Remembering Pancham Da

Gulzar called him as good a craftsman as a musician. Today on 27th June 1939, the boss was born- Rahul Dev Burman. The man who gave us many unforgettable songs like Chura Liya,  Dum Maaro Dum and many more. Boss is credited with revolutionizing the filmi music in Hindi films, with his style and techniques continue to be followed by the composers of today. On the day of his birthday today I thought of gathering a few facts about the legendary Pancham Da and some of his best songs.  RD Burman got western Music to the country.His peppy tunes, his versatility has been unmatched. He not only used instruments to get his music but used different objects like spoons, glasses to create melody from them.

Facts

• Did you know that R.D. Burman won the Filmfare award only 3 times for Sanam Teri Kasam, Masoom & 1942-A Love Story while being nominated for around 16 times for the award
• Out of his 331 released movies 292 were in Hindi, 31 in Bangla, 3 in Telugu, 2 each in Tamil & Oriya and 1 in Marathi. Pancham Da also composed for 5 TV serials in Hindi and Marathi. He also scored a large number of non-film songs in Bangla &  he did a song for a small documentary film called ‘Maa Ki Pukar’ too, in 1975.
• He was called Pancham  because, as a child, whenever he cried, it sounded in the fifth note (Pa) of the Indian musical scale. Artist since birth
• RD Burman also pioneered the use of electronic organ in Indian Films with the song ‘O Mere Sona Re’ [Teesri Manzil]
• As most of us know in ‘Chura Liya’ song he actually used the sound of a spoon hitting a glass. He did the same n ‘Abdullah’  where he used the sound of a bamboo whistle with a balloon tied to it for a song
• The talent of RD Boss was seen in his earlier days by his father when he used RD Burman’s composition for the song Sir Jo Tera Chakraye
• R.D. Burman also acted in Movies. He acted in Mehmood’s ‘Bhoot Bangla’ & also in ‘Pyaar Ka Mausam’
• In the song ‘O Manjhi Re’ from the movie ‘Khushboo’, Boss used bottles with water filled at different levels and created a hollow sound by blowing into them and this sound effect was used with the orchestra

My Top Fav Songs of RD Burman

• Tujhse Naaraz Nahi Zindagi Hairaan Hoon main- Masoom- Nothing can be better than this. The lyrics, the music. everything is just near perfect

• Mehbooba Mehbooba- Sholay

• Pyaar Hame Kis Mod Pe Le Aaya- Satte Pe Satta

• Kya Hua Tera Wada- Hum Kisi se Kam Nahi

• Tere Bina Zindagi se Koi – Aandhi

• Meri Soni Meri Tamnna- Yaadon Ki Baarat

• Dekha Na Hai Re- Bombay to Goa

• Yeh Jo Mohabbat Hai- Kati Patang

• Dil Lena Khel Hai Dildaar ka- Hum Kisi se Kam Nahi

• Huzoor Is kadar bhi na Itra ke chaliye- Masoom- The deadly combination of Gulzaar and RD Burman

• Jaan-e-Jaan-

• Bahon Me chale Aao- Anamika

• Chingari Koi Bhadke- Amar Prem

There are lots of other songs too which need to be included but not all can be written. For the time being i can sing away with-

7 Khoon Maaf- Dark, Melodious and How…

Vishal gave us Lagnda Tyagi (Saif Ali Khan), Vishal gave us Bittu (Shahid Kapoor) and now he gives us the Daarlingggg Suzanna (Priyanka Chopra).

You can hate this movie but definitely you can’t ignore this one. If somebody says he or she hasn’t liked 7 khoon maaf then I don’t think any khoon should be maaf there. Vishal Bharadwaj has made a dark thriller with 7 khoon maaf and gave Priyanka Chopra once in a lifetime role. Borrowed from Ruskin Bond’s “Susanna’s Seven Husband”, VB delivers a wicked experience. Movie is brave and different. Though I expected a bit more from him but still whatever was there was good.

7 khoon maaf is a story of a woman who is in a quest for love. In that quest she ends up walking the aisle several times, but ends up killing them. The movie is serious, dark and stirring. Though the story like is predictable (which can be a reason a lot of people didn’t like it) but the screenplay and the performances from the actors will keep you engaged. Starting from the cruel Major Rodriques (played by unconvincing Neil Nitin Mukesh), junkie rock star (John Abraham), maniac Wasiullah (Irrfan Khan), impressive Russian  agent Vronsky (Aleksandr Dyachenko),  lusty police officer Keemat (Anu Kapoor) and bankrupt  (Naseeruddin Shah) all deliever some good performance and end up dying under mysterious circumstances.Not to forget Vivaan Shah having a crush on much older Priyanka Chopra and the cameo by Konkana Sen Sharma. Every character brings something to the movie.

Agreeably 7 khoon maaf is not everyones cup of tea. VB brings the Indian heroine out of the shadows and gives his tribute to the woman power. Priyanka in a lifetime role shows the various shades of darkness with her characterization, her role of ‘goosebump’-giving sinister murderess. The shots where she is ringing the bell in a church at night, or laughing like mad shows the shades of darkness in the movie. Her errant, eccentric behavior is brilliant (never thought that I will be saying this). We see Shashi Malviya (Gunga), Harish Khanna (Ghalib) and singer Usha Uthup (Maggie Aunty) as Priyank’s partners in crime. Suzanna will make you sympathize with her at some time, and some time empathize. The director shows her torment journey from a young lady to an old bitch with a style. Yes I feel there is something lacking here and there but still the movie will haunt if it wants.

Neil Nitin Mukesh didn’t impress me much with his character. Expected a lot more from him. John Abraham is brilliant with his role as the drugged rockstar (looked to be inspired from the looks of Axel Rose from Gun’s & Roses). Irrfan Khan delivers a brilliant performance as the maniac husband who beats up the wife to show his superiority. Veteran’s Anu Kapoor and Naseeruddin Shah perform as good as usual. Aleksandr Dyachenko as the Russian agent surprises with his performance and his Hindi. the friend next to me was just drooling over him. Vivaan Shah in his debut movie is convincing and so is Usha Uthup.

Music wise too VB doesn’t disappoint us. The team of Gulzaar And Vishal just kills it every time they team up. Daaaaarling is a hit as we all know. Crooned by Usha Uthup and Rekha Bharadwaj the song will make you sit up and take notice.Though said to be inspired from Russian Military song ,both singers compliment each other brilliantly. Lyrics says- “mehfil me sansani hone do” and it did. Another winner is Tere Liye sung by Suresh Wadekar is just simple melodious . The song has romance in every bit of it. Lyrics by Gulzaar saab again are simply out of this world. Then there is “Bekaraan“. VB shows whatever he does, he does it superbly. “ek zara dekhiye to, aapke paon taley kuchh to atka hai kahin,”- what brilliance here. “O’Mama” is a surprise rock number again written by Gulazaar and sung by guess who. Yeah it’s KK.It’s always a treat to hear him. Here I should say both Gulzaar saab and KK rocked. A sudden switch in the genre with loads of energy and some evilness. Overall music compliments to the movie in a very good way. VB uses singers like KK, Suresh Wadekar and even Master Salim to keep the songs playing up to our ears.

Vishal Bharadwaj wins as a director, as a singer. The movie has a good screenplay, good cionematorgraphy and typical Vb like shaky cameras at places. I feel somewhere editing is inconsistent and story telling could have been much tighter. But still the darkness prevails. Don’t know why but this movie reminded me a lot of Anurag Kashyap’s Paanch. I agree there is no comparison but the darkness in these movies are just underlying fact about the beauty of this kind of cinema.

As I repeat 7 Khoon Maaf won’t be liked by everyone. But I wonder if people can make Tees Maar Khan and Housefull like movies then I believe movie making needs to be changed. Cinema needs to come of age and movies like this pave the way for it. Be it a hit or a flop, this movie is win in my opinion. Might not be the best VB movie but definitely not the worse. Priyanka delivers a superb role to keep the Daaarrrlingg murdering the role. Overall a dark, dingy and unconventional watch.

Rating- 4 out of 5

Teen Thay Bhai- First Look

Here is a dekho of Teen Thay Bhai starring  Om Puri, Shreyas Talpade and Deepal Dobriyal.  It . The film is directed by debutant Mrigdeep Singh Lamba and produced by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra,  PVR Pictures. Lyrics are by Gulzar and music is Ranjit Barot and Sukhwinder Singh.

The film;s working title was “Mad Madder Maddest”. Om Puri, Deepak Dobriyal and Shreyas Talpade are brothers who hate each other. It talks about how they have to spend a night together and what happens during that. It looks like a laugh riot..check the trailer here

Raavan: AR Rahman, Gulzaar & Mani Ratnam’s magic

AR Rahman & Gulzaar…Can you ask for a deadlier combination. Now add one more name to it- Mani Ratnam. Does it soars your expectations….. Yes it did for me atleast. After Bombay the duo is back. But then time has passed but the music hasn’t change. Expecting something different from Rahman this time..Lets see what he has got for us.

Raavan’s music catches you from the word go. Starting the album with Beera Beera. The song has a very heavy African and  Indian folk touch to it. A very energizing song used as the introduction song for Abhishek in the promos. Such kind of songs usually falls in the category of Sukhwinder Singh but this time it was given to new comer  Kirti Sagathia &Vijay Prakash. Both don’t disappoint us with some flashes of Rahman here and there with some heavy orchestra in the background.  Beera has a spirit attached to it.

The album takes an experimental turn with somewhat a dark song” Behne De”. Now this one has a sufi touch to with Karthik’s voice, the maestro’s Gulzaar’s lyrics & trademark Rehman there. The track will keep you hooked to it and surely should be good on screen too.

Suddenly comes “Thod de Killi”. At first sounded like a spirited song but it gets tedious. Full of bagpipes and vocals, this is a fast paced number with Sukhwinder’s distinctive voice and watch for Gulzaar saab’s lyrics. Next in line is “Ranjha Ranjha” sung by one of my favorite Rekha Bhardwaj. This lady has such an  earthy voice that one can’t get enough of her.  She is very well accompanied by Javed Ali and Anuradha Sriram this song has a good sufi touch with some electronic addition to it.  The song is breezy, sensual and a must listen. One of my fav’s in the album.

Next in line comes the semi-classical, poetic Khilli Re where Reena Bhardwaj (Yeh Rishta kya Kehlata- Meenaxi fame) goes solo lending her voice to Rahman’s masterclass.  The song is semi-devotional & dreamy.

The album ends with a number on the Lines of Rukmani Rukmani called Kata Kata. With a deadly combination of Ila Arun and Sapna Awasthi, very well supported by Kunal Ganjawala, this is a Bachelor’s party song . The use of words here is impeccable being rhyming & repeating all over the song. An intresting nice number.

Overall Raavan’s music is very good. The first look of the movie is equally killer. Looks like Rahman’s gives his best with Mani Ratnam.  Hope now Mani Ratnam makes Abhishek & Aiswarya act for gods sake. AR Rahman did his bit in the music part by making it different and melodious.

Rating- 4.5 Out of 5

Check the Promo here-

Ishqiya- 2010: After Dhan Te Nan It’s Ibn-E-Batuta

Ishqiya

Two Hooligans, one temptress and a rustic setting of a village makes the music of Ishqiya a class apart. The two hooligans on the music side- Vishal Bharadwaj & Gulzaar Saab recreates the magic together. These two hooligans have been giving some fantastic music in the past and they still don’t fail to deliver here. The philosophical lyrics of Gulzaar S’aab along with the music of Vishal has become a combination that will make something abstract, unique and definitely offbeat.

One thing I have always wondered that what does Gulzaar Uncle thinks & write. I need a guide book to understand those lyrics. But whatever said and done, the lyrics are what he sees beyond imagination. Saying this comes my first favourite song of the year 2010 -“Dil to Bachcha Hai Ji” by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. Studded with its own Sufi elements & the retro-style the song has hooked me and will surely have you hooked right from the start. With the claps, harmonium etc Vishal sets the tone very nicely. And with lyrics like : 

Hai zor kare kitna shor kare… bewaja baton pe aiwen gor kare…. Dil sa koi Kameena nahi ..koi to roke koi to toke…is umar main abh khao ge dhoke…Dar lagta hai ishq karne main bhi…Dil to bachcha hai ji….thoda kachcha hai ji…. dil sa koi kamina nahi…

I don’t know how kamina my dil is..But this song is a winner.

Now Comes the song which is rocking the television channels these days. Ibn-E-Babatuta. Sung by other two hooligans- Sukhwinder Singh & Mika, the duo is creating a riot here. The song is a story of Ibn Batuta a14th century traveler who is known for the account of his travels and excursions. So yes it’s his shoes doing Churrr and Phurrr..with another abstract & comical lyrics the song is going to be there for some time now.

If Vishal can do something then his better half is not far behind. Rekha Bharadwaj  comes up with a ghazal “Ab Mujhe Koi”. Its after a long time I am hearing ghazal in a movie. And this lady has proven her versatility. With a song like Namak & now this, she actually proves her mettle. Song about broken dreams and life’s longing has a very lazy touch to it with some more imaginative lyrics like: Aankh ke ek gaon mein , raat ko khwaab aate the , jhulo se behte the , bole to kehte the , udte khwabo ka aitbaar kahan. It’s a conventional ghazal set to a rather unconventional background consisting of guitars, keyboard and drums.

You just get down with this that Badi Dheere Jali starts. A wonderful fusion of western and eastern instruments it is a true classical number. I don’t understand classical so much, hence I stand no right to comment on this. But still for a hearing its soothing.  Rakhi’s vocal is as usual strong and perfect match to the music.

There are few remixes in the album but I don’t wanna talk about those. They can be given a pass easily.

Overall, the original numbers in the song are a package for a soulful listening.  The deadly duo of-Vishal & Gulzaar does it again.The album might not have a mass appeal but still it has its own audience and the duo has its own following which is going to get better. Now let’s await the movie which are other two hooligans- Naseer Bhai & Arshad Warsi.