Album:Striker
Music Composers: Blaaze, Amit Trivedi, Shailendra Barve, Yuvan Shankar Raja, Swanand Kirkire, Vishal Bharadwaj Lyricists: Nitin Raikwar, Blaaze, Prashant Ingole, Jeetendra Joshi, Nitin Raikwar, Swanand Kirkire, Gulzar
Aim Lagaa
Singer: Blaaze
Music Composer: Blaaze
Lyricist: Nitin Raikwar, Blaaze
A fast paced track which is on the same lines as Goli Maar Bheje Mein. Both talk about shooting, but this one is more serious whereas the one from Satya had a humorous touch to it. Blaaze tries to pack in too much into one song. This song might become a hit with the disco crowd.
Bombay Bombay
Singers: Siddharth Music Composer:Amit Trivedi
Lyricist: Prashant Ingole
The song starts with a simple tune a dialog. It picks up pace and has a bit of rock element to it. There are many songs on Bombay as a place with golden opportunities and this song is the latest addition to this group. A catchy tune, easy lyrics, foot tapping music – this song is good on the ears. I like the way the chorus goes ‘Bombay, Bombay, city never sleeps’.
Cham Cham
Singer: Sonu Nigam Music Composer:Shailendra Barve
Lyricist: Jeetendra Joshi
Just when you thought Sonu has shown all his hidden talents, he stuns with you another one. You have to listen to this song to believe what I say – Sonu Nigam’s voice is unrecognizable in this. I always thought Sonu’s voice suits soft, romantic numbers and sad, emotional songs (on the lines of Rafi saab). Sonu Nigam proves me wrong with this song. One amazing song, with great music and great singing and good lyrics. There is a rustic feeling to this song which makes this song very special. Shailendra Barve is one music composer who I will watch eagerly.
Haq Se
Singers: Siddharth, Yuvan Shankar Raja Music Composer:Yuvan Shankar Raja
Lyricist: Nitin Raikwar
Anotherfast number with catchy beats which talks about luck, kismat etc. I can imagine this song being sung in music reality shows and discos.
Maula
Singer: Swanand Kirkire Music Composer: Swanand Kirkire Lyricist: Swanand Kirkire
After the heavy song, this one comes as a whiff of fresh air. A soft, number which borders on Sufi but is not Sufi. Music, singing and words are from Swanand Kirkire. The song is amazing. The beats remind me of the laavanis of Marathi, but still the song is anything but a laavani. Listen to this song for some Kirkire magic.
Pia Saanvara
Singer: Sunidhi Chauhan Music Composer:Shailendra Barve
Lyricist: Jeetendra Joshi
A semi-classical song sung beautifully by Sunidhi Chauhan. Barve shines again in this song. He has used Sunidhi’s voice really well. All those people who think Sunidhi can sing only ‘Beedi Jalaile’ kind of songs get a fitting reply. Sunidhi packs in enough emotions in this song.
Yun Hua
Singer: Vishal Bhardwaj Music Composer: Vishal Bharadwaj Lyricist: Gulzar
A perfect end to a great album. Vishal Bharadwaj and Gulzar team up again to give us a mellifluous song. A silent number, with little background music, focusing mainly on the singer and his words. Bharadwaj is really good with such silent numbers and he is good in this one too.
I was wary of this album when I saw the list of music directors. Don’t people say ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’. Not in this case, I say. This album says ‘The more, the merrier’. One helluva album and worth listening to.
Album: My Name is Khan
Music Composers: Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy
Lyricist: Niranjan Iyengar
Rang De
Singers: Shankar Mahadevan and Suraj Jagan
The song starts with a guitar piece and has a rock touch to it. This song sung powerfully by Shankar who is supported well by Suraj Jagan, talks of peace and joy. It has some interesting lyrics. The song has a fast pace to it and makes you stand up and dance. But with all the fast pace and loud music, the intent of the song is not conveyed. The singers don’t sound serious enough when they say ‘Aman se rang de aasmaa’.
Khan Theme
Instrumental
Artist: Strings
This instrumental piece by the Pakistani band Strings is pleasant on the ears. Reminds me vaguely of the Titanic theme, but it could be completely my mistake in interpreting it.
Allah Hi Reham
Singer: Rashid Khan
This Sufi song sung by Rashid Khan is very catchy. Khan saab’s voice acts as magic in transporting you to the spiritual world. The chorus which joins in at the right time adds energy to the song. A must listen for a Sufi music lover.
Tere Naina
Singer: Shafqat Amanat Ali
Another song with Sufi touch which borders on qawwali. Amanat Ali comes across as weak after listening to Rashid Khan’s powerful rendition. This song has a lot of enery and is fast paced.
Shankar Mahadevan, Shreya Goshal and Adnan Sami come together to sing this beautiful, soulful number. This is a call for help from God during testing times. I love some lines of this song.
Kuch isi lamho ko aas teri
Zakhmi dil ko hai pyaas teri
Har dhadkan to talash teri
Teri milta nahi hai pata
Khali aankhen khud se sawal karein
Aman ki cheekh behaal karein
Behta lahoo fariyaad karein
Tera mitata chala hai nishan
The real emotion of the song is lost between the alaaps, sargams and the loud music. The pain is there in the voice of the singers, but it doesn’t reach the listener’s hearts. If this had been a quieter number, with focus more on the singers than the music, the song would have made a better impact.
Sajda
Singers: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Shankar Mahadevan, Richa Sharma
The song opens with Richa Sharma’s powerful voice and grabs your attention. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s immediately follows and lifts your spirit. The song has a very catchy tune. The beats, the chorus and the singers make this song memorable. Richa’s and Rahat saab’s voice remains with you long after you stop listening to the song. This is the best song of the album.
Overall, the Shankar-Ehsaan-Leo trio deliver a noticeable album, but this is not one of their best. The album is definitely something one should listen to, but it is not something people will remember after a few months.
Song: Bade Achhe Lagte Hain Movie: Balika vadhu (1976) Music Director: R D Burman Singer(s): Amit Kumar Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
When you want to express your love in simple words, this is the song you should sing. There is no mincing words here, everything is straight and to the point – bade achhe lagte hain. These simple words make this song a favorite with lovers. The singer, Amit Kumar, son of the versatile singer Kishore Kumar, sounds so much like his father that it is no surprise many people think this song has been sung by Kishoreda himself. Music is by Panchamda. Anand Bakshi has penned the words. The song is from Balika Badhu (no connection whatsoever with the Avika Gor starrer television series Balika Vadhu), which has Sachin Pilgaonkar in the lead. Sounds like an interesting movie. It is on my TBW (To Be Watched) list. If anyone has watched this movie, do let me know what you think.
While the whole country is celebrating Teacher’s Day, I would like to dedicate this song to all the little kids. This is one of those children songs which is enjoyed by the small and the big alike. The first time I heard this song, I was laughing my head off. I didn’t know that such an entertaining song existed and more importantly couldn’t believe that it was sung by Ashok Kumar. Dadamoni and singing? And for kids?
Dadamoni has packed a lot of energy in his singing. That part where he is ringing the bell for the train is so sincere. The lyrics of the song is great – you hear the names of a lot of stations.
The song is from the movie Ashirwad, which I know nothing about. I plan to watch the movie even it is just for this song and another one which is quite similar, Naani ki naav chali. This being a Hrishikesh Mukherjee movie, it will be a good watch.
There is some confusion over the lyricist of this song. Music India Online lists Gulzar as the lyricist, but the album I have ‘Remembering Hrishikesh Mukherjee’ has Harindranath Chattopadhyay as the lyricist and Earth Music agrees with this.
Song: Jaaneman Jaaneman Tere Do Nayan Movie: Chhoti Si Baat (1975) Music Director: Salil Chowdhary Singer(s): Asha Bhosle and Yesudas Lyrics: Yogesh
This bubbly, playful song stuck with me the first time I heard it. The song is from the movie Chhoti Si Baat, a light-hearted comedy with Amol Palekar as the naive, seedha-saada guy who is trying to woo Vidya Sinha. Ashok Kumar, who makes a late entry in the movie, helps Amol Palekar win his lady love. Asrani also plays a role in the movie and contributes to the comic factor.
The song is unusual for its singers. Ashaji and Yesudasji in a duet! How unusual can it get? Yesudas is known for his classical, serious type of songs and was probably the worst choice for this song, but he pulls this one off with ease. I personally feel he is overshadowed by the effervescent Ashaji, but that’s my opinion.This is a true duet song wherein the singers are having a conversation. One questions and the other answers. One states and the other disagrees. I love these kind of duet songs.
The song is sweet on your ears and is pleasant to watch too. The sweet, innocent romance of Amol and Vidya unfolds in this song. Amol is watching a movie with Dharmendra and Hema Malini on screen and he starts fantasizing about his own lady. Why am I talking about the picturization? Watch it yourself.
PS: Another beautiful song from this movie is the title song.
Song: Jaane Woh Kaise Log The Jinke Movie: Pyaasa (1957) Music Director: S D Burman Singer(s): Hemant Kumar Lyrics: Sahir Ludhianvi
This song reminds me of my college days, engineering college days in particular. No, don’t get me wrong. I did not experience any love disappointment, just that I rediscovered this song during those days and I would hum this song sitting in bus, waiting for my bus at the stop and sitting in class while boring lectures were going – basically all the time.
Hemantda acquired a special place in my heart after I heard this song. For a long time, I was under the wrong assumption that this song is sung by Manna Dey and when I finally realized who the real singer was, I was not surprised at all. It had to be Hemantda with his expressive voice.
The song is clearly meant for a heart-broken lover’s situation. The tune is so simple as if Hemantda is reciting those lines rather than actually singing it. There is very little background music thus giving all the importance to Hemantda’s voice. His voice is so heavy and drawn-out, you can actually feel the burden. And the words, oh my, heart-wrenching, tear-jerking words. Tell me, whose heart will not melt for the person singing these lines:
Isko hi jeena kehte hain to yuhin jee lenge
Uff na karenge lab seelenge aasoon peelenge
Gham se ab ghabarana kaisa gham sau baar mila
I love this song so much, I can go on and on about it, but let me stop here by saying I love the simplicity of this song. Simple music, simple tune, simple words but the feeling are far from being simple.
Song: Aake Seedhi Lagi Movie: Half Ticket (1962) Music Director: Salil Chowdhary Singer(s): Kishore Kumar and Kishore Kumar (??!!) Lyrics: Shailendra
This song was recently refreshed in the minds of the music lovers by Aabhaas, the young, shy contestant in Star Plus’s Voice of India. He sung this song on the show and won the hearts of the judges and the audiences alike. He was one of the few contestants who chose to sing old beauties and left the newer dance numbers to the other contestants. There was another female contestant, whose name I forget, who too chose to sing old numbers and she chose some real gems like Mai Ri from Dastak. No surprise, neither of them won the show.
The special thing about this song is the playback singer. I know Kishore Kumar is special by himself, but this song is even more special because he has sung the male and female lines of this song. The movie has Kishore Kumar in the lead role as a mentally retarded person who considers himself a little boy and acts like one. The title, Half Ticket, refers to him because he asks for half ticket when he travels by train. This song is picturized on Kishore Kumar dressed up as a village girl and Pran, who wants to catch hold of Kishore for ulterior motives. Kishore Kumar’s male voice is for Pran and the female voice is for Kishore Kumar himself. Kishoreji has sung this song with such sincerity that you can’t make out the female voice is his if you don’t know beforehand.
This black-n-white, light hearted comedy movie is worth a watch. Watch it for Kishore Kumar.
Song: Aankhon Mein Raho Movie: Company (2002) Music Director: Sandeep Chowta Singer(s): Sowmya Raoh Lyrics: Nitin Raikwar
A fairly recent song from a blockbuster movie. The best part about the song is it has almost no background instrument accompaniment. It is a soulful, quiet number driven solely by the singer’s captivating voice. Music is by Bengaluru (let’s be politically correct) based Sandeep Chowta (remember him), who sadly disappeared into oblivion because he was used only by Ram Gopal Verma. The singer is Bengaluru lass Sowmya Raoh whose first Hindi film song was this one. Didn’t she cut an album later with Chowta? Lyrics are sweet and simple. It’s Sowmya’s haunting voice which is the highlight of this song. This song is picturized on Vivek Oberoi and Antara Mali, but the song is not complete in the movie. It was more like ‘blink and you missed it’ type, so not many people know this song. While Khallas and Ganda Hai were ruling the charts, this song went and sat quietly in a corner. Here it is, a bit dusty, but a beautiful song nevertheless.
Song: Kahin Ek Masoom Naazuk Si Ladki Movie: Shankar Hussain (1977) Music Director: Khaiyyam Singer(s): Mohammed Rafi Lyrics: Kamal Amrohi
This is one of the best songs from the Khayyam-Rafi duo. The same music director-singer pair who has given us memorable songs like the melancholic ghazal Hamari Yaad Aati To Hogi and the romantic duet with Lata Mangeshkar Simti Huyi Yeh Ghadiyan, totally shine in this song. This song is picturized on Kanwaljeet (remember him?) who is dreaming and fantasizing about his beloved. The music is soft and not too over powering giving all the importance to Rafi, his singing and his soft-as-silk voice. Rafi’s voice is the best thing about this song. Right after the song starts, there is a place where Rafi says ‘Haaye’ and your heart misses a beat there. I call Rafi the king of ‘Haaye’s – he has a range of them, and nobody can beat him in that. Words are too beautiful. I can’t write down the whole song here, but every word is note worthy. Just read these lines:
Chalo Khat Likhe Jee Mein Aata To Hoga
Magar Ungliyan Kapkapaati To Hongi
Kalam Haath Se Chhoot Jaata To Hoga
Umange Kalam Phir Uthaati To Hongi
Mera Naam Apne Kitaabon Pe Likhkar
Woh Daaton Mein Ungli Dabaati To Hogi
I have a personal reason for my love for this song. I heard this song for the first time on Radio City. Sheetal Iyer who used to host the 11 o’clock show on old Hindi songs played this song on her show and I fell in love with it. I didn’t have any clue about the whereabouts of this song, so I mailed her asking her the details. She surprised me by promptly replying, giving me all the information. I couldn’t find this song in any music shop. I checked with all my friends who were fans of old Hindi songs, but none of them had it. Some of them, like me, hadn’t even heard of it. Enter my dear husband (who wasn’t my husband then) and he had this song in his collection. To be honest, this was enough reason for me to fall in love with him, but I never told him that. After he shared the song with me, I listened to it non-stop for five days. This was the only song on my playlist and I couldn’t thank my husband enough. Our relationship started with the sharing of this song and our love for music is still one of the highlights of our five years long relationship. Hardly a day passes without either of us mentioning something about the Hindi film music. Enough with the sentimental love story. Here is the video of the song. Enjoy!
Song: Huzoor Is Kadar Movie: Masoom (1983) Music Director: R D Burman Singer(s): Bhupinder and Suresh Wadkar Lyrics: Gulzar
This movie tackled a controversial subject, considering the time it was released in. If you have Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi in the lead roles, you can’t expect a masala potboiler, it has to be art or parallel cinema. Masoom had the amazing R D Burman-Gulzar duo which gave some memorable gems in this movie. The first song that comes to mind is of course Tujhse Naaraaz Nahin Zindagi. Though there are two versions of this song, male and female but for some reason, the one sung by Lata Mangeshkar overshadows the other one. The male version is just as beautiful, but Latadi’s popularity is probably the reason for that. Another popular song is the peppy, children’s song Lakdi Ki Kaathi. Gulzar saab is given the credit of writing a children’s song which is not very childish. I don’t know about childishness, but this song seems to catch the attention of every little kid.
Another beautiful song lies hidden under the popularity of these two songs. Huzoor Is Kadar is one of those rare duet songs where both the singers are of the same gender. The song is picturized on the slightly tipsy Naseeruddin Shah and Saeed Jaffrey. Gulzar saab took sympathy on lesser mortals like us and has used all simple words and that is probably what makes this song beautiful. Panchamda’s music is mesmerizing. Watch the video.
