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.

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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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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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.

“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”.

Perched between the world within a kotha (brothel) and the outer world of growing deceit and betrayal, the story of little Ameeran’s journey from her quaint and happy family life to the Kotha is mapped in lucid, flamboyant and sometimes muted colours of utter enchantment.

J.P. Dutta, along with cinematographer Aynanka Bose, takes us on a pilgrimage through Umrao’s inner and outer landscape creating perfect visuals to portray her predicament as a ‘fallen woman’ forever rising above her destiny.

What lifts this “Umrao Jaan” far above the 1978 version is its sense of imminent historicity. While the original stopped just after the doomed woman returns to the comforting yet claustrophobic space of the kotha, Dutta’s narrative moves forward, carving a socio-historical perspective for his protagonist in a Lucknow going through a bloody turmoil, as its cultural legitimacy is questioned and mocked by the British Raj.

The film’s most memorable sequence is when the kotha’s practical and yet emotional madame (Shabana Azmi) packs off her endangered girls and stays on in the brothel – a solitary figure standing over the looming architecture as a symbol of unaccompanied bravery.

Shabana’s histrionics are awe-inspiring, comparable with her mother Shaukat’s performance in the same role in Muzaffar Ali’s film.

“Umrao Jaan” must not be allowed to be a victim of cynical readings. Its statement, comparing the woman’s heart to a railway station, where any man can stop to while away time, has a resonance way beyond the time-zones Dutta creates within his lengthy but satisfying work of art.

The ambience of the kotha is superbly re-created by art director Bijon Dasgupta. But Vaibhavi Merchant’s choreography lets down the courtesans’ tale. It fails to evoke the sensuous grace that Rai is capable of. Too much of Javed Akhtar’s evocative lyrics are expressed in hand movements.

There’s a great deal of warmth in the crisscross of relationships that the screenplay creates. Umrao’s rapport with her surrogate father in the brothel, played by Kulbhushan Kharbanda, is truly special.

Aishwarya imbues a sense of luminosity into Umrao’s all-giving nature. As Umrao, she’s remarkably vulnerable and gentle, trying to safeguard her interests emotionally rather than instinctively.

Her two key romantic sequences with Abhishek Bachchan convey a feeling of bridled anxiety but are felled by their inordinate length. They needed to be curtailed and streamlined. The same applies to the plethora of mujras (dance sequences) – all gracefully performed by the resplendent Rai, but monotonous for their frequency and genre- specificity.

Anu Malik’s music and Alka Yagnik’s singing go a long way in evoking the poetic tragedy of a woman who craves to break free from her destiny.

“Umrao Jaan” is remarkable for recreating the rhythms of a charming though lost culture through the pacy movements of the tawaif’s feet, though the choreography does restrict the Aishwarya’s swan-like agility.

The film also gives space to lesser-known actors like Puru Raj Kumar, who is splendid as Umrao’s roguish in-house suitor at the kotha, and Divya Dutta melts your heart in the one important sequence that the script allows her.

Abhishek Bachchan, as the tormented, torn and yet restrained Nawab, is a portrait of bridled intensity. That little smirk in the corner of his mouth or that almost-invisible twinkle in his eye – these nuances show how much Bachchan junior has evolved.

For creating an “Umrao Jaan”, who stays in our hearts, and for giving Aishwarya Rai yet another memorable role, J.P. Dutta must take a bow.

Be the first you write reviews for Umrao Jaan the movie! Comment below …

6. “Hum ko maaloom hai” – Film: “Jan-e-Mann”; Music: Anu Malik; Singers: Sonu Nigam and Sadhana Sargam. The film has released and critics have appreciated the endeavours of Shirish Kunder’s directorial debut. It was a visual treat to watch this conversational song on screen.

7. “Kya mujhe pyaar hai” – Film: “Woh Lamhe”; Singer: K.K.; Music: Pritam. The success of the film and the music has surprised trade watchers. This is certainly the best song in the album.

8. “Aap ki khatir” – Film: “Aap Ki Khatir”; Singer: Himesh Reshammiya; Music: Himesh Reshammiya. The film didn’t receive encouraging reviews and new entrants ousted the song last week. However, its popularity brings it back to the list this week.

9. “Lage raho Munna bhai” – Film: “Lage Raho Munna Bhai”; Singer: Vinod Rathod; Music: Shantanu Moitra. The film is a super duper hit and the popularity of the title song is increasing which has entered the list after a couple of weeks.

10. “Mujhe haq hai”- Film: “Vivah”; Music: Ravindra Jain; Singers: Udit Narayan and Shreya Ghoshal. The love song has hit the right chord with young listeners.

(Source – The Music Shop, Khan Market)

Last year, well-known lyricist Javed Akhtar received the Kishore Kumar Award.

Born Abhas Kumar Ganguly in Khandwa on Aug 4, 1929, Kishore moved to Mumbai when he was 18. His elder brother Ashok Kumar was already a big star in the city. And he didn’t have to work hard to get his first singing assignment for Bombay Talkies “Ziddi” (1948), in which he sang “Marne ki duayen kyon mangu” for Dev Anand.

In those days legendary singer K.L. Saigal was a source of inspiration for newcomers and Kishore was also a big fan of his, hence he tried to imitate Saigal while signing the song.

The song became a hit but it didn’t bring too many offers for Kishore, and he kept struggling for a foothold.

Maverick composer S.D. Burman, a good friend of his elder brother, advised him, “Don’t try to ape K.L. Saigal. Apers never make great artists. You should develop your own singing style.”

After this, Kishore developed his own trademark singing style, and the distinctive yodelling, which he learnt by listening to the Austrian records of his brother Anoop Kumar.

Singing was Kishore’s passion, and he wasn’t remotely interested in acting. Once, while he was running from pillar to post in search of good singing assignments, an acting offer fell in his lap. He was asked to play the main lead in “Andolen” (1951) and Kishore lapped it up because it would allow him to sing for himself.

But the film flopped.

During his initial years in Bollywood he met Ruma Devi and after a whirlwind romance they tied the knot in 1951. The following year they were blessed with a son whom they christened Amit Kumar, who is a well -known singer.

But Kishore’s family opposed the marriage and withdrew their support, and he was left alone to fend for himself.

This marked a turning point in his life because he had to actually struggle for his survival in the industry. After trying his luck at many places, he approached S.D Burman (known to most as Burmanda), who gave him a few songs to sing. Nobody took him seriously as a singer till “Dukhi man mere” from “Funtoosh” (1956) was released.

As luck would have it, Burmanda fell out with Lata Mangeshkar and it turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Kishore as Burmanda teamed up with Kishore and Asha Bhosle and churned out quite a few hit duets. This was not enough for Kishore, who yearned to be the top signer.

However, his acting career was flourishing and he became one of the most sought after actors, and the audience loved his comic roles. Some of his memorable films are “Ladki”(1953), “New Delhi” (1956), “Asha” (1957), “Chalti ka Naam Gaadi” (1958), “Dilli ka Thug” (1958), “Chacha Zindabad” (1959), “Jhumroo” (1961), “Half Ticket” (1962), “Door Gagan ki Chaon Mein”(1964), “Mr. X in Bombay” (1964) and “Padosan” (1968).

In all these films, he sang his songs. As playback singer he lent his voice to Dev Anand and sang quite a few songs for him including for “Guide”. The veteran actor once described him as “my soul”.

But it was Rajesh Khanna starrer “Aradhana” (1969) that marked a turning point in his singing career. Both his songs “Mere sapnon ki rani” and “Kora kagaz tha yeh man mera” from the film went to become chartbusters and overshadowed Mohammed Rafi’s song in the film.

After this film, Kishore kept climbing the success ladder. His teaming up with Rajesh Khanna translated into the golden era of his career – he gave hits after hits and superseded all the singers of his time and entrenched himself on the number one position. Finally his dream had come true.

He won eight Filmfare Awards, but his success and popularity made him cynical. According to insiders, unless producers made full payment, he would refuse to sing the complete song.

While he proved his mettle both as a singer and actor, his personal life was in a mess.

His marriage with Ruma Devi didn’t last long. They parted ways and he tied the knot with popular co-star Madhubala. After her tragic death, he married actress Yogita Bali, but she couldn’t stay with him for more a few months. He married Leena Chandavarkar, another popular actress, who is two years older to his son Amit Kumar.

He died in 1987 of a heart attack. An untrained singer, Kishore Kumar is a favourite of millions of listeners and a source of inspiration for many aspiring singers.

Among his memorable songs are “Haal kaisa hai janaab ka” from the 1958 hit “Chalti ka Naam Gaadi”, “Yeh raatein, yeh mausam” (“Dilli ka Thug”), “Aa chal ke tujhe” (“Door Gagan ki Chaon Mein”), “Mere mehboob qayamat hogi” (“Mr. X in Bombay”) “Mere saamne wali khidki mein” (Padosan), “Mere sapnon ki Rani” (“Aradhana”), “Woh shaam kuch ajeeb thi” (“Khamoshi”), “Zindagi ka safar” (“Safar”), “Chingari koi bhadke” (“Amar Prem”), “Zindagi ek safar hai suhana” (“Andaaz”) “Chala jata hoon” (“Mere Jeevan Saathi”), “Musafir hoon yaron” (“Parichay”), “Main shair badnaam” (“Namak Haram”) and “Zindagi ke safar mein” (“Aap ki Kasam”).

Umrao was known for her songs and music. What do you have to say about the music and the story telling through the songs?

Its just sheer joy for me personally and for the actor in me because I personally enjoy music and dance. I had always been greedy as a member of the film industry and to get an opportunity to work with this very special combination of J P Dutta, Javed Akhtar and Anu Malik is amazing. Their music is beautiful and extremely memorable. Every moment of performing these songs was fulfilling. Probably the media or audience would expect seven-eight item songs but for Anu Malik each song is part of the narrative. It’s a part of her journey and that’s the way he has treated these songs.

Can you tell us any experience that touched your heart?

Umrao Jaan is a courtesan and a performer, not just a dancer but a poetess as well. She performs her poetry in the form of dance. It is literally from her soul and through her experience on every stage and to pick any one experience is very difficult because the entire art from her first performance to her journey of life is touching.

How did you prepare yourself for Umrao Jaan?

It was a study on set. I’ll be very honest as I didn’t get the chance because of my crazy schedules. I have learned many things on the set under the guidance of OP Dutta, JP Dutta and off course Javed Saab. They have made my work conveniently smooth and I have to thanks them immensely. As you all know that we tend to speak in English most often and our generation is not smooth in such a beautiful language like Urdu. Though we are not fluent in that language, I thoroughly enjoyed the mouthing of dialogues in this film because I had the opportunity to explore that world and their language.

How was it working with J P Dutta?

It’s like a blessing in my career. I had some great opportunities to essay such incredible characters on screen as an actor. It’s a very special experience and a great opportunity to play a character like Umrao Jaan, who has already become an icon in our cinema. I have been through this area of questioning even when I was essaying Paro in Devdas. All my sincere thanks to Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who conveyed the story to today’s audience. Whenever a story is told or retold it is the interpretation of that director, cinema finds its audience.

How do you react when you are compared with the previous Umrao Jaan, Rekha?

As a performer, she is inspiring. It’s not only Umrao Jaan but her entire career and characters that she essayed through her performances that are extremely inspiring. In terms of my performance in the film, I am very clear that when I am acting in a movie I am interpreting my director’s vision. I have said this even during Devdas when I was performing Paro. It’s all about how the director sees the character and how he wants me to perform onscreen in the story. I was inspired by her performances before but I just can’t simply be copying or aping her. There is no meaning in remaking the cinema then.

How was the whole experience like?

It was a pleasure. I would like to thank him for giving me the honor of learning so much under him as a student. I have tried under his sincerity, guidance, under his knocking and breaking down. But to become a mirror of her journey all the way to realizing Umrao Jaan on celluloid was a great experience.

It was a privilege to have incredible company like Shabana Azmi, Suniel Shetty and Abhishek Bachchan. Mr. O P Dutta made me break down several times by telling me those sensitive incidents. I couldn’t have asked for a better role to essay than this celluloid. Javed Saab made gave me songs with the most soulful lyrics. Emoting has come naturally with his lyrics. It’s an honour to be part of this project.

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6. “Hum ko maaloom hai” – Film: “Jan-e-Mann”; Music: Anu Malik; Singers: Sonu Nigam and Sadhana Sargam. The number with conversational lyrics is an instant hit with music lovers.

7. “Mitwa” – Film: “Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna”; Singers: Alka Yagnik and Sonu Nigam; Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. Both the film and the song failed to enthral the audience.

8. “Mujhe haq hai”- Film: “Vivah”; Muisc: Ravindra Jain; Singers: Udit Narayan and Shreya Ghoshal. The love song by Udit Narayan and Shreya Ghoshal has hit the right chord with young lovers.

9. “Kya mujhe pyaar hai” – Film: “Woh Lamhe”; Singer: K.K; Music: Pritam. The success of the film and the music has surprised trade watchers. This is the best song in the album.

10. “Bidee” – Film: “Omkara”; Singers: Sunidhi Chauhan, Sukhwinder Singh; Music: Vishal Bharadwaj. “Bidee” seems to have become a permanent fixture on the charts.

(Source – The Music Shop, Khan Market)

First and foremost she greets you with ‘Salaam’ and hooks your attention at the very onset. Is it Anu Malik’s music, Alka Yagnik’s rendition or Javed saab lyrics that make the song special? In fact it’s the combination of each of the veterans as they come together to create a mesmerizing ‘mujra’ track that is in word – flawless. Whether it is a common man or the followers of classical music, the song is going to mesmerize one and all as it hooks on to you in a big way. The setting is just perfect; sets are impeccable, choreography and costumes as per the song’s mood while the instruments (ghunghroo, tabla, sitar etc.) create the right ambience to keep you glued to the screen while it is on. A brilliant start to the album!

Sound of ‘ghunghroo’ begins ‘Pehle Pehel’ that lives up the class of ‘Salaam’ and has that lyrical beauty around it that creates such a nice rhythm that it requires a lot of persuasion to move on the next song. Alka Yagnik is extremely controlled in her rendition and at this very moment one starts wishing that ‘Umrao Jaan’ may just be a befitting follow-up to the National Award winning score of ‘Refugee’ by Anu Malik, which was again for J.P. Dutta. A love song set in a tantalizing manner (again as a mujra), it is a worthy follow-up to ‘Salaam’ and turns out to be a beautiful composition.

Anu Malik shows his prowess as a composer with good classical base in the way he creates the arrangements for the opening of ‘Behka Diya Humein’. First (and the only) duet in the album, it is poetry all the way as Sonu Nigam pairs up with Alka Yagnik. Though the song’s beginning is a trifle close to Jaidev composed and Suresh Wadekar sung ‘Seene Mein Jalan’ from the film ‘Gaman’ (which was incidentally made by Muzaffar Ali himself), it restricts itself to being an inspiration rather than a copy. The setting is changed completely for this love song that is dreamy all the way, courtesy the sound of the song that has a slight echo effect imparted to the vocals of the lead singers. Sheer poetry coupled with some honest music sans any unwanted ingredients, the album so far is for those who wish to be traversed to a different world altogether.

Alka Yagnik returns to croon a solo in the form of ‘Jhute Ilzaam’. The first thing that captivates you about the song is its opening line that sets the pace for rest of the song. ‘Jhute Ilzaam Meri Jaan Lagaya Naa Karo, Dil Hai Nazuk Isse Tum Aise Dukhaya Naa Karo’ – once you have heard this you know that it is going to be one touching song about Umrao Jaan’s feelings for her love. Appropriate for the film’s setting, it does have a slight deja vu feel but one doesn’t mind that at all since it is just apt for a song like this in a film that tells the story of a courtesan. In all the songs heard so far, ‘Jhute Ilzaam’ is undoubtedly the best penned by Javed Akhtar saab as it maintains its lyrical quality from beginning to the end.

“If I am unable to meet you again in the future, do not think about me” – that’s the message that Umrao Jaan tries to convey in ‘Main Na Mil Saku Jo Tumse’, a song that boasts of being seamlessly integrated into the mood of the album. Never once in the entire album does a song look out of place as Anu Malik maintains a consistent tempo throughout while still managing to bring in something new in each of the compositions. ‘Main Na Mil Saku Jo Tumse’ also transitions well from the songs preceding it and one looks forward to check out what’s next in store from this album that has impressed all this while.

‘Pooch Rahe Hai’ follows next which is about a woman who has found love but is apprehensive about letting it be known to others. A story is being told by means of this ‘mujra’ that should be making an appearance at an important point of the film. Conveying a lot through lyrics in which Alka Yagnik immerses herself completely while her rendition, ‘Pooch Rahe Hai’ has the usual arrangements as per the setting of the music so far and helps take the story forward.

For the first time in the album, someone other than Alka Yagnik is heard rendering a solo with Richa Sharma holding the mike for ‘Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya’. Pain is exuded in the right amount with this sensitive track which is about a woman praying to God not to give her a girl child in her next birth. Anu Malik spends more than a couple of minutes to set context for the song before handing it over completely to Richa Sharma to croon the situational track that should form a part of the background score. A seven-minute track, one can expect it to be played at numerous juntures in the film.

Anu Malik’s daughter Anmol Malik makes her debut as a playback singer for the same song [Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya] with a different setting as this time around the daughter herself prays not to be born again as a girl. Rawness in her voice clearly shows in this song sung in a low pitch as there are a couple of moments where her lack of experience is apparent. For the situation this shorter version may work well since in all probability this seems to be for the younger Umrao Jaan.

Another short number (just around 2 minutes) follows in the form of ‘Ek Toote Huye Dil Ki’ which is a slow paced sad track about the lead protagonist who is heartbroken. With lyrics and rendition holding the center stage, Anu Malik goes easy on the orchestra and keeps it just bare minimum to let the words do the talking – literally! Seeming to be a prelude for some other track to follow in the film, it is for the situation and should keep you interested in the narrative. There is a 40 seconds ‘Foreword’ by Javed Akhtar to come in the end that introduces the heritage of Lucknow, Umrao Jaan and her ghazals through a brief narration.

‘Umrao Jaan’s in undoubtedly a superlative effort by Anu Malik as he goes all out in creating a score when the world was waiting to lynch upon him if he made the slightest of errors. But to his credit, his effort shows as he immerses himself completely in the era of ‘Umrao Jaan’ and creates an ambience that takes one to a world of the past. In today’s music scenario when a couple of albums release every week and at least one big soundtrack arrives every month, one can’t claim if ‘Umrao Jaan’ may have enough retention to go down as a classic. But if one has to analyze some of the best albums of the year 2006, ‘Umrao Jaan’ would indeed go find a place in the top bracket.

A must buy for those who appreciate quality music.

BollywoodEntertainment.com.au Rating: 2.5

Source:

“The audience has also evolved substantially. Whatever we compose has to be dynamic. Composers today need a vision. There’re more Internet downloads and ring tones than tapes.”

Said Vishal commenting upon their big 2005 triumphs namely “Dus” and “Bluffmaster”: “Shekhar and I love writing melodious songs. But right from ‘Dus bahaane’ to ‘Right here right now’, all the songs that were happening last year were up tempo.”

Vishal never thought these tracks would become such a craze.

“I’d attribute about 90 percent of the success of ‘Dus bahaane’ and ‘Right here right now’ to Abhishek. A lot of a song’s impact depends on who performs it and how. I think Abhishek, who’s into hip-hop, found a comfort zone in his dancing with ‘Dus bahaane’.”

Vishal is not much enthused by his colleague Himesh Reshammiya’s music.

“He’s a big star today. But he’s a different school, more traditionally filmy, than us. I love his track ‘Soniye’ by K.K. Even Himesh has a substantial range as a singer and fantastic composing acumen. But I’m not impressed by his production values.

“I admire the volume of work Himesh is doing. I can’t see Shekhar and myself doing more than one film at a time. It gets too hectic. It’s great to have a music company T-Series back Himesh to the hilt.”

And re-mixes?

“Never! Nor would we do just one song to provide a potential hit in a film. We like doing what we’re comfortable with. We’re working with friends. Sidharth Anand, Sujoy Ghosh (hopefully we’ll all return from ‘Home Delivery’), Anubhav Sinha…,” said Vishal.

Will the “Dus” sequel have a song called “Gyarah bahaane”? “I don’t know. I hope not,” laughed Vishal.

Both Suhaan and Agastya love Piya. College gets over and all three of them go to their respective paths.

Ten years have passed. Suhaan has achieved his ambitions, lives in the perfect world, he has everything except LOVE.

Agastya is in his own world doing what he did the best. Work hard. He works hard so that others can earn money. He still hasn’t found his love.

Piya now lives alone with no luck in love for her too.

Then suddenly, one sunny afternoon all three meet…Accidentally…

Vivah: Prem (Shahid Kapoor) may be an eligible bachelor but he is not yet ready for marriage. He agrees to meet Poonam (Amrita Rao) just to please his dad (Anupam Kher) and finds a woman he can really grow to love.

An awkward, formal exchange of words grows into a deep, meaningful conversation as Prem and Poonam soon discover that they are soul mates. Poonam, an orphan, has grown up in a small town, where her Chacha (Alok Nath) has brought her up to want for nothing. Chachi (Seema Biswas), however, is jealous of Amrita’s beauty, simplicity and charm, as her own daughter Rajni (Amrita Prakash) is overshadowed. Gentle, softspoken Prem, the scion of one of Delhi’s most prosperous business houses, has grown up living in the fast lane, but retains his respect for family traditions and values. The two hit it off and soon they are engaged. They are to be married in six months.

Prem and Poonam now enter the most magical and romantic time of their lives. Six months fly by. Just when everything is set for the wedding a crisis puts their love through a trial by fire.

Vivah is a heart warming tale of unconditional love. The golden period between engagement and marriage is every couple’s fondest memory; and the unexpected encounter which deepens into love is something all young people will be able to relate to.

Vivah releases on November 10, 2006.

Source:

How involved was director Shirish Kunder in the music of the film

I have come to know in all these years of my work that when you have a director who understands music it makes your task all the more easier. Shirish Kunder is one director who knew from day one what he wanted. He knew the situations by heart mainly for the reason that he wrote, directed and edited the film. He is very focused and doesn’t let go of his emotions. You don’t even know what he is thinking. There was a time when I used to record 15 tunes for him. He never reacted but just put it in his laptop and came back telling me what he liked and what he didn’t. He wasn’t the guy who goes like ‘wah wah kya gaana banaya’. I felt that he relates to a great melody and I grew to understand him once as time passed. He always said that he wanted a new sound. He said that he wants something that will be Anu Malik’s music but will be different at the same time. Therein lies the beauty of the director when he knows what he wants. He knows what melodies to take and what not to touch. I am very happy to work with Shirish and especially for his first film.

JP Dutta isn’t a guy who goes like ‘wah wah kya gaana banaya’ He said that he wants something that will be Anu Malik’s music but will be different at the same time.

How is it that you always come up with a chartbuster album for Sajid Nadiadwala?

I think it is a Karmic connection. Sajid and I have a beautiful understanding. He has a keen sense of music and we understand each other. We are there for each other and look out for each other.

Another filmmaker with whom you have never gone wrong is JP Dutta. Are you expecting another National award with Umrao Jaan?

For me J.P. Dutta is not just a producer or a director. For me he is more than family. If I look back in the situation I was in, the only person who stood by me was him. He backed me and believed in my music whether it was Border, Refugee or LOC. Umrao Jaan takes the cake as far as believing me is concerned. He said that he is planning Umrao Jaan and that I was the music composer. That really hit me. The earlier Umrao Jaan had some great melodies in the film and the time when he chose me was the time when people were rethinking about Anu Malik. Moreover Dutta never mentioned the earlier Umrao Jaan. He wanted it to be Anu Malik’s Umrao Jaan and the way I would want to compose it. I hope I come 5% closer to the earlier Umrao Jaan then I will be blessed.

From a contemporary, youthful composition in Jaanemann to a classical composition in Umrao Jaan, you have two extremely different genres of music releasing back to back. Do you think u can deliver the best in both worlds of music?

This proves that I can give all kinds of music. For example, people thought that Anu Malik was a man who could only compose a Judwa but they forgot that I also composed a Josh. There was a time when I was working on Virasat, Josh, Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega and Border at the same time. This time also I was composing for Jaaneman and doing Umrao Jaan as well as judging for Indian Idol 2. It did take the beating out of me but I also felt this was a test for a composer to prove that you are not just making a song which is to be played in clubs. The music has to become popular and take the film forward.

The music of Zindaggi Rocks has also released and is doing well for itself.

I would stress on the fact that Tanuja Chandra has a keen sense of music. I especially like the number Humko Choone Paas Aayiye and Lets Rock the Charts Baliye. There is another song which has not been mentioned but is a big hit called Ek Din Fursat Mein. Zindaggi Rocks music is absolutely justifying the word Rocks. Its meant to rock. But I didn’t want any music which was loud. I wanted a combo of rock sound and melody. So there is a perfect balance of rock and melody. The music is selling very well and the song Meri Dhoop Hai Tu is a hit. When you hear the music of Zindaggi Rocks you realize that the music grows on you. Also the movie is amazing and has been made very well. So the music gels with the film.

Jai Santoshi Maa is also on the charts. Don’t you think Anu Malik and a devotional album don’t go together?

I feel deeply honoured and lucky that I have been chosen to compose for Jai Santoshi Maa. There are numerous composers around so why me? As a kid I grew up listening the music of Jai Santoshi Maa and let me tell you something – I have seen the film and it is beautifully made. It was a challenge making the Aarti as the earlier Aarti was a huge hit. People who have heard my Aarti loved it. So I am very excited about the music of Jai Santoshi Maa and I see the blessings of Maa because this will be my first film to release followed by Jaanemann, Umrao Jaan and Woodstock Villa. So I have a lot of films coming up.

You are composing the background score for a film after a long time with Umrao Jaan? What convinced you to do that? Why had you stopped composing

I was always busy with composing music. I’m a guy who composes music but J.P Dutta insisted that I not only compose the music or arrange it or just record the songs. He wanted me to be totally committed to the project. When I was doing the third song I too felt that I should do the background song and so I also hinted a bit and J.P saab said that I must do the background music of Umrao Jaan. He said that he needs 100% commitment the way I gave him commitment when I was composing. I finished the background and I worked equally hard on it. There was a different tune for Abhishek and Aishwarya and the whole gamut of great actors in the film. So I am open to doing the background score for movies but you need the motivation and the time from some one like J.P saab.

So I am open to doing the background score for movies but you need the motivation and the time from some one like J.P saab.

Your daughter Anmol has sung for the film. Was it your idea? Does she plan to take singing or music as a full time profession in the future?

Anmol is not only a natural born talent but has also been learning music from a very young age. She loves learning and creating. She writes her own songs in English and leans more towards western music. Actually she is capable of speaking about herself more than me. J.P. Dutta heard her when we were in London. He kept that in mind and told me that he wanted her to sing for the young Aishwarya. I asked her if she would like to sing it and she was all game. She finished the song in 16-17 minutes. It is a very tough song for a young girl.

There are great singers around and you cannot compare and I am not saying this as a father, I’m speaking purely as a composer when I say this – she has a very pure tone – a tone that touches you. She has a lot of expressions and warmth in her voice and that is what I love. She sings with a lot of heart and feel. When Javed Akthar heard the song he burst into tears. He loved her voice as well as the composition. I think that is a great composition for my daughter and I hope with the blessings of the people watching and reading this interview that Anmol becomes a great singer one day and makes a bigger name than her father.

You have also composed music for some English films like Bride and Prejudice. How different is it as compared to composing for a Hindi film? Any more English projects on hands?

Well, it depends on director to director. Gurinder Chadha has her own style of digging out music. It was a wonderful experience working with Gurinder. It was something which was a learning and a humbling experience. Bride and Prejudice music had a different flavour. If you remember songs like No Life without Wife or the marriage song or the song Show me the way, take me to Love. Every song had a beautiful flavour to it. Apart from that film, my song Chamma Chamma was included in the Hollywood film Moulin Rouge starring Nicole Kidman. So these are great highs in my life and I really thank God for it.

Today you are undoubtedly one of the most prominent and prolific music composers of Bollywood. But not many might know that you had debuted in around 1980. Do you remember the first film that you composed for? My first songs lyrics went as ‘Zulmo Sitam Par Itranewale’ from the film Tu Bhi Toh Ek Din Mit Jayega. This was sung by Ashaji (Bhonsle). She was a great help and she was the one who motivated me in my early days. She agreed to sing and I was lucky because today she is huge and those days were her hey days. I’m blessed that she sang my song. Later on I went onto do the film Ek Jaan Hai Hum. Ashaji was in the film again. Then there was Dil Chahe Aasman Pe Likhdoon Naam Tera which was followed by Yatri which was a big hit and then came Soni Mahiwal.

Now it was a big thing then because I was just 18 or 19. There was Manmohan Desai’s film Mard starring Amitabh Bachchan. These are my landmark films. I then sang a song Julie Julie which became a huge hit as well. Others include Ganga Jamuna Saraswati and Toofan. And then things didn’t work out and I didn’t have any work. I would say my comeback vehicle was in the form of Mahesh Bhatt’s Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayi. This album too turned out to be a huge hit. Then again something went wrong and again I didn’t have much work. Then came Baazigar. The film became a huge hit and so did the music. I got my first Filmfare award and from then on again I had my highs and lows. Again the last two years things started going wrong for me again. New people came on the block and producers who I had given the best for ran away to something that was new. And it was a huge fight back for me this time that I had to give something unusual. Like they say good is not enough anymore especially when you have many players in the market. I worked my heart out and the result is there – Jaaneman became a huge hit. I would say that this is a huge innings start for Anu Malik. Jaaneman’s music has taken the world by storm. I have been getting calls from overseas and lots of messages as well. So this is a new beginning for Anu Malik starting with Jaanemann.

Your father Sardar Malik was a renowned music composer of his time. Did the music bug come into you through him?

Not only the fact that he was a composer but also had the fact that I was brought up in an atmosphere where music was always there. I inculcated the sense of melody from my father and that has stayed with me till today. My father always told me ‘Be Sureela’ and come out with a song that you can hum. The fact that he never made it was a hurting thing for me but also a motivating thing. I told him that when I grow up I will become big and the industry’s top producers will work with me. Apart from God and very few people like J.P. Dutta, I am a self made man with a little bit of success. Whatever bit of success I have gotten is through my own efforts.

My father just passed away last year after being sick for about a year before that. I was all alone in the last two years and there was a father-son sense in there. No one could understand the pain I was going through. I saw my father slowly die and instead of breaking me I took a vow that dad I won’t let go. Two things can happen to you – one you can break down and completely get lost. Two you can submerge out of it and become a stronger person. Like the saying goes – when the going gets tough the tough gets going. I really pulled up my socks and I knew this was it. This is what my father would want me to do. This is what he would expect me. When he was extremely sick he could sense the pain I was going through when things started going wrong professionally for me. He could sense it and always gave me the thumbs up sign. He would catch my hand and say don’t worry. I think that stays back with me and I have learnt my music from him. I have learnt how to be a stronger person and today when I have Jaanemann which is doing very well I’m sure he is around listening somewhere. He is not gone but he is hearing my music.

I told my father (Sardar Malik) that when I grow up I will become big and the industry’s top producers will work with me. You had been composing very good and popular tunes throughout the 80’s. Still you got your first film award very late in 1993 with Baazigar. Do you think the industry took a long time to give you your due recognition as a good music director? I don’t blame the industry. I think ‘bhagya’ (fate) is a very big thing. The industry has been kind to me. It has always been with me someway or the other. Look at it this way. Awards or no awards, the fact that producers signed me up right from the earlier days was a big thing. We go back to F.C. Mehra to Harmesh Malhotra to Mahesh Bhatt to the Venus family who gave me Baazigar to audio companies like Tips or T-Series. They were always there for me.

I think my producers and directors want me to give in my best. When they saw me not on my best they started running away and now they have started coming back. Awards came a bit late but they did come to me. I look at the positive side of life and don’t grumble. There are people who did great work and have been ignored. I got 3 Filmfare awards, 2 Screen awards and 1 National award for Border. I just thank God and say that I want to work and work harder.

Which musicians from the past have really inspired you? Who are your all-time favorite musicians?

The best thing about me is that I don’t live in the past. When I was a kid I was a fan of The Beatles and Elvis Presley. When I grew up I got inspired by Shankar-Jaikishen and then I fell in love with R.D. Burman’s music. As time passed I started hearing other people. I was really inspired by the movie ‘The Sound of Music’ and I really liked the music The Bee Gees created for John Travolta’s ‘Saturday Night Fever’. That was huge and in terms of melody and harmony you cannot define it. And now there are many groups from the west as well as over here. Music is something which you take and learn. I’m a great fan of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. I listen to him in times of stress and I think he is fabulous.

I’m a great fan of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. I listen to him in times of stress and I think he is fabulous.

Who from the current lot of music composers in Bollywood do you think is good at his work?

Let’s put it this way. When I entered the industry there were 5 composers. You can count the greats on your fingertips. Laxmikant-Pyarelal, R.D Burman, Kalyanji-Anandji to name a few! Today there are 50 thousand composers and I think each and every composer is doing a marvelous job. I can’t pinpoint and say this particular music director is my favourite.

Who are your favorite singers male and female?

On certain occasions it’s K.K, on certain occasions it’s Shaan and on certain occasions it Sonu Nigam. When they sing for my song at that time they become my favourites. I don’t play the favourites game. I do believe that when I record a song I want the song to be sung very well because it is my baby. I want it to be nurtured well

Source:

6. “Pyaar kar ke pachtaye” – Film: “Pyaar Ke Side Effects”; Singer: Labh Janjua; Music: Pritam. The film has received rave reviews, which has boosted the popularity of the song.

7. “Kabhi alvida naa kehna” – Film: “Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna”; Singers: Alka Yagnik and Sonu Nigam; Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. Both the film and the song failed to enthral the audience.

8. “Bidee” – Film: “Omkara”; Singers: Sunidhi Chauhan, Sukhwinder Singh; Music: Vishal Bharadwaj. “Bidee” seems to have become a permanent fixture on the charts.

9. “Chand sifarish” – Film: “Fanaa”; Singers: Shaan and Kailash Kher; Music: Jatin-Lalit. This naughty and romantic number has been on the charts for many months.

10. “Junoon” – Film: “Rocky – The Rebel”; Singers: Amrita Kak and Himesh Reshammiya; Music: Himesh Reshammiya. The rocking number, which was not on the charts last week, has re-entered the list.

(Source – The Music Shop, Khan Market)

Orchestra at the beginning of ‘Bigdi Bana Do’ creates a haunting effect but soon settles down with Alka Yagnik coming to the scene. A sad track with the female protagonist praying before the Goddess to intervene in the time of her need, it has Vijay Prasad reciting the ‘shlokas’ intermittently. Primarily for the situation, it is extremely slow and doesn’t really impress much. Karunya sings the male version of the song which is even slower and is set in a classical mode. One wonders if audience of today would really be patient enough to give it a hearing other than watching it during the film.

Its nostalgia time with two songs from the original film resurfacing, though sans any remix/rearrangement! First to come is Usha Mangeshkar’s legendary track ‘Main To Aarti Utaaroon Re’ which was written by Kavi Pradeep and set to tune by C. Arjun. Well, what can one say about this track which can easily be cited as the MOST POPULAR devotional number ever composed. It was a rage when it was released in the 70s and is still a hot favorite in the Navrataras more than 3 decades after it was heard first. Beautiful rhythm coupled with some authentic rendition makes this a superb track to hear all over again.

Suresh Wadkar, who has been on the musical scene even today, was a youngster when he sung ‘Yahaan Wahaan – Apni Santoshi Maa’ for the original film. The song is revived from the classic and it makes for a beautiful hearing once again. The song still sounds so fresh with and even youngsters can easily identify with it since it is still heard often in the ‘jaagrans’ that are a common feature at least in the North belt of India.

After the nostalgia, it’s time to return to the present with Anu Malik returning with his compositions. Lataji, who makes select appearances, is heard after a long time in ‘Aisa Vardan’ which has a nice built-up to it. The song is a clear take off on ‘Itni Shakti Hamein Dena Daata’ and there are no pretensions of hiding the source as well. That’s the reason why it doesn’t take much time to identify with the song since one has already appreciated the tune since years. Its celebration time for Lataji’s fans as they hear her again in ‘Laal Chudiyan’, which is again a popular number from the past and is based on folk music from the North West. No wonder, it is a nice hear again!

Well, this is not all from Lataji as she creates a hat-trick with ‘Na Chitthi Aayee’ which comes soon after. A painful track about a woman waiting for some message from her loved one and looking at ‘Maa’ as the only hope, it is again situational and follows the same route as ‘Bigdi Bana Do’ in terms of feel and the impact it creates on the audience. An average sounding number.

Hari Om Sharan, who is a known name in the world of devotional music, is heard in ‘Taro Taro’ which has a good rhythm attached to it. The track would be immediately picked up by his followers, especially women, who are traditionally known to love such style of compositions. The track indeed has a serene feel to it, mainly due to Hari Om Sharan’s vocals which create a great impact. Anu Malik and Swanand Kirkire create a good devotional number that makes for a worthy inclusion in the album.

A couple of ‘aartis’ come towards the end of the album in the form of ‘Jai Maa Santoshi (Maha Aarti)’ and ‘Maa Santoshi Ki Aarti’. Usha Mangeshkar is roped in for the former while Shaunak Abhisheki croons the latter which is based on an eternal ‘Om Jai Jagdish’ theme and hence comes quite easy on ears.

There is a surprise in store as a love duet is heard before the album is wrapped up. Sonu Nigam and Alka Yagnik are roped in for ‘Suno Suno’ which tries to be extra mushy by following the mush approach with a slow pacing but the overall result is quite ‘thanda’. It is just a rehash of many numbers belonging to this genre composed by Malik earlier and hence doesn’t really impress much.

One factor which was clear much before even playing on the first song of ‘Jai Santoshi Maa’ was that its genre restricted its demand to a select audience only. In Indian households [especially in the interiors] where devotional tracks are still sung and heard on festive occasions the album may still have some reach but apart from that the songs would be heard mainly in the film. While the 2 songs ['Main To Aarti', 'Yahaan Wahaan'] are still the best part about the album, the remaining original tracks do well to make the rest of the album a decent hear.

Rating: 2.5

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Q: Have you sung “Khai ke paan Banaras wala” in “Don”?

A: I wish I had. As a child I used to dance on that song. By the time I asked Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy they had already signed Udit Narayan-ji. With his north Indian background, he’s the right person.

Q: You’ve quite an impressive list of films.

A: Yes. But the challenge is missing – the challenge I encounter when I sing a classical song and have to work on a particular ‘harkat’ or ‘alaap’. Films won’t provide me songs like that. All tracks today are deejay-designed. I can’t expect to get something like ‘Man mohana bade jhoothe’. And private albums are dead.

The furthest I could go with a non-film pop album was “Chanda Ki Doli” where I showed some classical creativity. I’ve therefore decided to come out with a semi-classical album. I might as well do something I believe in and something I’d be proud of 40 years from now. The music for my album will be by Deepak Pandit. He is Jagjit Singh’s immensely talented violinist.

Q: What do you feel about Himesh Reshammiya’s sudden success as a singer?

A: It’s easy to criticise someone for singing through his nose. Times are changing. Different voices are coming and being accepted. With Himesh at least a distinctive voice from within the country has found acceptance.

Q: What do you think of all the singers who have come from Pakistan?

A: A few were good. But most of them were strictly okay. Who wants these voices in a country which has heard Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi?

Q: Are you happy with the state of film music in this country?

A: Although I had raga-based songs in “Parineeta” and “Paheli”, the songs didn’t get any recognition. I don’t mind Himesh getting all the awards. But it’s an insult to nominate “Paheli” and “Aashiq Banaya Aapne” in the same genre for popular awards.

The genres in film music are expanding. So I can’t be competing with Himesh for the popular awards because we represent two different genres in “Aashiq Banaya Aapne” and “Paheli”.

The songs from “Zaher”, “Aashiq Banaya Aapne”, “Aksar” belong to the same genre. The genres have to be separated or our singers will stop doing ‘riyaaz’. They’ll wonder why they need to work on their voices when they can get awards for simple songs.

Q: Do you think “Aashiq banaya” is easy to sing?

A: Very easy.

Q: Mahesh Bhatt started the trend of bringing Pakistani music in Bollywood.

A: Everyone has the right to do their own thing. But if there’s an infiltration artists need to tighten their seat belts. Pakistan has a different flavour and colour of music.

Q: Where do you intend to go as a playback singer?

A: I’m doing too many things at the same time. I love the feeling of being in demand everywhere. I’m not passionate about anything except music. My work is my only high. I love going to judge “Indian Idol”. Then I come home catch a flight for a concert and return to work on my classical album. But I miss the glory of playback singing. I wish we had one good music company that could respect a good artist. Nowadays, it’s more about putting up with singers out of defiance rather than conviction.

Q: Would you call yourself happily married?

A: Well I am married. One can be happily married. Marriage is a very small part of life. And I’m saying that in front of my wife. There’s a lot more to life.

6. “Chand sifarish” – Film: “Fanaa”; Singers: Shaan and Kailash Kher; Music: Jatin-Lalit. A naughty and romantic number that has remained on top of the charts for months and seems to have entrenched itself permanently in the number six position.

7. “Junoon”- Film: “Rocky – The Rebel”; Singers: Himesh Reshammiya and Amrita Kak; Music: Himesh Reshammiya. The rocking number, which was not on the charts last week, has re-entered and occupies number seven slot.

8. “Hai Ishq Ye Kya Ek Khata” – Film: “Bas Ek Pal”; Singers: K.K. Sunidhi Chauhan; Music: Pritam. The song with meaningful lyrics and lilting composition by Pritam will take time to grow on the listeners.

9. “Pal pal har pal” – Film: “Lage Raho Munna Bhai”; Singer – Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal; Music: Shantanu Moitra. The film is a hit and this melodious number, which is different from other love songs, was a treat to watch on the screen. The song is being played on all music channels.

10. “Ek kahani” – Film: “Krrish”; Singer: Kunal Ganjawala; Music: Rajesh Roshan. The film has become the biggest blockbuster of the year but the album, which was not an instant hit, is losing its charm.

(Source – The Music Shop, Khan Market)

What is your favourite song these days? Comment below!

Farah feels the singer resembles an Indian princess from the “Amar Chitra Katha” comic books.”We gave her a mixture of the Indian and the Columbian look, down to a veil covering her face. Shakira looks very much like one of those classical Indian princess from the ‘Amar Chitra Katha’ comic books.

“Nearer our films, the parallel would be the ‘Amrapali’ costumes that all our heroines from Vyjayanthimala to Sridevi have worn in our films. All I can tell you is Shakira is damn hot, damn Indian.”

A huge hoarding of Shakira in a sari was displayed in New York before the show.

When asked was she nervous before the show, Farah said: “I’m never stressed about anything I do these days. I only get stressed about my husband and his film.

“But yes, Shakira gave me only two days to rehearse and what we’ve achieved should make all of us in Bollywood proud.”

Farah’s husband Shirish Kunder is readying for the Diwali release of his directorial debut “Jaan-E-Mann” starring Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Preity Zinta.

The move comes as data shows that the consumption of music is fast shifting away from the CD format to the Internet.

According to the International Federation of Phonographic Industries (IFPI,) 60 million MP3 players were sold in 2005, while 420 million single tracks were downloaded, which together with the sale of ringtones brought in some $1.1 billion dollars.

–DPA

“There has been a slump of late. But this concert proves that the right packaging and right artist can still pack in the audience. Maybe they were just bored of seeing the same thing. Agreed Reshammiya isn’t a film star. But he’s as visible on the home medium as any Bollywood star.”

Zee TV’s “Hero Hondo Sa Re Ga Ma Pa” finalist Himani Kapoor, who accompanies Himesh on his US tour, is speechless.

“I’ve never imagined anything like this. For about two hours Himesh-ji just captured the audience. He sang all their favourites live, and they went mad. They jumped on the seats, danced in the aisles, clapped and whistled until the very end. Himesh-ji is India’s first true rock star.”

The man at the centre of the frenzy tries hard to be modest.

“This is my first direct connectivity with an American audience. Their response is far beyond anything I had imagined. I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved. But what really makes me proud is when people tell me I’ve revived the music industry and now, Bollywood concerts abroad.”

What do you think of Himesh’s music? Comment below!

Indeed, the nightingale’s yearning is typical as she shared a very close relationship with Mukesh. She accompanied his son Nitin Mukesh when Mukesh’s body was brought back to India from Detroit and still remembers the day of the funeral when almost the entire industry turned out to pay tribute to him.

“I first met him in 1947 and almost immediately struck a chord. He was much senior to me – both in age as well as profession – and yet he insisted on calling me ‘didi’ (elder sister),” Lata reminisced.

“There was no particular reason for this. Everyone one in my family used to call me didi. So he also took it up. But it’s amazing that he never addressed me as ‘Lata’ till the end,” she said.

Mukesh, who along with the versatile Mohammad Rafi and the rebellious Kishore Kumar was considered one among the finest and most popular playback singers of Bollywood, has sung some of the most melodious and evergreen duets with Lata.

The naughty “Dum Bhar Jo Udhar Munh Phere” (“Awara”, 1951), the romantic “Jaane Na Nazar” (“Aah”, 1953), the effervescent “Dil Tadap Tadap” (“Madumati”, 1958), the gloriously patriotic “Aa Ab Laut Laut Chalein” (“Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai”, 1960) are just a few of the examples one could quote.

Born on July 22, 1923, in Delhi, the “man with the golden voice” was first noticed by Motilal – a popular actor of his times and a distant relative of Mukesh – when he sang at his sister’s wedding.

In the beginning Mukesh was considered more an actor than a singer, thanks to his good looks. Soon he was seen in the 1941 flop “Nirdosh”.

He got his first break as a playback singer in “Pehli Nazar” (1945) in which he took people by surprise by almost imitating the legendary singer actor K.L. Saigal – who was in the throes of alcoholism by then – in “Dil Jalta Hai To Jalne De” – incidentally picturised on Motilal himself.

“Mukesh bhaiyya was as enamoured by Saigal-saab as we all were. But although he began his career singing in the Saigal style, he soon developed his own identity,” Lata noted.

“Mukesh bhaiyya was also proud of the fact that he had met Saigal- saab once. I know for a fact that he (Mukesh) even had for himself a harmonium used by Saigal-saab,” she said.

His voice characterised by a slight nasal tone, Mukesh was almost always considered for light and breezy songs, ranging from the happy- go-lucky “Awara Hoon” (“Awara”, 1951), the lovelorn “Yeh Mera Deewanapan Hai” (“Yehudi”, 1958) or the tramp-like “Kisi Ki Muskurahaton Pe Ho Nissar” (“Anari”, 1959) and “Mera Joota Hai Japani” (“Shri 420″, 1955).

However, when it came to more complex and classically-inclined songs like “Ae Bhai Zara Dekh Ke Chalo” (“Mera Naam Joker”, 1970) or a “Dil Ke Jharokhe Mein” (“Brahmachari”, 1968), Mohammed Rafi and Manna Dey were always the choice.

“The problem is that Mukesh bhaiyya was never tried for complex and classically oriented songs because of stereotyping. It is not that he did not have the capability,” Lata observed.

“Classical music-wise, the best trained was Manna-da, who was trained under his own uncle – the legendary K.C. Dey. Rafi-saab also was trained classically. But very few recognised Mukesh bhaiyya for his classical background,” she said.

“I cannot say with full authority. But I feel he (Mukesh) could have sung complex songs too if given a chance because I know he used to do regular riyaaz (practise) along with his son Nitin, under a teacher,” she noted.

Scores of singers, including son Nitin, tried their luck in the industry by adapting the Mukesh-style of singing but failed to make a mark.

“God blesses only a few with the original talent. The others will remain just that – copies. Mr. (Sudesh) Bhonsle succeed to a certain extent in carving a niche for himself, but that’s about it,” Lata said.

But for the purists and the connoisseurs today – confounded by a bewildering array of remixes of old classics – nothing less than the original refrains of Mukesh would do.

As Lata said, one can only remember Mukesh and recall his “Jane Kahan Gaye Woh Din” (Where have those days gone?).

A: Who wouldn’t want to be in Karan’s film? He’s a very dear friend and he is such a warm soul, everyone thinks he’s their best friend. I also happen to be one of his dear friends. He is such a wonderful warm and humble human being.

Q: You are paying a tribute to Helen by doing her “Mehbooba…” item for Ram Gopal Varma’s “Sholay”.

A: It’s going to be exciting. “Mehbooba…” is a song that I’ve danced to at parties and at discotheques. To do it on screen would be a challenging and groovy experience. Just sharing screen space with Mr. Bachchan would be exciting.

Tributes such as this one, especially if you’ve been a movie buff all your life, are worthwhile. I remember I had a done a tribute to all the R.D. Burman tunes at a Sahara event and I was the only actress who was actually singing along the songs on stage, and dancing like the original actresses.

I’m the happiest when I’m dancing. In fact I’m a happy person by nature, something that a lot of people cannot digest. At this stage in my career, all the world cannot be a stage. I’ve to be very choosy in what I do.

Q: So what makes you a happy person?

A: I don’t know. But journalists like to see unhappy situations in stars’ lives. Sorry, I can’t oblige.

Q: Another year gone by. What do you feel about it?

A: It was an interesting year. It started with “Naina”, which took a thumping opening. That surprised people. “Naina” had no star except me.

But because of the bomb blasts in Delhi the same week “Jo Bole So Nihaal” and “Naina” got affected. People were too shaken up to come to the theatre. Then I had “Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara” where I had people from all walks of life coming forward to praise me. I stuck my neck out to do this film.

As Shabana-ji said, it takes guts to do something where you’re constantly pushing the envelope. When I read the script I knew it was Anupam’s film, not mine. But I was impressed by the Gandhian theme and its relevance today. I learnt a lot from Anupam and director Jahnu Barua.

Q: How does the coming year look to you?

A: Equally fulfilling. There’s Harry Baweja-Vikram Bhatt’s thriller. It’s been titled “Speed”. There’s Onirban’s “Bas Ek Pal”. I’m with Sanjay Suri, Juhi Chawla and Rehaan Engineer. I like working with actors I haven’t worked with before.

I’ll also be doing a film with Ram Gopal Varma with a new director Taufeeq. All I can tell you is that it is a very intense subject. And I’m definitely doing it.

Q: It’s amazing how you haven’t allowed your professional relationship with Varma to suffer in spite of all the unsavoury speculation.

A: I really think it’s really time for all of us to take a mature view of working relationships in the film industry. Just because two individuals work closely and well it doesn’t mean their rapport should be subject to constant scrutiny.

Likewise, actors should not allow unsavoury talk to colour their professionalism. I’ve said innumerable times if there’s something worth doing together with Varma I’ve no problems doing it. We’ve done some brilliant work together in the past. And I’ve no intentions of lowering the bars for our collaboration.

And those who keep harping on why I’m not working with Varma, let me remind them even when they were harping on us not working together we did “Ek Hasina Thi”. It got me many best-actress nominations and did well enough at the box office although it was a song-less unconventional thriller.

I think it’s high time a part of the media stop rushing for news where there’s none. At least a certain breed of makers and stars, who have a mutual respect and who do productive work together, should be exempted from gossipy scrutiny.

I don’t want to trivialise our collaboration by constantly defending it. But our next movie will definitely be a step forward for the two of us. He is a fine filmmaker. It would be stupid on my part to stop working with him just because of all the nonsense that’s written. I treat all the idle gossip as a professional hazard.

Q: So what’s the most precious gift you’ve received in life?

A: The love that I got from my loved ones is way beyond anything I can describe. I don’t think my life would be worth living without their love.

Q: What about the one love that we’re all waiting to see in your life?

A: I’m waiting for it too. That will have to wait for the time being. Getting married is a little far off right now. How about falling in love first?

Q: How about marriage first love later?

A: For me that seems a little far-fetched. I never made plans for my career. I can’t make any plans for marriage. When it will happen, it will happen. I’ve always lived my life with fierce honesty. I guess that quality will be seen in my choice for a soulmate also.

Right now I’m comfortable in my space. I never peer anxiously at what others are doing. I think that’s for losers.

“The doubts that I had about our music being appealing to the West were finally cleared. Our sincerity was quite clear to them. It took me years to get unapologetic about our music in front of a western audience. I now realise that the gift god has given me is the gift that I need to use to the fullest in front of audiences in any part of the world.

“That’s exactly what I did at the Hollywood Bowl that evening. My musicians and I for the first time felt such pride in doing our own thing. I started the evening with ‘Bombay Dreams’ which the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra performed, followed by ‘Dil Se’, ‘Rang De Basanti’ etc. Then we did choral arrangements of my songs from Mani Ratnam’s films with a group called Global Rhythms.

“They’re students from Miami University. These kids had been following my music for years. They all flew into Los Angeles at their own expense because they wanted to play with me.”

Says Rahman: “I wasn’t thinking of the fact that the Beatles or Pink Floyd performed at the Hollywood Bowl. I was just thinking of what I was supposed to do. I got great support from my musicians like Hariharan, Sukhwinder, Madhushree and Sadhana Sargam. Two local dance groups from Los Angeles danced to ‘Rang de Basanti’ and ‘Sona sona” (‘Bombay Dreams’).”

Rahman is again prompted to look seriously westwards.

“I’m confident about hitting other cities in Europe, Russia, China, Japan with similar concerts. If it worked in America, especially Los Angeles where the cream of the crowd lives, it can work anywhere. And I feel it’s not just me moving forward. It’s the entire Indian music industry.

“I made a big sacrifice when I did the musical play ‘Bombay Dreams’ some years ago in England, leaving behind several lucrative offers in Mumbai and Chennai in the process. I think the gambit has finally paid off.”

This time Rahman isn’t keen on letting his movie assignments suffer. “More international concerts are going to happen now. But not too frequently. I had an international concert tour in September which I’ve postponed because of my movie assignments in Hindi.”

4. “Golmaal” – Film: “Golmaal – Fun Unlimited”; Singers: Anushka Manchandani, Vishal Dadlani; Music: Vishal-Shekhar. This youthful song with a funky tune is constantly moving up.5. “Ek kahani” – Film: “Krrish”; Singer: Kunal Ganjawala; Music: Rajesh Roshan. The album was not an instant hit but the success of the film has increased its sale and the song has grabbed more attention.

6. “Chand sifarish” – Film: “Fanaa”; Singers: Shaan and Kailash Kher; Music: Jatin-Lalit. A naughty and romantic number, the song remained on top of the charts for months, but is now fading out.

7. “Junoon” – Film: “Rocky – The Rebel”; Singers: Amrita Kak, Himesh Reshammiya; Music: Himesh Reshammiya. The energetic and high-voltage song, which entered the chart on the seventh position, is still there.

8. “Aashiqui Meri” – Film: “36 China Town”; Singers: Himesh Reshammiya, Sunidhi Chauhan; Music: Himesh Reshammiya. New releases have overshadowed this fast-paced number, which is losing its popularity.

9. “Aap ki khatir” – Film: “Aap Ki Khatir”; Singer: Himesh Reshammiya; Music: Himesh Reshammiya. There are three versions of this song in the album and all of them are doing well.

10. “Ishq kiya”- Film: “Anthony Kaun Hai”; Singers: Sunidhi Chauhan, Himesh Reshammiya; Music: Himesh Reshammiya. Inspired by Arabian music, it is a spicy number.

What is your favourite song of the week? Comment below!

“Sanjay met me. We discussed a story idea. But we are yet to meet again. What I am happy about is that he has offered to produce a short story for Bosky (his daughter Meghna),” said Gulzar, who has just returned from a trip to the US.

“There was a Jagjit Singh concert (in the US) where I had to introduce him, not that he needed an introduction. I just went along as assistant chief guest,” he quipped.

“The Bharat Vidya Bhavan had completed 25 years. And I was honoured to go for the celebration. I also took part in a mushaira (poetry session) where there were two Hindi and two Urdu poets.

“As usual I was stuck between the two languages. I love that kind of ambience, which is more creative than commercial. (India’s Planning Commission Deputy Chairman) Montek Singh Ahluwalia was also there. Since Punjabi sardars (Sikhs) often know Urdu, they’ve a penchant for poetry. Even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh likes to recite shaayari (verse),” he added.

Gulzar is recording his first song for “Jhoom Baraabar Jhoom” with composer trio Shankar-Ehsan-Loy.

“It’s the title song. Though I have used the phrase ‘Jhoom baraabar jhoom’ from Jaani Babu Qawwal’s famous qawwali, our song isn’t a qawwali. Ours is a melody. Shankar, Ehsan and Loy are very melodious. Like ‘Bunty Aur Babli’, the music will again be the highlight of ‘Jhoom Baraabar Jhoom’,” he said.

Currently, Gulzar is flooded with work.

“There’s Meghna’s film ‘Honeymoon’. It’s again a lively film. ‘Kaise kaise ram milaye jodi’ is the theme song. Then ‘Sannate (silences) bhi dete hain kharrate (snores) bhi’. Those two words sannate and kharrate, I borrowed from Meghna’s script,” he said.

According to Gulzar, even the songs that he wrote for “Omkara” aren’t serious.

“Let me tell you one thing – there is a complete change of scenario. The era of melody is gone. We’re going through a new phase in film music. After action films, it’s back to musicals.

“Ganon par ganen (songs after songs). Films have seven to eight songs. Films stretching up to three to four hours are chockful of music that they enjoy here and overseas. For me this is a phase where I’m learning a new style of expression. I’m going with the flow, but making sure that my aesthetics are in place,” he said.

“I’m waiting to see if a new style emerges. I can’t write lyrics like ‘Roz akeli aaye’ and ‘Tum aa gaye ho noor aa gaya hai’ any longer. That kind of romance is not happening in films any more. It’s very difficult to hold on to my aesthetics. Not that it was ever easy. I had to struggle all along.

“Each time an artiste speaks a new language, he’s shunned. But in the earlier generations there were filmmakers like Bimal Roy, Basu Bhattacharya and Hrishikesh Mukherjee who were likeminded. The last time I wrote some old-fashioned poetry, it was in Shaad’s ‘Saathiya’,” Gulzar said.

“You could see the change in Shaad’s ‘Bunty Aur Babli’. And now you’ll see more change in Shaad’s ‘Jhoom Baraabar Jhoom’. I’m glad I still have a rapport with today’s generation of filmmakers whether it’s my daughter Meghna, Vishal, Shaad or Shirish Kunder for whom I’ve written lyrics in ‘Jaan-E-Man’.

“I’m grateful I can still walk and talk with these youngsters without a walking stick. Change is inevitable. One should keep smiling about it. For me every lyric is a new experience. I feel just as nervous writing for Shaad’s ‘Jhoom Baraabar Jhoom’ and his mentor Mani Rathnam’s ‘Guru’ as I did for my first film as lyricist – ‘Bandini’,” Gulzar added.

6. “Teri Yaadon Mein” – Film: “Killer”; singers: Sonu Nigam, Tulsi Kumar; music: Anu Malik. The film bombed but the song’s popularity is keeping it in the news.

7. “Junoon” – Film: “Rocky – The Rebel”; singers: Amrita Kak, Himesh Reshammiya; music: Himesh Reshammiya. The energetic and high-voltage song has entered the chart on the seventh position.

8. “Aashiqui Meri” – Film: “36 China Town”; singers: Himesh Reshammiya, Sunidhi Chauhan; music: Himesh Reshammiya. New releases have overshadowed this fast-paced number, which is losing its popularity.

9 “Golmaal” – Film: “Golmaal – Fun Unlimited”; Singers: Anushka Manchandani, Vishal Dadlani; music: Vishal-Shekhar. A youthful song with a funky tune, it is quite popular with teenagers.

10 “Lamha Lamha” – Film: “Corporate”; singer: Asha Bhosle; music: Shamir Tandon. A sad number sung by Asha Bhosle, it ruffles up the listener’s emotions.

(Source: The Music Shop, Khan Market, New Delhi)

5. “Ya Ali” – Film: “Gangster – A Love Story”; Singer: Zubeen; Music: Pritam. One of the favourite Sufi songs of listeners, it has entrenched itself properly on the music charts.

6. “Roobaroo” – Film: “Rang De Basanti”; Singers: A.R. Rahman and Naresh Iyer; Music: A.R. Rahman. Aamir Khan fans are still enjoying this Indi-pop composition.

7. “Jhoom jhoom” – Film: “Tom, Dick And Harry”; Singer: Himesh Reshammiya; Music: Himesh Reshammiya. People are still enjoying Reshammiya’s song, which shows he has staying power.

8. “Aashiqui meri” – Film: “36 China Town”; Singers: Himesh Reshammiya, Sunidhi Chauhan; Music: Himesh Reshammiya. New releases have overshadowed this fast number and it is losing its popularity.

9 “Pyaar karke” – Film: “Pyaar Ke Side effects”; Singers: Shreya Ghoshal and Hamza; Music: Anand Raj Anand. A sentimental romantic song for lovebirds!

10. “Teri yaadon mein” – Film: “Killer”; Singers: Sonu Nigam, Tulsi Kumar; Music: Anu Malik. The film bombed but the song’s popularity is keeping it in the news.

(Source: The Music Shop, Khan Market, New Delhi)

“Tumhi dekho naa”, sung by Alka and Sonu, is the best song of the album. It has the feel of “Suraj hua maddham” and “Kuch to hua hai” and is a feast for the ears.

“Mitwa Revisited” is the remix version of the song “Mitwa” which sounds quite trendy and cool.

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy once again have Amitabh Bachchan jiving to their tunes in “Rock ‘n roll soniye”. Shankar’s voice modulation may have many thinking that Amitabh himself has sung the number.

The last track, “Farewell trance”, is an instrumental number and is worth listening.

Overall, the album is good and it is already topping music charts. Those who liked the music in Johar’s earlier films must listen to this one too.

Johar returns to big screen after five years with “Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna”, which is one of the most anticipated movies of 2006 with huge star cast – Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta and Rani Mukerji.

Q: How was it working with Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy in “Bunty Aur Babli”?

A: You know I have just written a song for the Commonwealth Games, which they have composed. I feel they have achieved a sensible synthesis of popularity and class in their music. This is the fourth time I have written a sports anthem.

Many years ago I had written a song for a sports event that Anand Shankar had composed. Then for national sports in Pune, I wrote a song that Hridaynath Mangeshkar had composed and Lata-ji had sung. Then I had collaborated with L. Subramaniam for a song celebrating the Olympian flame.

Now, this fourth one with Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, which goes “Dilli chalen chalna hai chal chal dilli chalen”. It could be used by any political party.

Q: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s “Kajra re” has become very popular.

A: Just because it is popular it doesn’t mean it’s devoid of poetry. I don’t think the words “Teri baaton mein kimaam ki khushboo hai, tera aana bhi to garmiyon ki loo hai”, is frivolous. Poetry with a serious thought doesn’t mean it has to be serious in mood.

My “Goli maar bheje mein” in “Satya” had a serious thought expressed in the gangster’s language. The lyrics have to express the language of the characters.

Q: You were nominated for three of your lyrics at this year’s Filmfare awards.

A: That’s quite something. People are wondering why I have suddenly become so prolific. Among the three nominated songs I think, “Dheere jalna” from “Paheli” is wonderfully composed by M.M. Kreem.

“Chup chup ke” from “Bunty Aur Babli” has the beauty of poetry along with a beautiful composition. And of course “Kajra re” sweeps the carpet from under our feet. It’s tough to say which of these I like best. As tough as answering which is my favourite film?

Q: All three have a touch of eroticism to them.

A: I think I got the chance to go beyond physical love in “Chup chup ke”. Love transcends physicality. You have to open those layers that occur beyond the physical. I think I got to do some very unusual poetry in “Bunty Aur Babli”. I used English words as though they were Hindi.

The narrative and the musical patterns have changed. The words too have to change. You can’t keep using the same words. I think it’s time for me to get experimental with my lyrics. I have tried to do that in “Bunty Aur Babli”.

Q: In “Paheli” you worked for the first time with M.M. Kreem.

A: He’s very good. He should have been nominated for his music in “Paheli”. Even a nomination is a gesture of victory. He hasn’t been given enough to do in Hindi cinema, though he’s very popular in the south.

I liked the idea of getting the Screen Award for “Dheere jalna” instead of “Kajra re”. I thought the more popular song always wins. Unfortunately, I was unwell and I couldn’t attend the function. I regret that.

“Dheere jalna” is a very difficult situation. I had to bring in the image of a burning candle to express the couple’s anguish of having just limited time together. For this image I had to go back to the master, Mirza Ghalib, who said, “Shama har rang mein jalti hai sehar hone tak”.

Q: Tell me more about your forthcoming work.

A: I am very excited about working with Pritam Chakraborty in my daughter Meghna’s “Honeymoon” and with Vishal Bhardwaj again in “Othello”. This again gives me a chance to do a very different kind of music. It’s our third under-world story (after “Satya” and “Maqbool”). This time the location is around Meerut in Uttar Pradesh.

I’ve used the dialect in my lyrics. “Maqbool” never looked like “Macbeth” to me. I feel Vishal’s “Othello” would be unrecognisable to Shakespeare. To me, it’s an original underworld story. You will be shocked by the images.

Q: It’s very strange to see you working with Sajid Nadiadwala in “Jaan-E-Man”.

A: For me too. I don’t know how successful I will be, but I want to learn this mainstream language of cinema. The images here are totally different from what I generally write. In real life, the director, Shirish Kunder, is a combination of an editor and director. The same is true of his vision in “Jaan-E-Man”. The shots will surprise you. For a reaction shot, directors generally go for a close-up. He only changes the light. I want to walk with Shirish to learn a new way of expressing myself.

Q: Your directors are getting younger.

A: Yes, after Shaad Ali in “Saathiya” and “Bunty Aur Babli” it’s Shirish. Shaad and I are going to work in his next again. He comes from a family of painting and poetry. Shaad understands poetry. You can see that in “Bunty Aur Babli”.

Shaad knew the whole script in his head. He knew every gesture of the characters. I’d give him the credit for the lyrics in “Bunty Aur Babli”. He knew his characters inside out. He briefed me well. I want to work with people who know what they want from me.

Q: You have made history!

A: Yes, it’s quite something. Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend because I had a prior commitment out of Mumbai. Also to be honest, at an earlier popular awards I was neither nominated for my music nor singing in “Aashiq Banaya Aapne”. I felt baffled. Why did they do that? Filmfare revived my hopes. And I was all set to catch a flight back to Mumbai but got delayed and reached at 11.30 p.m. My dad did go to the awards. But 20 minutes late.

Q: For the first time a music director won the best playback singer award.

A: It doesn’t mean that I see myself as a threat to the playback singers who were nominated alongside me. I do feel sorry that I didn’t win the best music director’s award. The award for the best playback singer is special because it’s the first song that I recorded for a film. I don’t think anyone else got an award for his first recorded song.

Q: People ridiculed you for being nasal.

A: That’s over. After the stupendous sales of “Aap Ka Suroor”, where I have explored my entire range, that has stopped. Now those who still call me nasal are just talking for talking sake. I have sung seven super-hit songs, the latest being “Jhoom” in “Tom Dick & Harry”, which I predict, will be the biggest chartbuster of them all. I insist I am not a professional playback singer. I’m a music director first. If I sing one out of my six compositions, what’s the problem?

Q: Would you sing for other composers?

A: Only if A.R Rahman asks me. No one else! He is the No.1. And he did say in an interview that “Aashiq banaya aapne” is his favourite track of the year.

Q: Your music in “Bose – The Forgotten Hero” went unnoticed?

A: They didn’t picturise a large part of my music. When the music isn’t picturised, it goes unnoticed. The junta disregarded it. I told Shyam Benegal that it’s imperative to cash in on whatever songs I compose. Why be apologetic about the music?

But I must say I enjoyed composing for “Bose”…For me, every score is enjoyable. It can’t be helped if some of them went out of hand. Did the music for a film called “Adaa”, I don’t know what happened. I put my best effort in all of them. The rest is up to god.

Q: In Mumbai there’s a growing feeling that your songs have become repetitive?

A: Which of my songs are repetitive? Tell me, so I can correct myself. According to me, the repetitive pattern in my career was caused by the series of period films. But I got paid very well.

Q: Is money important?

A: Not as a rule. But I had invested in a studio in Chennai that cost more than I had bargained for. I didn’t have to take a loan. And I enjoyed doing all the period films. But now whatever films I have on hand – like Abbas Tyrewala’s “Jane Tu” and Rakesh Mehra’s “Rang De Basanti”, Shyam Benegal and Rajiv Menon’s new film – aren’t period films.

Q: Too many assignments in Hindi?

A: Better to be burnt out than fade way…1999 was my busiest period – “Dil Se”, “Taal”, “Bombay Dreams”, “Kandukondain Kandukondain”. I love working on musical subjects like “Taal”, “Sapne” and “Kandukondain Kandukondain”. Ghai and Mani Ratnam are two people who know what to do with music. I want to return to that format.

For now I’ve stopped doing period films though they’ve helped me go new areas of my creativity. Their fate wasn’t in my hand. I’m doing three southern Indian films. I’m happy about them. At least they won’t feel let down and they won’t feel I’ve run away, like they sometimes believe in Mumbai.

Q: What went wrong with the music in “Yuva”?

A: In “Yuva”, Mani Ratnam didn’t want songs in the first place. The songs were done largely for the background. I knew from the start there would be very high expectations from our combination. I knew they were in for a letdown, though not as much as they finally were.

I’ve been making too many sacrifices, especially with the way my songs were used. I think Hindi films need to become proud of songs and music again. That’s what the history of our cinema is about. Even my “Hum hain iss pal yahan” in Ghai’s “Kisna” was used in the background.

Q: The music boom in the Mumbai film industry is over.

A: The boom in music happened in the mid-1990s. That’s when “Roja” happened. During the last 7 to 8 years the whole equation between music and cinema has changed.

“Dhoom” had one hit song, and that song made the film a hit. I feel audiences shouldn’t be tortured with unwanted songs. At the same time why deprive them of something they love?

Q: Anything in Hindi songs that you like lately?

A: I like M.M. Kreem’s songs. “Jadu hai nasha hai” in “Jism” and some of the Pakistani songs. Otherwise Hindi music seems to be following the herd mentality. There’s no time to think…One “Kaliyon ka chaman” and everyone uses the same rhythms. Fortunately I’m not forced to do anything that I don’t want to.

Q: Are you happy with your career?

A: My career is not in my hands. I’m happy with what I’m doing. But I’m always thirsty for more. There’s no fixed working place for me. Chennai is my home, I guess. But I want to reach out to the listener in Kanjeevaram and Kolkata. Their approval means a lot to me.