| | Bollywood, the biggest film industry in the world, churns out so many movies a week that to keep up with them all would be nearly impossible. The music is even harder to follow, with each movie containing 7 to 8 tracks. Therefore, my goal is to provide a Cliff Notes version of the Hindi music scene so far this year.
As the year 2006 surpasses its mid-point, about 25 songs have stood out, either for their commercial appeal or for their musical value. The songs have been divided into four categories: The Nasal Playlist, It's a Hit, the Underdogs, and Pop What?
The Nasal Playlist
Last year's nasal nostalgia continues in full force as music director/singer Himesh Reshammiya churns out one chartbuster after another. Jhalak Dikhlaja from the movie Aksar led this year's batch of tunes from la Reshammiya. This foot-tapping number quickly became a favorite club song. Everyone was singing it. And everyone had forgotten about the popular Aashiq Banaya Aapne from last year. Reshammiya followed up on this trend with two other hits- Aashiqui Mein Teri from 36 China Town and Jhoom Jhoom from Tom, Dick and Harry.
Contrary to popular opinion, I'm getting absolutely tired of this guy. He keeps using the same tunes, the same instruments, and the same nasal voice. And every time he rearranges his score from Aashiq Banaya Aapne, people think of it as new and go absolutely wild. Perhaps, this is why I was so relieved, and actually excited, when I heard the Reshammiya-composed qawwali Aawan Akhiyan from the movie Ahista Ahista. This underrated, under-publicized number is truly one of the only gems from Reshammiya this year. And you know what would have made it better? If Reshammiya had given someone else the microphone. The composition was excellent, but I'm starting to think this man just likes to hear himself sing.
It's a Hit!
Also leading the charts this year were the soundtracks of four big blockbusters: Rang De Basanti, Fanaa, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, and Krrish. Rang De Basanti's music, composed by A.R. Rehman was refreshing to hear. The title song, sung by Daler Mehndi and Chitra, quickly became my favorite track. The soundtrack of Fanaa followed, with the beautiful Chand Sifarish sung by Shaan and Kailash Kher. Like Rang De Basanti, I can't get enough of this song.
Hritik Roshan is back in full force this year with his hit movie Krrish. Box office records indicate that Krrish has surpassed Fanaa, and I believe it! And as for the music, this soundtrack had a couple of gems, namely Pyaar Ki Ek Kahani and Main Hoon Woh Aasman. Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna followed Krrish, and like every Karan Johar movie, the songs were totally fun! The best of the lot are the title song, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, and Mitwa. Both are fantastic.
The Underdogs
This review would not be complete without recognizing the underdogs of Hindi music—those songs which were not a part of hit movies. These songs have tremendous musical value, even if the movies they were a part of didn't set the box office on fire. Leading the pack are three special songs from the movie Gangster: Tu Hi Meri Shab Hai, Bheegi Bheegi, and Ya Ali. The movie surprisingly did okay and the songs caught on quickly. Of the three, Ya Ali seems to be the favorite, followed by Tu Hi Meri Shab Hai. Bheegi Bheegi is on my list because it sounds so different from what we are used to hearing. The singer, James, did an amazing job. He sounds intoxicated by love (and whatever else!)
Other good songs from this year include Fitna Dil from the movie Shikhar, Ek Nazar Mein Bhi from Taxi No. 9211, and Yeh Hai Meri Kahani from Zinda. I would also like to specially mention Sabse Alag from Alag. The music video of this song included a handful of Bollywood personalities, from director Karan Johar to actor Arjun Rampal. Also, Hemachandra (Karunya's cousin) and Nihira Joshi of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa fame accompanied Kunal Ganjawala, Gayatri Ganjwala, and Shaan in the vocals. And finally, the song Aaya Re from Chup Chup Ke slowly crawled up the charts. The song is sweet; it has a good tempo; and it's sung beautifully! Another song from this album, Ghoomar Re is also quite good.
Pop What?
While Bollywood celebrates musical success on all fronts, the Indian pop music scene has not quite been up to par. Perhaps the best pop song to come out this year is Mehfuz by the band Euphoria. I LOVE these guys. Mehfuz is a slow number, but very touching. Also becoming quite popular is Tishnagi from Shaan's latest non-film album of the same name.
Earthy singer Kailash Kher released his album, titled Kailasa, this year as well. The album was good, but only one song really stood out—Teri Deewani. If you haven't heard this album, make sure you listen to this song.
Pandit Ajay Pohankar revisited his song Piya Bavari in his new album, Piya Bavari Again. He composed the original album with his son Abhijit Pohankar. I loved the original, and this song is pretty much the same, just a bit faster! This is one album worth listening to. (Ahem…Sprout!)
With great hesitation, I add Sandeep Acharya's Mhare Des Mein to this list. As I said, the Indian pop scene has seen better years. Looking at the big picture, Sandeep's song at least deserves a special mention. Yes, his album sucked, so that should tell you how bad this year's pop albums were!
Another special mention should go to the album India Calling- Rajasthan Lounge. This album fuses Rajasthani folk music with Western music. The outcome is quite good, so I thought I would throw it out there for lovers of fusion music.
Whew! We've only just passed the mid-year mark and already the list is overwhelming. But my overall impression of this year is that while there will always be the Himesh Reshammiya-type shake-your-booty songs, the other songs that have released have shown that Bollywood comprises of some very creative minds who can compose popular songs while still maintaining a traditional Indian base. In other words, they have proven that one does not need to Westernize songs in order to make them popular.
AND, there are still some big albums to look forward to: Dhoom 2, Umrao Jaan, Don, Guru, and Salaam-E-Ishq. The pop music is still beckoning Indian Idol finalists Amey Date and Meenal Jain, and who knows who the underdogs will be during the second half of 2006!
All of these songs can be found on:
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