The
Musical Myth
The
deserved success of Mohabbatein once again spotlights the fact
that music alone never makes a film run, though arguably the
film may have done still better had the music been of the DDLJ
or even better calibre. With Yash Chopra, there have been past
examples of worse music like Deewaar, Trishul and (apart from
a couple of tracks) even Darr, with the films running on sheer
cinematic merit.
Simultaneously, the indifferent performance of films like Mission
Kashmir and Fiza also spotlight the fact that music alone, however
good just cannot make a film run. Over the years, films like
Prem Pujari, Mera Naam Joker, Satyam Shivam Sundaram and 1942-A
Love Story have proved that chartbusting music does not translate
into box-office magic, while Sholay, Mard, Pratighaat and Krantiveer
are examples of hit films that have had weak musical scores.
The musical myth that music can make a film run has evolved
over the years due to a combination of circumstances. First
and foremost is the fact that till the mid-’70s commitment
ruled over commerce. Most of the films had situational songs
where lyricists, composers, filmmakers and singers were on quality
trip. Popularity automatiucally came in. Such music boosted
the prospects of the new film and if such a film had great music,
repeat value was ensured, in contrast to a good film with ordinary
music.
To go the other way round, a good script and a great filmmaker
also automatically inspired great music. To give specific examples,
Madhumati, Naya Daur, Chitralekha and Basant Bahar were classic
instances of musical magnificence that was inspired by a fabulous
script and a great director.
To rewind still more, in the ’30s the filmmkers found to
their consternation that the pople did not take to talkies easily
as they missed the fast-paced action of the silent movies. In
fact, that is when music was brought in to attract viewers,
and the move succeeded spectacularly, because music is an intergral
part of the Indian psyche.
Events came full circle in the late ’80s when an audience
sick of violence and cacophony got hooked onto six films that
made the big screen cock a snook at the video Qayamat Se Qayamat
Tak, Tezaab (a ‘violent’ love story), Ram Lakhan and
Tridev (both action dramas laced with hit music), Chandni and
Maine Pyar Kiya. The automatic conclusion was that these six
well-made family entertainers clicked only because of their
sole common factor good music.
The success of Dil and Aashiqui a year later seemd to endorse
this theory. Thanks to Gulshan Kumar and T-Series, music became
a vital factor in promotion and also big business. This led
to Nadeem-Shravan crowing that Aashiqui ran because of its music
alone, and so did their follow-up hits! But Raamlaxman, the
man behind MPK and Hum Aapke Hain Koun!.., quietly said that
music alone could never make a film run.
Why then have music at all in Hindi films? Especially since
songs act as like short recesses for the movement of the story?
Well, distibutors have perpetuated the myth that films need
songs to sell.
In today’s hypercommercial MTV - satellite TV era, a music
promo ensures the best and most repeated publicity for any film.
Music and the way it is used distinguishes the Indian film from
all others. Film music is the greatest pop music of India, unbeatable
in sales and durability. Foreigners lover our masala movies
for their songs and dances. The music industry has given us
some of the greatest musical talents in the world and nothing
unites the Indians around the world as much as a Hindi film’s
song does.
Can one imagine how colourless and be-sura our lives would be
- without hearing the voices of Lata mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle,
the songs of Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar, the poetry of
Majrooh, Anand Bakshi and Indeewar, and the compositions of
Shanker Jaikishan and Laxmikant Pyarelal - every single day?
Our films-however good, great or enduring without music would
be like food without salt, but if someone says that music makes
our films run, I don’t buy it. Tell me another.
Rajiv Vijayakar
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