Article:Life as a film set! (nihal)

Life as a film set!

A music album that follows a story line through its songs is a concept that has not been tried before

WE HAVE heard quite a few songs — both film and pop — mostly about love and separation that seem to have a story concealed in them. But an entire album where the storyline flows from one track to the other seems to be indeed a concept never tried before. Except for an album released by the Rajshri group that featured a song called "Chuimui Si Tum Lagti Ho" (remember the video where the keychain teddy bear stole the show?), one really cannot recall any other album that has tried something like that. Novel idea Last week saw the release of the album, Tera Mera Pyar (Sony Music, Cassette, Rs. 55), which tells the story of a guy and a girl, who meet at a movie hall and fall instantly in love (sounds familiar?). "Come fall in love... at the movies" (Duh!) is the catchline of the album. The music ranges between mush and dance numbers, but it is the wide spectrum of vocalists ranging from Shreya Goshal to Sunidhi Chauhan to Alka Yagnik (yeah, there are guys too, Babul Suprio, Kumar Sanu, and more). But what catches your eye is the packaging of the entire product, starting with an inlay cover that resembles a Hindi movie poster complete with a "U" certificate and "filmi" style credits. And the press release of the album looks like a typical movie ticket, with "Admit One" stamped on it. Coming back to the theme, it is a story where a pretty young thing comes to watch a film with her friends, and while she is waiting in line for the tickets, turns around to notice a handsome guy — "I sat down next to her in the movie hall, the lights dimmed... the screen lit up... and the rest is history" (oooh, what mush!). Well, this explains the title track, a solo number by Kumar Sanu, which is melodious and hummable. The low pitch and the warm vocals add a soft touch to the song, which is followed by "Yeh Kya Hua" by Shreya Goshal, equally melodious but on the slower side. Dance track "Teri Meri" is a typical dance track, with an impressive rap sequence by Cheshire Cat, and after a careful listening, the song reminds you of Will Smith's "Getting Jiggy With It". "Kurti Da" is also on the faster side while "Dhak Dhak" and "Pyar Ke Baatein" are typical lovey-dovey songs. If you listen to the album from cover to cover, the story line is evident, and keeps your interest alive to look forward for the next track. It's interesting to observe how a simple story makes sense when blended into a music album. Well, the argument seems to be: "If it can work in the movies, why not in a music album?" Well, it's at least a zillion times better than those "Kaanta Laga" remixes. 'It was my dream role' NIMRAT KAUR and Bhanujeet are two fresh faces that feature in the videos Tera Mera Pyar. "I'm delighted to be a part of a video that tells a story. It is my first stint," says Nimrat, who has shot to fame with the video for the title track. Besides important modelling offers, she has bagged herself a role in a forthcoming Hindi movie where she plays the character of a TV journalist. "I'm eagerly waiting for the release of the next video for Teri Meri. It's my favourite song and the first one I heard when I signed for the videos. I wish Indipop albums feature more mature music. It need not necessarily tell a story, but at least it can make sense," she adds. Amen!

VISHNU A