The man and his music

The man and his music

Shantanu Moitra talks about composing music for the upcoming film, "Laga Chunari Mein Daag".

I take my own time in making my music because I can afford to do so. Music for me is not my bread and butter. Photo: R.V. Moorthy

UNBLEMISHED Shantanu Moitra claims he moulds a piece of music his way. He may have delivered music for "Pyar Ki Dhun" and "7 1/2 Phere" but that went unnoticed. But music composer Shantanu Moitra has a handful of successful films to talk about. Be it the hit scores of "Parineeta",  220;Hazaron Khwahishain Aisi", "Yahaan" or "Lage Raho Munna Bhai", Moitra's talent for soulful tunes has been well appreciated. The man is now ready with "Laga Chunari Mein Daag", Pradeep Sarkar's much awaited film from the Yash Raj stable.

The film's song, "Hum To Aise Hain Bhaiyya", sung by Sunidhi Chauhan, Shreya Ghoshal, Swanand Kirkire and Pranab Biswas, now playing on the film's promos, is already catching music lovers' attention.

In total, there are five songs in the film. "Zara Gungunalein Chalo" is sung by Babul Supriyo and Mahalaxmi Iyer while Shubha Mudgal and Meeta Vashisht sing the title song. A naughty, romantic number, "Ik Teekhi Teekhi Si Ladki" is sung by KK and Shreya Ghoshal. In "Ehi Thaiyaa Motiya",

Rekha Bhardwaj has lent her voice while Sonu Nigam, KK, Sunidhi Chauhan and Shreya Ghoshal sing the wedding number, "Kachchi Kaliyaan".

Says Moitra, whose debut non-film album "Mann Ke Manjeere" and "Ab Ke Sawan" won him many admirers, "I am very choosy when it comes to working for a specific film. And I take my own time in making my music because I can afford to do so. Music for me is not my bread and butter. It is my advertising agency that feeds me. Music is my hobby."

Introductory song

He says that for "Laga Chunari…" he worked on its script and sat with almost all actors and singers. "'Laga Chunari' is the introductory song in the film. Through this, all characters in the film are introduced. I had to show that the actors in the film are all from a united middle class family from Banaras and that sisters Rani Mukerji and Konkona Sen are bubbly, and are very dear to their mother (Jaya Bachchan )."

Because of the song, he says, "we saved time that would have been spent in dialogues introducing these characters." Before making the music for this and other songs, "I involved myself in the film from the word 'go'. I discussed the scenes at length with Pradeep."

Agreed that his music is euphonic but he is often accused of lifting tunes from different sources and doing a cut-paste job in his compositions.

I don't care

"I don't care about what people say. What ultimately matters is whether people have liked it or not. A lot of veteran music directors have lifted from folk songs. I do take a piece of music from different sources but I modify it through my own knowledge of music. I don't depend upon techno-music to sell my product. I openly say that I don't belong to any school. I do what I know would be loved by the listeners," he defends himself.

If Shubha Mudgal "never says no" to his songs, now he is even working with Shyam Benegal. He says delightedly, "I am scoring music for his film called 'Mahadev'. While in my music for Sudhir's Mishra's 'Khoya Khoya Chand', you will find romance of the 1970s."

RANA SIDDIQUI

Music Review : Laga Chunari Mein Daag

Director : Music : Lyrics : Starring : Pradeep Sarkar Shantanu Moitra Swanand Kirkire Jaya Bachchan, Rani Mukherjee, Konkona Sen Sharma, Abhishek Bachchan, Kunal Kapoor, Anupam Kher

"LAAGA CHUNARI MEIN DAAG, Chupaaon Kaise…" (DIL HI TO HAI (1963), Lyrics- Sahir, Music- Roshan), an immortal classical melody sung by legendary Manna Dey is the musical title tag for esteemed YRF (Yash Raj Films) next LAAGA CHUNARI MEIN DAAG. The combo of composer Shantanu Moitra and lyricist Swanand Kirkire has been so far evident in Vidhu Vinod Chopra flicks (PARINEETA, LAGE RAHO MUNNABHIA and EKLAVYA – THE ROYAL GUARD) but this time the expectations are high and humongous but the results aren't that sky-scraping.

"Hum to Aise Hai", a loquaciously crispy "happy-go-lucky" track inundated with roguish-voguish mischievous UP folksy lingo comes out full throttle and bangs out high with its highly volatile folly ethnical tinge. The ethnicity of "Banaras Ghat" and its countrified austerity are satirically penned into quizzical phrases with classical cum semi-westernized arrangements giving it a flourishing harmonic appeal. This chartbusting UP folklore style treat is analogous to "Dhadak Dhadak" (BUNTY AUR BABLI) and "Hum to Bhai Aise" (VEER ZAARA) where jovial Sunidhi Chauhan and Shreya Ghoshal smears out as lovable sibling while Pranab Biswas and lyricist Swanand Kirkire proves effective back up vocalists. Noticeably, it's audibly giving YRF underproduction TASHAN mass-friendly awareness in lines like "Yeh Apna Tashan Hai Bhaiya…" Worth-a-hear!

Shantanu Moitra has been prolifically resounding in classical harmonic modes but this time he tries out a different beat of Bollywood "ishtyle" of fusion punch in frolicking Latino Salsa track "Zaara Gungunalein Chalo". It's all about vibrant dancing rendezvous with "goody-goody" 70's lyrical feel clubbed with customary French cultural twirling impact with tinge of home-friendly "Ganga Maiyaa" impulse. It's too chaotic and unsurprising in its lackluster melodic moves where conventional lyrics and middling vocals fail to create any current. Babul Supriyo along with Mahalaxmi Iyer may not be having greatest of time in this mediocre composition but surely it will be scaling higher with its spirited promotion and ever promising face value.

"LAAGA CHUNARI MEIN DAAG", an eternal Manna Dey classical attribute and title track is synchronized into semi-classical westernized "lounge" impact where trials and tribulations of desolated hues of recluse are resonantly emoted. Classically renowned Shubha Mudgal sings out in traditional "alaaps" with excruciating propel with Meeta Vashist's placidly voice emoting out the protagonist's heart felt cries. It relegates itself from pop genre collections for it over-melancholic thematically classy appeal but positively a delight for niche audiences.

Now this may some type of coincidence that chirpy and conversational "Ek Teekhi Teekhi Si Ladki" is rhythmically similar to "Meri Zindagi Mein Aaye Ho" (ARMAAN) with extra spicy Latino binge in its backdrop. KK's racy and Shreya Ghoshal's bubbly outburst is well coordinated with sauntering guitar strums, piano notes and enthused percussive elements but the anticipated spark seems to be subdued and succinct. Watch it out with grandiosity on silver screen than expecting anything consequential in its melodic packing.

Songs composed by Shantanu Moitra which i liked the most,( i feel he is somewhat different from the present crop of music directors)

Urzu durukut and Naam ada Likhna from Yahan
Pal pal har pal, Aane char aane & Bande mein tha dum from LRMB
Piyu bole, Kasto Maza, Soona man ka aangan from Parineeta

he composed the music of kabhie khushi kabhie gham right?

Originally posted by: miss.babli

he composed the music of kabhie khushi kabhie gham right?

No my dear, three sets of composers did the job in K3G, Jatin-Lalit, Adesh srivastava & Sandesh shandilya.

Chords & Notes Laaga Chunari Mein Daag

YRF Music, CD Rs. 125

A "we are like this only" kind of unapologetic song kickstarts "Laaga Chunari Mein Daag" (LCMD). A wonderful opener for a film album – "Hum to aise hain" – draws on all the possible strengths it has to offer. The song is speckled with a change in tempo and lyrics so often that the twists and turns surprise you and add to the drama. Sunidhi Chauhan and Shreya Ghosal take you through the streets of Benaras and also introduce the key characters of the film.

Shantanu Moitra is known for quasi-classical and folksy compositions, and taps on this strength for the title track "Chunari mein daag". Yes, the lyrics from the soulful Manna Dey song in the 1963 film "Dil Hi to Hai" take wing in Shubha Mudgal's soaring voice.

But this version is layered in many ways – Swanand's own brawny poetry is recited by actor Meeta Vashisht, and interspersed with the original lyrics.

"Ehi thaiyaa motiya", which sounds like a teasing mujra, has been lucidly sung by Rekha Bharadwaj. "Zara gungunalein chalo" is a romantic tune with rich orchestration.

"Ik teekhi teekhi si ladki" is again a sweet frothy song that flits about the musical arrangement. Moitra signs off with "Kachchi kaliyan", a racy number

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Shantanu Moitra does as Bappi Lahiri !!

I always believed that Shantanu Moitra was a refreshing change from the usual Bollywood music directors, that having done quality work like composing music for Shubha Mudgal's albums in the past, he would raise the bar. Pfaw.

Sonia Faleiro reveals that "Kaisi Paheli Zindagani" from Parineeta was stolen from Louis Armstrong's "A Kiss to Build a Dream On," and I can add to that by pointing out that "Pal Pal Har Pal" from Lage Raho Munnabhai was lifted from Cliff Richard's "Theme for a Dream.

(Watch both of them here.)



From "Pal Pal Har Pal"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH_Duecleds&feature=relat ed

From Cliff Richard's "Theme for a Dream.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX9AACWlk7I&feature=relat ed

Laaga Chunari Mein Daag

Sensuous and crisp

THE EXPERIENCE LINGERS: Parineeta Parineeta
Genre: Romance/musical
Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Vidya Balan, Sanjay Dutt, RaimaSen
Director: Pradeep Sarkar
Storyline: Love and longing in Calcutta; friendship, hidden passion, jealousy and of course, the difficult parent
Bottomline: Rekha does an item number... What if Devdas wasn't such a crybaby? What if he actually stood up to daddy and married Paro? He'd probably be like our Shekhar. They're both Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay heroes seen through the kaleidoscope of Hindi movie melodrama _ Devdas in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Devdas" and Shekhar in Pradeep Sarkar's "Parineeta." Although fans of the Bengali novelist are clicking their tongues at the liberties both directors have taken with the scripts, it's heartening that "Devdas" and "Parineeta" have enough similarities to prove they are stories adapted from the same writer; the grand havelis, childhood love that grows into tumultuous passion, the weak, obsessive heroes and even the kind of crises Devdas and Shekhar have to face are proof enough. And yet, the two films couldn't be more different. Sarkar's "Parineeta" is sensuous, beautiful and even captures the lifestyles of Calcutta's (it's still Calcutta in the movie) elite. Yet it restrains itself from the decadence that characterised Bhansali's "Devdas." It is set in the 1960s, about five decades later than the original story, so that Shekhar can listen to Elvis just like Sarkar probably did as a teenager. The film remains crisp, says what it has to and moves on to songs that linger in your ears and on your tongue ensuring you won't forget the "Parineeta" experience in a hurry. Much like Sarkar's previous work as an adman (who gave us lines like "Bole mere lips, I love Uncle Chipps"). Vidya Balan makes an impressive debut as Lolita, an orphan who becomes Shekhar's (played with style by chhota nawab Saif Ali Khan, but naturally) playmate and constant companion through the years. The two enjoy a friendship so close that they don't see their lives intrinsically linked forever. The others see it but perhaps don't notice that Shekhar and Lolita aren't just friends, they are soulmates. It takes an outsider, Girish (Sanjay Dutt), who falls hopelessly in love with Lolita, for everyone to realise that Shekhar and Lolita belong together. A simple enough story, but Sarkar tells it well, with some great shots of Shekhar and Lolita together. Except for the end where Shekhar decides to break down a wall between him and his love, the symbolism of the gesture is too much to bear. The soundtrack by Shantanu Moitra is fabulous. Interesting fact: The train in the song "Yeh hawayein" is the same one used in Aradhana's "Mere sapno ki rani" with Saif's mum Sharmila Tagore!

Susan Muthalaly

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