Saturday, September 14, 2013

Sexuality in Bollywood: Treatment of Homosexuals and Transvestites Part One


A skewed onscreen representation of homosexuals has been recurrent in both old and new Bollywood films. Older cinema’s treatment of these forms is harsher, since they likely will demean these forms of sexuality for their own purposes. Although not thoughtfully done, the fact that Murder 2 did not implement transvestites as an element of comedy points to a more developed handling of different sexualities. Other films have been increasingly shedding light on the struggles that homosexual men and women are currently facing in India.

In the past, the main purpose of any scene featuring transvestites was primarily comedy. Transvestites maintain open sexual expression in movies and are allowed more explicit dialogue than any other character. Donned in garish outfits, they are overly animated as they outwardly vocalize their desire for men in pitchy voices. Transvestites are mostly utilized in tense scenes.. In Anjaam[1994], Johnny Lever performs the role of a transvestite to provide comic relief. This movie revolves around Madhuri Dixit who is taking revenge on a man and all those who aided him in the destruction of her family. Among this madness, Lever, the capricious leader of two other transvestites, is seen onscreen committing petty crimes and flirting with male police officers to dodge jail time. Lever and his crew are able relieve much of pressure from the terrible the series of deaths occurring by bursting in with their amusing stunts.

Homosexuality in its pure form, without the shelter of transvestites, is a touchier subject to the Indian audience. Nevertheless, Bollywood has been slowly opening up to the gay community in their films with both a mature and immature views. While treatment concerning transvestites is almost always insensitive, films concerning homosexuality alone are sometimes handled with more caution. Films like, My Brother…Nikhil [2005] and Fashion [2008], break away from the stereotypes from the gay community with hard hitting, meaningful messages. My Brother...Nikhil addresses the topic of AIDS in the gay community. Sanjay Suri and Purab Kohli play the roles of the gay couple, but Suri is the one that contracts HIV. Suri’s homosexuality and disease makes his familiy shun him and throw him out of their home. He is also kicked off of the swimming team because of the illness. This film focuses intelligently on the issue of AIDS in the gay community.

Similarly, Fashion deals with the struggles of coming out of the closet. Fashion has three leading ladies: Priyanka Chopra, Kangna Ranaut, and Mugdha Godse.  Godse has a marriage arrangement with Samir Soni, a closeted gay man. As an older unmarried man, Soni begins to face skepticism about his sexual orientation. He attempts to dispel these rumors with his marriage to Godse. Although Godse and Soni’s story is a subplot, it still is critical of the rejection of homosexuals in Indian community.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Shuddh Desi Romance: Music Review

Shuddh Desi Romance Poster
 Music Director: Sachin-Jigar
Starring: Parneeti Chopra,Sushant Singh Rajput,
Vaani Singh

Shuddh Desi Romance is a very interesting soundtrack to say the least. Quirky and fun, these are pleasant desi tunes that play wonderfully with the ears. We dance between high and low, creating a wonderful fusion between old school and new school Bollywood. Shuddh Desi Romance soundtrack bears a resemblance to the soundtrack format of Madras Cafe, since a large portion of the soundtrack in devoted to instrumentals. This Yash Raj film has plenty of acclaimed singers to pump this soundtrack up with unconventional sounds for the youth.

Beginning the soundtrack is the much anticipated, Tere Mere Beech Mein, which is already loved by everyone since the release of its cutesy promo video, which has the young couple doing laundry, cooking, and dancing in towels. This is the sweet romantic duet in the movie and its between our favorite Chauhans (who bear no relation to each other) Sunidhi Chauhan and Mohit Chauhan. It is so desi, especially with its Hinglish and old school Western instrumentals. Typical girl and boy banter throughout gives the song a unique perspective. Its sounds like happier song from the Barfi soundtrack. 4.5/5
funny, Shuddh Desi Romance Sushant Singh Rajput Sad Bollywood Meme Ladoos
Gulabi Shuddh Desi Romance's paints the soundtrack pink with color. This almost sounds like a dance style number like Dum Dum from Band Baaja Baraat, kind of something made for Ranveer Singh. It has a slight R&B flair combined with a desi flavor. Sung beautifully by slightly autotuned  Jigar Suraiya  and Priya Suraiya and paired with an wide array of addictive instrumentals, this song is a winner. 5/5

Divya Kumar, famous from Allah Meherbaan from Ghanchakkar, takes the third song in Shuddh Desi Romance. Chanchal Mann Ati Random, is truly random. It starts one way and takes a kind of jarring oddish turn. It is eccentric in a good way with the direction it takes. Its part rock, part qawaali, and part of who knows what. Towards the end it looses control in a good way. The songs oddities may throw some listeners off. 3.5/5

funny, Sushant Rajput Parneeti Chopra Shirt Shuddh Desi Romance Blouse Bollywood Meme
Shuddh Desi Romance, the title song comes next. It is a duet between two of the other current favorites, Benny Dayal and Shalmali Kholgade. This song takes a similar turn that Teri Mere Beech Mein had, except for more harmonium. This title track doesn't play out as a situtational number like most title tracks tend to do and carves out a niche in the soundtrack itself. Its a pleasurable, feel-good song, like the others songs. By using Hinglish and crazy instrumental arrangements, this song is totally unique. 4/5

Here come the instrumentals. They take some the flavor from the prior songs in Shuddh Desi Romance, but are more subdued. Mujhe Kiss Sakte Ho take a minimal approach, with a soft touch of piano, guitar, harmonium, and other instrumentals. It is a very gentle sound and could definitely be listened to alone. 4/5

Love in Jaipur has some uncredited female singer. It takes on a spicy salsa beat fused with a bit of desi of course. It sounds like the typical traditional women gathering song, but later take a grocery store style slow jazz style. This will definitely excel on the silver screen behind the characters. 3/5

Tezz Wala Attraction has some whistling and shares the same breezy flavor our beginning songs had 3/5
Shuddh Desi Romance Parneeti Chopra Smoking
Good bahus smoke in the bathroom,
 not in front of people

Boyfriend Banogey is more ballsy than the previous instrumentals. It has coarser beats and shares some of Gulabi's melody. This could definitely be the theme number for our Kai Po Che hero Sushant Singh Rajput. 3/5

Bhanwara Man Bhatake has the same flavor, though slightly more traditional, it has brief male singer part, but has no credited singer either. Not much to listen to here. 2/5

Shuddh Desi Romance pretty much has all solid numbers, despite most being instrumentals. Sachin-Jigar made a definite effort to compose some unique songs and pulled in inspiration from many different genres. These songs will make you great, and  transport you back to early Bollywood and rocket you towards future Bollywood. Shuddh Desi Romance is so tastefully fun it puts a smile on your face without sounding ridiculous or childish.

My Picks: Gulabi, Teri Mere Beech Mein, Shuddh Desi Romance, Mujse Kiss Sakte Ho

What's your favorite song?
BollywoodBegum

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Grand Masti: Music Review

Grand Masti Poster

Music Directors: Anand Raj Anand, Sanjeev, Darshan
Starring: Ritesh Deshmukh, Aftab Shivdasani, Vivek Oberoi

The music composers were obviously not serious when they composed songs for Grand Masti. There are only five songs on this comedy's soundtrack, and three of them are barely legitimate songs. For a sequel to such a successful comedy, we certainly expect better. Comedies aren't supposed to have amazingly ethereal soundtracks, but at least something along the lines of Ghanchakkar is expected.

Vivek Aftab Vivek Grand Masti
Which gay bar should we hit next?
Grand Masti is off to a shaky start with the title track, Grand Masti featuring and composed by Sanjeev, Darshan. They sing alongside female vocalist, Payal Dev. The song begins with English rap and flows into Hindi. It begins to get irritating when they say "Grand Masti Grand Masti Pa Pa Pa Pa" over and over again, however the background beat is solid. 2/5

Zulmi Zulmi is sung by Mika Singh. This annoying countryish beats are as equally bad as Singh's drunken voice. The lyrics are jarring and the instrumentals are headache inducing. Nothing good here. 2/5

Tu Bhi Mood Hai continues with the same kind of trumpet and flute instrumentals the rest of the Grand Masti has. These songs are hard to tell apart from another. This Anand Raj Anand composition is a duet between Wajid Khan and an unaccredited female singer. 3/5

Vivek Aftab Vivek Grand Masti, funny
Classy
Grand Masti (Remix) is takes the irritation of the original to the maximum capacity of horribleness. Its just upsetting and techno. Nothing else to say.  1/5

Grand Masti (Mashup) isn't even a real song. Horrible horrible mix of all the songs together. No. 0/5

In the end, Grand Masti is a grand failure. It's like the composers put no real thought into creating a meaningful soundtrack. All of the songs melt into each other to form a huge pool of disaster. There is next to nothing redeeming about this.
Was this soundtrack as bad as I make it seem?
BollywoodBegum

Zanjeer: Music Review

Music Directors: Chitrantan Bhatt, Anand Raj Anand, Meet Bros Anjan and Ankit
Starring: Priyanka Chopra, Ram Charan, Sanjay Dutt

Priyanka and Ram Charan in Zanjeer South India
"Not so most comfortable with this hug"
The Zanjeer remake's marketability is off to a rough start with the introduction of the Telegu actor Ram Charan, however Priyanka Chopra will absolutely be the the saving grace when it comes to bringing in the audiences. The three music composers have a lot on their hands with the Zanjeer soundtrack, as it will be compared to the original. 

Zanjeer begins with Mumbai Ka Hero featuring Mika Singh and Talia Benson. This Chitrantan Bhatt
composition the typical roguish hero song that Mika Singh is popular for with bits and pieces of rap and speaking verses tossed in the middle. Its reminiscent of "Udd Udd Dabangg".  I'm sure that Talia Benson is responsible for the horrible female rap intrusion in the middle. Here's a lyric from it, "Oh my god is that your gun?!! Can I hold it pleeeease???" This song offers nothing new and certainly nothing listenable. 2/5

Priyanka as Pinky - Zanjeer  - Item Number
Pinky: Lesser than Munni
Greater than Sheila
The soundtrack continues with the item number Pinky featuring Mamta Sharma and the Meet Bros. This song falls into the Sheila-Munni item number craze. It lacks anything special and almost sounds like a leftover nineties composition. The lyrics are tasteless. [The song picturized on the left] This Meet Bros Anjan Akit composition is a loser. 2/5

Chitrantan Bhatt composes another song in Zanjeer called Lamha Tera Mera. This romantic song by Wajhi Farooki and Palak Muchhal separates itself from the soundtrack with its lighthearted upbeat flavor. These two are a great duo and work so well together to create a special, uplifting song. 5/5

We have another Ankit Bros composition Kochey Pathan Ki Zubaan (Qawaali). It contains all the necessary elements of a qawaali and even features Sukhwinder Singh along with Shabaab Sabri and the Meet Bros. It sounds very similar to Agneepath remake's qawaali number, Shah Ka Rutba. However, it is a mediocre composition that had the potential to be so much more 3/5

Kaatilana is another item number from Zanjeer, but more retro sounding than the traditional Pinky. Shweta Pandit sings her heart out against the disco beats. This song is situtational could definitely danced at a critical part of the movie and compares to Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai's Parda Hai Parda.  2.5/5

Zanjeer Ram Charan Priyanka Dance
The Proper Way to Catch Criminals
Dance In  High Heeled Boots and Shorts
The third item number is Shakila Banoo exclusively features Shreya Ghoshal. Composer Anand Raj Anand knows how to bring in a unique flavor while blending old school with new school, and urban with rural. Ghoshal's voice is naughty enough to pull off this number. Shakila Banoo is high in spice, bringing in various instruments like the tabla and harmonium  and really distinguishes itself from the other two item numbers in Zanjeer. 4/5

Thankfully, there is only one remix in Zanjeer that is Kaatilana M.B.A Club Mix. The song is definitely better this time around due to the extra beat that the other version was lacking previously. Who knows what M.B.A stands for here? Hopefully not a degree.3/5

In the end, the Zanjeer soundtrack is mediocre. The plethora of item numbers overwhelms the soundtrack and lowers its quality as a whole.  The composers seem as if they weren't trying to produce anything special and they certainly didn't except for the two outliers below.

My Picks: Lamha Tera Mera, Shakila Banoo 



Check out my other reviews!
Shuddh Desi Romance: Music Review
Grand Masti: Music Review
BollywoodBegum

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Madras Cafe: Music Review


Music Director: Shantanu Moitra
Starring: John Abraham & Nargis Fakri 

Since Madras Cafe is set in the backdrop of the Sri Lankan Civil War of 1990, we expect the music to be serious in nature, but for it to have no heavy romantic element is shocking. The director, Shoojit Sircar, has some real intentions of making this a hard hitting movie, which is why half of  Madras Cafe' songs are instrumentals..

Papon begins Madras Cafe with the mellow number Sun Le Re. His raw vocals are perfect for the soundtrack and subtle enough for the background instrumentals. This song is highly spiritual in nature, and slightly Sufi-like, as Papon reaches out to god to listen to him.  3/5

Ajnabi is sung by Zeb, of Pakistani's famous woman duo Zeb and Haniya. Like the prior song, this one is fresh with fresh emotions, but a tad more mellow, almost like the unplugged version of a song. The flute like instrumentals are a pleasant surprise, along with Zeb's "Da Da Na Na". This song is very unique, and not like any other song made in recent times. Excellent.  5/5


Madras Cafe, John Abraham, Phone, Bollywood Meme, Funny
Papon is featured yet again in Madras Cafe in the song Khud Se. With a steady piano menu, Papon's voice reflects off itself like a mirror, similar to a self-duet. Khud Se keeps with the theme of the other songs, but is a little more rich in melody. He hits high notes, as the melody climbs higher and higher. 3.5/5

Sun Le Re (Reprise) is another take on the previous version. The reprise is not at all as subtle as the first time. The instrumentals are hard rock, complete with drums and guitar, exactly the polar opposite of the original. The soundtrack needed something this gritty to bring it back to life. Better than the first version. 3.5/5

After these four, there comes a string of instrumentals. The first one is Madras Cafe Theme. Its a lingering doom instrumental. The sound of ominous danger creeps through at first, but towards the middle it gets a little faster, bringing in angry flute and violin instrumentals.

John Abraham in Madras Cafe, Bollywood Meme, Funny
Conspiracy features the singer Monali Thakur, but she doesn't really sing. Her voice echoes in the background of this song that sounds similar to the theme before it.

Entry to Jafna follows with theme, staying constant with the stringent tones from Madras Cafe's other instrumentals for its minute duration.

The Title Theme, has the to be the best instrumental  in the soundtrack bearing the worst name. This one has the highest quality instrumentals and is actually listenable. Compared to the hostility the other instrumentals have, this one grows more tense as the song goes on, until the instrumentals sound as if they have been broken.

In the end, Madras Cafe is filled with just a little too many instrumental theme music, and doesn't shine enough light on the vocalists. This soundtrack doesn't boast too much, but its good songs are of the highest quality.

My Picks: Ajnabi, Khud Se, Sun Le Re (Reprise)


What do you think?!
BollywoodBegum

Friday, August 2, 2013

Satyagraha: Music Review


Satyagraha Poster, Bollywood BegumMusic Composers: Salim-Sulaiman, Aadesh Srivatava, Indian Ocean
Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Kareena, Kapoor, Ajay Devgan, Arjun Rampal

I honestly had no idea about Satyagraha till its music release. Its a pleasant surprise to see that this movie has such a huge star cast for a movie which such a meaningful .  I'm also pretty excited to know that this is  another creation  from the Salim-Sulaiman duo, as well as the other talented composers. Since this is a modern political thriller, my expectations are low about the quality of the music. Expect many many situtational numbers.

The first song on the soundtrack, is the title track, Satyagraha, a twist on the traditional song, "Raghupati Raghav Rajaram".  We can hear various stylistic approaches. At first we hear rock and then the song simmers down into a mellow melody. In the back is a touch of electronica, over the classical singing. Our artists, Rajiv Sundaersan, Shweta Pandit, and Shivam Pathak sound as if they are singing three different songs. This song is interesting approach to a traditional song , but it seems scattered in its initiation . 3.5/5

Amitabh Bachchan fasting Satyagraha, Bollywood Meme, funnyIt seems these days all music composers are concerned with is producing some kind of techno/electronic music. This second song Aiyo Ji falls into this craze. Sharda Pandit gracefully croons this number all the way through, and Salim Merchant comes in at intervals to say "Aiyo Ji Aiyo Ji".  The beat overpowers this song, as well as Salim Mechant's parts. A calmer beat would have been a better alternative. 3/5

Salim-Sulaiman steps aside for a little bit, and lets composer Aadesh Srivatava take over for Raske Bhare Tore Naina. This song saves the Satyagraha with gifted singers, Shafqat Amanat Ali and Arpita. With the delicate vocals and restrained rhythm this song is exactly the beautiful refinement the other two songs were lacking. Complete with pianos and Indian instrumentals, Shafqat Amanat Ali's voice is truly exceptional.  With gorgeous classical intrusion from Arpita in unison with the instrumentals, this song is just perfect. 5/5

Janta Rocks, let's say unexpected, in Satyagraha. While the other songs are somber and serious in quality, this one is strangely upbeat. The Meet Brothers and Keerthi Sangathia team up for this odd number which stretches for an unbearable seven and half minutes. Weird. 2/5

Bollywood Meme, Funny, Ajay Devgan, SatyagrahaComposed by Indian Ocean, Hum Bole The, is our rally song in our political thriller. Its hard rock, with one of the most interesting guitar arrangements I have heard this year in Bollywood. The singers Rahul Ram, Amit Kalam, and Himanshu sound justly angry and bitter. This song will go well with the political unrest that will be featured in Satyagraha, but it may tend to annoy the listener if listened without the backdrop of the movie. 3/5

Aiyo Ji (Remix) takes the whole techo beat further, and makes it little better. It doesn't really change the outcome of the mediocre quality of the song. Raske Bhare Tore Naina (House Mix) introduces in a techno element as well, taking away from the restrained quality of the first song. The moaning in the beginning doesn't help the case either. 2/5

In the end Satyagraha doesn't really find its footing off screen The music has the potential to work well along with the film, and it is not definitely up to the Salim-Sulaiman par anyone is used to.  The songs escape into the techno realm too often and don't leave a lasting impression.

My Picks: Rakse Bhare Tore Naina, Satyagraha



Follow me on Twitter @bollybegum for more updates

Sexuality In Bollywood: Evolution of Female Desire- Part Two [The Bhatts]

Randeep Hooda Sunny Leone Jism 2 Bollywood Sexuality
Sunny Leone and Randeep Hooda in Jism 2
Similar to the directors of The Dirty Picture, filmmakers like Pooja Bhatt, and her father, Mahesh Bhatt, have tackled a dark side of sexual desire, touching on the bodily needs of both hero and the heroine. Pooja and Mahesh Bhatt try to experiment with the heroine’s sexuality in Jism 2 [2012], with the introduction of the Indo-American pornographic star, Sunny Leone. In Jism 2, Leone seduces an assassin to retrieve important information for the police. The assassin and a police officer both play her love interests in this movie. Leone is able to believably express herself as a strong heroine with her own desires onscreen, because of her previous work in pornography.   Jism 2 creates aesthetic view of sexuality when new talent combines with the fresh, natural scenery of Sri Lanka. Stunning cinematography and careful boundaries to prevent intimate scenes from becoming crude set this film apart from other Bollywood movies related to this genre. Leone plays a character that is in complete jurisdiction of her own sexuality and is able to manipulate it in whatever way she wishes.  In Jism 2, Leone is able to illustrate the shift to a more mature sexual identity of Bollywood heroines.
      
Emraan Hashmi Jacqueline Fernandez Murder 2 Bollywood Sexuality
Emraan Hashmi and Jacqueline Fernandez
Murder 2
Murder 2 [2011], another Bhatt production, has a more multifaceted view on sexuality. This film not only addresses escalated carnal cravings, but also focuses transvestites, and prostitution.. Even though these different sexual elements are explored in various ways, they end up intertwined with each other in the end. In Murder 2, Emraan Hashmi plays a former cop who is sent to investigate the disappearance of prostitutes in the area. Although Hashmi and his girlfriend, Jacqueline Fernanadez, engage in a few rounds of sexual intercourse in the film, he remains emotionally detached from her due to personal reasons. She, on the other hand, tries desperately to expand their physical bond with concepts of romantic love.  On the opposing side is Prashant Naryanan, a transvestite who brutally murders prostitutes. Driven by his uncontrollable physical desire, he decides to become a eunuch. The manner which Murder 2 presents sexuality on three different platforms is an unusual, but daring feat for a director. There is a thoughtful depiction of human trafficking, and an attempt to realistically portray the emotional and carnal needs of men and women in contemporary relationships. However, the sexuality of the transvestites is not as tastefully explored as others.  Narayanan is portrayed as a psychotic killer who has deviated from accepted social norms. Meanwhile, his transvestite friend’s character is illustrated as crooked and overly dramatic.


Check Out These Articles From Sexuality in Bollywood Series:
Sexuality in Bollywood: Evolution of Female Desire Part 1
Sexuality In Bollywood: Return of the Vamps

BollywoodBegum

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Sunday, July 21, 2013

Rabba Main Kya Karoon: Music Review

Rabba Main Kya Karoon Akash Chopra Arshad Warsi
Music Director: Salim-Sulaiman
Starring: Arshad Warsi and Akash Chopra

Salim-Sulaiman are a fabulous duo, creating many famous soundtracks. Its pleasantly surprising to see them come forward for a seemingly small film like Rabba Main Kya Karoon starring newcomer Akash Sharma and Akash Warsi. We expect to see a lot of exciting songs since it revolves around a Dehli wedding.

Khulla Sand kicks off Rabba Main Kya Karoon  in addictive Punjabi number that morphs into something more techno. Salim Merchant's bubbly vocals enhance this delicious rhythm. The only downside to this song are the brief English interludes. This one could be classified as the just the right Punjabi explosion. 4.5/5

We see Benny Dayal paired with our new popular female vocalist, Monali Thakur in Muh Meetha Kara De. This song is along the lines of Race 2's Lat Lag Gaye, but more so a pop techno hybrid. Thakur barely gets a piece of this song, its Dayal for a majority. Its pretty good, but doesn't have that much of distinguishing factor in the sea of songs. 3.5/5

Akash Chopra Shirtless Rabba Main Kya Karoon Bollywood Meme FunnyThe third song is the title song Rabba Main Kya Karoon. This song is sung by a trio of Raj Pandit, Vidhi Sharma, and Benny Dayal. Its very soft and rhythmic featuring light guitar and tabla. Its almost qawaaliesque in instrumentals, like the harmonium at pieces, but doesn't break into a full qawaali. Vidhi Sharma's vocals are refreshing and add a nice twist to the song. This song is truly a pleasant surprise for such a commercial looking album. 4/5

Our main star, Akash Chopra, displays his vocals in Dua. This is another good surprise. Its a sad song that materializes into deep rock number. A good effort by Chopra, but his vocals get a little bit too intense at pieces. His raw vocals, however are something to admire. I would really want to see a lot more from this singer in the future. 3.5/5

Rabba Main Kya Karoon Akash Chopra Arshad Warsi Shirtless
While they celebrate I'll just be staring 
awkwardly at you, shirtless
What is any soundtrack without of Punjabi Prince, Labh Janjua. Bari Barsi is most definitely our Punjabi wedding song for Rabba Main Kya Karoon. It is pumped with just the right components of thrill and dazzle of any wedding Punjabi song. It is not really anything we haven't seen from Janjua, and almost sounds like a leftover from Band Baaja Baraat. 3/5

Well, a song like Brandy carries some expectations, especially when "shots" are yelled in the beginning. Sung by Satyadev Singh and Akash Chopra, this is Rabba Main Kya Karoon's club number. It sounds really irritatingly mocking at parts. 2/5

Overall, Rabba Main Kya Karoon is a sturdy soundtrack loaded with lots of addictive beats. It has its flaws, and just one below average song.

My Picks: Rabba Main Kya Karoon, Khulla Sand, Muh Meetha Kara De, Dua


What did you think?
BollywoodBegum

Look Out for My Other Reviews:
Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai Dobara: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/once-upon-time-in-mumbai-dobara-music.html
Bajatey Raho: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/bajatey-raho-music-review.html
Luv U Soniyo: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/luv-u-soniyo-music-review.html
Chennai Express:http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/chennai-express-music-review.html

Friday, July 19, 2013

Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai Dobara: Music Review

Music Composer: Pritam
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Imran Khan, Sonakshi Sinha

The first Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai had one of the best soundtracks in recent times. Tracks like, Pee Loon and Tum Jo Aaye Zindagi Mein, are hits in recent memory. With Pritam as the composer and a A-List cast   Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai Dobara/Again/2 soundtrack has a lot to live up to. For a soundtrack with only four songs, let's hope every song makes an impression.

The soundtrack begins with Yeh Tune Kya Kaha featuring Pakistani singer, Javed Bashir. His classical, mature vocals are perfect for this type of number. This song sounds like a good leftover for the first OUATIM and boasts a lot of rich traditional sounds like the tabla and harmonium. This qawaali starts slows and escalates and transforms with rich instrumentals. 4
/5

OUATIM 2 Akshay Kumar and Imran Khan Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai Dobara Again, Bollywood Meme
Tayyab Ali is another qawaali number in Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai Dobara, this time with Javed Ali. This is a remake of  seventies song Tayyab Ali from Amar Akbar Anthony's which featured Rishi Kapoor. This song recreates it into a very desi, quirky drunken sounding number with some English, like "Tell me why" and "Beautiful Baby Baby". After the minute the song kicks into full gear, but its gets boring quickly. Can't see anything new offering in this qawaali, compared to the original except for the childish spin it takes, and richer beats. They could have deviated from the original song in a better way. 3/5

Tu Hi Toh Khwahish sounds like an item number from the late seventies/early eighties. Its discoesque theme, mixed with the Middle Eastern beats and Sunidhi Chauhan's rough vocals sounds awkward. This song should have been left in the seventies where it belongs. It sounds like Pritam is trying to do something similar to Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai's Parda Parda, but Chauhan's panting and  interludes that sounds like they jumped out a of a crime thriller make the song sound messy. Too much going on here. Not sure what genre to classify this one. 2/5

bollywood meme, imran khan, once upon a time in mumbaaiOnce Upon A Time in Mumbaai Dobara ends with another track with Javed Ali, this time singing with Sahir Ali Bagga. Chungliyaan is our Pee Loon like song. Its the only pure romantic number on the soundtrack. This song is pretty, but it doesn't really show us anything drastically new. Shahir Ali Bagga's voice enhances Javed Ali's well. 3.5/5

In the end only two of the four songs really make an impression. Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai Dobara/Again, doesn't live up to its legacy. It actually fails horribly in comparison to the original Once Upon in Mumbaai's greatness, due to limited volume of four songs. Pritam could have give us more songs, or at least better quality ones.

My Picks: Yeh Tune Kya Kiya, Chungliyaan



Check Out My Other Reviews:
Bajatey Raho: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/bajatey-raho-music-review.html
Luv U Soniyo: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/luv-u-soniyo-music-review.html
Chennai Express:http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/chennai-express-music-review.html
Nasha: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/nasha-music-review.html

Bollywood Begum

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Bajatey Raho: Music Review

Music Director: Jaidev Kumar
Starring: Dolly Alhuwalia, Vinay Pathak, Ranvir Shorey, Tusshar Kapoor

Vinay Pathak Bajatey Raho Poster
She has a broom and she's not afraid to use it!
For comedy with Vinay Pathak as the main star, we expect mast filled music. Jaidev Kumar, a relatively new music composer to Bollywood has much to prove with this soundtrack, and he achieves it for the most part. He gathers the Punjabi greats, like RDB and Honey Singh for his tracks in an attempt to create a wonderful soundtrack.

Bajatey Raho's soundtrack begins with a fast paced number called Nagin Dance.  This is the first item number of the soundtrack and it's not too bad. Anmol Malik's voice blends sinfully well with the quick tempo. Nagin Dance almost a contemporary tribute of "Main Teri Dushman" from Sridevi's Nagina. This song featured on the British model Scarlett Wilson, popular from Shanghai's Imported Kamariya, and Iranian-Swedish dancer Maryam Zakariya, has not really created a stir in Bollywood. Nevertheless, it is a unique kind of item number. 4/5

Our folksy qawwali-eque song, Khurafati Ankhiyan, sung by Sona Mahapatra has slight retro-seventies undertones with the harmonium. It is quite an interesting composition, but the hook Khurafati Ankhiyan is a bit too cutting for the gentle sounding song. Pretty average, but a good track. 3.5/5

Honey Singh brings in the comedy to Bajatey Raho with Khudi Tu Butter. Our expectations should be high for a song with such an audacious name, but sadly this song doesn't live up to the  hype. This song is Punjabi-electronica synth number. Again, this one is another item number, but its strictly an endless mediocre song. 3/5

Scarlett Wilson and Maryam Zakariya in Nagin Dance- Bajatey Raho
I guess the Brits and Swedish also know about the
Nagin Dance. That's why these two are featured
 instead of Indian dancers
So the theme song is Bajatey Raho. From the get go this song is a rap, and that's exactly what you can expect from out Punjabi rappers RDB. Manjeet Ral is also featured in the number. If you have heard any RDB previously, when you hear thing you will know this sounds exactly like their other songs. Further ruining this song is an English rap interlude. 2.5/5

So the remixes and reprises  come in. Our first remade song in Bajatey Raho is, Nagin Dance (Remix). This version just brings in extra beat and dubstep-ish sound in the background. Its a good alternative to the original, and does not upset the composition at all. 4/5

Then comes Khudi Tu Butter (Reprise) by Gajendra Verma. This one sound drastically different from the first song. It has a addictive almost magical, electronic beat which sets it apart from the other tracks on the soundtrack. This version of Khudi Tu Butter is extremely catchy both lyrically and musically when compared with Honey Singh's version. How could you resist the lyrics "Silky, chocolate hai milky"?  A definite winner and probably the best song on the album. 4.5/5

Overall, Bajatey Raho's soundtrack isn't disappointing. The stronger songs compensate for the weaker songs. It's hard to resist a song called Khudi Tu Butter. C'mon and give it a try.

My Picks: Khudi Tu Butter (Reprise), Nagin Dance, Nagin Dance (Remix)


Check Out My Other Reviews!
Once Upon A Time in Mumbai Dobara: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/once-upon-time-in-mumbai-dobara-music.html
Nasha:http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/luv-u-soniyo-music-review.html
Luv U Soniyo:http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/nasha-music-review.html
Chennai Express:http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/chennai-express-music-review.html
D-Day: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/06/d-day-music-review.html
Boyss Toh Boyss Hai:http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/boyss-toh-boyss-hai-music-review.html


BollywoodBegum

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Nasha: Music Review

Poonam Pandey Nasha Poster Topless
"Ma, I'm Scared"
Music Directors: Siddarth Haldipur & Sangeet Haldipur
Starring: Poonam Pandey and Shivam

Nasha, though not a widely known movie, has been causing waves throughout India with its scandalous posters. We shouldn't expect any less than scandalous from a movie by the director of erotic thriller Jism. Nasha boasts a story quite similar to Ek Choti Si Love Story, where a younger man, Shivam, falls in love with an older woman, Poonam Pandey. Both the actor and actress in Nasha are newcomers, so a fantastic soundtrack might do some good for the movie. Don't be fooled by the pictures, this soundtrack is very sophisticated. 

The Nasha soundtrack is off to an excellent start with the mellow Tera Nasha crooned by Anirudh. His vocals are are flawless when paired with the light guitar instrumental.  This slow, succulent number stretches beyond six minutes, which makes it seem like its going on forever. Six minutes is a little long, but the song is very good. 4.5/5

Actress Poonam Pandey and Actor Shivam in Nasha 2013

The second song on the soundtrack is Laila by Monali Thakur. We have heard many songs titled Laila in the past, but one slightly sets itself apart from the others. This smooth cabaret style number is somewhere along the lines of Raat from Hate Story or Muskaanien Jhooti from Talaash. This song does have a little hook to it and flows seductively from Thakur's mouth. 4/5

From its title Besharam should be a song we should expect from a movie called Nasha. Besharam is a playful  duet with the pairing of Shaan and Anusha Mani. Anusha deeper voice balances out Shaan's smooth vocals. This light-hearted romantic songs is complete with harmonica, piano, and whistling, comparable to Gangster's Lamha Lamha.  4/5

Actress Poonam Pandey in Nasha 2013
Because small wine glasses aren't cool
The Goti Song is totally out of place. It begins with "This is the Goti Song" and continues along that line. It is as if someone is talking. I have no idea where this would go in a movie like Nasha. Its funny, but irritating. The singers Akshay Deodhar, Prakriti Kakkar, and Sukriti Kakkar stretch their vocals, but that is not enough to save this song. 1/5

Laila (Unplugged) features the male voice of Sangeet-Siddarth, the music directors. With just a simple strumming of the guitar, the music composers create something quite different. It is almost good as the original and sounds drastically different song. 3.5/5

We have Nasha (The Addictive Mix), by Sangeet Halidpur, one of the music directors. It brings a slight techno twist  to the original, and Haldipur's voice careens with the rhythm perfectly. This is a remix of the first song, Tera Nasha. This one also sounds unrecognizable from the original  If you ignore the first couple seconds of the song, this is a great alternative version. 4.5/5

The Nasha songs are really good for a movie starring  newbie actress Poonam Pandey and Shivam. Our Haldipur duo does an excellent job of creating a melodious soundtrack. These songs are a pleasant surprise and also have a value off of the screen. One of the best soundtrack of 2013 so far. Get Intoxicated!

My Picks: Nasha (The Addictive Mix), Tera Nasha, Besharam, Laila, Laila (Unplugged)




What did you think about this soundtrack?

BollywoodBegum

Check Out My Other Reviews:
Once Upon A Time in Mumbai Dobara: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/once-upon-time-in-mumbai-dobara-music.html
Bajatey Raho: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/bajatey-raho-music-review.html
Luv U Soniyo: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/luv-u-soniyo-music-review.html
Chennai Express:http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/chennai-express-music-review.html
D-Day: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/06/d-day-music-review.html
Boyss Toh Boyss Hai:http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/boyss-toh-boyss-hai-music-review.html