Top Ten Countdown

Courtesy of Radio Mirchi, here are your top ten songs for the week of February 22.

1.   Sajda (My Name Is Khan)
2.   Give Me Some Sunshine (3 Idiots)
3.   Uff Teri Ada (Karthik Calling Karthik)
4.   Dil Toh Bachcha Hai (Ishqiya)
5.   Tera Hona Laga Hoon (Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani)
6.   Salaam Aaya (Veer)
7.   Aaj Din Chadiya (Love Aaj Kal)
8.   Sajna (Couple's Retreat)
9.   Tu Hi Haqeeqat (Tum Mile)
10. Shukran Allah (Kurbaan)

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.

Some Things Need Improving...

I fell in love with Penn Masala when I heard their renditions of "Mere Sapno Ki Rani" and "Aap Jaise Koi" on the American Desi soundtrack, and got one of their CDs just for those songs.  A month or so ago I decided to expand my horizons a bit and listened to the rest of the album.  I'm in love with the whole thing, naturally, and was especially thrilled to find their take on "Om Shanti Om," which I had only heard in Farah Khan's "Om Shanti Om."  (By the way, how did I not realize, in a film full of homages, that even the choreography of that song was a perfectly done copy of the same song from "Karz?")  But the song that really stood out to me was "Ek Pal Ka Jeena," from Hrithik Roshan's (and Amisha Patel's!) debut film "Kaho Na Pyar Hai."  I listened to it over and over and over, to the point of obsession (ask my sister).  The original, though, was crap.  Maybe not crap but...it was slow, and looked like something out of the early 90s (not uncommon for a Bollywood film made in 2000, but still).  I was unimpressed.

So what do you think?  I'm giving you the original (complete with Hrithik's delicious..well...everything) and the new version.  Enjoy!




And Penn Masala's version:

Am I Hearing Things? (Updated)

Sorry it's been so long (two months!)--everytime I think I've got something to post other things come up and before you know it it's been...well...two months.  This is a short thought though, so no excuses!

Today I was doing my usual procrastination routine--going from one video to the next on Youtube--and I came across a vid of a talented young dancer who goes by the name Ridy performing to something that sounded...familiar.  I played the song about a dozen times, mostly to try to copy some of her choreography (it's hard!) and then I had an epiphany.  Listen to the song (Jatrabala, by Mila) and see if it doesn't sound like something I've already posted here on Bombay Talkies. (The first video is the official video for Jatrabala, the second is Ridy's performance.)





Now tell me that you can't sing "Babuji Zara Dheere Chalo" right along to that song! I'm not saying it's a copy at all, but the songs have the same feel, the same beat, the same rhythm; they're variations on a theme. And it's a theme I LOVE.

Now off to practice my dance skills!

UPDATE:  So apparently the writer/composer of this song, Fuad, is the Pritam of Bengal.  I'm definitely not the only person to notice the similarities between this and Babuji.  Some have gone so far as to call it a full rip-off.

Song of the Day (Southern Sundays Edition)--Konjum Mainakkale

Konjum Mainakkale 

Film:  Kandukondain Kandukondain (I Have Found It)
Starring:  Tabu, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abbas, Mammootty, Ajith, Pooja Batra
Music by:  AR Rahman

Lest anyone think that Indian cinema is all about the big brash Bollywood hits, on Sundays I'll be headed south for the Song of the Day feature.  Konjum Mainakkale is the opening song from the Tamil film "Kandukondain Kandukondain," which is an entertaining take on Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility.  Featuring Aishwarya Rai in one of her earlier roles, the film also stars the gorgeous Tabu (Chandni Bar, The Namesake, Cheeni Kum), Abbas, Mammootty, and one of my favorites, Ajith.  The film is beautiful and all of the songs (save the title song "Kandukondain Kandukondain") are stunning.  Be sure to also check out "Yenna Solla Poigirai."

Lyrics:

konjum mainaakkalae konjum mainaakkalae en kural kaettu onru koodungal (2)
ada inrae varavaendum en dheepaavali pandigai
inrae varavaendum en dheepaavali pandigai
naalai verum kanavu adhil nallennam varum
naam nattadhae roajaa enrae pookkanum

konjum mainaakkalae konjum mainaakkalae en kural kaettu onru koodungal

pagalil oru vennilaa...
pagalil oru vennilaa vandhaal paavamaa
iravil oru vaanavil vandhaal kutramaa
vidai sol sol sol manasukkul jal jal jal (2)
konjam aasai konjam kanavu ivai illaamal vaazhkkaiyaa
nooru kanavugal kandaalae aaru kanavugal palikkaadhoa
kanavae kai saera vaa

konjum mainaakkalae konjum mainaakkalae en kural kaettu onru koodungal

en paeraich cholliyae kuyilgal koovattum
enakkaetra maadhiri paruvam maarattum
baradham dham dham manadukkuL daam doom dim (2)
poongaatrae konjam kizhiththu engal muga vaervai poakkidum
naalai enbadhu kadavuLukku irRu enbadhu manidharukku
vaazhvae vaazhbavarkku

konjum mainaakkalae konjum mainaakkalae en kural kaettu onru koodungal
ada inrae varavaendum en dheepaavali pandigai
inrae varavaendum en dheepaavali pandigai
naalai verum kanavu adhil nallennam varum
naam nattadhae roajaa enrae pookkanum