Tuesday, December 24, 2013

2013 - Top 5 Desi Melody Blocks !!


Meri Jaan, a year - goes and another year - comes ! While there are always gains, some losses canot be replaced. These losses are of your near and dear ones.

I have lost many of my nearest and dearest ones in the last couple of years. Memories of all of them are dug deep in the heart and I will always cherish the moments spent with all of them !!

On a positive side, I metup with some friends after 25 years, and what a great reunion! I will miss the big event happening back home over the New Year, but it was incredible to catchup with school mates and those school-ish memories!

MPS alumni rocks !!

Ups and Down tou chalta hain - par Apna Bollywood was rocking as always - some movies went Express on Dhoom while some just went out like the Bijlee stuck in Zanjeer !!!

Some of you asked my favorite musical lots this year, and here they are ....top 5 desi albums and some songs I really loved from other desi movies.


No.1: Yeh Jawani Hain Deewani - Koi Shak? "Balam Pichkari " and "Badtameez Dil" Rocked the charts !!! Overall the album was rocking - Ghagra, Dilli waali, Kabeera, Ilahi, Subhanallah - all songs included - makes Pritam well deserved for the TOP ALBUM OF 2013.

No.2: Ashiqui2: No one expected what to expect - but the songs made everyone hear with "Sun rahaa hain na tu", "Kyunki Tum hi ho", "Chaahoon main", "Bhula denaa", "Hum mar jaayenge" and others.

Cant compare with the original Ashiqui music that actually marked T-Series as THE record company and introduced a range of singers, but this one too introduced some good composers and singers - Arjit Singh being one of them.


No.3: "Chennai Express. SRK really needed that one number to dance on all the shows and Vishal Shekhar gave him the deserved "Lungi Dance" and "1234". Alongwith Titli, Ready Steady, and Kashmir main, the album overall deserved to be in the top 3 slot.

No.4: Ram Leela: With Bhansali himself helming the musical reins you know it is going to be mixed bag of Devdas, Hum Dil De Chuke, Saawariya and you can't miss the impact. My favorite was Lal Ishq, alongwith Dhol Baaje, Ram Chahe, Poore chand, Ang Lagaade,Tattad Tattad (wonderfully sung by Aditya), and others.

No.5: Raanjhna: When the music composer is AR Rahman you know the music will have Sufi, rock, folk, groove, ballad, jazz and it will take time to grow. "Ranjhna, Tum Tak, Banarasiya, Tu man shudhi, Ay Sakhi, Piya milenge" alongwith others had all the mixed bag of AR Rahman music taking it in the Top 5 slot.

Other numbers and albums that really had some good numbers:

ABCD: Sachin Jigar's composition and 3 songs - Ga,Ga,Gan Ganpati, Shabhu Sutaya and Bezubaan kab tak rocked the album !!!

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag: SEL really need a BIG Hit now. Movie was a biopic, and there were a lot of songs. To make all of them work - Zinda, Slow motion angreza, Maston ka jhund, Mera yaar, Rangrez had the flavour.

Kai Po Che: Manjha, and Shubharambh - Amit Trivedi + Swanand Kirkire.

I was definitely expecting more from Matru Ki Bijlee - but apart from Oye Boy Charlie, it was a let down.

R...Rajkumar - Pritam gave the soundtrack and it is Prabhudeva's movie - so the south influence is inevitable - but Gandi Baat, Saari Ke Faal Sa were just enough for a visual treat.

There were couple of other hits and miss-es in Murder3, Race2, Fukhrey, Special 26 (Mujh meni tu), Go Goa Gone, Lootera (Sawaar loon), D-Day, Phata Poster (Main rang sharbaton ka), Boss (loved the re-created Har Kisi ko), Ramiya Vastaviya (Jeene Lagaa Hoon, Hip Hop Pammi), Besharam (Piya).

Next year we have a lot to look forward to starting with Roy after Peekay doing Jai Ho on Highway and Action-Jackson Humshakals, Kick-ing Gabbar and Singham-2 with a Bang-Bang into a Happy New Year 2014.

Meri Jaan, with that lets end 2013 on a happy musical note. Till we meet next, stay safe, and stay in Loeve !!

- Pankaj