Tere Naina by Kailash Kher

Song: Tere Naina
Singer: Kailash Kher
Lyrics: Kailash Kher
Music: Kailasa band
Album: Jhoomo Re

I heard this song on a popular serial on the telly last night. This song touched me and moved me in such a way that I had to find out what song it is. It was obviously a Kaliash Kher song and it did not take me much time to find out the song.

Tere Naina actually starts with words ‘Jaage jaage soye soye tere naina’. Simple tune, simple words and the song is so beautiful, I cannot express it in words. I should take back my words about words being simple because I noticed one word whose meaning I don’t know: raanaaiyon mein. The complete line is : Haan in palon ki raanaaiyon mein, tum hi ho na.

The part of the song which had my heart melting was the tum hi ho na. Every time Kailash Kher sings these lines, my eyes well up and my head sways. The slight change in the pace, the chorus singing dheere na na dheere na na and the emotion that Kailash packs in: as if an innocent child asks his mother ‘You will be here after I fall asleep, right?’ Oh, what is it about this line that drives me crazy!

Words for the song:

Jaage jaage soye soye tere naina
Sapno mein khoye khoye tere naina
Tanhaaiyo ki, parchaaiyo mein,
Tum hi hona
Tere naina, haye naina

Sooni sooni, sooni sooni si yeh raina
Aaja piya, tere bina nahi chaina
Unchaaiyon ki, gehraiyon mein,
Tum hi hona
Tere naina, haye naina

Paaya tujhe toh sab mil gaya haan
Ehsaas aisa ki sab khil gaya
Jaise himalaya khud pighal ke, saagar ban gaya
Haan in palon ki raanaaiyon mein,
Tum hi hona
Tere naina, haye naina

Madhosh raatein pal pal suhaane
Rut gaa rahi hai dil ke taraane
Saare nazaare chaand taare gungunane lage
In vaadiyon ki angdaaiyo mein,
Tum hi hona
Tere naina, haye naina

Aarakshan: Fresh

After the different taste of music we got from Rajneeti, Prakash Jha gives us another experimental album in Aarakshan. He plays it safe by hiring the dependable Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy trio, but also experiments by including a composition from the lyricist Prasoon Joshi. It is commendable that the same album which contains the raunchy ‘Mauka’ also includes the classical and philosophical ‘Kaun Si Dor’. In short, an album worth noting and listening.

Album: Aarakshan (2011)
Music Composers: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Prasoon Joshi
Singers:
Lyricist: Prasoon Joshi
Album Rating:

Achha Lagta Hai
Singers: Mohit Chauhan and Shreya Goshal
Music Composer: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Lyrics: Prasoon Joshi

The title of this song reminds me of the evergreen Amit Kumar’s song ‘Bade achhe lagte hain’, but after the song starts playing, I immediately think of ‘Agar Mein Kahoon’ from Lakshya. The song is peppy, romantic and fresh. Mohit and Shreya make a great pair in singing and the lyrics are absolutely hilarious, what with ‘short mein batalao na, seedhe point pe aao na’.

Mauka
Singer: Raman Mahadevan, Mahalakshmi Iyer and Others
Music Composer: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Lyrics: Prasoon Joshi

An out and out item song, the typical ‘Sheela’ and ‘Munni’ that we hear, but less raunchy. The highlight of the song is the lyrics (chance pronounced as ‘chanas’). Fast beats, catchy tune – this will be a chart buster in no time.

Kaun Si Dor
Singer: Pt Channulal Mishra and Shreya Goshal
Music Composer: Prasoon Joshi
Lyrics: Prasoon Joshi

And here comes the best part of the album. Prasoon Joshi enters into the composition world and gives us this melodious and philosophical song. Mishra and Shreya get into total classical mood and give us lovely alaaps. I always end up talking about lyrics when it is Joshi’s song – the words make you think and ponder over what life is.

Roshanee
Singer:
Music Composer: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Lyrics: Prasoon Joshi

This fast, energetic song is sung by Shankar. Again, english words in the song make this song interesting to listen to. This song so reminds me of the title song of ‘Lakshya’.

Shor in the City: Mediocre, except for one song

Fresh from the success of F.A.L.T.U, Sachin-Jigar churn out a good mix of songs in their next album. While the focus is on rock, urban songs, they do sneak in a melodious song. This is not one of the best albums to come out this year, but I did notice it for one song – Saibo.

Album: Shor in the City (2011)
Music Composers: Sachin-Jigar, Harpreet
Singers: Shreya Goshal, Tochi Raina, Suri Jagan, Priya Panchali, Swati Mukund, Mohan, Shriram Iyer, Roop Kumar Rathod, Agnee, Kailash Kher
Lyricist:  Sameer
Album Rating:

Saibo
Singers: Shreya Goshal, Tochi Raina
Music Composers: Sachin-Jigar
Lyrics: Sameer

Shreya and Tochi accompany each other in this wonderful musical journey and it’s a treat for your ears. The song has a catchy tune and a soothing effect on your ears. For me, this is the best song in the album.

Karma is a *****
Singer: Suri Jagan, Priya Panchali, Swati Mukund
Music Composers: Sachin-Jigar
Lyrics: Sameer

In total contrast to the previous song, this one is a total urban, rock kind of song. Never mind the lyrics, but I didn’t find this song appealing. It’s not for me and I admit it. Hope the disco-goers like it.

Shor
Singer: Mohan
Music Composer: Sachin-Jigar

Another mediocre song which is easily forgotten once it stops playing.

Deem Deem Tana
Singer: Shriram Iyer
Music Composer: Harpreet

Shriram Iyer (remember Indian Idol?) belts out this song with energy and passion. This seems like a situational dance number. Hope it works well. This is a composition by the guest composer Harpreet.

A budding music composer duo and just four songs in the album doesn’t really make it commercially viable, does it? There are 3 bonus tracks in the album – Babam Bam by Kailash Kher, Ujale Baaz by Agnee and the melodious Sufi Song Teri Justajoo by Roop Kumar Rathod.

Ready: Crowd Pleaser

Salman Khan is known to please the crowd with his movies and music. His latest movie, Ready, is a remake of the original Telugu blockbuster and comes with the baggage of the success of the original movie. The music of the original movie took the Telugu industry by storm and I can imagine the remade version doing something similar. Pritam does a fab job of including quality song (Humko Pyaar Hua) and crowd pleasers (Dhinka Chika and Character Dheela).

Album: Ready (2011)
Music Composers: Pritam and Devi Sri Prasad
Singers: Amrita Kak, Neeraj Sridhar, Mika Singh, Tulsi Kumar, KK, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan
Lyricist: Amitabh Bhattacharya, Neelesh Mishra, Ashish Pandit and Kumaar
Album Rating:

Character Dheela Hai (Ishq Ke Naam)
Singers: Neeraj Sridhar and Amrita Kak
Music Composer: Pritam
Lyrics: Amitabh Bhattacharya

The album opens with the foot tapping dance number picturized on Salman Khan and Zarine Khan (remember her from Veer?). Amitabh Bhattacharya who is known for his philosophical words (eg: Baangur from I Am) pens an out and out commercial song with catchy lyrics. There is a mention of the chartbusters ‘Munni’ and ‘Sheila’ too.  Neeraj and Amrita add the right amount of zing to this song and you can’t stop from tapping your foot. This is going to be a chart buster for sure. Needless to say, this comes in a remixed version.

Humko Pyar Hua (Chal Chale)
Singer: KK and Tulsi Kumar
Music Composer: Pritam
Lyrics: Neelesh Mishra

In total contrast to the previous song, this one is a soft, romantic number sung by KK and Tulsi Kumar. KK’s voice suits these kind of songs so well, the more I listen to him, the more I like it. Lyrics are nothing extra-ordinary, but the song itself has a soothing effect and you sway along with it. One of my favorites from the album. There is a remixed version too, which is good.

Dhinka Chika
Singer: Mika Singh and Amrita Kak
Music Composer: Devi Sri Prasad
Lyrics: Ashish Pandit

This is the song which had the highest expectations. Ringa Ringa from the original Telugu movie was a huge chartbuster and this song which is based on the original won’t be anything less. A totally tapori song, a mass pleaser and foot-tapping beats is one catchy song. It reminds me of Dil Mein Baji Guitar, may be because of Mika or the beats? Is Amrita Kak the new Sunidhi Chauhan? She sounds similar to Sunidhi and has the same singing style and voice. Should I say this comes in a remixed version?

Meri Ada Bhi (Ishq Ne Mere)
Singer: Rahat Fatesh Ali Khan and Tulsi Kumar
Music Composer: Pritam
Lyrics: Kumaar

A very interesting number which mixes the age old Punjabi folk song Laung Gawacha with current music trend which is sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Tulsi Kumar. The song opens with a cuckoo sound (which you could hear in old, grandpa clocks) which is hilarious. The fast beats, Sufi touch by Khan’s voice and the Punjabi folk song words make this song very catchy and interesting. A remixed version exists which is okay.

I Am: Fresh

When you look at the star cast of ‘I Am’ (Juhi Chawla, Nandita Das, Manisha Koirala, Rahul Bose etc.), you make a mental picture of how the movie will be and how its music will be. And when you listen to this album, you expect a certain quality to the music and this album meets all those expectations.

Amit Trivedi, Vivek Phillip and Rajiv Bhalla contribute their own songs to make this album complete.

Album: I Am (2011)
Music Composers: Amit Trivedi, Vivek Phillip, Rajiv Bhalla
Singers: Mame Khan, Kavita Seth, KK, Rekha Bhardwaj, Mohan and Karthik
Lyricist: Amitabh Bhattacharya and Amitabh Varma

Baangur
Singers: Mame Khan and  Kavita Seth
Music Composer: Amit Trivedi
Lyrics: Amitabh Bhattacharya

The album opens with melodious and soulful song from Amit Trivedi. The opening piece of music is so eye-catching (or should I say ear-catching) that you will automatically tap your feet and sway to the music. Mame Khan’s voice is interesting, but it’s Kavita Seth’s singing that adds life to this song. In an otherwise melodious song, Trivedi introduces some rap lines which disturbs the tranquility of the song. Lyrics are interesting. See these lines

phirti thi hawaaon mein, par lagte thay paaon mein
zindagi band pinjron mein kiyun aaj rehti hai
neendon ke sandooqon mein kabhi sone ke sapne thay
aaj peetal ke tukrron ko mohtaaj rehti hai

‘Neendon ke sanooqon mein kabhi sone ke sapne thay’ – what an imagination. Inspired by Gulzar?

Issi Baat Pe
Singer: KK
Music Composer: Amit Trivedi
Lyrics: Amitabh Bhattacharya

Can someone confirm if the string instrument used in the opening piece is Veena? I am not sure if it is Veena or Sitar. A short and sweet song which has philosophical undercurrents is sung beautifully by KK. We hear the ghost rapper again in between which just makes me cringe.

Bhojal Se
Singer: KK
Music Composer: Rajiv Bhalla
Lyrics: Amitabh Varma

A very soft and soulful voice rendered beautifully by KK. The slow tune, very little background music puts all the attention on the singer and the words. This song has a calming effect – you immediately slow down in whatever you are doing and find yourself relaxed.

Aankhein
Singer: Karthik
Music Composer: Vivek Phillip
Lyrics: Amitabh Varma

A not very uncommon romantic song which is listened to and immediately forgotten. I found the tune monotonous. Nothing special to take back from this song.

Saye Saye
Singer: Mohan and Rekha Bharadwaj
Music Composer: Amit Trivedi
Lyrics: Amitabh Bhattacharya

A very unusual opening to the song – it opens with adhan – the call for prayer which we often hear in mosques. Trivedi ensures his song has interesting openings. A very strong and aggressive song sung by Rekha Bharadwaj and Mohan.

Wundoo Yeredoo
Singer: Rajiv Bhalla
Music Composer: Rajiv Bhalla
Lyrics: Amitabh Varma

The less I say anything about this song, the better. A mix of Hindi, English and Kannada words and jarring music – the song is best avoided.

Music Review: Dum Maaro Dum

Pritam impresses us once again with his latest album. The title song created a lot of controversy and I am surprised I like Pritam’s version better. A soft number, an item song and a rap song by the AB himself make this album worth listening to.

Album: Dum Maaro Dum (2011)
Music Composers: Pritam
Singers: Anushka Manchanda, Ash King, Sunidhi Chauhan, Papon, Zubin Garg, Abhishek Bachchan and Ayush Phukan
Lyricist: Jaideep Sahni

Mit Jaaye Gham aka Dum Maaro Dum
Singer: Anushka Manchanda

The much talked about, controversial song gives this album a great start. It’s not true that there is no resemblance to the original songs or that the lyrics are not borrowed. The first couple of lines are definitely copied and the signature guitar tune is the essence of the remixed song. Apologies to purists, but I actually like this song. It’s peppy and has the ‘do not care attitude’ in a more pronounced way. The original song was for that era and this song is for the present generation. It’s catchy and rocking.

Te Amo
Singers: Ash King and Sunidhi Chauhan

This is the most beautiful song of the album. Pritam seems to agree because there are a total of four versions of this song included in the album. We have a version each by Ash King, Sunidhi Chauhan and Mohit Chauhan and another remix version. The lyrics are interesting -  ‘Te Amo’ means ‘I love you’ in Spanish. The song is soft and touching.

Jiyein Kyun
Singer: Papon

This is one of Pritam’s signature songs with elements of rock. It reminds me of ‘Life in a metro’ and in a good way. Papon – no idea who this singer is, but he is one awesome singer! His style is a bit similar to Mohit Chauhan’s – singing lazily, with dragging the words -  if you know what I mean. The song starts of in a soft way and then it gets rocking later on with an awesome guitar piece.

Jaana Hai
Singer: Zubin Garg

Zubin Garg sings this ambitious song where sings his heart out. A song which varies between slow and fast tempo has interesting guitar pieces in between. A very different kind of song which catches your attention.

Thayn Thayn
Singers: Abhishek Bachchan, Ayush Phukan

Abhishkes Bachchan turns singer in this song where he is heard rapping! This is the first desi rap song which I liked. Lyrics are interesting and the song makes you sing along with it. Catchy tune, foot-tapping beats and different lyrics make this song a very enjoyable one.

Music Review: It’s a Game

After their previous release, Patiala House, I had high expectations from this album too. Most of the songs are just average and fail to impress. The album is a disappointment.

Album: It’s a Game (2011)
Music Composer: Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy
Singers: Vishal Dadlani, Sunitha Sarathy, Shaan, Anusha Mani, Loy Mendonsa, Shreya Goshal, Kshitij Wagh, Aditi Singh Sharma, K.K
Lyricist: Javed Akhtar

It’s a Game
Singer: Vishal Dadlani. Reprise version by Sunitha Sarathy

The title song captures the attitude and the essence of the movie. It sets the mood for the killer attitude and Vishal sings in the right mood and packs in the right attitude. Sunitha Sarathy tries her hand in the reprise version, but her singing lacks the attitude and the sensuality required.

 

Maine Yeh Kab Socha Tha
Singer: Shaan, Anusha Mani, Loy Mendonsa

A soft, romantic number which is the highlight of the album. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy show their charm in this mellifluous song. The opening piece and the in-between piano piece are soothing to the ears. While this is the best song in the album, it still won’t stay with you for long. On the whole, the song sounds disconnected – as if different parts were patched up to make up the song.

 

Mehki Mehki
Singer: Shreya Goshal, Kshitij Wagh

A sensuous dance number which has a touch of cabaret to it. Sung beautifully by Shreya Goshal and ably supported by Kshitij Wagh, the song does catch your attention, but again falls into the average scale. Nothing special in the lyrics department either.

 

Kaun Hai Ajnabi
Singers: Aditi Singh Sharma, K.K

A situational song which brings out the mystery element of the movie. Sung by Aditi and K.K and the words are the same cliched and overused. The song is nothing great and is easy to miss.

 

Music Review: Thank You

Unlike Pritam’s other albums, this one fails to impress. Full Volume is the only song I would probably go back to and only because of its catchy tune. This album disappoints serious Pritam fans who expect memorable music from him.

Album: Thank You (2011)
Music Composers: Pritam
Lyricist: Amitabh Bhattacharya, Ashish Pandit and Kumaar
Pyaar Do Pyaar Lo
Singers: Mika Singh

Pritam revisits the hit number from Jaanbaaz and gives it a fresh touch. Mika sings this with ease and I actually like this new version better. Foot tapping dance number which is sure to rock the charts.
Razia
Singers: Ritu Pathak and Master Salim

A song which can be labeled as an item song. An average song which didn’t evoke any emotion in me, may be the other guys will like it. A remixed version of this one is also just average.
Full Volume
Singers: Richa Sharma, Neeraj Shridhar, Hard Kaur

A comical take on the retro numbers where female singers used to sing with a nasal touch. Richa imitates the retro singing style beautifully and Neeraj is awesome too. The song is comical and has a very fast and catchy tune. I just love this song and I automatically start swaying whenever I listen to this. Needless to say, there is a remixed version.
My Heart is Beating
Singer: Sonu Nigam

Comedy seems to be the essence of this song too, with Sonu Nigam taking on the role of old male singers. He sings very similar to Mohd Rafi and I can imagine Joy Mukherjee or Shammi Kapoor dancing to Sonu’s voice. It’s good to listen to once, but it doesn’t remain with you.
Pyaar Mein
Singer: Neeraj Shridhar

The only serious song which is nothing special. This romantic song has a Spanish touch to it, with Neeraj singing brilliantly. Lyrics are just average.

Music Review: Patiala House

When the musician trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy compose music for a movie, you can expect atleast a few good tracks in the movie. And that is true for Patiala House which sees a mix of chart buster, mass appealing Punjabi songs and the soulful, slow songs which has its own niche audience. No matter what group of audience you are in, you will find the music of Patiala House appealing.

Album: Patiala House
Music Composers: Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy
Lyricist: Anvita Dutt Guptan

Laungda Lashkara
Singers: Hard Kaur, Jassi and Mahalaxmi Iyer

True to its name, Patiala House starts off with a catchy, Punjabi number. Foot-tapping music, catchy lyrics – this song will appear on all the dance reality shows for sure.

 

Kyun Main Jaagoon
Singers: Shafqat Amanat Ali

Just when you think Patiala House is going to be about Punjabi dance numbers, the composer trio surprises you with this slow, soulful song. Sung beautifully by Shafqat Amanat Ali, this one reminds me a lot of ‘Shukriya Zindagi’ from Ashayein. Shafqat is carving a niche for himself, singing these kind of songs and they suit him well too. His voice has that quality which provokes you to think and brood. Quite a few interesting lines in this song.

Raahein aisi jinki manzil hi nahin
Dhoondho mujhe ab main rehta hoon wahin
Dil hai kahin aur dhadkan hai kahin
Saansein hai magar kyun zinda main nahin

 

Role Pe Gaya
Singers: Hard Kaur, Mahalaxmi Iyer and Shankar Mahadevan

I was easing myself into the broody mood of the previous song when this jarring noise fell on my ears. I just find this song going horribly wrong. Irritating singing, noisy background music – this song just didn’t work for me.

 

Aadat Hai Voh
Singer: Vishal Dadlani

As if to compensate the torture you went through in the previous track, this melodious track comes across as a breath of fresh air. I love the words in this song. Here are some which I really liked.

Woh dekhe jidhar, dole neeyat udhar
Yeh mehka hunar, usne seekha kidhar
Usko banane wala, kuch kuch toh behka hoga
Jab bhi padi hogi nazar

 

Baby When You Talk To Me
Singers: Suraj Jagan and Alyssa Mendonsa

A catchy song which has a Western touch to it. A hummable tune and a mix of Hindi (or should I say Punjabi?) and English lyrics make this song interesting.

 

Tumba Tumba
Singer: Hans Raj Hans

Much to my surprise, I found myself enjoying this song. I am not a fan of Hans Raj Hans and his kind of songs, but this song has an edge to it. Foot-tapping music, catchy tune – this song will be a hit with the masses.

Aval Allah Noor Upaya
Singer: Richa Sharma

When you see Richa Sharma’s name on the singer’s list, your expectations automatically raise high. Someone who has given soulful Sufi songs disappoints you with this one. It’s not the singing, but the lacklustre song. I expected a lot more from the trio and Richa Sharma.

 

Music Review: Tanu Weds Manu

It’s been a while since I reviewed any music on this blog. One reason for that is I was extremely busy in life and second, I didn’t listen to any songs worth reviewing. In my opinion, 2010 was disappointing for Bollywood film and music industry. 2011 looks promising if the last few movies are anything to go by. Tanu Weds Manu caught my eye (or should I say ear) as something fresh and experimental.

Sadi Gali
Singer: Lehmber Hussainpuri
Music Composer: RDB

This is the only song which I did not like. Yes, you read that right, I did not like this song. I know many of you are clacking your tongues and saying I don’t have a good taste in music, but that’s ok. I did not like this song. Period.

Yun Hi
Singers: Mohit Chauhan and Ujjaini Mukherjee
Music Composer: Krsna

Krsna makes his debut as a music composer and he proves his ability from the very first song. This is a very passionate, romantic song by Mohit Chauhan. This song is so perfect for Mohit, it’s as if Krsna composed it keeping Mohit in mind as a singer. I sometimes find Mohit’s pronunciation irritable – he pronounces Hindi words as if he is talking foreign languauge – and it is very evident in this song, especially the word ‘dafe’. Someone is got to teach him how to pronounce words right. Ujjaini Mukherjee provides her support to this song in the background with her alaap, which is not much and can be easily missed. Isn’t she the same one who participated in some singing reality show? Lyrics are interesting!

Piya Na Rahe Man Basiya
Singer:
Music Composer: Krsna

The song opens with a beautiful piece and sets a classical mood. The song is semi-classical and is sung passionately by Krsna. I applaud his courage to include such kind of song in this album when the rage is all about Punjabi and item songs. A very soft, touching song.

Rangrez
Singers: Wadali Brothers
Music Composer: Krsna

A rhythmic, catchy song which is almost a Qawali. I say almost Qawali because the usual elements of the chorus and the hand-clapping is missing. Sung beautifully by Wadali Brothers, Krsna tries to deliver a different kind of song in the album. There is another version sung by Krsna himself, but the charm of Wadali Brothers is something else.

Mannu Bhaiyya
Singers: Sunidhi Chauhan, Ujjaini Mukherjee, Niladri Debnath
Music Composer: Krsna

A catchy, typical item-song kind sung by Sunidhi Chauhan. Is she shining or what? The way she modulates her voice and how her singing oozes with expression – it’s a pleasure to hear her sing. Ujjaini and Niladri provide the needed support in the background. This song is not one of my favorites, but I can see it quickly climbing up the charts.

Jugni
Singer: Mika Singh
Music Composer: Krsna

A Punjabi sung which is surely going to top the charts. I don’t know why Krsna had to include this song in the album after such gems like ‘Piya’ and ‘Rangrez’, but I guess you have to please the masses!

After a long time, I heard some great music which made me blog about it. I hope the rest of the year churns out equally good music, if not better.