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.

Shukriya Zindagi

Song: Shukriya Zindagi
Album: Aashayein
Singer: Shafqat Amanat Ali
Music Director: Salim – Sulaiman
Lyrics: Mir Ali Husain

It’s very rare when a song like this comes along. Shukriya Zindagi is a song which makes you sit up and take notice. I listened to it with utmost fascination the first time and I keep going back to this song again and again.

The music is definitely great. Coming from Salim-Sulaiman, you can’t expect anything less. The song comes in 2 versions – original and remixed and for once, I liked both the songs. The singing is out of the world. Again, Shafqat Amanat Ali is a proven name and this song takes him to another level of singing altogether. The best part of the song is the lyrics. The song puts you in a contemplative mood. The song talks about one of the most ignored emotion – gratitude. It teaches us to be thankful to what we already have instead of complaining about what we want. This is put across in such simple words that it leaves a strong impression on your mind. There is a line in the song which roughly means ‘What can I complain about my life, I am so busy enjoying it, I don’t have time to complain’. (The actual words: Kya shikaayat karein, fursat kahaan) This world would be so much better if we all had this attitude towards life. Some more lines which I loved: Sirf ik rang se tasveer hoti kahin, Gham nahi toh khushi ki keemat nahi Why don’t I just add the entire song? Here you go.

Shukriya Zindagi

Chan ke aayi toh kya chaandni toh mili
Chan ke aayi toh kya chaandni toh mili
Chand din hi sahi yeh kali to khili
Shukriya zindagi
Teri meharbaaniyan, teri meharbaaniyan
Shukriya zindagi

Sirf ik rang se tasveer hoti kahin
Gham nahi toh khushi ki keemat nahi
Sirf ik rang se tasveer hoti kahin
Gham nahi toh khushi ki keemat nahi
Dhoop chaaon hain dono toh dilkash jahaan
Kya shikaayat karein, fursat kahaan
Shukriya zindagi
Teri mehrbaaniyan, teri mehrbaaniyan
Shukriya zindagi

Apni taqdeer ki hai yeh daastaan
Kabhi qatilaana, kabhi meharbaan
Apni taqdeer ki hai yeh daastaan
Kabhi qatilaana, kabhi meharbaan
Meharbaani jo dil ko karaar aa gaya
Apne qaatil pe bhi pyaar aa gaya
Shukriya zindagi
Teri mehrbaaniyan, teri mehrbaaniyan
Shukriya zindagi

Sad version:

Aaj kismat yahaan, hum ko layi toh hai
Ek lamha sahi muskurayi toh hai
Shamma bujhi hai toh kya gila
Bujhta wohi hai jo tha jala
Shukriya zindagi

If you don’t understand Hindi, here is the meaning of this song.

Music Review: I Hate Luv Storys

This is the latest offering from Karan Johar’s production house. He teams up with a debut director Punit Malhotra to give us this romantic movie which stars Imran Khan and Sonam Kapoor. The pair comes together for the first time and the stills look good. Let’s see how the movie turns out. KJo has been generous in experimenting with new directors, but he hasn’t shown the same courage for music composition. He plays safe and uses tried and tested composers like Shankar-Ehsan-Loy and Vishal-Shekhar. He should try to give a break to someone new. The music industry needs some fresh air, don’t you think?



Album: I Hate Luv Storys
Music Composer: Vishal-Shekhar


Jab Mila Tu
Singer: Vishal Dadlani
Lyrics: Anvita Dutt

The album has a promising start. This is a very catchy and peppy number. Vishal’s husky voice adds a charm to this song. The chorus ‘Ru Tu Ru Tu’ grows on you and you can’t stop tapping your feet. A youthful number which will surely be a hit with the crowd. There are some interesting lines in this song like ‘Jaise gaane aur nazam se, sur ko hi chura le’.


Bin Tere
Singers: Shafqat Amanat Ali, Sunidhi Chauhan
Lyrics: Vishal Dadlani

Vishal is trying his hand at different things. He has penned the words for this song. Shafqat and Sunidhi come together for this beautiful number. This is a typical Shafqat number and he is totally at home with this. This song draws your attention immediately and holds it till the end.


I Hate Luv Storys
Singer: Vishal Dadlani
Lyrics: Kumaar

Another song sung by Vishal. This title song is apt for discos and dances. A fast paced song which will be a hit in reality shows too.


Bahara
Singers: Shreya Ghoshal, Sona Mohapatra
Lyricist: Kumaar

A cute, romantic number which is Shreya’s forte. She uses her sweet voice and modulates it well to convey the romance and mushy love. Sona’s rustic voice adds texture to this song.


Sadka Hua
Singers: Suraj Jagan, Mahalaxmi Iyer
Lyrics: Anvita Dutt

Suraj Jagan sings this amazingly well. I had not heard him before and he is good. Another hummable song which may not top the charts but will be listened to by core lovers.


Bin Tere – Reprise
Singers: Shekhar Ravjiani
Lyrics: Vishal Dadlani

Another version of the same song and I liked this one better than the other one. This is quieter and less noisy. There is another remix version of the original song and I just don’t like it at all.


Bahara
Singers: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan
Lyricist: Kumaar

A great way to end the album. Khan saab sings the same song but it sounds so different. With due respect to Shreya, I like Khaan saab’s rendition better.


Vishal-Shekhar give us some good songs in this album. Some songs will be liked instantly, while some will take time to grow on you.



Music Review: Rajneeti

The much hyped and much talked about music album is here. Though Prakash Jha is not well known for the music in his movies, I was eager to see what he had to offer in his latest movie. A bunch of music composers have come together and contributed a song to this album. Rajneeti is a serious movie, so one can expect some serious music.



Bheegi si Bhaagi si
Music Composer: Pritam
Singers: Antara Mitra, Mohit Chauhan
Lyrics: Irshad Kamiil

The album opens with a Pritam number. It’s sung by Mohit Chauhan who does complete justice to the song and he is accompanied by Antara Mitra, who was last seen in Indian Idol 2 and Junoon. Her voice seems modulated in this – very heavily. I guess that is very common these days, huh? The song does not have a Pritam’s impression on it. Very mediocre song and easily forgettable.


More Piya
Music Composer: Aadesh Shrivastava
Singers: Aadesh Shrivastava, Shashi & Rosalie Nicholson
Lyrics: Sameer

Aadesh Shrivastava is back and how! A melodious song which is classical based and has western beats. Aadesh is the composer and the singer and he is excellent in both. His rendition of the song is just touching. Possibly the best song of the album. This song is remixed in a trance mix and is sung by Kavita Seth. I am not a big fan of remixed songs and I did not like this one either. The original song is much better.


Ishq Barse
Music Composer: Shantanu Moitra
Singers: Pronob Biswas, Hamsika Iyer, Swanand Kirkire
Lyrics: Swanand Kirkire

A very different song from the Moitra-Kirkire clan. They are known for giving us melodious, meaningful songs which are pleasant on the ears, but this song is totally different. It is a fast trapping song which can be considered as an item number. Hamsika Iyer lends her voice to this song and does a good job. Interesting lyrics by Kirkire, as always. Trust him to use words like ‘atkan matkan’, ‘boondan boondan’ and ‘dahi’ in an item number!


Dhan Dhan Dharti
Music Composer: Shankar Mahadevan
Singers: Shankar Mahadevan
Lyrics: Gulzar

This contemplative song, composed and sung by Shankar Mahadevan is a call to the soul indeed. The words are Gulzar saab’s and no need to say anything about him, right? The song is not all that great. Mahadevan has given us better songs.


This is not a music album which will stay with music lovers for long. Though talented music composers have come together for this album, they fail to impress. Listen to the song to decide for yourself.

Music Review: Paathshaala

Album: Paathshaala (2010)
Music Composer: Hanif Shaikh
Lyrics: Hanif Shaikh

Indian Idol 5 is on. Some talented singers are already showcased on the show. I am looking forward to the actual show and I know it will be delightful to watch. During one of the audition rounds, I heard a song in the background ‘Aye Khuda Mujhko Bata’ – it was so captivating that I had to listen to it again. A quick google told me it is a song from Paathshaala, sung by none other than Salim Merchant (he is one of the judges in Indian Idol 5). I listened to the other songs in this movie and all of them are listenable.

Aye Khuda Mujhko Bata
Singer: Salim Merchant

A quiet but intense number with some beautiful words. Salim has sung this one from his heart and it shows. A simple tune, but strong words – what a combination. Hanif Shaikh takes the credit for composing the music and for writing the words. Awesome!

Bekarar
Singer: Lucky Ali

After a hiatus, Lucky Ali is back and how. This is a typical Lucky Ali song. This may not be the best song in the album, but still good.

Mujhe Teri Aankhon Ki Gehrayi Mein Doobne De
Singers: Tulsi Kumar and Hanif Shaikh

As if composing music and writing songs was not enough, Hanif Shaikh takes up singing in this song and he does complete justice. Tulsi Kumar gives him the right company. Her husky voice is so different and comes as a breath of fresh air. Hanif has a nasal tone which adds its own charm to the song. A very different kind of song with a very catchy tune. Even the words are fresh. Here is an excerpt.

Har zarre mein, har jagah mein mehsoos karti hoon main
Ik tujhko hi haan tujhko hi mehfuz rakhti hoon main
Khayalon mein, dil mein, meri saanson mein
Gungunati hoon tujhko har baat mein

Teri Marzi Aye Khuda
Singer: Kailash Kher

A fitting climax to a great album. Kailash Kher does complete justice to this song which has Sufi nuances. Hanif is our man again – composer and lyricist.

With so many movies released in the past few weeks, this album was not noticed well. Hope music lovers notice it and listen to it.

SOTW: Naani Teri Morni

Song: Naani Teri Morni Ko
Movie: Masoom (1960)
Music Director: Hemant Kumar
Singer(s): Ranu Mukherjee
Lyrics: Shailendra

After a long hiatus, we are back with our weekly series, Song of the Week. Thanks to my little kid, I have been listening to a lot of children’s songs. Naani Teri Morni Ko is one of those songs which every single person had heard in their childhood, but is not sure about the movie or the words. I looked up this song and watched the picturization and it is awesome. There is this little girl, singing and dancing around the house, while the rest of the family is standing and swaying to the song. The choreography, if there is any, is hilarious.

This song will be loved by kids and adults alike. A simple, catchy tune, funny words and a cute little girl on screen – who wouldn’t like this song? This song is from the movie ‘Masoom’, which was released in 1960.  Another movie with the same name came much later, which had another great children’s song ‘Lakdi Ki Kaathi’.

Music is by Hemant Kumar. The singer with that sweet voice is Ranu Mukherjee. Unlike in those days where a kids’ song would be sung by a female singer, this song is actually sung by a child. This little nightingale is Hemant da’s daughter. How is that for trivia? Words are by Shailendra. Enjoy the innocence in this song. Here are the words.

Music Review: Well Done Abba

Album: Well Done Abba
Music Composers: Shantanu Moitra
Lyricists: Ashok Mishra, Ila Arun, Swanand Kirkire

Meri Banno Hoshiyar
Singer: Ila Arun
Lyricist: Ila Arun

This is such a catchy and fun song. It is based on a folk tune and Ila Arun just rocks in these kind of songs. The tune is folky, the background music sometimes takes on rock beats and this makes it a great combination. Lyrics are simple and humorous.

Bawdi Humko Hona Re
Singer: Mohit Chauhan, Swanand Kirkire
Lyricist: Swanand Kirkire

Mohit, for once, is singing fast songs. He has a cool, calming voice and his singing attitude is one that of being lazy. This song is anything but lazy. Fast beats, fast singing and Mohit pulls this one off with elan. Swanand Kirkire supports Mohit in a few lines. A fast paced, fun song.

Sandesa Sandesa Hawa Mein
Singer: Shreya Goshal and Rupankar
Lyricist: Ashok Mishra

A soft, romantic numbers with a catchy tune. Moitra’s music and Shreya’s voice will make you nostalgic and take you back to Parineeta’s ‘Piyu Bole’ and rightly so. This song is not as brilliant as the other one, but it is a nice song, nevertheless.

Rahiman Ishq Ka Dhaaga Re
Singer: Raja Hasan and Raghav
Lyricist: Ashok Mishra

A song with a Sufi touch and sung beautifully by Raja Hasan and Raghav. A soothing song with beautiful alaaps. The chorus line ‘tana dirana’ is so enchanting that I used to wait for this line in the entire song. This song might not top the charts but will definitely remain with you. Personally, I think this is the best song of the album.

Paani Ko Taraste
Singer: Raja Hasan and Krishan Beura
Lyricist: Ashok Mishra

The song starts with a soft music of water droplets. It is so melodious and soothing. The song, overall, is ok-ok. Nothing special.

I am so happy to see an album which does not have any remix songs. Other music directors should take  a hint from this album. I don’t understand what is the point in adding remix songs in the album. Anyways, this is an above average album. Nothing noteworthy, but the songs are quite hummable and stay with you. Give it a try.

Music Review: Striker

Album: Striker
Music Composers: Blaaze, Amit Trivedi, Shailendra Barve, Yuvan Shankar Raja, Swanand Kirkire, Vishal Bharadwaj
Lyricists: Nitin Raikwar, Blaaze, Prashant Ingole, Jeetendra Joshi, Nitin Raikwar, Swanand Kirkire, Gulzar

Aim Lagaa
Singer: Blaaze
Music Composer: Blaaze
Lyricist: Nitin Raikwar, Blaaze
A fast paced track which is on the same lines as Goli Maar Bheje Mein. Both talk about shooting, but this one is more serious whereas the one from Satya had a humorous touch to it. Blaaze tries to pack in too much into one song. This song might become a hit with the disco crowd.


Bombay Bombay
Singers: Siddharth
Music Composer: Amit Trivedi
Lyricist: Prashant Ingole
The song starts with a simple tune a dialog. It picks up pace and has a bit of rock element to it. There are many songs on Bombay as a place with golden opportunities and this song is the latest addition to this group. A catchy tune, easy lyrics, foot tapping music – this song is good on the ears. I like the way the chorus goes ‘Bombay, Bombay, city never sleeps’.

Cham Cham
Singer: Sonu Nigam
Music Composer: Shailendra Barve
Lyricist: Jeetendra Joshi
Just when you thought Sonu has shown all his hidden talents, he stuns with you another one. You have to listen to this song to believe what I say – Sonu Nigam’s voice is unrecognizable in this. I always thought Sonu’s voice suits soft, romantic numbers and sad, emotional songs (on the lines of Rafi saab). Sonu Nigam proves me wrong with this song. One amazing song, with great music and great singing and good lyrics. There is a rustic feeling to this song which makes this song very special. Shailendra Barve is one music composer who I will watch eagerly.

Haq Se
Singers: Siddharth, Yuvan Shankar Raja
Music Composer: Yuvan Shankar Raja
Lyricist: Nitin Raikwar
Another fast number with catchy beats which talks about luck, kismat etc. I can imagine this song being sung in music reality shows and discos.

Maula
Singer: Swanand Kirkire
Music Composer: Swanand Kirkire
Lyricist: Swanand Kirkire
After the heavy song, this one comes as a whiff of fresh air. A soft, number which borders on Sufi but is not Sufi. Music, singing and words are from Swanand Kirkire. The song is amazing. The beats remind me of the laavanis of Marathi, but still the song is anything but a laavani. Listen to this song for some Kirkire magic.

Pia Saanvara
Singer: Sunidhi Chauhan
Music Composer: Shailendra Barve
Lyricist: Jeetendra Joshi
A semi-classical song sung beautifully by Sunidhi Chauhan. Barve shines again in this song. He has used Sunidhi’s voice really well. All those people who think Sunidhi can sing only ‘Beedi Jalaile’ kind of songs get a fitting reply. Sunidhi packs in enough emotions in this song.

Yun Hua
Singer: Vishal Bhardwaj
Music Composer: Vishal Bharadwaj
Lyricist: Gulzar
A perfect end to a great album. Vishal Bharadwaj and Gulzar team up again to give us a mellifluous song. A silent number, with little background music, focusing mainly on the singer and his words. Bharadwaj is really good with such silent numbers and he is good in this one too.

I was wary of this album when I saw the list of music directors. Don’t people say ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’. Not in this case, I say. This album says ‘The more, the merrier’. One helluva album and worth listening to.

You can listen to these songs online.

Music Review: My Name is Khan

Album: My Name is Khan
Music Composers: Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy
Lyricist: Niranjan Iyengar


Rang De
Singers: Shankar Mahadevan and Suraj Jagan

The song starts with a guitar piece and has a rock touch to it. This song sung powerfully by Shankar who is supported well by Suraj Jagan, talks of peace and joy. It has some interesting lyrics. The song has a fast pace to it and makes you stand up and dance. But with all the fast pace and loud music, the intent of the song is not conveyed. The singers don’t sound serious enough when they say ‘Aman se rang de aasmaa’.

Khan Theme
Instrumental
Artist: Strings

This instrumental piece by the Pakistani band Strings is pleasant on the ears. Reminds me vaguely of the Titanic theme, but it could be completely my mistake in interpreting it.

Allah Hi Reham
Singer: Rashid Khan

This Sufi song sung by Rashid Khan is very catchy. Khan saab’s voice acts as magic in transporting you to the spiritual world. The chorus which joins in at the right time adds energy to the song. A must listen for a Sufi music lover.

Tere Naina
Singer: Shafqat Amanat Ali

Another song with Sufi touch which borders on qawwali. Amanat Ali comes across as weak after listening to Rashid Khan’s powerful rendition. This song has a lot of enery and is fast paced.

Noor-e-Khuda
Singers: Adnan Sami, Shankar Mahadevan, Shreya Goshal

Shankar Mahadevan, Shreya Goshal and Adnan Sami come together to sing this beautiful, soulful number. This is a call for help from God during testing times. I love some lines of this song.

Kuch isi lamho ko aas teri
Zakhmi dil ko hai pyaas teri
Har dhadkan to talash teri
Teri milta nahi hai pata
Khali aankhen khud se sawal karein
Aman ki cheekh behaal karein
Behta lahoo fariyaad karein
Tera mitata chala hai nishan

The real emotion of the song is lost between the alaaps, sargams and the loud music. The pain is there in the voice of the singers, but it doesn’t reach the listener’s hearts. If this had been a quieter number, with focus more on the singers than the music, the song would have made a better impact.

Sajda
Singers: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Shankar Mahadevan, Richa Sharma

The song opens with Richa Sharma’s powerful voice and grabs your attention. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s immediately follows and lifts your spirit. The song has a very catchy tune. The beats, the chorus and the singers make this song memorable. Richa’s and Rahat saab’s voice remains with you long after you stop listening to the song. This is the best song of the album.

Overall, the Shankar-Ehsaan-Leo trio deliver a noticeable album, but this is not one of their best. The album is definitely something one should listen to, but it is not something people will remember after a few months.

SOTW: Bade Achhe Lagte Hain

Song: Bade Achhe Lagte Hain
Movie: Balika vadhu (1976)
Music Director: R D Burman
Singer(s): Amit Kumar
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi

When you want to express your love in simple words, this is the song you should sing. There is no mincing words here, everything is straight and to the point – bade achhe lagte hain. These simple words make this song a favorite with lovers. The singer, Amit Kumar, son of the versatile singer Kishore Kumar, sounds so much like his father that it is no surprise many people think this song has been sung by Kishoreda himself. Music is by Panchamda. Anand Bakshi has penned the words. The song is from Balika Badhu (no connection whatsoever with the Avika Gor starrer television series Balika Vadhu), which has Sachin Pilgaonkar in the lead. Sounds like an interesting movie. It is on my TBW (To Be Watched) list. If anyone has watched this movie, do let me know what you think.

This post is part of the Song of the Week series.