Song of the Day--#1 Punjabi Edition

I've had this in my head all day so it's only fair that it gets stuck in yours as well.  :P

Song of the Day--Maula Mere Maula (Anwar)

I've been listening to this beautiful song for a few months and when I first heard it I couldn't believe I'd managed not only to never have heard the song before but also to never have heard of the film!*

Anwar stars Siddharth Koirala (yes, Manisha's brother) and  Nauheed Cyrusi, with a supporting cast that includes one of my favorites, Vijay Raaz.  I won't give away the story but during the film Siddharth's character, Anwar, has occasion to reflect on his love for Mehru (Cyrusi).  This sufi-inspired song recalls their meeting and how they fell in love.  It's a simple, haunting song wonderfully portrayed by the two leads, who are a natural (and extraordinarily attractive) couple and have outstanding chemistry.

Maula Mere Maula could exist only as images of Siddharth's eyes and his gentle and earnest love for Mehru would still come shining through.  The song (featuring the voice of Roop Kumar Rathod) and its picturization express a real romanticism that I find somewhat lacking in better-known numbers, and it touched me in a way that makes the tragedy of the film all the more heartbreaking.

*If I ever fulfill one of my dreams and move to Spain to teach English I'm going to use that line as an example of a ridiculous sentence structure that my students should just never ever attempt to put together for the sake of their own sanity.

Song of the Day--Deedar De (Dus)

I thought about posting my favorite song from Dus ("Dus Bahaane") or even my second favorite song ("Cham Se") but thought "Deedar De" was a bit more interesting (even if it has less Abhishek and a lot less Zayed Khan, shame).

What does it have going for it then?  Let's see...there's Mayte Garcia (the artist formerly known as the wife of Prince) doing her best booty shaking (and wow look at those arms!), alongside two nondescript random blonde-ish women, one of whom is wearing one of the most hideous dresses known to mankind (the pink one, in case it's in any way unclear).

And then there's Abhishek (squee!) with a gun (boo) and Esha Deol (is it me or is she doing some serious bra stuffing here?) in the only role I've been able to stand her in so far apart from Yuva (and if I recall the plot of Dus correctly (if you can call it a plot) Abhi had a bit of an itch for Esha's character, which explains the whole "you touch my woman and I'll shoot you in the head" thing they've got going here) and Suniel Shetty, in probably the last movie he did before he officially became middle-aged uncle material (in my opinion anyways).

Oh and Zayed Khan, who's totally hot in this, which is lucky for him because his acting in this is so bad that his character is nearly irredeemable.

So let's see it then shall we?  :)

Song of the Day--Aaj Mausam Bada Beimaan Hai (Loafer)

Mohammad Rafi's "Aaj Mausam Bada Beimaan Hai" came to my attention through the Monsoon Wedding soundtrack, and I listened to it for years before I bothered to seek out the original video.  I'm so glad I finally did though, becuase, well, LOOK at it!  Dharmendra!  Plaid pants!  Big hair!  It's 70s eye candy for sure.  My only quibble is that the film version leaves out my favorite verse:

Kya hua hai, hua kuch nahi hai
Baat kya hai pataa kuch nahi hai
Mujhse koi kataa ho gaye to
Isme mere kataa kuch nahi hai
Kuubasuurat hai tuu rut javaan hai...

I dare you not to have this beautiful tune in your head all day.

Ainvayi Ainvayi--The Many Faces of Anushka Sharma and Ranveer Singh

Living in the Middle of Nowhere, Tennessee (for.the.moment.) means that I will never get to see Band Baaja Baaraat in a theater.  The closest I've gotten to Bollywood on the big screen was a ticket I had to an early morning showing (who does that?) of Anjaana Anjaani.  Not being at my movie-going best at 8am (never mind that it was an hour long drive just to get to the theater), I gave it a pass.  From what I hear I didn't miss much.

So. Back on topic.  Though I can't see the film in theaters, I can watch the video for Ainvayi Ainvayi obsessively.  (Obsessively = 50ish times per day.  All those views the video's racking up on YouTube?  Yeah, that's me.)

Ainvayi Ainvayi is adorable.  And pulsating.  And exciting.  And eminently danceable.  But what I love most about it are those little moments sprinkled throughout the video that just make me smile--Ranveer's little head wiggle at "Hi-Fi" and Anushka's expression the first time she gets the "ainvayi ainvayi ainvayi ainvayi lut gaya" line.

In fact, I love Anushka's expressions everywhere in this song, so I figured I'd capture a few of them and share.


(All photos copyright Yash Raj Films.)

Put it all together and what do you get?

Ainvayi Ainvayi, my song of the day.  :)

I'm Still Here! (Song of the Day--Mehbooba Mehbooba)

I just realized it's been a month since I updated (again...I'm really really bad/new at this). No worries though, I'm still here! A lot of other things have been fighting for my attention (mostly work, sigh) but I've got a few reviews in the works. Keep an eye out in a week or so for my thoughts on Fashion, Darna Mana Hai, and a few odds and ends (a Bollywood-themed episode of Hotel Babylon?  Swoon!).

For now here's a Song of the Day--it's been in my head for weeks and now it'll be in yours, muahahaha.  ;)




Mehbooba Mehbooba
Film: Sholay
Director: Ramesh Sippy
Music by: Rahul Dev Burman
Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Jaya Badhuri, Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Amjad Khan
Featuring: Helen

Song of the Day--Sapnon Se Bhare Naina (Luck By Chance)

I can't get enough of this track!  If you haven't seen Luck By Chance yet, get on it!  It's a really well acted film with a unique storyline, great dialogue, and, as evidenced by this song, a fantastic soundtrack.  (Plus Farhan looks crazy hot and there's a great plot featuring Hrithik Roshan!)

Song of the Day--Noorie

It's not Bollywood, per se, but I've loved this song ever since I heard it on the Bend It Like Beckham soundtrack.  It's by Bally Sagoo, featuring Gunjan, and the video definitely used to creep me out!

Song of the Day--Pyar Ki Peer Suhani (Bilwamangal)

Full disclosure:  I know very very little about this song and the film it comes from.  I had a lovely Bollywood calendar that I turned into wall art, and one of the posters in the calendar was of Bilwamangal.  The film released in 1954 and starred Suraiya, Ulhas, C.H. Atma, and Asha Mathur.  Suraiya herself is singing this song, which is really starting to grow on me.  Hope you like it as much as I do!

Song of the Day--Chale Jaise Hawaien (Main Hoon Na)

This is one of my all-time favorite songs, and the first Bollywood film I ever purchased!  I had a roommate who lent me a copy of Devdas, and after seeing it I knew I needed more.  So I went over to the Eros International website and sought out more Shah Rukh Khan.  Main Hoon Na was the first one that came, and I loved it.  A roommate and I rewound "Chale Jaise Hawaien" over and over, for two reasons:  first, it's a damn catchy song;  second, Zayed Khan is a fine looking boy.  I still get a case of the weak knees when he takes his jacket off halfway through the song.  Swoon.   Too bad he's not much of an actor, but as a pretty face--oh yes please.

The film was choreographer Farah Khan's directorial debut, and I really love her style.  The end of the film features a Grease-like sendoff, which I find adorable.  The film itself is a bit fluff, with some exagerated action sequences and a fair amount of Shah Rukh's trademark "if I squeeze my face in on itself really hard, it might look like I'm actually crying," but overall it's incredibly entertaining.  Amrita Rao is adorable, Zayed is man-candy, Shah Rukh gets a an action plotline and a romantic one (with the lovely Sushmita Sen) and my wonderful Boman Irani plays a hilarious schoolmaster.

Something fun to look out for:  this entire sequence was shot as one continuous take, and Farah Khan said that anytime someone stopped, the entire shot had to be canned and started over again (which apparently led to a backup dancer fainting in the heat!).  Watch Zayed, especially in the choreography that leads up to his first chorus:  he's clearly making mistakes, but you know he's all "No. You're not stopping.  You're DOING this."  And he does.

Song of the Day--Marjaani (Billu Barber)

Marjani

Film: Billu Barber
Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Irrfan Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Lara Dutta, Om Puri
Music: Pritam

The first time I heard this song it was being performed at one of the zillion awards functions by Bipasha Basu, and it took me ages to track it down.  But track it down I did, and it was worth it.  Marjaani is one of the handful of item numbers that make up the bulk of the "Billu" (or "Billu Barber") soundtrack, and is by far my favorite number in the film.  It has a sound very similar to some of the Persian pop music I listen to, and that feel is backed up by the beautiful set and costumes.  There are two things about this video that I absolutely love.  The first is how much fun Shah Rukh and Kareena seem to be having.  Look at their faces!  Acting or no, they both look like they're having a great time together.  The second is Irrfan--though he only features in the video for a few seconds here and there, those few seconds pack a punch.  The sweet, earnest look on his face as he's vying for a better look at the action towards the end of the song totally makes this clip for me.  He's excellent.  So, so excellent.

Song of the Day--Billo Rani (Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal)

Billo Rani

Film:  Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal

Starring:  John Abraham, Arshad Warsi, Bipasha Basu, Boman Irani, Naveen Andrews

Music by: Pritam

Full disclosure:  I haven't seen this film yet.  All I knew when I found this song was that the film had a crazy title and that it was a remake of the American film "Goal!"  Not a lot to go on.  But I'm crazy about this song.  The picturization leaves a LOT to be desired; Arshad is a fantastic dancer and I'd have liked to see more from him (even given that his character seems to be a bit gimpy here).  You know who I don't want to see dance?  John Abraham.  He's not good at it.  The dancer here reminds me a bit of the item girls in those raunchy Bhojpuri films...a skimpy lehnga choli and far too much makeup.  The song is catchy though, and little bits here and there have almost the feel of an 80s American country song.  Will definitely be checking this film out soon, if for no other reason than to admire Boman's acting skills and drool over Arshad.

Song of the Day--Tere Bina (Guru)

Tere Bina

Film: Guru
Starring: Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Madhavan, Vidya Balan
Music by: AR Rahman

If I had to make a list of the top-5 most romantic Hindi songs, Tere Bina would be on it.  The picturization is absolutely perfect; the choreography is alternately sweet and teasing, and Aishwarya looks absolutely adorable in this.  Her facial expressions range from childlike and bemused (and who wouldn't be bemused at Abhi's awkward-yet-cute dancing?) to adoring.  I have to admit I've never cared much for her, but the devastated and hurt look in her eyes as she stares at her husband over the train tracks at the beginning of the song?  That won me over.  The emotion she conveyed in that simple look blew me away.  Mani Ratnam certainly knows how to bring out her best performances.  Abhishek is, of course and as always, divine.

As soon as this movie came out I said to myself that if I ever deigned to get married, it would be to a person who is as moved by this song as I am.  So boys, keep that in mind.

Song of the Day--Radha Kaise Na Jale (Lagaan)

Radha Kaise Na Jale
Film:  Lagaan
Starring:  Aamir Khan, Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley, Paul Blackthorne, Kulbhushan Kharbanda
Music by:  AR Rahman


This is one of the most beautiful (and beautifully choreographed) numbers I've seen in any Indian film.  Lagaan, which I'll review in length later, was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2002, where it sadly lost out to No Man's Land.  In this scene, Bhuvan (Aamir Khan) and Gauri (Gracy Singh) enact the love story between Radha and Krishna, which plays against their real-life love triangle; Gauri is in love with Bhuvan but fears his eyes may have wandered to the pretty English woman (Elizabeth, played by Rachel Shelley) who has come to the aid of the villagers.  'Radha Kaise Na Jale' translates to 'how can Radha not be jealous?'

(Side note:  fans of Showtime's "The L Word" will recognize Rachel Shelley as the conniving Helena Peabody.)

Lyrics:

Madhuban mein jo Kanhaiya kisi gopi se mile
Kabhi muskaaye, kabhi chhede, kabhi baat kare
Radha kaise na jale, Radha kaise na jale
Aag tan mann mein lage
Radha kaise na jale, Radha kaise na jale

Madhuban mein bhale Kaanha kisi gopi se mile
Mann mein to Radha ke hi prem ke hain phool khile
Kis liye Radha jale, kis liye Radha jale
Bina soche samjhe
Kis liye Radha jale, kis liye Radha jale

(O, gopiyaan taarein hain, chaand hai Radha
Phir kyoon hai usko biswaas aadha) - 2

Kaanhaji ka jo sadaa idhar udhar dhyaan rahe
Radha bechaari ko phir apne pe kya maan rahe

Gopiyaan aani jaani hain, Radha to mann ki rani hai - 2
Saanjh sakhaare, Jamna kinaare
Radha Radha hi Kaanha pukaare

Oye hoye, oye hoye
Baahon ke haar jo daale koi Kaanha ke gale
Radha kaise na jale, Radha kaise na jale
Aag tan mann mein lage
Radha kaise na jale, Radha kaise na jale

Mann mein hai Radhe ko Kaanha jo basaaye
To Kaanha kaahe ko usse na bataaye

Prem ki apni alag boli, alag bhaasa hai
Baat nainon se ho Kaanha ki yahi aasa hai

(Kaanha ke yeh jo naina hain
Chheene gopiyon ke chaina hain) - 2
Mili najariya, hui baawariya
Gori gori si koi gujariya

Kaanha ka pyaar kisi gopi ke mann mein jo pale
Kis liye Radha jale, Radha jale, Radha jale

Radha kaise na jale
Kis liye Radha jale
Radha kaise na jale
Kis liye Radha jale, kis liye Radha jale
Radha kaise na jale
Kis liye Radha jale, kis liye Radha jale
Aah, aah, aah, aah...
Radha kaise na jale - 3

Song of the Day--Fanaa (Yuva)

Fanaa


Film:  Yuva
Starring:  Ajay Devgan, Abhishek Bachchan, Esha Deol, Kareena Kapoor, Vivek Oberoi, Rani Mukherjee
Music by:  A.R. Rahman

Per Danielle's request...nay, demand, here's a great dance number from the film Yuva.  Yuva has an all-star cast and a fantastic soundtrack by AR Rahman (Oscar-winner for his work on Slumdog Millionaire) which is worth owning in its own right.  Want another tie-in to Slumdog Millionaire?  Towards the end of the film people are seen dancing to a music video.  The music which plays is Aaj Ki Raat, from Don, but if you look closely, the actual video in the background is this one.  You can clearly see Kareena dancing on the screen.  Speaking of dancing, who let Vivek anywhere near choreography?  And are those red velveteen pants?!  Oh my.

Song of the Day--Babuji Zara Dheere Chalo (Dum)

Babuji Zara Dheere Chalo 

Film: Dum
Starring: Vivek Oberoi, Diya Mirza, Yashpal Sharma, Yana Gupta, Atul Kulkarni
Music by: Sandeep Chowta

This song was on one of the many Bollywood Hits-type DVDs that Eros throws away for a buck or two on their website.  I haven't seen Dum yet, though it's on my 'list of things I must see due only to the fact that they star Atul Kulkarni.'  Surely Dum is most popular for 'Babuji Zara Dheere Chalo,' Yana Gupta's startlingly well-done item number.  (If you've seen Bunty aur Babli you may remember Amitabh's character asking a stammering tuba player what the season's most popular wedding number was--this is the shaky song he plays.)

Song of the Day--Aahun Aahun (Love Aaj Kal)

 

I first heard this song a few months ago when the Love Aaj Kal soundtrack was reviewed on Love Bollywood.  Since then I haven't been able to get it out of my head.  I'm not much of a fan of the promotional video that goes along with it (Saif's dancing hasn't improved much since Dil Chahta Hai I'm afraid, though I hold the choreographer more to blame than him) and since Eros disabled embedding on their videos anyways,  I thought I'd post this nice slideshow someone has put together on Youtube.  Give the song a listen, I can't recommend it enough.  It'll definitely get you dancing!

For those of you who, like me, learn a bulk of their Hindi through song lyrics, here they are.  A few tricky spots but easy enough to learn. :)

kaddi te has bol ve, na jind saddi ron ve - (2)
tu aaja dil jaaniya, de kar meherbaaniya - (2)
aa saanu teri rod ve, na jind saddi ron ve

(mohabbat muskil bhaari, badi hi mast bimaari
you wanna let it goin on
mohabbaat lambi yaari, bina permit ke jaari
but getch u ride it on yeah, com on) - (2)
oh... dil ne dil mangana mangana, ishq mein rangna rangna
jite ji isane hai rab nu milaana
ankh lad jaana, mar mukh jaana, ekko ek kahaani bas badale zamana
(aahun aahun aahun, aahun aahun aahun
aahun aahun aahun aahun aahun aahun aahun) - (2)

mohabbat dislan baaji, puraani hokar taaji
you never see it going on
mohabbat se rab raaji, dilon ki saude baaji
before you know it ur heart is sold
naino ne ladana ladana, panga bhi badhana badhana
jhadge mein naino ke yeh dil lut jaana
ankh lad jaana, mar mukh jaana, ekko ek kahaani bas badale zamana

aahun aahun aahun, aahun aahun aahun
aahun aahun aahun aahun aahun aahun aahun
kaddi te....
kaddi te has bol ve, na jind saddi ron ve - (2)

nishaaniya na khoni hain, soni hai saanson mein pinori hai baate teri
hairaaniya halaton ki raaato ki teri mulakaato ki baato ki
baaton ne chalana chalana, raaton ne jagana jagana
jalake mohabbato mein phir jut jaana
ankh lad jaana, mar mukh jaana, ekko ek kahaani bas badale zamana
(aahun aahun aahun, aahun aahun aahun
aahun aahun aahun aahun aahun aahun aahun) - (2)
kaddi te has bol ve, na jind saddi ron ve - (3)