dhuup-chhaanv re

raat kaari din ujiyaaraa mil gaye donon saaye
raat kaari din ujiyaaraa mil gaye donon saaye
saanjh ne dekho rang roop ke kaise bhed mitaaye re
laharaaye paani mein jaise dhuup-chhaanv re
Gangaa aaye kahaan se, Gangaa jaaye kahaan re
laharaaye paani mein jaise dhuup-chhaanv re

Here, Gulzar masterfully uses the metaphor of evening (saanjh) to convey the message about how it eliminates (or mixes) the difference in the brightness of the day and the darkness of the night – the former being a reference to fairness/beauty and the latter being the dark skinned/ugly (could also be referenced to the caste system which was much more prevalent in the sixties).

kaanch koyi maatii koyi rang-birange pyaale
kaanch koyi maatii koyi rang-birange pyaale
pyaas lage to ek baraabar jis mein paani daale re
laharaaye paani mein jaise dhuup-chhaanv re
Gangaa aaye kahaan se, Gangaa jaaye kahaan re
laharaaye paani mein jaise dhuup-chhaanv re

This one is my personal favorite of the three couplets. Translating this literally, he is saying that when one is thirsty it doesn’t matter how one drinks the water (of the Ganga) - through a cup made from clay or made from colorful glass. I leave the underlying meaning for you to figure out. Other than the meaning, what I really like about this couplet is the structure. He starts with describing the different types of cups in the first line, and then gets to saying that if you are thirsty, they are all the same when you fill them with water. It’s hard to structure it in English the same way, but if you listen to the song for the first time without knowing the subsequent line, it enhances the effect a thousand times than if it was structured linearly.

naam koyi boli koyi laakhon roop aur chehre
naam koyi boli koyi laakhon roop aur chehre
khol ke dekho pyar ki aankhen sab tere sab mere
laharaaye paani mein jaise dhuup-chhaanv re
Gangaa aaye kahaan se, Gangaa jaaye kahaan re
laharaaye paani mein jaise dhuup-chhaanv re
Gangaa aaye kahaan se, Gangaa jaaye kahaan re

This one is straight: He is talking about how God has many names, forms, faces, but when viewed through the eyes of love, they are all the same – your (Gods) and my (Gods). Each couplet begins and ends with the reference to Gangaa which seems to be flowing for no purpose and from no particular place to no place in particular. Get it?

Overall, a song with an underlying message (without being too obviously preachy),a haunting melody and a distant quality in the voice of Hemant Kumar makes this a timeless classic.

Ek Do Teen...

It was 1988 and one particular song was blaring from every corner of the country and every man (straight or gay, 10 years old or 60 years old) in the country was screaming "Mohini, Mohini". Mother's of young boys were disgusted by the utter shamelessness and brashness of the song (at least kids were learning to count, they consoled each other secretly). The song was "Ek Do Teen" from Tezaab. A loud, cacophonous composition by Laxmikant-Pyarelal with their trademark style of cramming as many musical instruments in a composition and straining the wind pipes and other organs of the musicians. Alka Yagnik sings in a nasal tone, Javed Akhtar's lyrics are kitschy, the set is tacky, the entire backdrop screams everything that was wrong with the 80s. But as soon as Madhuri Dixit walked on that stage and yelled "Namaskaar"....we all knew a "star" was born. Her outfits in the song are what nightmares are made of, the screen is filled with a hundred extras on and off stage, the editor goes mental with many intermittent cuts of the crowds, Anupam Kher in the backstage, Kiran Kumar and his gang and yet what stays with you after the song is over is - Madhuri. She changed the game, she had arrived with this silly counting song and made a million hearts flutter with her signature step of "aaja piya aayee bahaar" (due credit goes to Saroj Khan's choreography too). Madhuri brings a perfect mix of grace, innocence and just the required dose of coquettishness in this extremely garish song. 21 years after the song was first seen --- YES, TWENTY ONE YEARS -- I still find myself mesmerized by Mohini.

A Rocking start to 2009...musically speaking

It's incredible how I was equally thrilled and ecstatic after listening to two compositions which are polar opposites of each other - and we are only in January. The compositions I am talking about are - "Bhor Bhayee" from Delhi-6 and "Emosanal atyachaar" from DevD. The former a classical Hindustani composition by AR Rehman and sung with tremendous aplomb by Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Shreya Ghoshal, while the latter a goofy-brass band-street-lingo song composed by Amit Trivedi.

Both the albums are winners all the way. Delhi-6 sets new standards for ARR and DevD proves that Amit is not a one film wonder (previously composed music for the much under-rated Aamir). Short reviews of the music:

Delhi-6
Masakkalli sung by Mohit Chauhan is an instant hit, the lyrics by Prasoon Joshi and Mohit's rendition give this one a distinct flair.
Genda Phool starts as a ladies sangeet type song and then a hypnotic loopy beat totally catches you off guard. Rekha Bharadwaj's voice is a mix of naughtiness and sadness. After listening to it a couple of times, it's one of those tunes that stay in your head and you wonder what's that humming in your brain when you are in the shower.
Rehana Tu is a classic Rehman piece which he saves for his unusual vocal chords. This one is a masterpiece.
Tumhare Bhavan mein and Arziyaan : Now here's one composer who has me humming bhajans and islamic devotional songs. Tumhare bhavan mein is rendered by three singers in PERFECT harmony (remember Ishwar Allah from Earth?) and Arziyaan is yet another triumph in a long repertoire of Islamic devotional songs composed by ARR. Do not listen to it in your car while driving alone on a dark highway - the trance this composition induces will make you loose your way - first hand experience.
Bhor Bhayee: The recording has a feel of a girl practicing the song with a tape recorder playing the original in the background. Shreya Ghoshal take a bow.
DevD
This Amit Trivedi shot to spotlight with Aamir and was very impressive with his rustic earthy and very INDIAN compositions: "Chakkar Ghumiyo", "Haa Reham", "Haara" and "Ek lau". With DevD he has outdone himself, it's a crazy loopy album dripping with unabashed North Indian-ness. The album has eighteen tracks - yes EIGHTEEN. It remains to be seen how they are used in the movie, which by the way I am eagerly waiting for.
Emotional Atyachaar - This one gets under your skin, the brass band version is, how do I say it - cheap and boisterous!! The lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya are decadent, modern and yet make all the sense, sample these lines:
"Bol Bol why did you ditch me,
Zindagi bhi lele yaar kill me,
Bol Bol why did you ditch me whore."
Now imagine Devdas singing them for Paro. BRILLIANT, innit?
The rock version of this song is a viral mix of frustration and angst.
Payaliya : Haunting and lyrical, the "by god" loop is endearing and notice the use of Shehnai. I am sold.
Dhol Yaara Dhol: This one has a hangover of 'Mitwa' from Lagaan for the first few seconds, but then emerges to create its own world.
Ek Hulchul Si and Saali Khushi : A heavy guitar, drums number with throaty singing
Duniya: Is in the Chakkar Ghumiyo mould, about the mysteries of this crazy world we inhabit.

I am still swaying to Emotional Atyachaar, will get to the rest of the tracks soon. Looking forward to more from Amit Trivedi.

Oscar Nominations - Slumdog, ARR and Gulzar

As expected, Slumdog has been nominated in multiple categories for the 2008 Oscar nominations : 10 total. Gulzar has also been nominated along with AR Rehman in the best original song category for "Jai ho" - this is truly a well deserved nomination. It remains to be seen how well would the jury understand the layers of the meanings of lines such as:

Ratti Ratti Sachi Maine Jaan Gavayi Hai
Nach Nach Koylo Pe Raat Bitayi Hai
Akhiyon Ki Neend Maine Phoonko Se Uda Di
Neele Tare Se Maine Ungli Jalayi Hai

Get ready to watch the songs being performed on the stage at the Kodak Theatre on 2/22.
Another nomination that is truly well deserved was for cinematography for Anthony Dod Mantle. As said in an earlier post, the camera and the background score are truly the adrenaline of the narrative (clearly the dialogues are amateurish, esp for someone who understands Hindi).

The entire list is here:
http://www.imdb.com/features/rto/2009/oscars

P.S.: For those of you who have not seen the movie yet, note a scene early on in the movie when the little Jamal dances for Latika in the orphanage. Revisit that scene in your head when you watch the end credits. You will know that there is more to the end credits than just a homage to kitschy Bollywood group dance songs. Many Indian critics have slammed the end credits saying - enough already about the homage to Bollywood. They so missed the boat on that. But then, to each his own.

Best Hindi Songs of 2008

End of another year. Here's the list of songs (mostly Hindi films) that stood out for me (they are in no particular order of liking). 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: Ek Lau
Movie: Aamir
Singers: Shilpa Rao, Amitabh Varma
Lyrics: Amitabh Varma
Music: Amit Trivedi
A soothing yet haunting composition by debutante music director Amit Trivedi in this independent small movie can definetely be called a theme song for a year marked by multiple incidents of terrorist induced violence in India. This one is to all those lives that ended abruptly for no particular fault of their's. Shilpa Rao's voice will be heard more and more in the coming years.

Song: Ha Raham
Movie: Aamir
Singers: Amit Trivedi, Amitabh Varma, Murtuza Qadir
Lyrics: Amitabh Varma
Music: Amit Trivedi
Another winner from Amit Trivedi. This time the lyricist and the music director contrinute towards the vocals. The use of instruments in the tune seems like a mix of Qawaali, street music, and cheap orchestras. The overall effect is spectacular.

Song: Kabhi Kabhi Aditi
Movie: Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na
Singers: Rashid Ali
Lyrics: Abbas Tyrewala
Music: A.R.Rehman
It was clearly another stellar year for ARR - JTYJN, Jodhaa Akbar, Yuvvraj, Ghajini and Slumdog Millionaire. All of the above have distinct sounds (have not heard Ghajini , hence does not feature in this list). I am not a sucker of the Gen Y genre of music but with 'Aditi', 'Pappu can't dance' and 'Nazare milaana' ARR has created anthems for this generation. Abbas Tyrewala's zany lyrics makes this one an instant hit, but not the kind which wears off after multiple listenings. This one has longevity written on it. Another reason to like this particular song is for Aditi. (uhm....yeah...mr. sappy...!)

Song: Kaahin To Hogee Woh
Movie: Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na
Singers: Rashid Ali, Vasundhara Das
Lyrics: Abbas Tyrewala
Music: A.R.Rehman
This one is one of those ARR melodies which grow on you on repeat hearings. The lyrics depict the angst and the confusion of adolescent love. It's sung soulfully by Rasheed Ali and Vasundhara Das (why do we not hear more of this girl's strong vocal chords? Remember - O Ri Chori?)

Song: Sindbad Sailor
Movie: Rock On
Singers: Farhan Akhtar, Raman Mahadevan
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Farhan Akhtar as the lead actor - Maybe!! As a lead singer - NO WAY!!!! But, boy did he prove everyone wrong!! "Rock On!" is a winner as a soundtrack all the way. A lyricist who is 65 years old (and has pretty much written songs centered around LOVE) and a lead singer who is no singer at all. Isn't this what Rock is all about? Defying the norm or as the respected professor of Rock music, Sir Dewey Finn says "Rock is about Sticking It To The Man". Sindbad Sailor takes the cake amongst other songs from this album for it's energy, gusto and inspired lyrics. The transition from Farhan's husky voice to Raman Mahadevan's silky smooth "Tum ho To" is like eating the cream under the cracked top layer of a perfect Crème brûlée.

Song: Yeh Tumhaari Meri Baatein
Movie: Rock On
Singers: Dominique
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Of the all the rock inspired songs from this album sung by male singers, this is one of the two songs with a female voice (the other being Phir Dekhiye by Caralisa). The guitar loop in the background in this song, has an "Indian Ocean"-esque feel to it.

Song: Jashn-e-bahaara
Movie: Jodhaa Akbar
Singer: Javed Ali
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Music: A R Rehman
Only ARR can deliver a Gen Y soundtrack like Jaane Tu and a soundtrack of a period film like Jodhaa Akbar. If I had to rank the songs in this list, Jashn-e-bahaara takes the crown for it's masterful composition, lilting and delicate poetry (Jaaved Akhtar) and silky smooth buttery rendition by Javed Ali. The instrumental version of this melody is to die for. Notable also is the instrumental version of Khwaja Mere Khwaja (how often do Indian composers make use of the Oboe?)

Song: Azeem-O-Shaan Shahenshah
Movie: Jodhaa Akbar
Singer: Mohammed Aslam, Bonnie Chakraborty and Chorus
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Music: A R Rehman
Two words to describe this: Grandeur and Opulence. This is probably one of those composition's where the movie director also is part of the creative process along with the music director. Too bad, the real Akbar never got to hear this - he would have had ARR amongst his Navratnas.

Song: Tu muskura
Movie: Yuvvraj
Singer: Alka Yagnik, Javed Ali
Lyrics: Gulzar
Music: A R Rehman
What a waste of brilliant music on this awful movie. The movie is worse than an overflowing gutter and the music is the polar opposite of that - a clear stream flowing through a valley amongst snowcapped mountains on a moonlit night. Alka Yagnik sounds like a completely different singer when she sings for ARR. Before Lagaan, her voice did not do a thing for me and then O ri chori and Mitwaa happened. She was outstanding in Taal se taal mila (Taal) and Ay Hairathe (Guru). With Tu Muskura she rightfully deserves her place as a master singer in the Hindi film music world.

Song: Jai Ho
Movie: Slumdog Millionaire
Singer: Sukhwinder Singh, Mahalaxmi Iyer
Lyrics: Gulzar
Music: A R Rehman
This is such a joyous song, you cannot help but smile and join the moves. A perfect composition for a movie that in my opinion is the Best of 2008. If you catch the movie in the cinemas (if you haven't yet....go NOW, it's the best use of your 10 dollars in this economy), the song bursts on the screen with the end credits and the entire audience sits their asses back in the seats or freeze wherever they were to get immersed in this ultimate rocker of a song. I had a gut feeling that the lyrics were Gulzar's - who else can write:
"Aaja aaja jind shaamiyaane ke tale aaja, zariwaale neele aasmaan ke tale aaja". Upon googling it, my gut feeling was confirmed. What a way to end the year!

Gulzar Kuch Khoye Huye Nagme - 7

Movie: Namkeen (1982)
Music Director: RD Burman
Singer: Kishore Kumar




I had planned to write about this song for a long long time now. I came across this post today and I think it describes all that I feel about this song and much more. I am not even going to try write anything more about it. Read it for yourself.

Gulzar: Kuch khoye huye nagme - 6

Every Hindi film music aficionado knows about the greatness of this man named Sampooran Singh Kalra aka Gulzar. We have all heard his famous songs a thousand times now, such as: “Tere bina zindagi se” from Aandhi, “Hazaar Rahen” from Thodisi Bewafayee, “Mera kuch saaman” from Ijaazat, or “Kajra re” from Bunty aur Babli. This series is about those lesser known songs penned by this master poet.
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Movie: Omkara (2006)
Music Director: Vishal Bhardwaj
Singer: Suresh Wadkar


(part of the song from 3:40 onwards)

Jag ja ri gudiya
Misri ki pudiya
Meethe lage do naina
Nainon mein tere, hum hi base the
Hum hi base hain, hain na?
O ri rani, gudiya,
jag ja, ari jag ja, mari jag ja.

Halka sa kosa,
Subhon ka bosa,
Maan jaa ri, ab jaag ja.
Naak pe tere, kaatega bicchoo
Jaag ja, tu maan ja
Jo chahe le lo, dashrath ka vaada
Nainon se kholo ji raina
O ri rani, gudiya, jag ja
Ari jag ja, mari jag ja.

Kirnon ka sona,
Os ke moti,
Motiyon sa mogra.
Tera bicchauna, bhar bhar ke daroon,
Gulmohar ka tokra.
Aur jo bhi chaho, maango ji maango,
Bolo ji, meri maina.
O ri raani, gudiyaaaa,
Jag ja, ari jag ja, oye jag ja.

Jag ja ri gudiya
Misri ki pudiya
Meethe lage do naina
Nainon mein tere, hum hi base the
Hum hi base hain, hain na?

Vishal’s Omkara was an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello. For those who do not know the plot of Othello, here’s a brief background because it is essential in understanding the subtle possessiveness, anger and jealousy in the words of this song. Omkara (Othello), who is a dark skinned average looking guy, is deeply, madly and intensely in love with Dolly (Desdemona) who is a fair and a beautiful maiden. She loves him back equally, but Omkara is not quite sure about her love. His close aide Langda Tyagi (Iago) pollutes his mind further by hinting that she might have feelings for Kesu (Cassio). This leads to Omkara constantly questioning Dolly's love for him.

Now equipped with this background, go back and read the lyrics one more time. You will notice the insecurity in - “nainon mein tere hum hi base the, hum hi base hain, hain na?” – “I was the only one for you, I still am the only one, Am I?”

His intense possesiveness and desperation in owning her by every which way possible (despite the fact that she belongs to him already) is evident in –
“jo chahe le lo, Dashrath ka waada” – take what you want from me, I promise you just like the promise made by Dashrath.
Here, Gulzar has weaved in an analogy by measuring the integrity of Omkara’s promise with that of Dashrath’s – the king of Ayodhya who sent his dear sons to exile just to honor his promise that he made to his wife Kaikeyi. Many a poets have used different ways of comparing lover’s promises in their songs – my promise stands till the end of time, till the end of the universe, till the day I die - on and on and on. The Dashrath’s promise analogy however trumps all of the above - it feels more real, more understandable and more achievable.

Gulzar has a fascniation with the “gulmohar” flowers. These trees are found in the tropical countries and bloom in late spring/early summer. They bear non-fragrant,deep red colored flowers. Another song with the mention of these flowers is “Gulmohar gar tumhara naam hotaa” from “Devata”. Here, once again he mentions these flowers in the following line:

“tera bichona bhar bhar ke daloo, gulmohar ka tokra
Aur jo bhi chaho, maango ji maango bolo ji meri maina”
- I will spread basket full of gulmohar flowers on your bed.
More about this line later in the post.

Outside of the poetry, the music and the singing of this song is completely in sync with the mood. Suresh Wadkar makes a rare appearance and his delicate rendition elevates Vishal’s composition. Minimal use of instruments and the tune of the song give it an easy hummable quality. Suresh Wadkar infuses a child-like innocence and a suggestion of violence at the same time in certain lines - “naak pe tere kaatega bichoo” - a scorpion will bite your nose - and “ari jag jaa…mari jag jaa..” - please wake up, wake up you dead one. A part of this song makes another appearance later in the movie and this one line takes a whole new meaning in that scene.

(Second version of the song from 3:20 onwards. Could not find better quality video links)
Rememeber the "Gulmohar" line that I mentioned above and said I will revisit it? Watch the video, Dolly is wearing red, Gulmohars are red. Get it? Bravo Vishal. (A very well-written review of Omkara here)

Gulzar: Kuch khoye huye nagme - 5

Every Hindi film music aficionado knows about the greatness of this man named Sampooran Singh Kalra aka Gulzar. We have all heard his famous songs a thousand times now, such as: “Tere bina zindagi se” from Aandhi, “Hazaar Rahen” from Thodisi Bewafayee, “Mera kuch saaman” from Ijaazat, or “Kajra re” from Bunty aur Babli. This series is about those lesser known songs penned by this master poet.
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Movie: Kinara (1977)
Music Director: Rahul Dev Burman
Singer: Bhupinder, Hema Malini

Ek hi khwab kai baar dekha hai maine
tune saari main uras lee hai meri chabiyan ghar ki
Aur chali aayi hai
bus yoon hi mera haath pakad kar
ek hi khwab kai baar

Mej par phool sajate hue
dekha hai kai baar
aur bistar se kai baar
jagaya hai tujhko
chalte phirte tere kadmon ki vo
aahat bhi suni hai

Gungunati hui nikli hai naha kar jab bhi
Apne bheege hue baalon se tapakta paani
mere chahre pe chhitak deti hai tu, tiku ki bachhi

Taash ke patton pe ladti hai
kabhi kabhi khel main mujhse
aur ladti bhi hai aise ki bus
khel rahi hai mujhse
aur aagosh ko nanhe ko liye

aur jaanti ho tiku,
jab tumhara yeh khwab dekha tha,
apne bistar pe main us waqt pada
jaag raha tha…

In the romantic songs from nineties onwards, you have seen the hero and the heroine in designer wear frolicking in the Alpine valleys, the meadows of Baden-Baden,the tulip fields of Holland or with the background of the skyline of some of the most famous cities of the world. If this is your idea of a romantic song, look another way. This simple song (more like humming than a traditional song), tops in my list of the most romantic song ever shot on the screen. The glorious seventies, there was more creativity in Hindi cinema than it exists today (there were no jump cuts….thank God for that). Gulzar directed and wrote the screenplay for Kinara. It’s a simple story about relationships which happens to be Gulzar’s favorite topic, about adults and told for adults with due respect to the intelligence of both the characters and the audience.

The poetry in this song is not laden with heavy words or emotions, it’s about a husband and wife doing everyday things and the husband romaticizing about these very things that make life with your loved one special. Dharmendra and Hema were a real life couple and their chemistry shows on the screen - they seem to be completely oblivious to the camera.

Bhupinder’s voice is perfect for this composition which is casual, lazy and relaxed. Hema Malini’s voice - not a big fan of her when she talks with the “unnhhaa” at the end of every statement - is dripping with tender sensuality in this song.
Simplicity and minimalism – clear winners.

Gulzar: Kuch khoye huye nagme - 4

Every Hindi film music aficionado knows about the greatness of this man named Sampooran Singh Kalra aka Gulzar. We have all heard his famous songs a thousand times now, such as: “Tere bina zindagi se” from Aandhi, “Hazaar Rahen” from Thodisi Bewafayee, “Mera kuch saaman” from Ijaazat, or “Kajra re” from Bunty aur Babli. This series is about those lesser known songs penned by this master poet.
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Movie: Masoom (1983)
Music Director: Rahul Dev Burman
Singer: Aarti Mukherjee



Do Naina aur Ek Kahani,
Thoda Sa Badal Thoda Sa Paani, Aur Ek Kahani
Do Naina aur Ek Kahani

Chotisi do jheeloon mein woh beheti raheti hai
Koi sune ya na sune kaheti raheti hai
Kuch Likh kar kuch zubaani
Thoda Sa Badal Thoda Sa Paani, Aur Ek Kahani

Thodi si hai jaani hui Thodi si nayee
Jahan ruke Aasun wahi puri ho gayi
Hai to nayee phir bhi hai puraani
Thoda Sa Badal Thoda Sa Paani, Aur Ek Kahani

Ek khatm ho to doosri raat aajaati hai
Hoothon pe phir bhulee hue baat aajaati hai
Do nainon ki hai ye Kahani
Thoda Sa Badal Thoda Sa Paani, Aur Ek Kahani

By now, you are probably familiar with the pattern used in this song and have recognized it already - yes I am referring to TRIVENI.

Masoom was directed by Shekhar Kapur way before his Elizabethean days. It was written by Gulzar and tells a touching story of a child born out of wedlock trying to bond with the legitimate family of his father. It had spirted performances by the entire cast (even the ham-queen Urmila was tolerable). The music was composed by RD and songs were written by Gulzar. Other songs like "Tujhse Naraaz nahi zindagi" and "Lakadi ki kaathi" became immensely popular in those days and can be heard on Aakashwani and RD-Gulzar CD compilations even today. This song however got over-shadowed by the popularity of the other songs. It was sung by an unknown singer, Aarti Mukherjee. Her voice works for this simple and fluid tune belonging to the lullaby mould.
The RD-Gulzar team have given Hindi music many timeless compositions. RD, for sure, did not quite understand the complete meaning of Gulzar's poetry, but neverthless was probably the only composer who could compose tunes to such bizarre poetry as "Mera kuch saaman" and "Is mod se jaate hain" to name only two of the hundreds of gems these two creative moguls produced. Quoting Forrest Gump - Them two were like peas n carrots.

Gulzar- Kuch khoye huye nagme - 3

Every Hindi film music aficionado knows about the greatness of this man named Sampooran Singh Kalra aka Gulzar. We have all heard his famous songs a thousand times now, such as: “Tere bina zindagi se” from Aandhi, “Hazaar Rahen” from Thodisi Bewafayee, “Mera kuch saaman” from Ijaazat, or “Kajra re” from Bunty aur Babli. This series is about those lesser known songs penned by this master poet.
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Movie: Lekin (1990)
Music Director: Hridaynath Mangeshkar
Singer: Suresh Wadkar


surmayee shaam is tarah aaye
saans lete hai, jis tarah saaye

koi aahat nahin, badan ki kahin
phir bhi lagtaa hai, too yahin hain kahin
waqt jaataa sunaayi deta hain
tera saaya dikhaayi deta hain
jaise khushboo nazar se chhoo jaaye
saans lete hai, jis tarah saaye

din ka jo bhi pehar guzarta hain
koi ehsaan sa utarta hain
waqt ke paanv dekhtaa hoon main
roz ye chaanv dekhtaa hoon main
aaye jaise koi khayaal aaye
saans lete hai, jis tarah saaye

Suresh Wadkar – he is probably the most “non-filmy “ singer for playback singing. His voice is more suited for an evening mehfil in an open air lawn setting on a chilly Indian winter night. Don’t get me wrong, he is a brilliant singer, it's just that his voice is not suited for some Bollywood hero’s lip-synching.

The poetry is laden with the sense of a feeling of intense immobility, stillness and longing. The words create an environment of time slowed down, an evening that refuses to move forward. There is a generous dose of personification of abstract objects and feelings:
- waqt ke paanv dekhta hoon main - I watch the footsteps of time passing by (in the form of shadows moving or elongating as the evening passes by)
- waqt jaata sunayee deta hain - (I) can listen to the time passing by
- saans lete hain jaise saaye - Like shadows breathing

But the one line that defies all logic and yet somehow makes sense is:
- jaise khushboo nazar se chhoo jaaye

Not only is a sensory feeling - khushboo: fragrance - being personified here, it's being used in conjunction with another feeling which is not related to the sensory feeling of "smell". He associates it with - nazar: vision. He does not stop there, but associates the sense of "seeing" to the sense of touch - "choo jaaye". In essence (no pun intended), the line means - "as if fragrance touching my sight". Something tells me a lot has been lost in that translation.

Gulzar's sense of "senses" is mysterious indeed!

Gulzar: Kuch khoye huye nagme - 2

Every Hindi film music aficionado knows about the greatness of this man named Sampooran Singh Kalra aka Gulzar. We have all heard his famous songs a thousand times now, such as: “Tere bina zindagi se” from Aandhi, “Hazaar Rahen” from Thodisi Bewafayee, “Mera kuch saaman” from Ijaazat, or “Kajra re” from Bunty aur Babli. This series is about those lesser known songs penned by this master poet.
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Movie: Anubhav (1971)
Music Director: Kanu Roy
Singer: Geeta Dutt

The beauty of this song is its sheer simplicity in the lyrics, the music, the singing and the on screen depiction. Basu Bhattacharya deliberately chose to make Anubhav in black and white even though Indian cinema had been introduced to color by 1971.

The song is shot in a situation of a husband-wife enjoying a rainy evening and sharing some intimate moments.

Meri jaan, mujhe jaan na kaho meri jaan
Meri jaan, meri jaan, mujhe jaan na kaho meri jaan
Meri jaan, meri jaan

Jaan na kaho anjaan mujhe, Jaan kahaa rehti hai sadaa
Anjaane, kya jaane, Jaan ke jaaye kaun bhala
Meri jaan, mujhe jaan na kaho meri jaan
Meri jaan, meri jaan

Sookhe saawan baras gaye, Kitni baar in aankhon se
Do boondein naa barse, In bheegi palkon se
Meri jaan, mujhe jaan na kaho meri jaan
Meri jaan, meri jaan

Honth jhuke jab honthon par, Saans uljhi ho saanson mein
Do judwaan honthon ki, Baat kaho aankhon se
Meri jaan, mujhe jaan na kaho meri jaan
Meri jaan, meri jaan, mujhe jaan na kaho meri jaan
Meri jaan, meri jaan

Repetition! Repitition!! Repitition!!! All over the song the word Jaan is used liberally and with different meanings.
Meri Jaan mujhe Jaan na kaho, meri Jaan
Here “Jaan” is "love”. Also note the incredible irony in this line:
“Do not refer to me as Jaan - my Jaan”

Jaan na kaho anjaan mujhe
Here “Jaan” is used as “Life” followed by the reason of why She does not want Him to refer to her as “Jaan” (love) since “Jaan”(life) is temporary.

Some other quintessential Gulzar flavors can be seen in :
“Sookhe saawan baras gaye, Kitni baar in aankhon se” &
“Do judwaan hothon ki, baat kaho aankhon se”
I am not even going to try and translate these lines.

This was also one of the last songs sung by Geeta Dutt. If there were ever a list of the most romantically picturised songs in Hindi cinema this one will definitely feature in it. It does not take the Swiss Alps or the meadows of Baden-Baden to create a romantic song.

Gulzar: Kuch khoye huye nagme - 1

Every Hindi film music aficionado knows about the greatness of this man named Sampooran Singh Kalra aka Gulzar. We have all heard his famous songs a thousand times now, such as: “Tere bina zindagi se” from Aandhi, “Hazaar Rahen” from Thodisi Bewafayee, “Mera kuch saaman” from Ijaazat, or “Kajra re” from Bunty aur Babli. This series is about those lesser known songs penned by this master poet.
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Movie: Pinjar (2003)
Music Director: Uttam Singh
Singer: Roop Kumar Rathod, Uttam Singh

This song is about the partition of British India into India and Pakistan. It brings the ethos, angst and pain of the suffering caused by the separation from one’s own land. Gulzar himself has been the witness of the horrifying events of the partition (he was born in the Jhelum district currently in Pakistan) and has penned many poems on this subject that had left many lives on both sides permanently scarred. I could not find the original video of the song. Here’s one for your listening:



vatna ve oh meriya vatna ve
vatna ve oh meriya vatna ve

batt gaye tere aangan, bujh gaye chhulhe saanjhe,
lut gayee teri heeren, marr gaye tere raanjhe

vatna ve oh meriya vatna ve!
vatna ve oh meriya vatna ve!

kaun tujhe paani poochega faslein seenchega?
kaun teri maati mein thandee chaoon beejega?
bairee kaat ke le gaye teriya thandiyan chawaan ve...

vatna ve oh meriya vatna ve
vatna ve oh meriya vatna ve

Hum na rahe toh kaun basayega tera viraana?
mud ke hum na dekhenge aur tu bhi yaad na aana
getee kanche baant ke kar lee kar lee kutti, vatna ve

vatna ve oh meriya vatna ve
vatna ve oh meriya vatna ve


This song is addressed to one’s country in first person singular - ‘Vatna ve’.

“Kaun tujhe paani poochega faslein seenchega”
- Who will ask you if you are thirsty and need water, who will water your crops
“Kaun teri maati mein thandee chaoon beejega”
- Who will sow the cool calming shades in your soil.

Gulzar (and most poets) personifies inanimate and abstract objects, in this case it’s the nation and its farmlands that he is directly addressing to. The consequence of the action is romanticized beautifully in the second and third line. He talks of sowing cool shades in the fertile soil, which is essentially the result of sowing a seed of a tree that provides it.
The third line is the one that comes as direct result of the devastation that the partition was:
“bairee kaant ke le gayee teriya thandiyaa chawaan ve, vatna ve”
- “Those wretched people slashed away your cool shades”
The “cool shades” represents a lot of things here: a home, the warmth of family and friends, and the peaceful life that’s now in the past.

This three line form of poetry is called “Triveni”. Gulzar makes extensive use of this format in his poems and songs.
In his own words: The Triveni sangam at Prayag (Benares) is of three rivers, Ganga, Jamuna and Saraswati. Ganga and Jamuna are the physical rivers and Saraswati is the mythological meta-physical river that makes the Sangam a “Triveni”. This third metaphysical presence adds a whole new dimension to the Sangam. Similarly, in the “Triveni” style of poetry the third line changes the perspective and adds a new dimension (ek naya pehloo) to the first two lines. The first two lines in itself make a complete poem (sher), but it’s the third line that changes the course of the poem and gives to way to possibilities and thoughts to the first two lines.

Best Hindi songs of 2007 - Part II

When I posted the "Best songs of 2007" I had not heard the music of Taare Zameen Par and hence this post.

Did I say that S-E-L are the most versatile composers around today? Well, the TZP songs only help prove that point further. These are the guys who had an out-an-out typical masala soundtrack for Salaam-e-Ishq, a very experimental soundtrack for Johnny Gaddar and now Taare Zameen Par!

Song: Jame Raho
Movie: Taare Zameen Par
Singers: Vishal Dadlani
Lyrics: Prasoon Joshi
Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

If “Hum to aise hain bhaiyaan” (by Shantanu Moitra and Swanand Kirkire) was a celebration of the wretchedness of an ordinary Indian’s life, “Jame Raho” is about the race of survival for a working class urban Indian family. The song is innovative in its composition, lyrics, singing – another evidence of “new sounds” in Hindi film music.
The song starts with an alarm clock ringing and then immediately gives a sense of the urgency of attending to ones duties for the day – the father going to work, the good kid to his school.
The lyrics aptly describe the daily acts of staying on track and focussed that are a part of the society today .
For the Father leaving for work: “Manzil ko chali sawaari, kandhon pe zimmedari”
For the Good Kid : “Aage rehne ki tension, mehnat inko pyaari hain, ekdum aagyakaari hain”

The song then switches moods to describe the world of the non-achiever kid in the family. The tune changes to a more dreamy pace:
“Har kaam ko taala karte hain, yeh sapne paala karte hain”
The song makes even more sense when you see it on the screen. Some of you might argue that “Maa” is a better number – and don’t get me wrong the song is great, but I found more creativity and innovation in this song.

Song: Taare Zameen Par
Movie: Taare Zameen Par
Singers: Shankar Mahadevan, Vivienne Pocha, Dominique Cerejo
Lyrics: Prasoon Joshi
Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

The title song is sung with a lot of sincerity by all the singers, the minimal and simple instruments of Tabla and Sitaar are a good choice for a song that describes “children”. The tune is also very simple and non-complicated. Shankar sings the “Mukhda” and Vivienne and Dominique do the “Antara”. The use of two singers for the “Antara” is unusual, but it works here.
Prasoon Joshi’s lyrics are the old tried method of similes. It works in most places
"Jaise rangon bhari pichkaari, jaise titliyaan phulon ki kyaari
Jaise bina matlab ka rishta koi"

but it seems deliberate in some places –

“Mohalle ki raunak galiyaan hain jaise
Khilane ki zid pe Kaliyaan hain jaise”

S-E-L, 2007 belongs to you three.

Best Hindi songs of 2007 - Part I

Contemporary Hindi film music is exploring new sounds and showing a lot of promise. 2007 saw a list of new singers, music directors and lyricists create an impact of their own and make their presence felt. Here's my list of some songs that deserve a mention for their composition/singing and poetry. They are not listed in any particular order:
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Song: Ay Hairathe
Movie: Guru
Singers: Alka Yagnik and Hariharan
Lyrics: Gulzar
Music: A.R.Rehman

The year started with another masterful composition by A.R.Rehman. Weaving Gulzar's words into a tune is no mean task - very few composers have done this right consistently : Pancham in the past and Vishal Bhardwaj and Rehman in the present are the only composers who have done complete justice to his ethereal poetry.
Alka Yagnik and Hariharan's voice are perfect for this romantic syrupy love song of two people completely immersed in each other. The "dum dara dum dara" chant adds an aura of mysticism to the composition. If there is one composer who uses "chorus" singing effectively, its Rehman. Towards the end of the song listen to how Alka's silky smooth voice emerges from the chorus.

Gulzar’s words are once again crafty and paradoxical to express that ever favorite topic of poets – Love. His use of repetition of words is always spot on:
“Ay hairathe aashiqui jagaa mat, pairon se zameen, zameen lagaa mat”
Listen to the subtle change in pitch the singers take when going from one “zameen” to the other.
This line also reminds of that gem of the 70s from “Ghar” - “Aajkal paon zameen par nahin padte mere”.

Song: Jaage hain der tak
Movie: Guru
Singers: A.R. Rehman, Chitra, Madras Chorale Group
Lyrics: Gulzar
Music: A.R.Rehman

A symphony in Hindi film music? This composition will knock your socks off and take you to a musical orgasm by the time its over. ARR’s earthy voice and the Madras Chorale Group take this composition to such a crescendo – the closest feeling I can describe in physicality is the feeling when your roller coaster cart slowly creeps to the top and stays there for a brief second before plummeting downwards.
The composition evokes feelings of desperation, hopelessness and the constant race to prove yourself to the world (personal opinion of course).
If I had to, had to give numbers to the songs of 2007, this one will be #1 through #5. This is perfect example of the words, singers and musicians becoming one whole being.

Song: Parbaton pe barfaan
Movie: The Blue Umbrella
Singer: Sukhwinder Singh
Lyrics: Gulzar
Music: Vishal Bharadwaj

“Parbaton pe barfaan barfaan barsan laagi re
Parbaton pe thandi barfaan barsan laagi re
Oh re beliya lautiyaan ghar aa re”

There’s that repetition of words again, it never becomes too much or too predictable. It is like salt in a recipe – must have it in the right quantity to bring all other flavors together.
This song is about that lost someone or something (not necessarily your lover – could be anyone or anything to each one – your childhood, your lost love, your mother, your youth, your favorite toy – aptly that’s what the Blue Umbrella stands for in the movie too).
Vishal’s use of instruments of Pahaadi Himachal and Sukhwinder’s earthy distant voice build an atmosphere of a cold snowy night in the mountains. Put this on a snowy night with your lights turned off and listen to the snow flakes illuminate with glimpses of the past.

Song: Khoya Khoya Chaand
Movie: Khoya Khoya Chaand
Singers: Swanand Kirkire, Abhay Jhingaran
Lyrics: Swanand Kirkire
Music: Shantanu Moitra

The Shantanu Moitra and Swanand Kirkire team (referred to as S&S henceforth) is slowly becoming the “RD-Gulzar” of the 21st century (for those of who would guillotine me for making this comparison – note the “becoming” – there is still a long way to go for them). Their music and poetry compliment each others work – noteworthy compositions – “Piya bole” and “Kastho mazaa hain” from Parineeta; “Baawra Mann” from Hazaron Khwaishein Aisee.

This Jazz+Qawaali composition is a new sound and the two singers are in perfect harmony. They are in perfect unison even in the high notes which I think is probably a very difficult feat to achieve. (I am no singer and this in no way is a critical review). The reason I say this is because some lines from this song make a brief appearance in another song from the same movie, this time Sonu Nigam crooning them. He falters big time in the high notes, he shrieks and gasps and tries hard to keep up.

Special mention to Swanand Kirkire’s poetry:
“Dil ko samjhana kehdo kya aasan kaam hain
Dil toh fitrat se sun lo na beimaan hain
Yeh khush nahin hain jo mila, bass mangta hi hain chala
Jaanta hain har lagee ka dard hi hain bass ek silaa”

Perfect words for today’s “Consume Sucka Consume” and “I want more and more and more” society.

Song: Hum toh Aise hain bhaiyaa
Movie: Laaga Chunari Mein Daag
Singers: Shreya Ghoshal, Sunidhi Chauhan, Swanand Kirkire
Lyrics: Swanand Kirkire
Music: Shantanu Moitra

Another composition by the S&S team. This song is all about Benares and eventually the essence of Indian-ness. True blue ode to “We are like this only!”. Shreya and Sunidhi are in sync all through the song. The words and tune are completely rooted in the North Indian rural setting.
The song touches a lot of themes:
- celebrating Benares and the Ganga:
“Aaja Benares ka rass chakh le aa, Ganga mein jaake tu dubki lagaa
Rabdi ke sang sang chaba le na ungali, maathe pe bhang ka rang chadha”

“Ek galee mein bum bum bole, dooji gali mein Allah-miyaa”

“Subki ragon mein lahoo bahein hain, humari ragon mein Ganga Maiyaa”

- how the Ganga takes all humanity in her with equal measure:
“Patna se aayibe Paris se aayibe, Gangaji mein har koi nanga nahai be”

- the middle class struggles of an Indian household aspiring of a richer life:
“Amma bechari pisne hain aayee, raat din such-dukh ki chukki chalayee
Aur ghar baithe baithe Babuji humaare lottery mein dhoondate hain kismet ke taare”

Finally despite of how miserable, nonsensical and wretched life is for a lot of Indians it celebrates the fact that this wretchedness and disorder itself identifies us in this world:
“Jeb mein humari doohi rupaiyaa, duniya ko rakkhe thenge pe bhaiyaa
Sukh dukh ko khoonti pe taange aur paap punya choti se baandhe”

“Majhdhaar mein humri naiyaan, fir bhi dekho mast hain hum bhaiyaa
Hum toh aise hain bhaiyaa”!

That my friend is an ordinary Indian’s attitude to life and its miseries.
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This is not an exhaustive list in any sense. It is just a mention of some songs that stood out for me in 2007.

Special mention must go to the following:

- “Ya Rabba” sung by Kailash Kher for Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy from Salaam-e-ishq
A broken heart’s pangs – not new for Hindi film music – this one falls in that category but has you humming and makes you want to have a broken heart just to sing this one out loud.

- “Johnny Gaddar” sung by Akriti Kakkar and Suraj Jagan for S-E-L from Johnny Gaddar
This one is a very unconventional song for a Hindi film music album. But then the movie itself was unconventional. The lyrics of Jaideep Sahni are in line for this crime caper. S-E-L are truly the most versatile composers around today.

- All songs from “Black Friday” by Indian Ocean.
The rock ballads of Indian Ocean are in perfect mood for this movie based on the 1993 Bombay Blasts. Special mention to “”Bharam bhaap ke”.

- “Jab bhi cigarette jalti hain” by Adnan Sami from “No Smoking”
This is a Gulzar and Vishal combination - a philosophical song about smoking. Interesting poetry here.

Care to pen down your favorites of 2007?