Tracing the history of Hindi film music from 1931

Anu Malik’s distinguished and diverse scores in Jaan-E-Mann and Umrao Jaan never get their due, but both have begun to be appreciated over time.
Ahista Ahista sees Irshad Kamil stepping into Himesh's music. Himesh composes his career-first qawwali in Aawan ankhiyan jaawan ankhiyan that he sings with Jayesh Gandhi, Hashim and Aftab. The title-track as well as Allah kare and I love you unconditionally are all popular for a while, as also the Himesh-Tulsi duet Dil naiyyo maane re, the only song written by Sameer.
Sunidhi-KK’s Tanha tere baghair’s haunting appeal gets lost in the popular appeal of the Himesh solos. Chup Chup Ke has hits like Himesh-Tulsi’s Shab-e-firaaq hai and Sonu-Kunal-Akriti Kakkar’s Dil vich lagya.
Himesh also contributes a single promotional title-track with Tulsi Kumar for Humko Deewana Kar Gaye. Anu Malik composes the rest of the songs and scores with Fanah (KK-Anu) and the transiently-popular For your eyes only (Sonu-Krishna-Nandini).
His best track is Sonu’s Bhoola denge tumko sanam dheere dheere whose mukhda, however, recycles the ‘60s Lata-Chitragupta hit Uthegi tumhari nazar dheere dheere from Ek Raaz.
Pyare Mohan reunites Anu Malik with Udit Narayan after a break-up. Har Mohan ki koi Radha (Udit-Shaan-Krishna-Earl-Edgar D-Anu-Ranjit Barot) is popular. Kunal’s Tu jahaan bhi jaayegi never gets its due. It has three more versions - by Udit-Kunal, Udit and Sadhana.
Anu’s Jai Santoshi Maa is bolstered by other devotional songs from the music label’s albums as well as cover versions of the old blockbuster. From the original songs, Bigdi bana do (Alka and N.C.Karunya separately) is worth a listen.
Zindaggi Rocks has Humko chhoone paas aayiye (Sunidhi) as the saving grace.
But Anu scores two of the most distinguished and diverse scores of his career in Jaan-E-Mann and Umrao Jaan.Neither gets their due because the films do not work, but both have begun to get appreciated over time.
Gulzar treads path-breaking territory by seamlessly blending English and Hindi in Humko maloom hai (Sonu-Sadhana) and Jaane ke jaane na (Sonu-Sukhwinder-Krishna). Anu also scores other winners like Sau dard hai (Sonu-Suzanne) and Ajnabi shehar (Sonu) with completely fresh compositions like Ud jaana ud jaana bro (Kunal-Adnan-Sunidhi-Earl) and Kubool kar le (Udit-Rahul Vaidya-Amit Sana-Prajakta Shukre-Monali Thakur-Suzanne).
Anu scores with distinction in Umrao Jaan. A conditioned audience compares it with Khayyam’s score in the earlier version of the film, but the veteran maestro himself compliments Anu Malik on his music.
In one of Alka Yagnik’s biggest vocal highs, she sings beautiful melodies like Salaam, Pehle pehel, Toote huye dil ki, Jhoote ilzaam, Main na mil sakoon jo and Poonch rahe hai. Alka-Sonu’s Behka diya hamein is another lovely melody. Richa Sharma’s Agle janam is outstanding too, as is the Anmol Malik version of the same song.
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy score two biggies, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna and Don. In the latter, two songs from the original film are used in remixed versions, Khaike paan Banaraswala sung by Udit Narayan and Yeh mera dil sung by Sunidhi. From the rest Shaan’s Main hoon Don is tepid, but Aaj ki raat (Alisha-Mahalakshmi-Sonu) is superb.
From KANK, Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan’s Mitwaa, Shankar-Shaan-Mahalakshmi’s Rock’n’roll soniye and Shaan-Vasundhara-Loy-Shankar’s Where’s the party tonight are hits, while Sonu-Alka’s Tumhi dekho na scores over their maudlin title-track.

To be cont’d…

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Tracing the history of Hindi film music from 1931