Bollywood Music & Songs
Music Launch of ‘Jodhaa Akbar’
Jan 14th
The music launch of Ashutosh Gowarikar’s mega project ‘Jodhaa Akbar’ was held on a grand scale amidst a grand assembly of Bollywood stars belonging to various genres. The gala function was held at Grand Hyatt, Kalina, Mumbai, late Wednesday evening, on January 9.The musical notes of the film have been given by A.R.Rahman who has successfully given the essence of Mughal era in the scores. The music has been released under the newly launched UTV music label.
Although there were celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, A.R. Rahman, Sonu Nigam, Javed Akhtar, Akbar Khan, Zayed Khan, Ashutosh Gowarikar, Hrithik’s wife Suzanne Khan, Shatrughan Sinha, Kulbushan Kharbanda, Raza Murad, among others to graced the function, the couple who stole the limelight was none other than the leading cast of the film, Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. The highlight of the function was the speeches of the stars of the movie on the film and their respective characters in the film.
Popularity: 10% [?]
Bollywood’s insight into social enigma of prostitution
Oct 7th
Director Pardeep Sarkar who is renowned for his critically appraised movie Parineeta (2005), this time have picked up the issue of prostitution as profession owned by a woman to mean of sustenance and survival of her family. Sarkar’s movie ‘Laaga Chunari Mein Daag’ which is to be released on October 12, 2007 is his first movie with Yash Raj Films banner.
Movie starring Rani Mukherji and Konkona Sen Sharma have depicted the trauma of town girls who get trapped into prostitution when they moves to big cities in search of job and career. According to Sarkar, “The film presents a strong woman from a middle class background that chooses to be in the (sex) profession and remain what she was to support her family,”
The other stars of the film are Jaya Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Kunal Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Kirron Kher, Farida Jalal and Hema Malini in special appearance.
Image Source: Yash Raj Films
Popularity: 9% [?]
Urvashi Sharma in ‘Naqaab’
Jul 3rd
Model-turned-actress Urvashi Sharma makes her debut in Bollywood with Abbas Mastan’s ‘Naqaab’ which stars Bobby Deol and Akshay Khanna opposite her.Urvashi has been signed for an eight-film contract with Tips Films –the production house that is also producing ‘Naqaab’.
Urvashi is not a new name in modeling with being the face of Ponds, TBZ and Garnier. Urvashi is refraining from appearing much in media before the release of her first flick which Ramesh Taurani, head honcho of Tips Music justifies as a part of a strategy thought through by them. He explains that, ‘Urvashi’s character is integral to the central plot of the film, and by far we have kept her under wraps. We want the audience to judge her performance unbiased.’
Akshaye Khanna too is all praises for his co-star, “’Naqaab’ needed a girl with no image and Urvashi is the perfect find, her face and body language suits the part.”
Popularity: 25% [?]
Sanobar Kabir goes Amrita Arora’s way
Jul 1st
Amrita Arora had created stirs by appearing in a hot video with her boyfriend and supermodel Upen Patel. Now, ‘Meri Beri Ke Ber’ fame Sanobar Kabir follows the same path. She is appearing with a newcomer Kunal in a music video ‘Sanobar and Masti Express’ by T-series. Kunal is Sanobar’s boyfriend and the duo has given body to body hot scenes in the video. Kunal says that the scenes are according to the demand of the situation.
Popularity: 12% [?]
Himesh Reshammiya’s ‘Burka’ scandal
Jun 28th
Our ‘Topi Wala Babu’ Himesh Reshammiya put his cap aside for the time being and donned on the ‘Burka’. The reason? The singer turned actor Himesh wanted to visit Ajmer Sharif but was scared of being caught up by his fans. So, he hid himself behind the ‘Burka’ and entered Khwaja’s Darbar to ask his blessings for his forthcoming ‘Aap Ka Suroor’. But as soon as the word got around, Himesh was flocked by fans who apparently tore his Burka to get his glimpse. The authorities are quite annoyed at Himesh’s attempt, but Himesh admits that he did not mean to hurt anyone’s sentiments and is sorry if he has done so unintentionally.
Popularity: 10% [?]
Daler Mehndi sues Yash Chopra for 1 crore
Jun 2nd
Daler Mehndi, has sued Yash Raj Films for Rs 1 crore damage regarding a song track from the forthcoming film ‘Jhoom Barabar Jhoom’. Daler Mehndi accuses that his voice was replaced by Shankar Mahadevan in a track the two had recorded almost one year back. Yash Raj defends by stating that Mehndi’s secretary was the one who requested that Mehndi’s vocals be removed, as certain terms and conditions were not working out between the two involved parties and that Mehndi had been aware of this for the past two months.
Popularity: 10% [?]
Bollywood Music Top 10 Chart
Mar 12th
Indo-Asian News Service
New Delhi, (IANS) Several new songs have made it to the list of top ten this week too and Shantanu Moitra’s “Chanda re” from “Eklavya” has occupied the number one position in its maiden appearance.
The top 10 Hindi songs for the week are:
1. “Chanda re” – Film: “Eklavya”; Music: Shantanu Moitra; Singer: Hamsika Iyer. The song has a slow pace, is romantically poetic and Hamsika’s melodic voice makes it worth listening.
2. “Rozana” – Film: “Nishabd”; Music Director: Vishal Bharadwaj; Singer: Amitabh Bachchan. “Rozana” can be termed an awesomely romantic and sensuous number.
3. “Maula mere” – Film: “Anwar”; Music Director: Mithoon; Singer: Roop Kumar Rathod. The Sufi number laced with romance is doing well. Due to its popularity it has moved seven notches up from number 10, landing at third position.
4. “Barso re” – Film: “Guru”; Music Director: A.R. Rahman; Singer: Shreya Ghoshal. After staying on the number one position for weeks, the hugely popular song that welcomes the rains has slid to fourth position this week.
5. “Chakna” – Film”; “Namaste London”; Music Director: Himesh Reshammiya; Singer: Himesh Reshammiya. This dance number is already doing the rounds in discotheques. The song has beats that make sure listeners enjoy the track even if they are not on a dance floor.
6. “Aafreen tera chehra” – Film: “Red”; Music Director: Himesh Reshammiya; Singer: Himesh Reshammiya. A new entrant on the list, “Aafreen tera chehra” is a panegyric love song about feminine beauty. Reshammiya does not let you down with his copyright high-pitched crooning.
7. “Aaj ki raat” – Film: “Don”; Music Director: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy; Singers: Alisha Chinoy, Mahalaxmi, Sonu Nigam. An impressive mix of modern and traditional, the song is popular for its beats.
8. “Crazy kiya re” – Film: “Dhoom 2″; Music Director: Pritam; Singer: Sunidhi Chauhan. The fast number sets your foot tapping and is a visual treat as well.
9. “Come on come on” – Film: “Baabul”; Music Director: Aadesh Shrivastava; Singers: Amitabh Bachchan, Sonu Nigam, Vishal, Aadesh Shrivastava, Ranjit Barot. A celebration song, “Come on come on” is quite popular among the party circuits.
10. “Saaze dil” – Film: “Yaatra”: Music Director: Khayyam; Singer: Talat Aziz. The semi-classical ghazal sung by Talat Aziz is definitely worth listening.
Popularity: 10% [?]
Alisha is back again
Mar 11th
Her rendition of ‘Kajra re’ propelled her back into limelight. Now the songtress Alisha Chinai will play judge on Indian Idol’s third season along with Anu Malik and Udit Narayan.
“I was quite surprised when Sony approached me. I’ve never done anything like this,” says Chinai.
How about working with Malik given their turbulent past? “We will work professionally,” she says, adding that what she’s worried about is her tell-it-as-it-is attitude.
Popularity: 10% [?]
Meghna Naidu’s spooky experience!
Jan 29th
Remeber Meghna Naidu? Yeah, the same girl who shot into the lumelight with music videos. After appearing in a few forgettable flicks, she’s back to where she started her career – music videos. Recently during one of the shoots, Ms. Naidu had a rather unforgettable experience. She was shooting in a remote place and the video’s concept demanded this particular old fort to give it a mystic and scary feel. SHooting was definitely no fun as the place naturally looked scary, especially when shooting at night. Naidu was made to climb an old banyan tree for the shoot and when she did so the unit’s light mysteriously went off and she was stranded in the dark, atop the tree. Luckily the entire unit gathered around to keep her ’spirits’ high. We are sure this is one scary experience Ms Naidu won’t forget for a ling time.
Popularity: 12% [?]
Malaika and Arbaaz to play a different game
Jan 29th
After their steamy MR coffee ad blissfully married couple Arbaaz Khan and Malaika Arora Khan were last seen together in a Shubha Mudgal music video. The duo will now team up to present a cricket quiz show ‘The Cricket Grandmaster’ for the upcoming World Cup. And while Arbaaz is completely addicted to cricket, for his bootylicious wife, it is going to be an altogether different ball game. Batting on a new wicket, eh?
Popularity: 10% [?]
Bipasha Basu praises Sunidhi for the success of ‘Bidee’
Jan 25th
Bipasha Basu gives credit to playback singer Sunidhi Chauhan for the huge popularity of the item song ‘Bidee’ in ‘Omkara’. The song has become a must at all party and gatherings. Bipasha is flattered when everyone performing to her ‘Bidee’ number and dancing to it like crazy. Bipasha praises Sunidhi for her powerful singing and adds that Sunidhi’s singing gave new dimensions to her dancing. Bipahsa insists that she is still nervous about singing and dancing even after giving a long list of hit item numbers. Well then what more bombs would she explode if she were not tense about dancing.
Popularity: 10% [?]
Male singers who made us croon along in 2006
Jan 17th
By Joginder Tuteja, IndiaFM
2006 was a good year both when it came to movies being successful and music across different genres being popular. There were some singers who came up number of hit tracks. On the other hand there were some who just a song apiece to their credit which were good enough to place these singers on a pedestal. In the end, there were some very good popular/critically acclaimed number that were enjoyed by lovers of Hindi music across the globe!
1. Himesh Reshammiya
He was the SINGER OF THE NATION in 2005! And he carried on the good luck and great support from his fans even into 2006. In the way he got as many brickbats as bouquets, as many fan mails as hate emails, as many good press as not-so-good, but the songs sung by him still managed to grace the top of the charts on a regular note. Some of his many big hits like ‘Aashique Ye Meri’ [36 China Town], ‘Zara Jhoom Jhoom’ [Tom Dick and Harry], ‘Ae Meri Zohrajabeen’ [Phir Hera Pheri], ‘Humko Deewana Kar Gaye’ [Humko Deewana Kar Gaye], ‘Aap Ki Khatir’ [Aap Ki Khatir], ‘Ahista Ahista’, ‘Allah Kare’ [Ahista Ahista], ‘Junoon Junoon’ [Rocky- The Rebel] and many more are ample examples of that! Himesh Reshammiya may have put his foot in mouth on an occasion more than one but one hopes that doesn’t deter his focus from delivering another dozen odd mass appealing numbers in the New Year!
2. Sonu Nigam
Quality took over quantity for Sonu Nigam in 2006. Though Himesh Reshammiya was clearly on a roll an entire year with stiff competition from KK, Kunal Ganjawala and Shaan, Sonu Nigam still managed to come up with the title song of ‘Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna’ which is undoubtedly the best sung song of the year. The pain, anguish and helplessness of a couple in love was brought out so well in the track that it was placed at the beginning of the album in spite of a sad theme. Sonu clearly seemed to excel in sad-n-soft songs in the year gone by as he reserved some of his best work for Anu Malik’s ‘Jaan-E-Mann’. Hear ‘Saud Dard Hai’ and ‘Ajnabi Shehar Hai’ and you would know why!
3. KK
If you can’t make out who is the singer for a particular song, chances are more than 99% that it is going to be KK! A man who has come a long way since his debut years back, he brings with him sheer variety in each of the songs he sings which makes his voice highly unique and different every time it is heard. He is the one who can sing ‘Kya Mujhe Pyaar Hai’ [Woh Lamhe] with as much aplomb as ‘Bas Ek Pal’ [Bas Ek Pal]. Also, he seems to be high UP there when it comes to singing for films coming from the Bhatt camp. Isn’t that the reason why ‘Tu Hi Meri Shab Hai’ [Gangster] and ‘Teri Yaadon Mein’ [The Killer] are enjoyed even today when months have passed since they were heard first?
4. Atif Aslam
Just one song in 2006 brings Atif Aslam in the Top-5 singers of the year. In the years before, his ‘Woh Lamhe’ [Zeher] and ‘Aadat’ [Kalyug] had been immensely successful. But the number that made him a household name in the second half of 2006 was ‘Tere Bin’, a song from a small film called ‘Bas Ek Pal’ that went on to do big business when it came to music! A perfect song that deserves 10/10 in all departments, be it rendition, lyrics or music, it catapulted Atif to such a high position in the world of music that everything that he does now would be looked at keenly. Now that’s what one calls after-effects of fame!
5. Zubeen Garg
Unlike Atif Aslam, Zubeen Garg was heard in more than just a solitary song but his ‘Ya Ali’ [Gangster] has been his most critically and commercially acclaimed song of the year! Zubeen has been struggling for years when it comes to Bollywood playback singing but ‘Ya Ali’ has been his ticket to the big league. Watch out for Zubeen as this classically trained singer has a lot more colors to show than just ’sufi-rock’ rendition!
6. James
Thank you Bhatts. And thank you Anurag Basu and Pritam. Because if not for you all, music lovers may not have got an opportunity to hear the voice of a singer who belonged all the way to Bangladesh. One thought that ‘Bheegi Bheegi’ [Gangster] was the only kind of song that James could sing since he excelled in this painful rock rendition. But lo! Soon came ‘Chal Chale’ [Woh Lamhe] and realization struck that he had so much more to offer. If ‘Bheegi Bheegi’ was plain sorrow, ‘Chal Chale’ was akin to a walk in the clouds!
7. Kailash Kher
When Kailash Kher sung, the nation danced! And together we all said – ‘Chak De Phatte’! The song was such a huge hit that it made everyone aware about a small little film called ‘Khosla Ka Ghosla’. Smart strategy applied by UTV to promote the number extensively with a music video woven around it made ‘Chak De Phatte’ a famous song in campus fests, discs, pubs, marriages and other festive processions alike! A winner track!
8. Shafqat Amanat Ali/Shankar Mahadevan
Together they sung ‘Mitwa’ and Shafqat Amanat Ali & Shankar Mahadevan were soon a pair! The two singers brought a kind of variety that was required for this thoughtful sufi/rock/Indian classical fusion number. A superhit track that is gracing numerous year-end compilation albums of 2006, ‘Mitwa’ makes sure that ‘Love Will Find A Way’! Shafqat also had the soulful rendition of ‘Yeh Honsla’ from ‘Dor to his credit which he sung with Salim Merchant that made an interesting theme song for the movie.
9. Shaan
Shaan may have sung a dozen odd good songs this year but the one that stood out was ‘Chand Sifarish’ [Fanaa]. This was the song that made his voice almost unrecognizable as came up with a rendition that was quite different from what one identifies him with. A chartbuster of the year, it may well have introduced Shaan as Aamir Khan’s new voice!
10. Kunal Ganjawala
2006 may not have been an year where Kunal Ganjawala enjoyed a ‘Bheege Honth Tere’ [Murder], but he did have to his credit some beautiful melodies that unfortunately weren’t as successful as they deserved. Otherwise how can one explain a brilliant song like ‘Tumse Yun Milenge’ [Ankahee] going highly unnoticed while ‘Tum Jo Mile’ [Ahista Ahista] forced to abort its way up in the charts due to a premature end of the film at the box office. One hopes Kunal enjoys a much better 2007!
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Popularity: 10% [?]
Soundtracks to look forward to in 2007
Jan 17th
By Joginder Tuteja, IndiaFMNow this really was a horrendous task! In the months to come, there are dozens of promising albums that would be hitting the stands on a regular note. To select those Top 10 albums that are anticipated to comprise of some very good songs is like picking up your favorite candy from the store! Nevertheless, one ends up taking a grace album and making it 11 most promising soundtracks of 2007.
Note: The list below is in alphabetical order.
Aap Ka Surroor – The Moviee Music: Himesh Reshammiya He gave his best when he was composing for other singers. He gave his best when he was composing songs with him doubling as a singer. And now one expects nothing but the best when he composes and sings for himself as a leading actor. Facing the camera for the big screen to tell his own love story, Himesh Reshammiya triples up as a composer/singer/actor for ‘Aap Ka Surroor – The Moviee’ which is touted to be the costliest and most extravagant movie ever coming out of India. Yes, we are waiting!
Awaarapan Music: Himesh Reshammiya Bhatts. Emraan Hashmi. Pritam. Need we say more?
Jhoom Baraabar Jhoom Music: Shankar Ehsaan Loy Shaad Ali has enjoyed successful soundtracks in his past two films ‘Saathiya’ and ‘Bunty Aur Babli’. Shankar Ehsaan Loy had a hat trick of big hits in the form of ‘Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna’, ‘Don’ and ‘Salaam-E- Ishq’. Together they come up with ‘Jhoom Baraabar Jhoom’, yet another dream project with Yash Raj Films which stars Abhishek Bachchan, Bobby Deol, Preity Zinta and Amitabh Bachchan in a special role. Will there be a ‘kajrare’ yet again?
Jodhaa Akbar Music: A.R. Rahman Think historical and the name that comes to mind is A.R. Rahman. Though Rahman has himself confessed that he has probably done a lot too many historicals, dream merchants still fight it out to rope him as the composer when it comes to making music with a difference. Also, for someone like Ashutosh Gowarikar who has worked with Rahman in his last two films ‘Lagaan’ and ‘Swades’, it was difficult to pick up any other composer for this magnum opus starring Hrithik and Ash.
Lajjo Music: A.R. Rahman When a team like Mani Ratnam, Bobby Bedi and Aamir Khan comes together, the project is meant to be BIG. And when a project is big, the only composer that comes to mind is A.R. Rahman. Working on two of the biggest soundtracks of the year, Rahman should well have some great soundtracks to offer to music lovers after ‘Rang De Basanti’ and ‘Guru’.
Metro Music: Pritam This could well be one of the defining soundtracks of the New Year! Experimenting with the very concept of song placement in a film, ‘Metro’ comes with an idea of a Rock Band being specially formed for the movie. Comprising of 3-5 members, this Rock Band would be crooning tracks composed by Pritam and would also be making an appearance in the movie multiple number of times at crucial junctures.
Om Shanti Om Music: Vishal-Shekhar, Pyarelal This may well have been third big project for A.R. Rahman but call it the good luck of Vishal-Shekhar, they were the ones to ultimately bag the project. After ‘Main Hoon Naa’, Farah Khan and Shahrukh Khan return with yet another masala fare based on the theme of reincarnation. Bonus comes in the form of Pyarelal of Laxmikant Pyarelal making a comeback as a guest composer too. For those born in contemporary times, it would be an opportunity to witness what they have missed.
Saawariya Music: Monty Sanjay Leela Bhansali has lived dreams. And he has made his dreams come true on celluloid through his projects. Undoubtedly, music has played an integral part of his films. Now he has roped in young Monty, background composer of ‘Devdas’ and ‘Black’, to handle the responsibility of an entire soundtrack of ‘Saawariya’. A launch pad of any actor is always special. And it becomes extra special when the newcomers [Ranbir Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor] belong to ‘Kapoor khaandaan’! We are sure the album would be one magical experience!
Shakalaka Boom Boom Music: Himesh Reshammiya Love or hate his movies, fact cannot be ignored that the music of Suneel Darshan films always sells. His ‘Andaaz’ is still registering decent album sales while even a turkey like ‘Mere Jeevan Saath’ sold lakhs of units. And when Himesh Reshammiya comes into picture for a film that is touted as an urban musical thriller, expectations are huge from the team. Will Reshammiya carry on the rich musical record that was held by Suneel Darshan and Nadeem Shravan?
Tara Rum Pum Music: Vishal Shekhar Any film coming from the house of YRF is an event in itself. And when a film’s title reads as ‘Tara Rum Pum’, there are all the valid expectations of a frothy entertaining score. No wonder, one has already started imagining the lead pair of Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukherjee lip synching to the fun tunes by Vishal Shekhar.
Train Music: Mithoon Young Mithoon started his journey as an original composer with ‘Bas Ek Pal’ and ‘Anwar’ last year. And now one expects him to continue his successful journey in Raksha Mistry-Hasnain Hyderabadwala ‘The Train’. With Bajaj brothers [Narendra and Shyam] being the producers who have enjoyed one musical success after another with Himesh Reshammiya in the past, ‘The Train’ becomes an exciting musical prospect. Director duo of the film is quite confident about the music. Well, even we are! And yes, a certain Emraan Hashmi factor counts too!
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Popularity: 9% [?]
Indian Idol – again but without Sonu and Anu
Jan 16th
The reality show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV which rocked the nation is coming again, but the latest news is that Sonu Nigam and Anu Malik will not play the judges this time. One of the main attractions of this show was its panel of judges- Farah Khan with her scoldings, Anu Malik with his ‘Shayaree’ and Sonu Nigam with his gentle praises and criticism. Sonu Nigam, who has not been too much in the limelight recently, said, “They have not said anything about it to me and I have not asked them anything about it”.
Without Sonu and Anu, will ‘Indian Idol’ succeed in recreating the same magic? Only time has an answer!
Popularity: 9% [?]
*Exclusive* Brett Lee and Asha You are the one for me
Jan 11th
Oh dear, this is cringe worthy he must be getting some stick from his team mates for this!!!
Not a bad bowler though to be fair !
Popularity: 11% [?]
Mika – Tune Pappi Kyon Li music video
Jan 11th
Was it a publicity gimmick or was it Mika unable to keep his libido in check and kissing Rakhi Sawant. Whatever the case, the incident did give the two their 15 seconds of fame on national television. The incident happened on June 12th on Mika’s birthday bash. Rakhi lodged a complaint with the police and went about town talking about the forcible lip-lock.
Mika denied the incident but pics and video footage shown on the news channel prove otherwise. In fact, if we believe Rakhi, Mika had kissed her forcibly earlier too but she forgave him.Well that’s the long of it in short.
The latest update is that Mika has come up with a song “Mika – Tune Pappi Kyon Li” The title of the song says it all and i also saw this online video. We now eagerly await Rakhi’s reply to this one.
The latest update is that Mika has come up with a song “Mika – Tune Pappi Kyon Li” The title of the song says it all and i also saw this online video. We now eagerly await Rakhi’s reply to this one.
Popularity: 12% [?]
Koena Mitra’s night out
Jan 9th
Koena Mitra cannot stop raving about her performance with nelly furtado, A R Rahman, Priyanka Chopra and Shahid Kapur on december 31st 2006. “It wasn’t just the best live show i have performed in but the best live show i have ever seen. For once, the crowds were totally with us. All of us Felt so alive,” she gushes. Koena is ga-ga about nelly furtado. “She’s truly fantastic on stage. And when she was joined by the NRI band josh, the crowds went berserk,” she says. “In the end we were all invited by AR Rahman on stage to ring in 2007 at midnight. I can’t think of a better way to welcome the New Year,” says koena, adding “the next few days, I am just chilling at home, visiting friends and shopping.”
Popularity: 9% [?]
A disappointing show by Bollywood melody-makers
Jan 4th
By Subhash K. Jha, Indo-Asian News ServiceMumbai, (IANS) What a sad year for the ear! Very few Bollywood soundtracks stood out; and the ones that did were few.
It was more individual singers making an impact than an entire album. Sunidhi Chauhan rocked the charts with “Beedi” in “Omkara”, arguably the most successful item song after “Kajra re” (“Bunty Aur Babli”).
Isn’t it ironical that Gulzar, a poet known for his immensely profound images, just sizzled at the top of the charts for two consecutive years, first with “Kajra re”, and now “Beedi”.
Gulzar also gave us the most beautiful love ballad in 2006 – “Humko maloom hai” in Shirish Kunder’s directorial debut “Jaan-e-Mann”.
Sunidhi, who ripped through “Beedi”, did a searing ballad “Humko choone paas aayiye” in the underrated “Zindaggi Rocks”.
Interestingly, the two Bong-babes, Bipasha Basu and Sushmita Sen, for whom Sunidhi sang “Beedi” and “Humko choone”, have declared the singer’s hand in making them appear larger-than-life on screen through the two numbers.
So has Sunidhi arrived at a stage where she gives sublime succour to actress’ image?
Not quite. Her “Yeh mera dil” for Kareena Kapoor in Farhan Akhtar’s “Don – The Chase Begins” left much to be desired.
Strangely, despite her stunning versatility, Sunidhi failed to be the first choice for the heroine’s voice. That mantle is moved a bit more away from Alka Yagnik to Shreya Ghosal, who sounds like an incredibly accomplished singer in the “Barso re megha” track in Mani Ratnam’s “Guru”, which is slated for release in 2007.
Aishwarya Rai frolicking in the rain helps. But A.R. Rahman now shows clear signs of filmy fatigue.
Among the older singing divas Asha Bhosle was in peak form in “Lamha lamha” in “Corporate”. Such was her rapport with Shamit Tandon that she got together with the composer at year end to whoop it up in “Asha & Friends” with celebrity ’singers’ like Urmila Matondkar, Sanjay Dutt and Brett Lee.
Gimmicky marketing devices don’t always mend the music market.
Among the other seasoned singers Alka did a soul-stirring job of the title song in Karan Johar’s “Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna”. But in this soundtrack it was the Pakistani crooner Shafqat Amanat Ali who stole the show.
Voices from across the border echoed in Sufi-rock splendour once again throughout 2006.
Director Onir’s “Bas Ek Pal” had “Tere bin” by Atif Aslam, the new pinup crooner on the block, who threatens to take over from the Udit Narayans and Sonu Nigams of our singing world.
And there was Zubin Garg winning over the entire nation with “Ya Ali” in Anurag Basu’s “Gangster – A Love Story”, Pritam’s straight-off rip-off of a number from across the border.
“Dhoom 2″ had Vishal Dadlani singing a new interpretation of a song Pritam had already done in the first film in the series.
Made you wonder whether originality had become a dinosaur. Our own singing experts Sonu and Udit had a quiet year. Kunal Ganjawala fast caught up with them with “Tere bin” in “Bhagam Bhaag”.
A uniformly hearable soundtrack?
Yes, Anu Malik’s “Umrao Jaan” had some soul-piercing ‘mujras’ written with sophistication and simplicity by Javed Akhtar and rendered with surprising finesse by Alka.
Though the tunes had a pronounced derivative dimension to them, this was perhaps the only soundtrack this year with a heart.
Unless “Chand sifarish” in Kunal Kohli’s “Fanaa” made its way to your heart. A tall order since it blended Sufi-rock elements with roadside-Romeo rhythms in a mix that made time fidgety.
Popularity: 9% [?]
Bollywood Item numbers strike it rich in 2006
Jan 4th
By Arpana, Indo-Asian News Service
New Delhi, (IANS) Musically speaking, 2006 wasn’t a great year for Bollywood but lilting, so-called item songs matched with sizzling visuals acted as fillers and provided a pleasing experience for music buffs.
Demand for item numbers soared in the year and many filmmakers – be it candyfloss connoisseur Karan Johar or the crusaders of realistic cinema Vishal Bhardwaj or Madhur Bhandarkar – couldn’t abstain themselves from using item songs in their films.
If “Kajra re”, featuring Aishwarya Rai, was crowned the top song last year, Bipasha Basu’s rustic number “Bidee” is the frontrunner this year. Both of them were penned down by Gulzar.
“I want to single out two item numbers in these past few years that have set a benchmark for all others, whose writers reminded us that any song – whether an item or a nursery rhyme – it requires, foremost, plain good poetry. The first was, of course, Gulzar’s “Kajra re,” and the second was “Man saat samandar” written by Irshad Kamil. These are truly iconic songs that has set completely new standards,” journalist-lyricist Neelesh Misra told IANS.
Misra, who penned down “Lamha lamha” for “Gangster – A Love Story”, described items songs as “great force multipliers”.
“Item numbers have always been there in the movies, but suddenly I see them as, to use a military term, great force multipliers. In a crowd of film promos, where one song often sounds just like the other, I think a great item song brings more eyeballs to a film,” he said.
The “Beedi” song in Bhardwaj’s “Omkara” fits his theory well. It was one of the most talked about song of the year and as expected, the audience savoured the experience of watching Bipasha in it. Aesthetically picturised, it topped the charts and is a rage even after months.
Apart from “Beedi”, another item number from the same film was “Namak Ishq ka”, again picturised on Bipasha. It turned out to be another fantastic song though it couldn’t replace “Beedi” from the top slot.
If Bipasha became the cynosure of all eyes, Payal Rohatagi too hogged the limelight for “Mast kalandar” in “Corporate”, in which Bipasha played the main lead. But it couldn’t remain a chartbuster for too long.
When the likes of Bipasha and Payal were endorsing item songs, “Khallas” girl Isha Koppikar too jumped on the bandwagon and sizzled in “Aashiqi mein teri” in “36 China Town”.
She teamed up with newcomer Uppen Patel in this song, which continued composer-singer Himesh Reshammiya’s nasal rendition and remained a chartbuster. Reshammiya’s “Jhalak dikhla ja” from Aksar also did well.
While item numbers ensured instant fame for the strugglers and a newcomer like Uppen Patel, established actors too used it as a means to spruce up their popularity and Kareena Kapoor tops that list.
Her appearance in the seductive number “Yeh mera dil pyaar ka deewana” in “Don” came as a bonus to her popularity because 2006 too wasn’t fruitful to her.
However, her decision to step into Helen’s dancing shoes fetched her maximum attention and kept her floating in the glitzy lanes of glamour world.
Commenting on the effect of item songs Misra said: “Just as there is a `tabloidisation’ of the journalism business brought about by the live news channels, item songs have brought a yearning for immediate results among music directors. But hey, some them have great music so let us not close our minds to them like I once had.”
Another item song that rocked the nation was “Rock and roll soniye” from “Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna”.
A last minute addition to Johar’s infidelity drama, the song was shot just few weeks before its release with the entire star cast and it was well received by the music lovers.
Also, the fact that Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan took to the dance floor soon after his prolonged illness made it more attention grabbing. Just like “Don”, the fate of KANK was not good but the song was a runaway success.
One more song “Where is the party tonight” from the same film became a hit among the party circuit.
Usually seen as a catchy, upbeat dance song, which has no relevance to the plot, it helps in pulling the crowd to the theatre and is not a temporary phenomenon.
“In olden days we used to have ‘mujras’ and now we have theses shoddily picturised songs. Every director wants them. Any song which is cheaply picturised becomes a dance number,” said composer Sandesh Shandilya.
Item songs contribute partially to the popularity of a star and film. Going by the current trend, it will continue to dominate the music scenario in the coming years.
There are some good items numbers lined for 2007 as well and the most talked about is Mallika Sherawat’s special song appearance in Mani Ratnam’s “Guru”.
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Riya Sen’a musical plans
Jan 2nd
Moon Monn Sen’a daughter Riya sen has already carved a niche for herself, be it music videos, or films, and now we hear she’s even planning to turn singer sometime in the future. Of course, this will be all in good time, but seems like starring in all those music videos has certainly given Riya sen and appetite for music, and she’s chalked up that as one more step to take when things go right. Now if you suddenly see her hoardings announcing her album, don’t be surprised!
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