Bollywood Music News

Sooraj Barjatya has roped in good friend Ravindra Jain to write the lyrics and compose the music for his “Ek Vivaah… Aisa Bhi”. Together, they stick to their old, tried and tested formula, but Jain has nevertheless created melodious and romantic songs.

Shaan turns to be the real stunner in the album.

“Mujhme zinda hain woh” doesn’t deviate from the kind of numbers Rajshri Productions’ films usually belt out. With Shaan and Shreya Ghoshal at the vocals, this number is a typical ‘Indian’ track. Jain’s composition and lyrics are average. The number plays a second time as well, but for a shorter duration.

“Dekhe akele humne solah mele” is similar to the previous track except in the vocals as it is a solo rendition by Shreya. This number too is a slow, romantic piece that has the Indianness intact with the presence of classical music. Jain’s melodies are soothing and Shreya’s voice is soulful. The song does get boring at places but maintains its rhythm.

“Mandir hain ghar yeh hamara” is the kind of track that almost every Barjatya album would have. A “we are a happy, Indian family” sort of a number, “Mandir Hain…” has been rendered by Suresh Wadekar.

From a perfect family, Jain moves on to a perfect couple in the next composition. Rendered by Shaan and Shreya, “Sang Sang rahenge” doesn’t waiver from the path that the album has taken. The two sing the piece with great emotion. The music has been kept classical yet again.

The composer moves on to a marriage number with “Banna Banni” - a typical Indian folk song.

Shaan gets his solo outing with “Kya soch ke aaye the”. Yet another romantic piece, this one has the guy’s version of how he falls for the woman he loves. Shaan emotes well and his rendition goes well with the song’s mood.

The festivities continue and “Lo ji hum aa gaye” takes the album forward. Shaan is joined by Satish Dehra, Farid Sabri and Pamela Jain, who together give us a faster, peppier track.

“Jhirmir jhirmir meha” sung by Shaan and Shreya is set against the backdrop of rain. Jain writes some very poetic lyrics for the piece that adds to the mood of the song.

“Neend mein Hai” is Shaan’s second solo number. He does a splendid job with the ghazal. And with Jain’s lyrical and musical expertise, the song should find many fans.

“Ek Vivaah… Aisa Bhi” resembles Rajshri Productions’ earlier hit “Vivah” as far as music goes. Almost every song is coated with soulful music and poetic lyrics, but it can tend to get a bit boring. The album follows a certain pace, which may get slightly monotonous.

Film: “Golmaal Returns”
Music Director: Pritam Chakraborty; Singers: Neeraj Sridhar, Anushka Manchanda, Benny Dayal, Indie, Monali, Suzanne D’Mello aka Suzie Q, Suhail Kaull, Akruti Kakkar, Anvesha Dutta, Earl
Rating: ***

After hits like “Race”, “Kismat Konnection” and “Singh is Kinng”, Pritam Chakraborty offers yet another hit album with “Golmaal Returns”. It has nine tracks including five remixes and most of them are pretty catchy.

“Tha kar ke”, which has been making news for its extravagant cost, is basically a promotional number. Singer Neeraj Sridhar is joined by Akriti, Anvesha, Indie and Earl and they add in a lot of punch to their singing. Sameer’s lyrics are okay.

Suzie Q, who sang “Jee karda” in “Singh is Kinng”, is back in “Meow” along with Monali. As far as composition goes, the track isn’t very impressive. The lyrics are good, but the repeated use of the word ‘Meow’ irritates. This Hinglish track is basically an attempt at being a little naughty and successfully does so.

“Vacancy” is much better than the previous track. It can be called the title track because of the repeated use of the word ‘Golmaal’. Like the title track of the original “Golmaal”, this one too has got the same base. Rendered by Benny, Neeraj Sridhar, Suhail and Suzie Q, the number is a racy one. It is sure to be hummed by many, just like the original “Golmaal” was.

Anushka Manchanda tracks always manage to woo listeners and “Tu saala” is no exception. A solo rendition, Anushka adds a certain zing to the tune.

All in all, “Golmaal Returns” is not really an out-and-out chartbuster, but it is an enjoyable album and “Vacancy” can be flaunted as the star attraction.

Film: “Heroes”
Music Director: Sajid-Wajid, Monty Sharma
Singers: Sukhwinder Singh, Shail Hada, Wajid, Sowmya Raoh, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Sonu Nigam, Parthiv Gohil, Rekha Rao, Kunal Ganjawala
Rating: *1/2

Neither the promos of “Heroes” nor its songs are exciting. Despite composers like Sajid-Wajid and Monty Sharma, the album is quite boring.

The album starts with unimpressive number “Badmash launde”, a rustic track rendered by Parthiv Gohil, Shail Hada and Rekha Rao. While their singing is nothing to write home about, the composition is worse while the lyrics are not understandable at all. Not worth listening.

Next is “Gurbani”. It is better than the previous track. Sung by Shail Hada, the song is hardly a minute long, but is soothing. The Sajid-Wajid composition in this prayer is pleasant to hear.

Next comes “Heroes Theme”. It is a soothing number with a lingering appeal.

“Makhana” reminds of 1950s’ and 60s’ songs that used to have a social message. Dhols, an Indian percussion instrument, are predominant in the song composed by Sajid-Wajid, but despite that it turns out to be insipid. Sukhwinder Singh, who is accompanied by Wajid and Sowmya Raoh, is not able to lift the mood with his vocals.

“Mannata” is a Punjabi romantic track. It is melodious but, again, doesn’t really excite. Jalees’ lyrics are quite average.

“Wat’s up my bro” is composed by Monty Sharma. A thumping number, it has Kunal Ganjawala rendering with power-packed energy, but sadly to no avail, as, like most songs in the album, it isn’t very appealing.

Except “Gurbani” not a single song is worth listening to or writing about.

Film: “Hello”
Music Director: Sajid-Wajid, Salim-Suleiman
Lyricist: Jalees Sherwani
Singers: Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan, Suzy Q, Herchelle, Tim, Merlin, Wajid, Daler Mehndi, Ishq Bector, Sunidhi Chauhan, Sonu Nigam, Zubin, Shaan, Sadhna Sargam
Rating: **

Director Atul Agnihotri roped in composer duos Sajid-Wajid and Salim-Suleiman to compose the music for his film, which is a screen adaptation of Chetan Bhagat’s second bestseller, “One Night @ the Call Center”. But the final outcome is not so impressive.

The album starts with the loud number “Karle baby dance wance”. The song is not appealing despite the fact that Daler Mehndi is crooning it. Accompanying him is Sunidhi Chauhan and her rendition is also average. The worst are lyrics, courtesy Jalees Sherwani.

“Rab ka banda” is completely different from “Karle baby…”. The song is sung by accomplished and noteworthy singers like Sonu Nigam and Zubin and Sunidhi Chauhan. It is a philosophical track Jalees lyrics connect with the theme, but the music isn’t good enough to make it a chartbuster.

A romantic piece comes in the form of “Mitwa re”. In this slow and soft number, synthesizer, the flute and tambourine are used throughout and that gives it a slight rustic touch. While the lyrics are quite average, there’s nothing outstanding about the rendition by Shaan, Wajid and Sadhna Sargam.

“Bang bang bang” is an out and out Wajid song. Giving it a very concert-like feel, the composers of this track have made it seem like a ‘larger-than-life’ composition.

“Caravan”, as the title suggests, is a song about the journey of life and Jalees’ meaningful lyrics make it all the more appealing. Noted Pakistani singer Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan renders it. Yet, one gets the feeling that there’s still something missing in the number or, rather, there could have been an improvement somewhere.

“Hello”, which is being used as a promotional song, has a host of singers on board including Wajid, Ishq Bector, Tim, Herchelle, Merlin and Suzie Q. But it is not a very happening number.

The “Hello” album lacks a lot and isn’t presented too well for masses to download any song, leave alone buying the entire CD or cassette.

Film: “Fashion”
Music Director: Salim-Suleiman
Lyricist: Irfan Siddique, Sandeep Nath
Singers: Salim Merchant, Neha Bhasin, Sukhwinder Singh, Shruti Pathak, Robert Bob Omulo, Satya Hinduja, Mohit Chauhan
Rating: ***1/2

Composers Salim-Suleiman have created great music for the film “Fashion”. And the success or failure of Madhur Bhandarkar’s movie at the box office wouldn’t change the fate of the album, which, beyond doubt, is a commercial success.

The album starts with the interesting song “Aashiyana”, which is five-and-a-half minutes long. Salim and Suleiman have put together an engaging mix of sounds that are complimented by Salim’s rendition and Irfan Siddique’s lyrics.

Next is “Fashion ka jalwa” that talks about the reality of the fashion world. Sandeep Nath’s lyrics are meaningful. Sukhwinder Singh sings it well along with Bob Omulo and Satya Hinduja.

It’s a pleasure to hear Mohit Chauhan’s rendition in the romantic number “Kuch khaas”. He teams up with Neha Bhasin of Viva fame to sing the lovely song. It may not top the charts, but is very soothing to listen to.

“Mar jawaan” is one of the best tracks of the album. It is already creating waves on the small screen. Salim takes over the vocals once again and this time Shruti Pathak gives him company. She adds something fresh and likeable to the number.

“Theme of fashion” is an instrumental piece. While it is not a great piece in terms of composition, it might suit the situation during the course of the movie.

It’s very hard to find anything wrong with the album. Salim-Suleiman have done a wonderful job as composers and have brought out the essence of the movie in a remarkable way. Irfan has come out with great lyrics and every singer has given his or her best shot.

Kochi, Jerry Amaldev has composed hit music for 75 Malayalam films and is a highly qualified musician, but he hasn’t created any tunes for movies for nearly 13 years due to “misunderstandings” in the faction-ridden Kerala film industry.

While he’s produced some of the most memorable Malayalam songs and his knowledge of music is well-known, Amaldev didn’t know how to stay afloat amid all the complicated politicking in showbiz.

“I have no complaints against anyone. I’m out of the film industry because I did my job and went home - I didn’t indulge in any other things that would have kept me going,” 69-year-old Amaldev told IANS.

He, however, refused to open up about the controversy over which he was kept out.

“I may have been misunderstood by some musical personalities and despite a patch-up, the patch was still there,” he said.

Music was Amaldev’s first love, but he also wanted to be a priest in his young days. So in 1955, he joined the Catholic Missionary in central India. After spending a decade studying the Bible, he decided it to call it a day.

“I didn’t like the idea of celibacy and music was my first love. From there I went to Naushad, the foremost music director of Bollywood. I worked with him for five years and in 1969 left to do my Bachelors in Music at the Xavier’s University of Louisiana,” said Amaldev.

In 1975, he finished his Master’s degree in music from Cornell University in the US. He taught music at a few places there before returning to India.

In 1980, Amaldev entered the Malayalam film industry as a music director with “Manjil Virinja Pookal” - a movie that catapulted Mohanlal to stardom and won accolades for its beautiful songs. After almost three decades, the songs still pull the heartstrings of music lovers.

After the stupendous success of this film, Amaldev became one of the most sought after composers and went on to give many hits like “Nokkethaa Doorathu Kannum Nattu”, “Poovinu Puthiya Poonthennal” and “Ente Mamaattikkuttiyammakku”. The last Malayalam film he gave the music for was the Mammootty-starrer “No. 1 Snehatheeram Bangalore North” in 1995.

Today, Amaldev has his own band, Rock of Ages, and does stage shows, besides teaching music at a leading private school here.

“I head the troupe, which consists of 24 people and we are into rock music and I enjoy it,” Amaldev said.

And will he ever return to the Malayalam film industry?

“Why not, but will it happen? In case it happens, I will be selective and will do it for films that have a human-interest element. Blessy is one director I would like to work with,” he said.

Echoing the same, Mammootty, who featured in the “No.1 Snehatheeram Bangalore North”, Amaldev’s last film as composer, said: “Certainly his songs were good. May be Fazil, who was the director who introduced him to films, can give him a second homecoming to Malayalam films. It would be good.”

Despite a variety of composers, singers and lyricists in the team, oddly titled “Saas, Bahu Aur Sensex” is a short album and the songs are neither sweet nor appealing.

“What’s up India” is a rap song. Though the western approach to the track makes it quite catchy, the lyrics sound a little too over-the-top. The remix is as average as the original.

“Mujh mein nigahein daal de” is dominated by western arrangement. The song, sung by Monica and composed by Randolph Correa and written by Raqeeb Alam, is way below average.

“Mithri mithri” provides the Punjabi flavour to the album. But unlike recent Punjabi tracks, this one doesn’t belong to the ‘make-you-dance’ category. Composed by Bipin Panchal, “Mithri mithri” is bland. The lyrics by Raqeeb Alam and Shona Urvashi talk about celebration, but Krishna Buerra’s rendition doesn’t match up with the mood of the song.

“Abhi abhi jo tu aayi hai” is a pleasant break from the spate of uninteresting compositions in the album. Beautifully rendered by Javed Ali and notably penned by Raqeeb, the simple soulful song falls into the romantic category. Randolph Correa has taken a very fresh approach to the piece and presented it in an enjoyable package. Thumbs up for the track!

“Saas, Bahu Aur Sensex” is a very short album and yet each piece stands out from the other distinctly. There’s Punjabi, rap, melody as well as a club track. While this attempt is appreciated, the overall outcome of the album is not satisfactory.

New Delhi, “Piya tu ab to aaja” and “Dum maro dum” crooner Asha Bhonsle turns 75 Monday, and the evergreen singer is launching a new album of romantic songs to mark the occasion.

From pop and cabaret songs to club mixes, romantic numbers, bhajans and ghazals - singing diva Asha has sung it all. The magic of her voice continues to enthral listeners across all ages and inspire budding singers even now.

Having sung for actresses of older films like Madhubala, Nutan, Asha Parekh, Helen and Rekha to giving playback to Urmila Matondkar, Kajol, Karisma Kapoor and Gracy Singh among the newer ones, Asha has contributed to the Indian film industry for more than six decades now.

TV actor Kinshuk Mahajan of “Sapna Baabul Ka Bidaai” will feature in the music video of the title song of Asha’s new album. “Asha-ji is like a kid! She is so down to earth and simple. When she called me, she was so sweet to talk to,” Kinshuk told IANS.

“It was so nice to know that she was adamant about taking me for the music video. The song is very romantic. I wish her all the best though I don’t think I would be able to attend the birthday celebrations,” he added.

Asha began her singing career with her first film song “Chala chala nav bala” for the Marathi movie “Majha Bal” in 1943.

When she set out to make a mark in Bollywood with her first Hindi song “Saawan aaya” for Hansraj Bahl’s “Chunariya” in 1948, she faced tough competition from her elder sister Lata Mangeshkar and others like Geeta Dutt, Shamshad Begum, and Suraiya, who dominated the world of playback singing.

Asha showed her charisma with the sensual songs “Aiye meherban” from “Howrah Bridge” in 1958, which was picturised on Madhubala, and “In aankhon ki masti” from “Umrao Jaan” in 1981. She also sang the evergreen number “Chura liye hai tumne” for Zeenat Aman in “Yaadon Ki Baraat”.

Her romantic numbers were also widely lauded with songs like “Haal kaisa hai janab ka” (”Chalti Ka Naam Gadi” 1958), “Mur mur ke na dekh” (”Shri 420″), “Pal do pal ka saath hamara” and many others.

“She is simply blessed and her voice is god’s gift. Not many have a voice like hers. More than a singer, she is a performer who has a feel for every song. One should see the expressions with which she performs on stage - she enjoys each and every bit of it,” new-age pop singer Shibani Kashyap said.

She added: “Her zeal and zest for life is very inspiring. She lives life to the fullest and this is evident from her singing.”

Born into the musical family of Pandit Dinanath Mangeshkar, Asha took her initial training in music from her father. Her father died when she was just nine and her training came to an end.

After his death in 1942, the family moved from Pune to Kolhapur and then to Mumbai. Asha and her elder sister, Lata Mangeshkar, started singing in films to support their family.

The year 1957 was the breakthrough year for Asha when music director O.P. Nayyar got her to sing in “Tumsa Nahin Dekha” and “Naya Daur”. “Ude jab jab zulfein teri” from the latter film still remains a favourite among music lovers.

The same year the legendary S.D. Burman had a rift with Lata Mangeshkar. This came as a blessing in disguise for Asha, who soon became his favourite female singer.

In the 1970s Asha came closer to another legend of Indian music, R.D. Burman, who added a new and stylish dimension to her singing. The songs “Piya tu ab to aaja”, “Dum maro dum” and “Chura liya hai tumne” were a result of this combination. The two also tied the nuptial knot in 1980.

Her ghazals in Muzaffar Ali’s “Umrao Jaan” fetched huge accolades and remain an all-time favourite.

In 1995, a 62-year old Asha did playback for young actress Urmila Matondkar in the movie “Rangeela”. She pleasantly surprised her fans with superhit songs like “Tanha tanha” and “Rangeela re” after which she also sang for Karisma Kapoor in the song “Mujhko hui na khabar”.

For her contribution to music in Indian cinema, Asha was conferred the Dada Saheb Phalke Award, the highest title in Indian cinema in 2000. She was also honoured with the Padma Vibhushan by President Pratibha Patil May this year.

Asha’s popularity goes beyond the Indian shores owing to her various foreign collaborations with artistes like Boy George and Stephen Lauscombe. In 2002, she teamed with Michael Stipe on the track “The Way You Dream” on the self-titled album by 1 Giant Leap.

In 2006, she recorded an album “Asha & Friends” with film actors Sanjay Dutt and Urmila Matondkar and cricket player Brett Lee.

Acclaimed lyricist Javed Akhtar says Indian rock music is very superficial, with most songs having archaic lyrics, but he has experimented with words for his son Farhan Akhtar’s acting debut “Rock On” to make the songs interesting.

“In India, rock music is a very shallow and superficial genre. They dress and style themselves like American rockers but the words and lyrics are archaic and obsolete. The words in an average Indi-Rock number revert to trite filmy clichés like balma, baliye and mahiya,” Akhtar said.

“When they came to me to write lyrics for my son Farhan in ‘Rock On’, I wasn’t really sure I could pull it off. I had never done a rock album before and I’m not familiar with the genre.

“The language in ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ was that of traditional lyrics… zamana, dewaana. In ‘Rock On’, where Farhan makes his debut as an actor, I’ve moved completely away from the traditional lyrics,” he added.

“In ‘Rock On’, I wanted to create a new idiom that I don’t think I had been able to do in ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ in spite of its modern context and characters. There I was still falling back on traditional thoughts and rhymes.

“In ‘Rock On’ I’ve experimented with words and thoughts. For example, songs about dreamers have been done to death. I’ve used the parallel of ‘Sinbad The Sailor’ to bring out the theme of derring-do. Then I was asked to write a song about an individual’s losses in a week. Writing about a laundry bill, denim jacket, chandi ka ring… you can’t use angoothee for ring… This is the lingo of rock,” the lyricist said.

Asked about Farhan’s performance in the film, Akhtar said: “I can’t separate the father from the critic. But yes, Farhan has acted very well. As for his singing, I leave that to the audience to decide.”

Bangalore, Sep 4 (IANS)Farhan Akhtar and other cast members of the hit movie ‘Rock On’, the first Hindi film on rock music, Thursday described as shocking the recent ban on live music and dance in the pubs and discos of India’s technology hub.

“Music is an integral part of our lives. It is completely wrong to put a ban on performance of live music and dance. Bangalore is known for its feisty rock bands and the curb will act as a deterrent to the creativity of many talented musicians,” Farhan said addressing a group of fans and media persons at a multiplex here.

“I too am a musician and I can understand the pain of a performer when he is denied to express himself through his art,” added the director, who made his debut as an actor and singer with ‘Rock On’ that has taken audiences by storm.

Farhan, son of script writer and lyricist Javed Akhtar, is a self-taught singer and guitarist and has been a musician for last 12 years.

Echoing Farhan’s sentiments, model turned actor Arjun Rampal, who according to the critics has given his career best performance in the film, said that music was no crime and the ban should be revoked soon.

Bangalore police imposed the ban in August. The order bans live performances at any place where liquor is served. However, the police has now come up with a set of new guidelines for pubs and discos to get a license for live performances.

Farhan, Rampal, Luke Kenny and Purab Kohli, the other two stars of the film spent an hour interacting, singing and jiving with their fans at Fun Cinemas as a part of the post-release promotion of their film.

The young crowd at the multiplex almost went berserk when Akhtar, along with his co-stars, performed some of the hits numbers from the film, including “Dil Yeah Kya Kehta.”.

“I love you all. Bangalore simply rocks,” Rampal said as he was mobbed with autograph hunters.

“I have watched the film thrice. And every time I have loved the movie more. Rock On is about today’s youth, their dreams and aspirations. All the four actors have done a great job in the film,” said an excited Medha Shah, a college-goer, who bunked her classes to have a glimpse of her favourite actors.

‘Rock On’ by debutant director Abhishek Kapoor is the story of four musician friends, who put up a great rock band together. Unfortunately the band fails to make it big and disintegrates.

Years later, as fate would have it, they come back together to fulfill their unfinished dreams.

“We’ve tried to make an honest film with a simple story. We’re glad that the audiences have appreciated our effort,” said Farhan, the director of box-office hits like “Dil Chahta Hai” and “Don”.

Farhan has sung five of the nine tracks in the film, the music of which has been composed by music director trio Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy.

“I have always wanted to be an actor, but was waiting for the right script,” said Farhan, who is hugely enjoying his popularity in his latest avatar as an actor.

Asked if after the box-office success of Rock On, he has plans to concentrate only on acting, the actor-director said he would like to maintain a balance between both.

“I love both acting and directing and would like to continue doing both,” said Farhan who will be seen as an actor once again in his sister’s Zoya Akhtar’s directorial venture “Lucky by Chance”.