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| By Joginder Tuteja, December 27, 2006 - 04:07 IST |
| Year end is meant to get journos like me on an overdrive. And especially when a year is as great as 2006 when almost everything worked, it is almost impossible to pick some and leave some. Should I be calling the soundtrack of KANK as the best since it has sold most units or should there also be a mention of Kabul Express which may not have done a kind of business anything close to KANK but boasts of great quality music? Should Himesh's 32 hits in a row not find a place in the list since there is only place for 10 albums at maximum or should I be thinking hard about which was the best album by Pritam when he came up with soundtracks as diverse as an Ankahee or a Gangster? Above all, shouldn't Mithoon's name be mentioned in the same vein as A.R.Rahman for the superlative soundtracks they brought out in Bas Ek Pal and Guru respectively? So why not come up with Top-10 composers of the year rather than trying to pick up just the Top-10 albums because the space (and the trend) demanded so? Why to restrict myself when it comes to the best? After all we all enjoy music, whether they are 10 or 100 good albums in a year? Isn't that so? 1) Himesh Reshammiya - Tom Dick & Harry, Ahista Ahista, Humko Deewana Kar Gaye, 36 China Town, Phir Hera Pheri, Aap Ki Khatir, Chup Chup Ke, Rocky, Dil Diya Hai. The year clearly belonged to Himesh Reshammiya a.k.a. HR. Unlike Aashiq Banaya Aapne last year, he may not have come up with an album of the year if one counts Bollywood music [his non-film Aap Ka Surroor has been most successful in 2006 though], but collectively the 10 odd albums from him have rocked the nation from January till December this year! His songs from Ahista Ahista have undoubtedly been his best of the year though they didn't meet with the kind of success they deserved. [Aksar has been most popular but the album released last year.] On the other hand 'Jhoom Jhoom' was the rage of the year and made even Tom Dick & Harry take a bumper opening at the BO. His single title track from Humko Deewana Kar Gaye was such a massive success that even Anu Malik, the composer for the rest of the album, was left fuming. At least one chartbuster on a regular basis in the form of 'Aashique Ye Meri' [36 China Town], 'Ae Meri Zohrajabeen', 'Yaad Sataye Teri' [Phir Hera Pheri], 'Aap Ki Khatir' [Aap Ki Khatir], 'Junoon Junoon' [Rocky], 'Shabbe Firaq' [Chup Chup Ke] and 'Diya Dil-Dil Diya' [Dil Diya Hai] meant that the lovers of his music were a content lot throughout the year! 2) Pritam - Woh Lamhe, Gangster, Ankahee, Pyaar Ke Side Effects, Apna Sapna Money Money, Naksha. The only composer to have stood up and face the HR wave was Pritam. He succeeded, and how! Withstanding all the accusation of plagiarism, inspirations etc. he continued to deliver. What mattered in the end was whether audience was enjoying listening to his music? The answer is a BIG yes! His songs from Gangster are sheer gems, be it 'Tu Hi Meri Shab Hai, 'Ya Ali' or 'Bheegi Bheegi' while Woh Lamhe was just an ideal follow-up. It's a pity though that his delightful emotional score for Ankahee was sadly ignored. Try hearing 'Tumse Yun Milenge' and 'Ek Pal Ke Liye' and you would know why! Nevertheless, he did have his share of fun while letting his hair down for songs like 'Pyaar Karke Pachtaya' [Pyaar Ke Side Effects], 'Guitar' [Apna Sapna Money Money'] and 'U and I' [Naksha] but he would still be remembered most for 'Ya Ali'. And yes, we are not counting Dhoom 2 in this list! 3) Shankar Ehsaan Loy - Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Salaam-E-Ishq, Don. The only composing team to have enjoyed a cent percent track record in 2006, Shankar Ehsaan Loy spelt class, whether it was Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Don or Salaam-E-Ishq. They may have got the flak for repeating themselves in Karan Johar's KANK, providing nothing extraordinary and unnecessarily touching the classics in Don or carrying on the Yash Chopra/Karan Johar school of music in Salaam-E-Ishq but except for such comments from a few cynics, millions of other Bollywood lovers picked up their albums in dozens! Result? KANK is the highest selling album of the year with 'Mitwa' and the title song taking the cake while 'Aaj Ki Raat' [Don] turning out to be the lounge song of the year. And yes, Salaam-E-Ishq is going to be a lot talked about in the next few weeks. Haven't you already been humming the title song and 'Mera Dil'? 4) Anu Malik - Umrao Jaan, Jaanemann, Humko Deewana Kar Gaye. The man was in a lot of pressure this year! He came up with some good pleasant sounding music in Humko Deewana Kar Gaye but before it could pick up full steam, HR's title song took the breath away of everyone around and Malik found himself relegated to the back seat. He need not have worried since his classy score for Jaan-E-Mann was going to help him get back on the hot seat. Now if only the film would have succeeded, his tracks like 'Sau Dard' and 'Ajnabi Shehar' may have scaled further heights! Ditto for Umrao Jaan which was a classy score going virtually unnoticed! Sad, but one surely believes that Malik will bounce back....yet again! 5) Mithoon/Vivek Philip - Bas Ek Pal, Anwar Spread out the red carpet and blow the trumpets! After a long time arrives a newcomer, all of 21 years of age, who shows immense promise and keeps your hopes alive that melody is here to stay. Mithoon's chartbuster single 'Tere Bin' has been a reason enough for Bas Ek Pal to be registering good sales even today. And that's not all as another new entrant Vivek Philip too composed some gems ['Zindagi Hosh Mein, Dheemey Dheemey']for the same movie that have managed to hold their own over the weeks! Meanwhile Mithoon continues to rock with semi-classical tracks like 'Maula Mere' and 'Tose Naina Laage' [Anwar]. We want to hear more from you, young man! 6) A.R.Rahman - Guru When Rahman speaks, one listens! He may have had only one musical release [Guru] this year (his 'Rang De Basanti' came last year] but that has been good enough to keep his fans cheering. If you have liked 'Barso Re' and 'Tere Bina' so far then stay tuned for more. That's because while 'Mayya Mayya' will take your breath away, 'Jaage Hain' will make you hold your breath! 7) Jatin Lalit - Fanaa Are the two really not going to come back together again? If so, then it will be a sad state of affair for all us lovers of mush and romance since splitting of Jatin Lalit would indeed be a end of an era! 'Chand Sifarish' and 'Mere Haath Mein' may have been the most popular in Fanaa but 'Dekho Naa' made for the best listening. First superhit album of the year! 8) Vishal Bhardwaj - Omkara One song that took the country by storm was 'Beedi'. And to think of it, it came from the unlikeliest of source with composer Vishal Bhardwaj and lyricist Gulzar saab pairing up for this raunchy track. 'Namak Issak Ka' went on to be reasonably popular too. Other tracks like 'O Saathi Re', 'Naina Thag Lenge' and 'Jag Ja Ri Gudia' were classic gems that worked perfectly with the film's mood. He may have become a director par excellence today but we would still want him to be in the recording studio composing music on a regular note! 9) Vishal Shekhar - Taxi No. 9211, Golmaal, I See You In a relatively uneventful year, composer duo Vishal Shekhar had two average successes. 'Golmaal' [Golmaal] and 'Meter Down' [Taxi No. 9211] may have been their best bets for the year but now one looks forward to a lot that they in the offering this New Year. Meanwhile their new sound for 'I See You' has started picking up with the urban youth and a lot will depend on the success of the film to see any elevation in the sales graph. 10) Raghav Sachar - Kabul Express Just before the year was coming to a close, a name made a splash in the industry circles when the music of Kabul Express released. Who is this guy? - This is what one ended up exclaiming as Raghav Sachar came up with some spellbinding tuned for the film. Composers struggle to get noticed even when they come up with 10 songs and a video for each but young Raghav has achieved a lot more for his songs like 'Kabul Fiza' and 'Banjar' which are not even in the movie! He is one guy who deserves to be heard a lot more! |
Parineeti
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