Remember the age of just two channels on TV viz. Doordarshan and DD Metro? Remember the golden age of Indipop when it all began with the likes of Baba Sehgal, Remo Fernandes, Parvati Khan, Sharon Prabhakar and Alisha Chinai scorching the idiot box in our living rooms? Indipop has come a long way. Or has it really? We’ll discuss that in a separate post. For now, let’s concentrate on what we set out to achieve.

10 tracks, many contributors. Since time immemorial, collaboration or jugalbandhi has been synonymous to musical awesomeness. And Indipop is full of such awesome gems. Here I have listed 10 of my favourite ones from the top of my head. There is no such criteria involved in the selection. Just the first 10 which I could easily recollect. If you have some more in mind, you can always shout it out in the comments section. Right-e-o, let’s begin. And please, do not fill the comments section with hate mails. I can understand your passion for music, but that does not mean that since I left out a song, I should be considered as a punch bag. Thanks for keeping it clean

Clarification: Indipop -> Not necessarily pop. Collective name for Non-film music album.

10 Awesome Indipop Collaborations.

Euphoria – Shubha Mudgal – Dhoom

The debut album and song of Euphoria, this song features Shubha Mudgal singing a Maajhi interlude which is undoubtedly the best part of the song. Coupled with teracotta colours of Banaras by the banks of Ganges, this is a track to die for. DJ Bhaduri’s bass rules the pulse of the song, and Palash’s vocals supply the high-fuelled energy of the song. And above all, the awesome elements of the Rajasthani folk strings complete the experience.

Falguni Pathak – Neeraj Sridhar – Tera Mera Pyar

I am not a fan of either of the artistes. One is a Dandia queen, and the other is known for creating twisted Angrezi interpretations of Golden Oldies. But together, they have created this gem of a song. This is a lovely  ballad composed by Neeraj Sridhar. The video is as simple as it could – just a greyscaled montage piece of the two performers playbacking the song in front of a grand piano. And tbh, Falguni sounds like a cross between Madhushree and Sadhana Sargam in this song.

Chitra -Ustad Sultan Khan – Piya Basanti

My sisters says Ustad Sultan Khan sounds like our dad, when he sings with paan in his mouth She is absolutely right. But that is not going to stop me from loving this song. A brilliant composition nonetheless, this track has Chitra balancing out the heavy bass vocals of Ustad Sultan Khan, with her very lean and innocent voice. Nauheed Cyrusi’s acting career begins with this (and unfortunately ends with it as well).

My favourite portion of the sing is (unsurprisingly) – Palko ke sirhaane baithe, Khwaab wahi jo aane waale..

Lucky Ali/ Kavita Krishnamurthy – Gori Teri Aankhen Kahe

One of the non-guitar and quite un-Lucky songs, as in it sounds more like a Bollywood song than a Lucky Ali album song. This one boasts of a beautiful melody and the high pitched vocals of Lucky Ali get contrasted by the serene aalaps of Kavita. My favourite bits of the song are quite unsurprisingly the female portions when Kavita sings – Dil Mein teri yaad hai tera, ….

Adnan Sami – Asha Bhonsle – Kabhi to Nazar Milao

This one’s a chart topper. And it was on the numero uno spot for more than a year. Until it was dethroned by Adnan Sami’s crowd pleaser – Lift Kara De. But everything about ‘Kabhi To Nazar Milao’ is lovely – apart from the cheesy video featuring – Salil Ankola, Aditi Govitrikar and Perizaad Kolha (yep, the one from Great Indian Laughter Challenge).

The Saxaphone intro followed by Adnan’s heavy vocals get dissolved in the melody of the piano and then Asha jee unleashes her magic. This track is to die for, and hence, it remains as one of my favourite ones. There are other beautiful duets on the album, and even better melodies in Adnan’s subsequent albums featuring an array of Bollywood actresses. But a duet with Asha Bhonsle – c’mon. Nothing else stands a chance.

Colonial Cousins (Hariharan/ Lesslie Lewis)- Krishna

Eat this! Colonial Cousins went to Billboard Awards the following year to perform this. With lyrics such as - Jesus, come back and save the world, you are the future of every boy and girl – there was no reason to stop this song from becoming an internationally appealing song. Nevertheless, the video is a very touching tale of a young kid gone astray due to unfortunate circumstances and how religious fanaticism can break families into fragments. The message of secularism is effortlessly conveyed in a beautiful and yet simple melody by Hariharan’s Carnatic classical renditions and Leslie Lewis’ English vocals.  Okay, so they are not really collaborators, as they had a name for the duo and all. But really, do you really want to exclude this song on the basis of that technicality? Need I say more?

Jagjit Singh, Lata Mangeshkar – Sajda, Gham ka Khazana

Originally released in 1991, this track was re-released in 2006. The video is a very poorly produced one with young actors with hideous make-ups and awful grey hair trying to portray 30 years older version of themselves drinking tea in a hill station. So, forget the video. Just let yourself dive into this beautiful ghazal which speaks of missed chances, harsh circumstances, undying love and yet unfulfilled. The lyrics by Shahid Kabir, express grief in the strongest way – check this out.

Apne Gham ko Geet banaakar gaa lena, Raag purana tera bhi hai, mera bhi

Jagjit Singh, Asha Bhonsle – Dil Kahi, Hosh Kahi

A much needed collaboration that we had all been waiting for. And when finally it happens, they had to bloody ruin it with a music video which has not one , but two Riya Sens and a Victoria Secret catalogue. Imagine! But nevertheless, this song is a brilliant composition by Aadesh Srivastav, and heartfelt lyrics by none other than Nida Fazli. And Jaggu Bhai and Asha jee ke jalwe ke to kya kehne My favourite lines -

Hum Koi Waqt Nahi Hai Humdum, Jab Bulaoge Chale Aayenge

Apache Indian, Jazzy B – Dil Luteya

I am not a big fan of either of them. Apache Indian will always remain associated with my growing up days of Indipop on Doordarshan’s music shows with the regular appearances of crossover hits such as – Chok There and Me want Gal! As for Jazzy B, I had always considered him to be an artiste that only the North Indians could enjoy, especially those who have relatives in Southall. But with the album – Romeo, Jazzy B totally turned around, and with this awesome collaboration with Apache Indian, he almost revived the sound of Apache’s rapping. Give them some mercy mercy mercy!!!

Alms for Shanti, Taufiq Qureshi – Superbol

My numero uno choice for this post. This one is a once in a blue moon occurence in Indian music scene. Thanks to awesome people at Channel V, that this project came to life. V Jamming brought together some of the best names in music together to write, compose and record the music within a limited time. Now, if I were allowed to choose I would choose this album as the best collaborative effort – no questions asked. But I did not make the rules. C’mon, there is so much awesomeness here – Shaan and Sukhbir, Parikrama and Usha Uthup, Euphoria and Mehnaaz, Talvin Sing and Ila Arun, Sagarika and Strings, the list is quite heavy. But if I had to select one – it has to be – Alms for Shanti and Taufiq Qureshi’s percussion explosivo – Superbol. With catchy and tongue twisting lyrics and heavy percussions sounding like thunderstorms, this one deserves to be given the super salute as the NUMBER one Indipop collaboration. Tadhom na Tadhom na Tha!!

I have a love/hate relationship with the rains. I love the rain when it means a relief from the scorching heat that burns the day. At the same time, rain also means floods, damp and battered roads and splish splash on clothes. I hate going to work when it rains. None of this makes any sense with the title of the post. So, I’ll try and explain.

Suniyo Jee Araj Mhaariyo from Lekin(1990) is one of those rare songs which create a rain-like ambience with extreme ease. It is not a Raag Malhaar song . Based on Raaga Maand, this song depicts of the pathos and longing of a woman longing for her beloved. It is the rainy season – Saawan, which has been portrayed as the season of love, and with the advent of the season, the woman pleads to her lover to take her home. The sensuousness and feeling of loneliness occupy the emotional outcry of the woman.

Now when one speaks of Lekin, the song “Yaara Seeli Seeli” immediately pops up in everyone’s head. But trust me on this. There is no reason, one should miss this one out. Dimple Kapadia gives the performance of her lifetime.

And then, there’s Alok Nath looking as miserable as humanly possible. Legend goes, that Alok Nath eats the same Aatta as A K Hangal and hence stopped ageing at 50. He’s been 50 since he was actually 20. Go figure.

On a serious note, the earthy lyrics by Gulzar saab are absolutely brilliant. Have a go at this.

Bhije Bhije Angana ki.. Yaad Jo Aaave

Rukhi Rukhi Ankhiyo mein.. Reti Udaave

Sooni Sooni.. Kori Ankhiya.. Bhejiyo Phuhaar

[Translation:

I remember those memories of the wet courtyard

In the dry eyes, the desert sands are blowing

For my lonely, white eyes, send a fountain ]

And with Bhije Bhije Anngana.. Hema Malini gives an appearance. I won’t give out the spoilers on this one. Go and watch it.

Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar’s music in Lekin is unparallel. Right from the intro Sitars which create the ambience of the rainy season in an instant, to the flawless aalaps throughout the song, Lata jee and Hridaynath have created what can be best expressed as magical melody.

As Mr. Bachchan would say – Adwitiya! A very well deserved National Award for Best Music director.

Check out the song below.

Also, I have embedded three versions of the song in a well-crafter Youtube playlist.

1) The original Lata Mangeshkar version from Lekin.

2) A lil-bit off but still brilliant live-performance by Sonali Rathod joined by Roopkumar Rathod at Mission Ustad

3) Shreya Ghoshal in her teens, performing Sunio Ji live @ ” Sa Re Ga Ma”  - the good ol’ days when Sonu Nigam used to host it. At the judges panel – Kalyanji Anandji.

EUPHORIA !!! The word itself fills my thoughts with splashes of colours and happiness. And that’s how Euphoria’s music is  - vibrant, melodic, beautiful and very Indian, and not in a dumbed-down way. And along with the upbeat songs of the folk genre, they have also some really heartwarming love ballads and even Qawwalis. Euphoria’s spectrum of music genre is spread wide and can be defined only as what Palash calls it – Hind Rock! And each of their videos has a story to tell, a proper story, like a mini-movie of sorts.

For the uninitiated, the band line-up as of now is :

Back row: Palash Sen (lead vocalist, standing)
Front row L to R: Ashwini(drums), Benny (Keyboard), Irshad(dholak and percussions), DJ Bhaduri (Bass Guitar),
Reshu (dholak and percussions), Hitesh (Guitars).

I, personally, have seen them perform live once at my college campus (NIT Silchar), and there is only one thing which I want to say bout it. Man, they performed for almost 3 hours straight. And what a flawless set. They sing their favorites from the albums released so far, and apart from that do covers as well such as – Another One Bites the Dust, Every Breath You Take and Smoke on the Water. It has been almost 4 years now since that concert, and I can still vividly remember the wild fun that I had.  And so,  in memory of that awesome one wild night, here I list down 10 of my favourite Euphoria songs.

10. Raja Rani

This begins with a high pitched Palash belting out a Rajasthani folksy lyrical syllable. The instruments used are also reminiscent of Rajasthani folk. And so is the video, which is filled with beautiful deserts, puppets, colorful turbans and a cutesy love story. And the lyrics has elements of national integration – Multani, Bangaali, Dogra. How can you not love this?

9. Gully

Just sheer fun. Right from the intro clinging of the metal ring, to the catchy chorus catch-phrase – Tak Dhina Dhin. In a picturesque video directed by Pradeep Sarkar which highlights his signature desi style. So there’s the hustle-bustle of a dulhan-walle ghar with the pandals, the light arrangements and garlands strewn across. And then there’s Vidya Balan playing the coy and shy bride who almost gets married to the greedy family. But our hero Palash dude gets to the rescue and saves the day. Guru phataphaati!! Yep, one of the catchy phrases generated by this song. The playful lyrics are a delight e.g. Kya karegi tu Kashmir Jaake, Swarg tera yaha..

8. Sha Na Na

One of the overlooked and underappreciated songs from their first album, Sha Na Na is a solid pop rock song replete with guitars, bass and rolling drums and contains a very funky chorus line which you can sing all day long. And yes, that’s Neha Dhupia in the video before her Miss India, and then Julie days.

Pyar ka Jadoo Chal Gaya…
Main Deewana ho gaya..
Ooo yeah! Chodo tum satana..
Ooo yeaah!! Mat karo tum na na na na..
Sha Na na Na ..

7. Ab Na Jaa

The first ballad on this list. Let’s forget the video for a bit. And lend our ears to the lyrical words which are woven beautifully to Benny’s piano melody.

Aankhen Bandh kar lu jo main..Dekhu bas tumhe
Khwabo Mein hi keh sakta hu, Apna tumhe
Rehne de, Mera ye Vehem pe hi Yakeen
Na jaa abhi..
Pyar ki ye raat hai, ab na jaa
Chhoti si ek baat hai, ab na jaa
Pal do pal ka saath hai, ab na jaa
Jaadu si ye raat hai, ab na jaa

[Translation:
I close my eyes and I can only see you
Its only in my dreams that I can say you're mine
Let me keep on believing in this misbelief
Don't go now
Its the night of love, don't go now
There's something I want to say, don't go now
This togetherness is short, don't go now
Its a magical night, don't go now]

6. Mehfuz

When Gulzar saab teams up with Euphoria, the result is no lesser than perfection. Mehfuz is one of Euphoria’s masterpieces because of its melancholy tone perfected by the musical arrangement – the flute and the slow bass tune which haunts even after the song is long finished.

And the lyrics – sigh! Have a go at this.

Phir bhi banke nishaan tere honthon ke kisi konon main hasi ki tarah main mehfuz hoon

[Translation: Even then, as a mark, like a smile on some corner of your lips, I am safe. ]

5. Tum

Ok, this one is hands down the best ballad written in Indipop. The video is quite tragic like most of Euphoria videos which involve the death of the female protagonist ( on more than one occassion). I guess Palash or one of the band members has suffered from such a loss. Bless! Coming back to the song, the lyrics are just top notch. Check this out -

Pehli saas, Mere din ki pehli dhoop
Tum Chand ki pehli kiran
Pehla Geet, Baarish ki pehli boond,
Tum sheet ki pehli kampann

Usne Bheja tumhein mere liye
Suune dil ki tum dhadkan

Saanso mein jo mere khwabo mein jo, wo ho tum
Yaado mein jo, meri aankho mein jo, wo ho tum

[ Translation:
The first breath, The first sunshine of my day
You are the first ray of the moonlight
The first song, The first droplet of the rain
You are the first shiver of winter

He sent you for me
You are the beat in my lonely heart

The one in my breath, the one in my dreams, that's you
The one in my memories, the one in my eyes, that's you]

4. Dhoom

The one that started it all. And I love everything about it. The folk elements juxtaposed brilliantly with the heavy sliding bass of DJ Bhaduri, and the awesome jugalbandhi with Shubha Mudgal’s bengali Majhee song. SD Burman would have been very happy if he heard this. And to top it all, Pradeep Sarkar’s opulent presentation set in Banaras filled with Gulal, the Ganges and gorgeous model -

Love it..to bits. Sujoy = Dhoom pichucked!

3. Waise Hi

Now this is what I would call stuff of geniuses. It starts off with a crunchy guitar solo and you’d expect a rock song to come out of it. But then it mellows down and before you know it, voila, its a Qawwali. And not just any random one. The solo on this song was performed on Abida Parveen’s Dumadum Mast Kalander when Euphoria collaborated with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. And I wish they had included at least a section of this song.

This has all the elements to make it an awesome qawwali, needless to mention the gradual picking up of the tempo and the mood of the song. And to top it all, Palash in a naughty way blurts out – So does this surprise you baby? Hehe!

This has no video unfortunately, but for your listening pleasure, I have embedded the audio file below.

Saanse chah kar bhi rukti nahi,
Aise hee jeena hai to, yahee Sahi..
Dil to dhadakta hai aise hi
Muskurata bhi hu main, waise hi..

2. Mantra

The first single to be released in the history of Indipop. And this one pretty much defines what Euphoria is all about. The lyrics are reminiscent of every rock number and yet they do not sound like a cheap copy/translation of an English rock song. Its positive, ambitious and most importantly smart. And also, Hitesh’s guitar solo after the second verse is one of the most awesome guitar pieces on any Indian album.

But what makes this track on no.2 is the solid intro instrumental which is an awesome jugalbandi between the guitars, drums, the tabla and Palash Sen’s screaming vocals.

And the inspirado lyrics go something like..

Jeet kya aur haar kya
Gham aur khushi ke paar kya
Hai Megh ke aasar kya
Toofan kya, Majhdhaar kya

Hai Baadlo ke paar kya
Gham aur khushi ke paar kya
Bas jan lo hai pyaar kya
Ye mera Mantra…

1. Maaeri

I don’t think any of you will disagree with the choice of this song as the no. 1. And over the years, it has become almost the anthem of every desi college lover.

The intro lyrics – Teriya Meriya Poool Gaya
Pool Gaya Haar de jeet
Hee Maaye, Main Jeetnu
Hove naa je Meet

I have forgotten about you and me
I have forgotten about loss and victory
Oh mother, what victory is a win
If I don’t have my love with me

Reemi Sen’s earthy looks do wonders to the video. The toothpaste on the nose, the railway-track pressed coin, the station tea shop, and the busy compartment in a train rattling through the foggy villages – all visuals which depict so much in each and every frame than most movies can possibly can. And the story of love kurbaan-ified by the zaleem duniya aka Ladki ke Mummy Daddy. I tell you, they should be mummified with a ‘lep’ (layer) of Mirch Achaar (Chilli Pickle).

So there you go. Those are my top 10 pick for the Euphoria playlist. I know a lot of you will be disagreeing to this, and questioning and possibly pelting stones at my window for excluding – Phir Dhoom, Bewafa, etc etc. C’mon people, only 10 spots. But you do have the comments section to let your outburst get out there. But please, behave.

Band Image courtesy: Dhoom.com

And because I am so awesome, here’s a grooveshark playlist with 6 of the 10 songs (couldn’t find the rest).

Now we have had the Guitar as a symbol of uber-coolness and what Anu Malik would point out as “The X-Factor” in a dude, or even in a dudette. Bollywood has always tried to incorporate this instrument of uber-coolness into the character of our main protagonists on whose responsible shoulders, lies the responsibility of carrying the ‘cool’ load. But more often than not, these shoulders tend to slip and the rather than looking like a confident weight lifter, they often tend to look like a malnutrition patient in an Atlas position [really horrible analogy I know]. Well, after all, our Bollywood heroes are not really good guitarists- not until Saif Ali Khan came into the scene and showed how it’s done [ just have a look at Piyu Bole for example, and you'll know what I mean ]. Neither can they mimic as passable mock rockers.

Now I am a Guitar Hero addict, and cannot play a single song on the Guitar except for a few bass riffs. And whenever I see these Bollywood ‘Guitar Heroes’ scoring with the chicks as they strum their fingers on the strings in a fashionable way which is miles away from the actual tune being played [ or sometimes they even don't bother to strum ], my blood boils [ a literal translation of a Hindi proverb : Khoon Khaulta Hai Mera ]. So, to take my revenge, here I list down 10 of those big criminals who have tormented me in many a nightmares in their horrible avatars.

Behold for the Guitar Villains of Bollywood

10. Bharat Bhushan – Tum Bin Jaau Kaha ( Pyar Ka Mausam ).

The confidence with which Bharat Bhushan jee strums that little Ukelele-ish instrument with his right pinky sticking out deserves a thousand claps. And he completely melts his wife with his music. Now, it’s a different argument that his wife is none other than Nirupa Roy. I love this song, and Kishore da’s falsetto is impeccable. But Bharat jee’s guitar skills are .. let’s not really go deep into it. [Video Link: Tum Bin Jaau Kaha ]Shall we move on to the next one

9. Biswajeet – Lakho Hai Yaha Dilwale ( Kismat )

Now, this is a song from that era of Bollywood which was washed away by the Beatles and Elvis wave. The jacket, the bow tie, the tight trousers, the high heeled pointed shoes and most noticeably, a club environment where a band accompanies our Guitar dude. Mohd. Rafi used to be the weapon of choice, but this song has Mahendra Kapoor on the vocals. So far so good. Until they decided that the dude will be – Biswajeet.  The accompanying band is called – The Monkeys, and no wonder the lead vocalist dances like that [ watch the video, man, I dare you, I double dare you not to laugh ]. And then, just when you thought he couldn’t do it better, he goes hands free [ near 0: 55 in the video ]. And then, back to the dance. ROFL.

8. Tariq – Aapke Kamre Main ( Yaadon Ki Baarat )

I friggin love this song. It has so much Panchamda’s awesomeness filled to the brim. And Kishore da and Asha jee have just done some chummeshwari performance on this song. But as always, there is a big Haddi in this Kebab. And that is the Guitar maestro’s killer onscreen solos. Now, I really don’t know where to begin and in fact, I am quite at loss of words here. To compare this with Biswajeet’s song, I think Tariq’s performance is almost 10 times the Ridic factor of the previous one. If you think I am exaggerating, try and watch this one out here [ video: Aapke Kamre Mein ]

7. Tariq (again) – Chand Mera Dil ( Hum Kisi Se Kam Nahi )

Again, one of Panchamda’s spellbinding medleys [ which includes an 'inspired' Mamma Mia' ] which begins with a very lovey-dovey ballad – Chand Mera Dil on the guitar. And Tariq kills it – yet again. Oh the shades, the bell bottoms and the hair. Hahahaaha!!!!! What about the guitar? Screw the guitar. Heroes are too awesome to play it right. The left hand never moves a spot, and even then, awesomeness is delivered intact. [ Video here: Chand Mera Dil ]

6. Amitabh Bachchan – Disco Bhangra ( Ganga Jamuna Saraswati )

Now, I haven’t seen this movie. And I was introduced to this by Her Highness Pitu Jee on twitter. And it stayed in my head for quite a long time. It is possibly the inspiration behind this post. Yes, it is THAT ridiculous. Big B in leather (think MJ in Bad) , with an acoustic guitar , and dancing to yes – Disco AND Bhangra. You never thought it would have been possible in this life. Well, that is why he’s Big B. Oh, not to forget there’s Meenakshi Seshadri dancing in a Banjara outfit, and some really fugly extras and to top it all – Mohd. Aziz on the vocals. Hang on, I need to link the video [ Video: Disco Bhangra ] You have to pay real good attention to the lyrics [ 2:55 ]- Dance Dikhaunga Aisa – Michael Jackson Jaisa [ Please note how Aby does the crotch move ].

5. Sharukh Khan and his chicks – Koi Mil Gaya ( Kuch Kuch Hota Hai )

I really hate Mohabbatein, and I wanted to include that whole violin thing he does in the movie. But my friend convinced me, that its technically not a Guitar. And since this post is about Guitar, I had to find the next worst thing. So, after intensive research, I found this grave crime being committed by King Khan in KJo’s K2H2. I love this song..I really do. But Rani starts playing the Guitar on a bass riff – possibly it’s a Bass guitar. And SRK just takes the same guitar and belts out a cracking tone from a proper Electric Guitar. Wrong baby Wrong. [Video Link: Koi Mil Gaya ]

And it doesn’t stop there. All those babes with those guitars; they don’t even know how to properly hold it. I know, I know! It’s just a part of the props department in Farah Khan’s brilliant college choreography, and visually it looks quite fun, but since we are digging in deep into technicality, this one gets a #FAIL rating. Sorry, I didn’t make the rules

4. Hrithik Roshan – Chand Sitaare ( Kaho Na Pyar Hai )

It is a sin to carry around a guitar as a friggin prop when the song does not have a single note of the guitar. Crimes like these have been committed by Jugal Hansraj as well [ in Ghar Se Nikalte Hi - Papa Kehte Hai ]. But that movie isn’t big enough to qualify. This one’s a late 90′s blockbuster. So, the dude gets out of his friggin boat, stretches out his arms, with his left one holding an acoustic guitar. Then the song begins [ after an initial KLPD episode]. And the dude ditches the guitar to move towards the chick and do some Bollywood routine dance coz – Taaza Taaza Kali Kheeli Hai, HUm Uske Deewane Hai. Sucka! [Video Link:  Chaand Sitaare ]

3. Salman Khan – O O Jaane Jana (Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya )

Desi dudes like Salman bhaiya will never be able to appreciate the fine art of guitaring. We get a sample of this in one those songs which every desi dude will try to learn in the very first month of learning to play the guitar. This was a rage when it came out, and when I saw the picturisation, I was disappointed. Salman bhai gives a shot of his muscle-wallah back, and then gives an about turn with the words – I Love You All. And then we get to see, he’s not playing the guitar at all. Whilst he finishes his intro dialogue, the accompanying dancers of Ganesh Hegde Dance Company show their synchronicity. And then Salman Bhai exclaims – Hit It, and friggin throws the guitar to an extra – a friggin extra who never gets to see the light of the day again. You tell me, Ye Kahaa Ka Insaaf Hai ??? [ How is this meant to be justice] [Video Link: O O Jaane Jana ]

2. Rahul Roy – Saanso Ki Zaroorat Hai (Aashiqui)

Yes, another one of those classic Bollywood guitar songs. I don’t know where to begin. Just have a look at this clip and decide for yourself [ Video Link: Saanso Ki Zaroorat Hai] . Just to remind, this is an era where Deepak Tijori still exists on the big screen. Even though, he commits himself to the sidekick role for eternity until Tushar Kapoor comes for the rescue.

But to top it all – the Sartaaj of all Guitar crimes is committed by the King of the Bollywood Guitar villains…and he is…..Wait for it…..

KAKAJEE…!!!

1. Rajesh Khanna and Mithun jr. – Goro Ki Naa Kaalo Ki (Disco Dancer )

I swear man. This video defies all musical laws. Acoustic Guitars blasting public minds with the techno Twoin Twoing sounds. Kakajee accelerating his congo playing , and a Rs.5 worth plastic guitar making Mandolin sounds. This is a song which spreads the word against discrimination  on the basis of colour. What they didn’t know was that a decade later Fair n Lovely and Fair n Handsome are going to be the bestselling cream in India.  Watch this video just for the sheer raw dance power of Kakajee who doesn’t require his left hand to play the guitar. He’s THAT awesome. [Video link: Goro Ki Naa Kaalo Ki ]

So, there you go , those are my top 10 Guitar Villains of Bollywood. I know Bollywood doesn’t necessarily translate to technically correct. But even then, Guitar crime is ruining the youth more than Rakhi Sawant [ according to an independent survey from Aaj Tak ].

Sorry, but I couldn’t find any video of Tushar Kapoor playing the guitar. If you have your own favourites to add to this list, please do so by adding an appropriate adjective before it in the comments section. Cheerio!

This is a repost of a post I did a long time back. I completely forgot to post it on the right day, i.e. June the 27th, the birthday of one of the greatest composers of India – Rahul Dev Burman.

Happy Birthday BOSS. Janamdin Mubaarak ho Panchamda!

Each and every word or phrase written in his praise falls short..because he is THE PAPA of all Music Directors on the face of the Indian Music Industry…because he is the reason why today’s “music directors” wanted to be it,.. because the entire Remix industry exists because of his yesteryear’s hits..because it is for his albums that DJs and retro nights exist..because he can make Asha Bhonsle sound the best – whether it is a ghazal, hindustani classical song, cabaret, or simply bollywood. Because he is Pancham, RDX, Rahul Dev Burman..because he is THE BOSS.

To the Baap of Bollywood Music..this is my heartfelt “paay-laagu” or “pairi-pona” of sorts. Because I am so small to talk of his genius. But that is not going to make me stop writing this blog about him. Because I have grown up on his music, totally breathed it, have literally lived on it till today, and I am sure will, till I die. This is not a chronicling of the body of work of Panchamda, but is more of a celebration of his melodies which have left an indelible impression on our minds, bodies and soul.

Rahul Dev Burman was born on 27 June 1939. Story goes that when veteran Ashok Kumar saw Sachin Dev Burman’s newborn uttering the syllable ‘Pa’ repeatedly, he nicknamed him Pancham. And the name stuck. To many, he’s still Pancham Da.To me he is Boss (yeah U can say Jhankaar Beats influences.) To him, music came easy and early. He learnt to play the Sarod from the legendary Ustad Ali Akbar Khan at very young age, one of his many instruments in which he mastered. At 9 years, came his first composition, ‘Aye Meri Topi Palat Ke Aa..’, which was later used for the film Funtoosh and the very next year, his father borrowed the tune of  ’Sar Jo Tera Chakraye..’ for the Guru Dutt film Pyaasa. The first film for which R.D.Burman scored music for was Mehmoood’s “Chote Nawab” in 1961 and the first song in the film was to be recorded was by Lata Mangeshkar. The film marked the recollaboration between S. D. Burman and Lata Mangeshkar who had stopped recording together six years ago.

R.D. Burman had scored music for many a films, including “Bhoot Bangla” in whch he co-starred with Mehmood.The film also featured the song “Aao twist karein” which reflected the Elvis revolution that was taking the world by storm then.

But, the title of R.D. Burman’s first ‘Hit’  score would definitely go to “Teesri Manzil”(1966), featuring the evergreen , repeatedly remixed hits “O Haseena Zulfowali”, “O mere Sona re”, and unforgettable intoxicating “Aaja Aaja..main hu pyaar tera “. Vijay Anand can be credited with bringing about R D Burman’s first big break. He arranged a music session for the youngster before Nasir Hussain commenced the production of Tesri Manzil. Shammi Kapoor, who heard RD’s tunes, is said to have screamed ‘Yahoo’ in sheer appreciation while Nasir Hussain signed R.D. Burman for six of his forthcoming films. After Teesri Manzil, it wasn’t looking back anymore. Followed hits like Padosan, Kati Patang, Pyar ka Mausam, Amar Prem , Caravan, Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Parichay, Jawaani Deewani, Namak Haraam, Yaadon Ki Baarat, Aandhi..the list is endless and the music ..Immortal.

R D Burman’s constant efforts to break musical stereotypes and explore new possibilities came through in the music that he made. Be it the poignant tunes of Kati Patang, the love songs of Pyar Ka Mausam, the fun and naughty numbers from Padosan or the soulful melodies of Amar Prem, Pancham had done them all. While making music was his profession, singing always remained R D’s passion. He sang occasionally and when he did, it never went unnoticed. Though he did as much justice to serious tunes as he did to the light numbers that he sang, the groovier tunes always gained more popularity. Though Asha Bhosle is remembered for the legendary cabaret ‘Piya Tu Ab To Aaja..’, the wild cry of  ’Monica O My Darling‘ belongs to R D Burman. He also sang the sizzling ‘Mehbooba Mehbooba..‘ for Sholay picturised on Helen and Jalal Agha. He however, did not record too many duets with Asha Bhosle who was by then the love interest of his life too. The high-pitched, outlandish ‘Duniya Mein Logon Ko Dhoka Kabhi Ho Jaata Hai..‘, is one of their best remembered duets. No one can doubt the vibe that oozed out with his musical ventures Asha and Kishore.

And yes, who doesn’t remember the experiments that he did with his compositions,..be it the clinging of glasses in “Churaliya hai tumne jo dil ko ” (Yaadon Ki Baarat), or the only-bass rythmn in “Tere Bina jeeyajaaye naa” (Ghar) .Take his classical based compositions, Piya Bawari(Khubsoorat), Beeti Na Beetaiyee (Parichay) and we find ourselves immersed in his music and feel so amazed whether it is the same man who brought us the Qawwalis of Hum Kisi Se Kam Nahi,or the truly Bollywood isshtyle Romantic numbers of Love Story.

Towards the mid-80s though, Panchamda was going through a rough phase as his films were bombing at the Box-Office. Bappi Lahiri and the Disco age had overtaken him and R.D’s producers just disappeared. It was very unfortunate for us that during the nineties, when Indian Music was going throught the stupid Pop-Disco Wave and MTV had just entered our lives, R.D.Burman had not many compositions then.He was last heard in Ijaazat (1987), after huge hits like Saagar, Betaab and Masoom in the 1980′s. And Parinda in 1989 also provided the everlasting hit..Tumse Milke.

Fortunately for us, Vidhu Vinod Chopra approached Panchamda for his ambitious 1942-A Love Story. And rest as they say, is history.The music today is considered as his “Swan Song”, as Panchamda left for his heavenly abode on Jan 4, 1994. He posthumously recieved the Filmfare award for the film’s music.

From his expertise in Hindustani Classical and Indian Ragas to a keen interest and influence, at times,  of American Jazz and Rock n’ Roll, Panchamda’s musical interests stretched from ‘ear’ to eternity. It was R.D. Burman who really brought the groove into Hindi Film Music, ushering in the era of electronic rock and providing Hindi film music with a whole new ‘happening’ sound. His hip and energetic youthful compositions proved extremely popular from the late 1960s till the early to mid-1980s providing much of the music that defines today’s Bollywood. And his music refuses to die.

Stand up and Salute to the Master, the Baap, the Boss…Rahul Dev Burman!!

The year was 2001. Jhamu Sugandh and Aamir Khan Productions’ ambitious project – Lagaan, had just released its publicity material on TV. In an age of no-twitter and zero-presence of social networking sites, TV trailers and theatre publicities were the only way to go. The first trailer was indeed very intriguing. It only showed an incomplete political map of India, and a Rupee coin rolling over it. The heavy beats of the percussion filled the air, and as the short teaser concluded, the anticipation levels were soaring high. As I look back to that period of pre-Lagaan release, I feel an intense nostalgic rush filling me with smiles.

Lagaan was released and was widely loved and adored by audiences and critics alike, locally and globally. It has been 9 years since, and even then, the melody of Lagaan’s soundtrack, the drum beat and the passionate voices of the villagers of Champaner continue to linger in my head; all of them crying out – Re Bhaiyya Chhoote Lagaan!!

So, on this 9th anniversary of one of the most uplifting pieces of cinema ever, let’s celebrate the music of Lagaan – one which not just serves as a Bollywood routine element of the movie, but also a medium which translates a thousand emotions in a single line. The music of Lagaan transcends many levels and goes beyond the limits of boundaries, languages and cultural differences. A.R.Rahman scores, arguably, one of his career’s best soundtrack, and the translation to screen is equally breath-taking.

So hit the jump to experience with me, and celebrate the magic of the soundtrack of Lagaan – Once Upon A Time in India.

1. Ghanan Ghanan

The first song which was shown in the teasers, this was certainly a crowd-pleaser. Javed Akhtar’s playful lyrics speak about  villagers who haven’t seen the rain in a while. How these villagers of Champaner react to the appearance of the clouds and their jubilance at the onset of the rain makes ‘Ghanan Ghanan’ a very different song in its own right. Bollywood has seen a lot of songs being written on rain, monsoon, rainy season etc. But nothing about the happiness and even the curing of all troubles by rain. Rain is treated almost like a healer in this song.

The lyrics beautifully weave the sounds of the thundering clouds into words e.g.

Ghanan ghanan ghir ghir aaye badra
Ghane ghan ghor kaare chhaye badra
Dhamak dhamak goonje badra ke danke
Chamak chamak dekho bijuriya chamke

It was also one of the most difficult songs to lip sync as shown in the making video. This was due to the entire ensemble cast singing portions of the song in perfect unison and in the correct order. A brilliantly simplistic choreography by Raju Khan uplifts your mood every single time you see this video; not to forget when Shambukaka, the legendary AK Hangal, dances to Kaale Megha Kaale Megha ..Paani To Barsao.

I know you can’t resist anymore, so go hit the YouTube video link . Do check out Raghubir Yadav’s happy face when he spots the Badal

2. Mitwa

This song begins with a simple lesson of life in the voice of Sukhwinder Singh – Sach aur Saahas hai jiske mann mein, Anth mein jeet usee ki hoy [ One who has truth and courage in one's mind, emerges victorious in the end ]. This track oozes encouragement and positivity in every single word. And there is so much upbeat-ness in the percussions and the whole vibe of the song, that you can’t help feeling elated with joy, with happiness and feel motivated.

Iss Dharti Ka Hai Raja Tu, Ye Baat Maan Le Tu ,
Kathinaaee Se Takra Jaa Tu, Nahi Haar Maan Le Tu
O Mitwa Sun Mitwa, Tujhko Kya Darr Hai Re,
Dharti Apni Hai, Apna Ambar Hai Re

[ You are the King of this Earth, Agree to this
Face the obstacles, Don't give in to failure,
O my friend, listen to me. What are you afraid of?
This land is ours, and the skies too. ]

And when such beautiful lyrics are sung in the mountain-dew fresh voices of Alka and Udit jee, and when Aamir Khan in a dhoti does the kamariya matakna wala movie, you really can’t help fall in love with this.  YouTube video link.

3. Radha Kaise Na Jale

This is as brilliant as it gets. A recreation of a mythological event – Lord Krishna’s Raas Leela with HIS Gopis, and Radha feels jealous about it. All of these emotions set against the backdrop of Gauri’s feelings for Bhuvan, and how she feels left out as she feels needy – to be loved by Bhuvan. A beautiful parallel between the flirtatious Lord Krishna and HIS naughty ways to tease Radha, and Radha’s many complaints against HIM. Sung by Asha jee and Udit jee and exceptionally choreographed by Saroj Khan, Radha Kaise Na Jale is a brilliant folk track layered with various traditional instruments viz. Pakhawaj, Veena, and a lot of accompanying strings.

My favourite bit of the song – second verse when Asha jee goes – Kaanhaa Ke Ye Jo Naina Haii.. Chheene Gopiyo Ke Chaina Haii..just before the line – Mili Najariya, Hui Baawariya. I hope you get how it varies from the first verse. Listen to it all here – YouTube video link.

4. Lagaan

This is a collection of the background score which is used in different strategic points of the movie. But it is not just that. If you listen to it just by itself, as a piece of music, it has its own beautiful intricacies unveiling its different shades and colours as it grows on you. It begins with the blowing of the traditional royal trumpet. The piece has a lot of strings instruments besides the traditional Sitar. The initial humming is the tune of – Jo Suno To Kahe, Prabhuji Humri Hai Bintee … from O Paalanhaare. And then it is followed by a powerful Church Choir arrangement which cleverly switches to a Violin solo and then heavy beats as the chorus sings out – Re Bhaiyaa, Chhoote Lagaan in a loop. Get back to me if  the beat doesn’t stir you.

5. O Rey Chhori

My favourite of the entire soundtrack. I know it is so difficult to choose one, but I chose this for my Best of Rahman list. This one is my favourite because -
a) A.R. Rahman skilfully switches back n forth between  the village rural track and the Victorian Waltz sound and you don’t even notice because its all blended so perfectly; as if they were meant to co-exist.
b) Vaibhavi Merchant’s romantic choreography aided by an awesome special effects job.
c) Anil Mehta’s stellar cinematography. Have a look at this one.

d) Javed Saab’s wicked usage of rural lingo – e.g. Kaaran, Jabaan, Prem Nagar Ke Baasi

YouTube video link.

6. Chale Chalo

Quite obviously so, this is one of the cricket anthems of India now. It infuses elements from Tagore’s ‘Ekla Cholo’ into the lines – Ekaa Badhta Hi Jaawe, Chale Chalo. There’s brilliant usage of cellos in the song which give a deeper and more serious vibe to the song, rather than a yuppy or a catchy tune. In the signature Rahman vocals, the verses explode into a powerhouse song as the words go – Dharti Hilaa Denge, Sabko Dikha Denge, Raja Kya..Parjaa Kya.. [ We'll shake the earth, We'll show everyone - The King and the public..]

And as the song itself shows the unity of the Lagaan XI whilst it trains and toils for the big day, the climax of the song picks up its tempo, as the villagers sit together to celebrate. And so do we, just like normal blokes from Champaner do.

YouTube video Link.

7. Waltz for a romance

This is another instrumental piece from the soundtrack and is a brilliant classical piece by itself. It showcases why Rahman is known as the ‘Mozart from Madras’. The track is played when the British dance ballroom scenes are shown, and it also serves as the interlude in O Re Chhori, when Elizabeth dreams of dancing with Bhuvan. Poor thing, she never gets to dance with him for real.

8. O Paalanhaare

And to end the soundtrack, this one is a killer. I don’t have any other words to describe it. It may have words which suggest a particular religion; words like Prabhuji, Jag ke Swami etc. And even though this song has been filmed in a temple, I have not a single trace of doubt when I say this, that this song transcends any sort of religion and names with which we call the Divine. I have always come back to this song – even though I am not a Bhajan kinda guy. Because it gives me strength, it gives me hope, and above all, it lets me release myself and just let things be – in the hands of the one who knows it all, who handles it all in his own way.

O Paalanhaare talks to me, and I am certain that it does the same to all of you who listen to this track. A brilliant Bhajan with minimal arrangement-in the voice of Lata Mangeshkar and Udit Narayan. The situation depicted is of Champaner’s villagers who are on the verge of losing, and they have nothing more to do than keep the faith and pray to the Almighty to help them, to give them the strength to emerge triumphant. And as the track progresses, when you see the crowd clapping along, you not only connect with the innate desire to win and the underlying emotion, but you also feel the labour of love of the director – Ashutosh Gowariker. All of it culminates in this one moment.

Youtube video Link.

And of course, since – Sach aur Saahas hai inke mann mein, Anth mein Jeet inhi ki howe…

Hum Jeet Gaye!!!!!

Special mention to : TheBollywoodFan who is IMHO the biggest Lagaan and Aamir Khan fan there ever is . This is my post for the Lagaan Week 2010. Go check out TBF’s brilliant cake for the Lagaan anniversary.
Also check out these awesome Lagaan Week posts by Darshit, Shell, Sitaji and Shweta. And of course, don’t forget to pour out your emotions in the comments section, on anything about Lagaan, especially the music. Cheerio!!

With the invasion of Audio CDs and Mp3s and Winamp et al, gone are the days of painfully rewinding a song for exactly a mentally calibrated 1.5 minutes to get to the start of your favourite song to listen to it again. “MONO” was as standard as Dolby-Digital is now and even with these technological hindrances which possibly did not unleash the composer’s brilliance to the fullest extent, there were melodies which overcame these hindrances. One such melody is SD Burman’s “Ab Ke Sajan Saawan Mein“.

From Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s cutesy, romantic simplistic 1975 comedy Chupke Chupke, this movie has lots to flaunt about. A stellar cast – Amitabh Bachhan, Dharmendra, Sharmila Tagore, Jaya Bhaduri, Om Prakash, Asrani and above all – Keshto Mukherjee And whenever one mentions Chupke Chupke, Ab Ke Sajan.. is definitely one of the first things that cross my mind [ apart from Dharam jee's mind-bending Hindi vocabulary and his tussle with clever Jeejaajee - Om Prakash ].

I vividly remember hearing it for the first time on Chitrahaar and quite instantly, fell in love with it.And after almost 20 odd years, I can say for sure, that it wasn’t just a mere infatuation. After all, what’s not to love about it. The teasing, naughty chedh-chaadh lyrics by Anand Bakshi written in simplistic Hindi is a perfect example of how less is more. Check out the lyrics on the second verse..

One of my favourites melody wise, as well as lyrically -

Itane bade ghar men nahin ek bhi jharonkaa
Kis tarah ham denge bhalaa duniyaa ko dhokaa
Raat bhar jagaaegi ye mast mast pavan,
Sajan mil na sakenge do man ek ki aangan men
ishh..
Ab ke sajan saawan men…

The way Lata jee renders her playful vocals on the lines – Kis Tarah Hum Denge..Bhalaaa… is just a treat to the ears. Go on, listen to the song here : YouTube Link courtesy Shemaroo.

Tch..Tch..Sharmila... sigh!

And when the Tchh Tchh.. hits home, Sharmila Tagore’s naughty expressions flirt with me, you and everyone. Don’t you think?

Koi Shaq!

And smart-ass Jeejaaji – Om Prakash along with the rest of the world is left perplexed, awestruck and spellbound Now go straight to YouTube and listen to it right NOW. And come back to shout it out in the comments, when you first heard this, and how much you lurve it…Cheerio awesome people!!!

There is just something about beautiful movies that makes them so effortlessly loveable. ‘Antaheen’ is one such movie. And even though it does try to ruin it with some really jittery additions to the narrative, I have failed, quite miserably, in my attempt to not like it. I am in love with this movie and after having watched it twice , I am very sure that it is indeed one of the finest that Bengali cinema has produced in the last couple of years.

There is no single storyline which carries you forward. But writer Shyamal Sengupta’s narrative shuffles between characters and it is their individual slices of life that build the streamlines which finally coalesce to the larger story arc. And Director Anirudhha Roy Chowdhury aces in that. It is a collage of love stories, one which speaks of love in different forms and in varying degrees. So there is Love in the first drops of rain which drench the Kolkata horizon; there is love in the heavy shower which splashes the glass panes; there is love in a random sight such as a kite stuck to a roof antennae. And there is love in the endless wait for a stranger’s call. While ‘Antaheen’ can be accused of high emotional and hopeless romantic exaggeration, it also portrays real life moments with equal ease. Moments of loneliness and mid-life crisis, and moments of unhappiness in marriages.

Speaking of the performances, there is no single stand-out performance which makes you feel completely in awe. Yet, the cast as an ensemble is brilliant. Rahul Bose as Abhik, the hopeless romantic is very credible.

Radhika Apte as Brinda is a breathe of fresh air [ seriously, she is]. Maybe, it’s because of her resemblance to Piggy Chops don’t you think?

Everyone who watches this movie will be left complaining about the under-utilization of Sharmila Tagore.  The most annoying of the lot has to be Shauvik as the corporate honcho – Mr.Mehra. What was that fake accent all about? He is the most artifical of the lot especially with those Scotch sips that he tried hard to fake as if he was enjoying it.

But having said that, what works best here is the duo of real life couple – Aparna Sen and Kalyan Ray as – Paro and Ranjan. Their mid-life crisis, and yet unspoken love is a treat to watch. I believe this is what the Dharmendra and Nafisa Ali jodi actually set out to achieve [ Life in a Metro] but fell short on many accounts.

Don’t think that Antaheen is without its share of flaws. A modern day cop who is very much at ease with tackling arms dealer as much as giving press con appearances is an introvert who’d rather retreat to Virtual chat-rooms talking to his  ”Raat Jaaga Taara”. Okay, very possible. How about the cop who sprouts Jim Morrison while going on a raid? Umm, far fetched, but still Bongs can be quite modern. Err, how about some random product placements – Reliance Money, Reliance Broadband, Star Ananda, Nihar Oil? Oh please, take them out of my face!! You are just ruining a pretty painting and instead sticking company logos on them. Also, the movie’s intro scene when Abhik captures the arms dealer, is supposed to be a proper patrol and not a Reality TV footage caught on candid camera. Agreed? So how the fuck did the News Channel manage to get that footage? I guess just one of those cinematic freedom of creativity.

And any review of Antaheen is incomplete without mentioning the haunting melodies of the soundtrack – all credits to the awesome Shantanu Moitra and the very melodious Shreya Ghoshal. I have been going gaga on twitter about how much I have been playing Jao Pakhi. The rest of the soundtrack is brilliant as well. My other favourites are – Pherari Mon,  Shokal Ashe Na and Muthor Rumaal.

So, in a way, that has been my pitch for Antaheen and you NEED to sit down and watch this. Everything about Antaheen is so very “Korean cinema”. The ambience, the lights, the laid back  dialogues, the silent scenes and the high emotional quotient. Not to forget the impeccable cinematography by Avik Mukhopadhyay [No wonder they named the main protagonist after him]. And yet, when Radhika Apte, Kalyan Ray, Aparna Sen and Rahul Bose appear on the screen and speak in Bengali, it does not feel out of place. Instead, it feels Bangla cinema has always been intended to be this way – modern, contemporary, lively and brilliant. Director Anirudhha Chowdhury’s second movie – Antaheen is a labour of love blended with pleasant colours and extreme romanticism that can make even the most cynical heart melt like wax. To say the least, it truly deserved the National Award.