Friday, January 27, 2006

Jhanda Uncha Rahe Hamaara!

26th of Jan, was the Republic Day in India. Me and my room mates, sat for a while, and recollected the beautiful parade at Delhi - Red Fort, not to mention the ones that we did in our schools! The chocolates that we used to get were always the highlight of the day! And then ofcourse, the innumerable patriotic songs that flooded through all media! It was a day when we forgot all our shortcomings as a nation, and rejoiced in its freedom and democracy! Now without turning this to yet another mushy monologue on Patriotism, let us quickly recap some of the touching patriotic songs featured in movies and otherwise!
  1. Jahan Daal Daal par sone ki from the movie Sikandar-e-Azam :- A few decades since Independence, most of the movie aimed at igniting the patriotism dying down in the hearts of the Indians (in the wake of Partition and the initial problems faced during Independence). Some of the best patriotic songs were composed during this time! And most of the movies had such patriotic songs whether required or not!! This song from the movie Sikandar-e-Azam, is one of my most favorite songs of all time. Not just for the fact that we had one a prize by singing this song in a group singing competition, but also that it had left a deep impression on my young heart! It wonderfully sang the glory of India during the yester years, at the time of advent of Alexander. Beautifully picturized, with Prithviraj kapoor majestically adorned on the elephant as Raja Pourava, the song had the most idealistic picture of India!
  2. Chodo kal ki baatein kal ki baat puraani from the movie Hum Hindustani :- Righto.. lets leave the past to the past, and set forth towards modernization and development! Yeah! thatz what the whole song was about! Soulful and inspiring voice of Mukesh adorns the lyrics written by Prem dhawan. Every line of the lyrics breathes of freshness, a fresh start and new goals!
  3. Mere desh ki dharti sona ugle from the movie Upkaar :- Manoj Kumar, probably the one actor who made sure that his movies had patriotic songs, is featured in this song! He is a farmer, who later turns into a soldier, and finally returns to his farm in the end! The movie had many hit numbers, and none equal to the one mentioned!
  4. Dil diya hai jaan bhi denge from the movie Karma :- A big banner production, a plethora of stalwarts, lilting songs were the hallmark of the movie - Karma. This particular song and most of the ones mentioned herein were a regular on the Rangoli program (featured every Sunday morning) during national festivals. The song was sung by Aunradha Paudwal and Mohd. Aziz, written by Anand Bakshi.
  5. E mere watan ke logon sung by Lata Mangeshkar :- I would not dispute the choice of the singer here! Not just Jawaharlal Nehru, every common man would break down listening to this song. The lyrics that tug at the strings of your heart have been rendered equally mesmerizingly by Lata Mangeshkar. This song would feature in my testimonials for her singing prowess - not that she needs one! ;)
  6. E mere pyaare watan from the movie Kabulliwalah :- Those of the people who have read Kabulliwalah by Rabindranath Tagore, would certainly agree with me, that this song has wonderfully captured the mood and tone of the prime character of the movie! The yearning that he has for his motherland is extremely moving. Manna dey excels in this song that is beyond any words to describe and extol. What more can one expect when it is Gulzar who writes the lyrics!
  7. Ek tu hi bharosa Ek tu hi sahaara from Pukar :- Okay! Lata is simply divine! I give it to her! If she can't make the heart go out for a song, not many can revive that song! Lataji's voice, ARR's music, the voices of the children have been so deftly used in this song, almost as if its the future of the country calling out for the grace of the Lord above! Thumbs up for this song.
  8. Mere desh mein pawan chale purvaayi from the movie Jigari Dost :- Yeddanoder Mohd. Rafi number, full of life and vigor describing the beauty of India with all fervor that his voice could muster for a song like this! (Not to mention that it had to suit the "Jumpin' Jack's" excitement!!). The picturization in lush green fields, and the picturesque backdrop of the high mountains, this song is also a visual treat!
  9. Aa ab laut chalen from the movie jis desh mein ganga behti hai :- A bunch of reformed outlaws returning to the mainstream life with Mukesh crooning for Raj Kapoor! The distant voice... "aajaa re... aajaa re.. aajaa aajaa" seemingly portraying the way the land is calling out for them! Of the many patriotic numbers that were featured in Raj Kapoor's movies time and again, I would rate this on the top! Followed right next by the song from the same very movie "Hoton pe sacchai rehti hai". So why did I choose the former to be better than the latter? Hmm.. I'd say for the message that the song had provided subtly for the ones who had left their mother land for good! (laakh lubhaaye mahal paraaye apna ghar phir apna ghar hai). If one were to see deeply most of the songs in the movies were portraying the trends during each era! Holding a mirror to the ongoing events on the national front!
  10. Ekla chalo from the movie Bose - The forgotten hero :- The opening lines are taken from a poem written by Rabindranath Tagore, one of Mahatma Gandhi's favorites! The original poem is ofcourse extremely inspiring in not just a patriotic sense, but even otherwise for an everyday life! ARR's music and Sonu Nigam's voice have given the necessary boost required for Javed's lyrics. As for the song, it speaks at length about the determination in the heart of the main protagonist! Much as Bose had to stand alone, after the Congress he so much believed in had deserted him!
  11. Desh ki mitti also from the movie Bose - The forgotten hero :- Also in the voice of Sonu Nigam, is a song that reminisences the various aspects of motherland. I guess this song is used when Subhash Chandra Bose had to leave the nation to muster the army! The song is well sung, and portrays the various climates, and geographical beauty of India. Javed saab's lyrics has as usual worked wonders, and this song shall certainly be a hit amidst the non-resident Indians.

I still very vividly remember the way we all celebrated the National Festivals more importantly - Independence and Republic Days. The programs always started with a beautiful song "atha swAgataM shubha swAgataM aanaMda maMgaLa maMgaLaM ita niyam bhArata bhAratam". I still hum this song, but alas! have long forgotten the lyrics of it! I have looked for this song in several places, but to no avail! There are so many meaningful songs that have passed out into the oblivion! It's a tragedy that we have missed out on so many things amidst the growing rat race!


# posted by Praveen : 12:32 PM  7 comments

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Melodies from the Bhatt clan!!

Mahesh Bhatt is a personality of Indian Film Industry unlike none other. I had a lot of admiration for this capabilities sans his controversies. Barring a few mistakes off late (that he likes to call movies), I still admire a lot of his movies, simply for the deft direction, acting, and ofcourse the immensely melodious and meaningful songs. If the movie is from the Bhatt clan, one is certainly assured of a lilting number to keep the mind occupied. Even though off late, the movie by itself seems to be less and less capable of doing it. And as is the purpose of my monloguing here (which I would still like to call blogging), I would like to list some of my favorite numbers from the movies that had something to do with the Bhatts!! :P
I am not quite sure of the first movie directed by Mahesh Bhatt, which could be either Sakat, or Manzilein Aur bhi hain. But my list of songs would rather start with Lahu ke do rang.
Lahu ke do rang :- One of my all time favorites of KJY - zid na karo ab toh ruko yeh raat nahin aayegi, and there is another often forgotten song by Kishore Kumar - Muskuraata hua gul khilaata hua mera yaar both of which used to be constantly featured during the afternoon - Aap ki farmaaish on vividh bhaarathi, radio station.
Arth :- Hailed as the biographical movie by Mahesh Bhatt, this movie featured top class acting by Shabana Azmi, Smitha Patil and Kulbhushan Karbanda; not to mention some of the evergreen songs ever composed in Bollywood - Tum itna jo muskuraa rahe ho (brilliantly shot on Shabana Azmi, this song is a stand alone example on the acting prowess of this star), Jhuki Jhuki si nazar, to mention a couple. Both the songs have been sung by Jagjit Singh.
Naam :- The one most famous heart-rending song from this movie is but known to everyone - Chitti aayi hai vatan se Chitti aayi hai. Sung by Pankaj udhaas, it continues to bring tears into the eyes of lots of non-resident Indians to this day!
Kaash :- O Yaara... tu pyaaron se hai pyaara sung by Anupama Deshpande and Kishore Kumar, this movie also featured another beautiful ghazal by Asha Bhonsle and Mohd. Aziz - Chhoti si hai baat koi nahin jaane.
Aashiqui :- The movie which shot to fame the utterly forgettable Rahul Roy, and Anu Agarwal; it also became the much awaited boost for Kumar Sanu and Anuradha Paudwal. Some of the beautiful numbers of this movie include Bas ik sanam chaahiye, Ab tere bin jee lenge hum, Mein duniya bhulaa doonga teri chaahat mein, Nazar ke saamne jigar ke paas... Absolute melody was the hallmark of this movie.
Jurm :- Remember the song - Jab koi baat bigad jaaye ? Need I say more of it?
Sadak :- A much acclaimed movie that gave a new face to villainy - Sadashiv Amrapurkar (its a tragedy that the filmdom didn't know how to use his talents), some of the melodious hits of this movie are Tumhe apna banane ki kasam, Hum tere bin kahin reh nahin paate.
Dil Hai Ki Maanta Nahin :- A movie one instantly falls in love with, it holds a very special place in my life (Read on to know why..). Anupam Kher excelled himself in the comic role as Pooja Bhatt's father. Aamir's tongue in cheek performances, and Pooja bhatt as herself (the spoilt daughter of a rich father) makes this movie memorable along with its hit numbers - Galyat sangli son yachi (the song for which me and my crush had danced together ;) ), dil hai ki maanta nahin, tu chaahat hai kisi aur ka, mainu ishq daan lagiya rog.
Daddy :- The movie proved that the most simple story can take a multi-dimensional stature when it is coupled with mesmerizing performances by actors like Anupam Kher, wonderful lyrics from the likes of Suraj Sanim and equally awesome singers like Talat Aziz. Aaina mujhse meri pehli si surat maange, Waffa jo tumse ki hoti, were my all time favorites from this movie.
Saatwan Aasmaan :- A movie that was totally forgettable if not for a couple of really beautiful songs - Tum kyaa mile jaane jaan pyaar zindagi se ho gaya, Where is the time to hate (it sounds so much like a kid's poem), Socha tumhein khat likhoon, & Tum tum ho ke nahin. The one good thing this movie indeed do, is to convince Vivek Mushran of being creatively challenged! Well it did write off the epilogue for his acting career.
Phir Teri Kahaani Yaad Aayi :- The two memorable facts of this movie were that the poster was a rip off of "Basic Instinct", and the other being the songs - Tere dar par sanam chale aaye, Baadalon mein chup raha hai chaand kyon.
Naaraaz :- Yeddanoder fogeddable (am down with cold) movie with equally memorable songs - Chaaha to bahut na chaahen tujhe, Tere bin mein kuch.
Papa Kehte Hain :- Sure as hell, Mahesh Bhatt must have quit directing movies by now! This movie tried to launch that utterly chocolaty Jugal Hansraj into the mainstream, but was a complete washout! If it were released as a private album, I guess, it pretty much would've made equal sense! The songs were the only saving grace in this movie! Every song - Ghar se nikal te hi, Yeh joh thode se hain paise, pehli pyaar ka pehla gam, Pyar mein hota hai, Mujhse naaraaz ho toh were hummed over and over again in my bathroom, much to the dismay of my neighbors and family! Oh Well!!
Zakhm :- Finally a justifiably Mahesh Bhatt movie, it was again based on his real life, and provided us with a respite of melodies such as Gali mein aaj chaand, Hum yahan tum yahan, and Raat saari bekaraari mein. M M Kreem had set the tunes liltingly, which was an added bliss.
Well, the later films by the Bhatt clan including Pooja Bhatt, did have a few numbers that haunted and sometimes topped the music charts from movies - Kasoor, Murder, Paap, Raaz, Saaya, Zeher, etc.
Most of the songs from these movies need no special mentioning but nevertheless in the passing some of my favorites are :-
Garaj Baras, Mann ki lagan, Aalaap - from PAAP.
Bheege Hont tere, Kaho na kaho - from MURDER.
Aapke pyaar mein hum - from RAAZ.
Jaadu hai nasha hai, Aawaarapan Banjarapan, - from JISM.
Agar tum mil jao, Woh lamhe Woh baatein - from ZEHER.
Well, thatz that - my take on some of the memorable songs from his movies/production. Any more to add? Keep lookin'!

# posted by Praveen : 11:31 PM  2 comments

Friday, January 20, 2006

Divine praises in a Divine Language

There is a famous Ganesha temple opposite to my house in Bangalore. It is located on top of a huge hill on the 100 Ft Ring Road. Every year during the anniversary celebrations they invite several eminent singers from all over the State, and hold devotional recitals. During one such recitals I had heard a wonderful song on Lord Ayyappa - Harivaraasanam. Today nearly 7 years later, I chanced on that wonderful stotra once again, and even as I listen to its soothing rendering from the very voice of KJY, I am restraining the tears of joy that are almost ready to burst out of my eyes! I thought of compiling a list of someof the most melodious, soothing, enriching and simply wonderful stotras from Sanskrit.


All of the above mentioned verses have very complicated structuring and understanding that is hard to achieve for commoners like us. They ought to be learnt under the guidance of an able Guru and requires tremendous amounts of Sadhana and discipline on the part of the devotee. The following few hymns though simpler are none the less equally powerful in their devotional magnificence. They are easy to learn, easy to recite, melodious, verbally powerful, spiritually enlightening and psychologically enriching!


Several others of such stotras include "Bhaja Govindam", "Lingashtakam", "Kaalabhairavaashtakam", "Siva panchakshara stotram", "Rama rakshaa stotram", "Shaarada dandakam", "Naama Raamayana", and several others. To talk of each of these would take decades. Nevertheless at regular intervals, I would like to share a few of my knowings with you all and together relish the beauty of them.


# posted by Praveen : 3:41 PM  5 comments

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Sri Tyagaraja: Endaro mahanubhaavulu!!


January 19th is celebrated as Sri Tyagaraja Aradhana. I remember the first Tyagaraja Aradhana that I had been to was at an age of 12, in the house of my Classical music Guru, Smt. Shakuntala Iyengar. It had been a few months since I had started to go to her, inorder to learn music. I had then known very little about Sri Tyagaraja. All I knew was that he was a great composer, and a saint, a devotee of Sri Rama. On that day, I sat in her house in rapture listening to the mellifluous flow of music from a whole gathering of classical music singers. At that time, it was the grandeur and magnificence of the whole thing that had me smitten! I made it a point to go to Tyagaraja Aradhana every year till my college days began. Then the vortex of academics digressed me from cultural events, and I am yet to relive those moments till date! Today, I offer this post as my salutations to the master of Classical Music, one of the divine trinity, a composer par excellence, Sri Tyagaraja.
Sri Tyagaraja was born in Tiruvaayur, on May 4th, 1767. He inculcated the devotion on Sri Rama right from his childhood. His worldly ties were materialized in the form of his wives Parvati (who died early) and later Kamalamba. Sadly he was left heirless! Nevertheless today, thousands of singers all over India and abroad, are carrying forth the legacy that was nourished and glorified by his contributions and compositions. He propagated the bhakti marga and used his compositions to celebrate the glory of Sri Rama's deeds. He also wrote compositions on Sri Lakshmi, Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna, and others. He used music as a method of achieving the supreme grace (moksha). Some of his celebrated compositions include the various Pancharatnas (5 gems) -

Of these the most famous are the Ghana Panchakas, composed in the 5 Ghana raagas viz Nata, Goula, Arabhi, Varali, and Sri. I have already written about these in here. The other famous compositions by Sri Tyagaraja that I have heard include "dorakuna ituvanti seva", "Sambho Mahadeva"(this song has been sung breath takingly by Unnikrishnan. It is a MUST NOT MISS), "Seeta kalyaana vaibhogame", "jayamangalam nitya shubhamangalam", "mokshamu galada (Smt. MS' rendering of this song tears the heart, and brings tears to one's eyes), "nagumomu ganalEni" (has been included in "Raayaru Bandaru Maavana Manege", a Kannada film), "saamajavaragamana" (has been included in the movie "Shankarabharanam"), "seetamma maayamma", etc.

Composers like Sri Tyagaraja, elevated the art of music to spiritual levels that showed an alternate path for even the common man, to achieve the bliss of sages! On this day, let us celebrate music, not just as an art, but as a way of life, as a spiritual bliss, and veritably as the essence of the universe! For the cosmic sound that reverberates through the space, is but a note of the divine music, sounded by the Supreme player himself.


# posted by Praveen : 9:54 PM  1 comments

Friday, January 06, 2006

Mélodies actuelles de génération!

When it comes to listing songs, I always have huge problems in terms of categorizing it. Well there are the ones that are sung well, ones that have good lyrics, and then good music. All of these have to do with just the aesthetics of listening. Then there are the visually stimulating songs, with their wonderful picturization, locales and grandeur of settings. What makes a song complete is, as cliched as it may seem, a uniform blend of all these. It has to be appealing to both the auditory and visual perceptions!
It has always been a matter of dispute as to the kind of songs that are churned out during each decades. I still remember a classic controversy stirred by Majrooh Sultanpuri, when he called the work of another lyricist, rubbish and rebuked him for writing meaningless songs! Now this coming from a person who had once written, "C A T cat.. cat maane billi.. R A T rat.. rat maane chooha, are dil he tere panje mein toh kya hua" is surprising! The point I am trying to make is, the older generation has always frowned upon the innovativeness of the younger generation and this cycle has repeated ever since!
In Kannada Film Industry (KFM), the evolution of music has set in with full blast! The much needed change which was initially brought forth by Hamsalekha, has now branched out into several creative music directors and lyricists, willing to experiment and explore new avenues, than traverse in the oft beaten path! Not all their ventures are laudable, but there certainly are some note worthy numbers, from the recent movies, that I would love to list and recommend for my readers.
  1. Elele Tangaaliye sung by Rajesh, Sowmya from the movie Shanti Shanti Shanti - the movie was a terrible flop, but has this wonderful number in it. Also notably, this was the debut movie for Madhavan! He looked so foolish in this movie! Well, no one could have expected him to be the heartthrob of so many now! Oh Well!
  2. Usire Usire Usiraagu sung by Karthik and Bombay Jayashree from the movie Deadly Soma! Of interest is its rather techno-cratic music, which still has tried to remain easy on the ears!
  3. Yaamini Daamini sung by SPB from the movie Musuku. The song is a sheer pleasure to listen to, due to its stimulating lyrics!
  4. Ajanta Ellora sung by Vijay Yesudas from the movie Nenapirali. Another wonderful composition by Hamsalekha. It is a song that is so lively with romance and playfulness, that one can't help but sway to the melody flowing in every line! Also notice the way in which the lyrics the worded, with tongue twisters, and some lines so visual in their description of the girl - makes my heart fall in love with her! For some though the use of Titanic ship to symbolize his state may seem uncalled for! Well no comments on that one! Another song I'd recommend from this movie would be the title song Nenapirali.
  5. Preeti Eke bhUmi mElide, prItsE anta praaNa tinnO prEmi neenu yaarO, preetige janma nIDida brahma all of these songs from the movie Excuse Me, backed up by a soulful violin rendering, will certainly capture one's attention! A few songs are well shot, except for the fact that the female lead (once again!!! Somebody ask them to go get a life!!) really overdoes her expressions, which makes it a pain to watch the song, so best thing would be to hear it!
  6. Usiralealeale... yali from the movie O Gulaabiye! written by V Manohar, is yet another interesting song, basically due to this rhythmic use of words and ofcourse the efforts of the singers Mano, and Nandita. Personally I would feel that probably Rajesh or Unnikrishnan for that matter would have done a better job of it. There is another song Manase Mannisu sung by Unnikrishnan and Chaitra that is also worth listening to. Albeit, let me warn you on the oomph and saucyness of the song! Better give it a hearing during the nights ;)
  7. Modamodalu bhuvigiLida maLe haniyu from the movie Yeshwanth rendered by Rajesh and Nanditha is a very lively and a camouflaged poetic number, that has been constantly figuring in my playlists these days!
  8. Kannigu kanneerigu from the movie Autograph Please sung by Rajesh is another soulful number that has everything ranging from the music, to the lyrics and singing blending synchronously and making this a constant on the playlist! Some of the lines in the lyrics are really touchy.. like the one that says "kOgile cheeridarU kivigoMdu iMpide" would have us heaving a deep sigh. I am sure Samanvitha would accept this!
  9. Manasaare Manasaare maataaDe from the movie Green Signal sung by Hariharan.

Well, so here is the choicest of songs from the present genre movies, that I felt were very melodious and did justice in terms of a lot of factors that are important for a song! I am sure that there are lot more that can be listed and would be coming up from time to time. So happy listening folks!


# posted by Praveen : 3:10 PM  3 comments