My Top 10 Amit Trivedi Songs

Amit Trivedi has accumulated an impressive number of hits in his (relatively) short career.  First receiving notice for his work on the underrated Aamir, he went on to garner critical acclaim for Dev D, one of the most innovative and diverse film soundtracks to come out of Bollywood.  He followed up with what I think is equally impressive work in Wake Up Sid, Aisha, Udaan, and No One Killed Jessica among others.  He's proven himself capable of writing fast-paced rock numbers, qawwali-style pieces, and sweet love songs with equal panache.

Output-wise he's (luckily for me in this post!) still in his early years--I'd pull my hair out selecting my favorites if he had a body of work as large as, say, an A.R. Rahman or R.D. Burman.  So before his repertoire grows to an unmanageable size, here are my top ten Amit Trivedi songs.

It was a very close call between first and second place, but in the end sweet and romantic won out over pure 80s danceability.  Did I leave out your favorite song?  What would your top 10 look like?

10.  Gal Mitthi Mitthi Bol, Aisha

9.    Mahi Mennu, Dev. D

8.    Lehrein, Aisha

7.    Ha Raham (Mehfuz), Aamir

6.    Pardesi, Dev D

5.    Iktara, Wake Up Sid

4.    Aali Re, No One Killed Jessica

3.    Behke Behke, Aisha

2.    Bombay Bombay, Striker

1.    Dhol Yaara Dhol, Dev D 

A Chat With Abhay Deol

Sanni over at ...So They Dance linked to a great interview CNBC did with Abhay Deol (current king of my filmi heart) that shouldn't be missed.  He speaks thoughtfully about the difference between craft and art in acting and explains the way independent cinema is funded and produced in India.  And of course he's charming and adorable throughout!

Part One:


Part Two:


Part Three:


And for a little taste of what it is about Abhay Deol that excites me so much, check out this preview for one of the standout films of last year, Dev D.  Dev D is the most recent in a long line of takes on the classic Bengali novel "Devdas" by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay (the most well known probably being the 2002 classic Devdas, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai), and is definitely a huge departure from the tones of the previous versions.  Where Devdas was lushly romantic, tragic, and filmi, Abhay Deol's Dev D is, well, sex drugs and rock 'n roll.  Seriously.  See for yourself.