As per the promos, it promises to be a riveting performance by Kapoor while portraying the character of Sanjana who traverses across different births and lives searching for answers related to her love. For now, here goes the good and bad about the film’s music.The music of Dangerous Ishhq, composed by Himesh Reshammiya, brings together about 11 tracks in all and none of them have been good enough to grab any attention. No wonder at the first place you were surprised to even hear the name. The initial look of the music or the movie resembles that of the last resort for any Bollywood veteran (exception of Himesh etc.) to stay in the business.

In a nutshell, the music is quite ordinary. The beats and the tunes would bring you face to the earlier experiences you might have had with the music. Reshammiya yet again fails as a composer and delivers quite what he is expected to. A few days to go for the music release but the songs have been blaring loud across all the autos in Mumbai. The only good thing about this album is the originality and sincerity of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.

Tu Hi Rab, Tu Hi Dua is the first track with predictable lyrics by Shabbir Ahmed but outstanding singing by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. He is backed up beautifully by Tulsi Kumar who finally looks mature enough to effortlessly match the standards that of Rahat in the track. The music too is very ordinary except the fact that when you hear the track, you will spend good five minutes thinking as to where have you heard it earlier.

The second track, Naine Re is carried beautifully by Shreya Ghoshal and Rahat. You tend to lose yourself in the beauty of the words by Sameer and soothing voices of the two singers mentioned above. But then all of a sudden you come across a harsh, artificial, adulterated and almost screeching voice of Himesh himself and that’s when you lose the interest in the song.

Ishq Mein Ruswaa sung by Anweshaa and written by Shabbir Ahmed is another one of the tracks you can safely ignore without any regrets. Given that there is a certain folk like influence in the song, the possibilities were immense and no one except Himesh himself would ever know that why did he chose the wrong way out of his misery of not being able to deliver a proper hit in recent times.

If in case you are not a die-hard Himesh fan, it is rather recommended that you skip the next track Umeed sung by Amrita Kak and Shahab Sabri. Another track with disappointing lyrics in the album that puts the listener in a state of high discomfort as they continue to wonder about what was going on in the lyricist Shabbir Ahmad’s mind or for that matter, heart.

The next one up is Lagan Laagi which is pure delight for Shreya Ghoshal’s fans. Shahab Sabri too supports Shreya in the best possible manner. Despite the fact that lyrics yet again are sheer disappointment, there is something in this song that makes you ignore the fact.

The remix of the tracks Tu Hi Rab Tu Hi Dua and Naina Re seems to be a soulless attempt by Kiran Kamath. However, at the same time, the reprise version of the track Tu Hi Rab Tu Hi Dua carries only Tulsi Kumar on the vocals and still sounds like a better deal than the remix version. The reprise version of Naina Re actually sounds more disappointing than the original with nothing at all to save you from that unwanted presence of Himesh throughout the track.

The other two remixes, Umeed by DJ Shezwood and Ishq Mein Ruswaa by Kary Arora, yet again can be safely skipped without feeling guilty. Both of these remix tracks are very ordinary and probably would never make it to the pub or lounge circuits across the country.

Overall, except a few small things, this album is a complete disaster. It still remains to be the matter of national concern that why Mr. Reshammiya has to try his luck with singing or composing. He was doing a better job being a judge at some reality show on TV than actually composing and singing songs.

The only good thing this album has is Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. Whatever rating this album gets is purely because of Rahat’s sincerity and dedication towards music which clearly reflects in the songs he performed for the album. And in addition to that, whatsoever smoothness the album has, is credited to none other than Shreya Ghoshal as she delivers some of the finest stuff within her caliber. It’s just Himesh who hammers the last nail in the coffin of this album.

Dangerous Ishhq Music Review is a post from: BollySpice

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A few days back, while on their way back from a meeting held at Singer’s Association of India, the four were involved in an accident when their slow moving car allegedly bumped two youths on a bike. Within moments, a huge mob built up at the site of the accident. The mob seemed to have gathered to torment these souls rather than taking the initiative of rushing the boys to the hospital. As if one villain, the mob, wasn’t enough to worsen the story line for that night, in enters another villain, the media.

The television media were not bothered about the facts of that night because they are of the mindset that every single second spent in looking for facts and verifying them comes with a loss of a second’s worth of airtime. It was the same for the print media as well, they didn’t feel like publishing the facts or the real side of the story because they were too busy talking about the structured controversies of Big Boss or selling real estate with an average of one huge advertisement per page.

I am a writer and I believe that my journalistic advantages are a bonus because I always want to write the truth. In this case, the truth is rather simpler is way away from the complexities of Mob Fury or Media Manipulation. Prajakta shared with me the following write up which she calls Their Side of The Story. I was so very moved when I read what Prajakta Shukre had to say. She was there in the car and amidst this chaos, and I feel it is rather all the more important to listen to what they have to say than the words of media echoing through every possible channel or news paper. It is indeed inspiring to see that how singers as a fraternity stood by each other in time like this.

Their Side of the Story

As you know, we have been through a terrible trauma since two days. It’s because of your wishes and prayers that we have come unscathed out of all this…

Now as this is a medium where I can put across exactly and purely our sides of the story, so I want to tell you in brief since there are still lots of misconceptions regarding this issue.

Here are few facts:

1) WE WERE NOT RACING
2) OUR CAR WAS IN A VERY NOMINAL SPEED
3) WE DIDN’T CONSUME ANY KIND OF ALCOHOL

We all gathered at Aajivasan for a meeting of Singer’s Association of India. We left at around 10.30, and within 10 minutes this unfortunate incident happened. While we were on the way back home, in fraction of a second something banged our car and that is when we realized that a bike has hit our car. Although there was no major impact inside the car because we were going in a very normal speed.

The first thought which struck our mind was about the safety of the kids who were driving the bike. But before we could do anything about them, in two minutes almost 200 people gathered and started banging the car and started abusing us.

We were ready to face the situation and we tried to explain people that first thing, we should take these boys to the hospital instead of fighting amongst ourselves and that the law should take its own course about this accident.

When all the girls present in the car Me, Meenal Jain, Antara Mitra and Ujjaini Mukherjee realized that the situation is out of control and the mob is not ready to listen to us, we thought we should call for help and since Abhijeet and our friend Nakash Aziz and Amit, who had left from Aajivasan at the same time we assumed that they must be near by since they were on their way home. WE WERE NOT RACING; they were on different routes and just came to help us.

They came there just to calm the situation down and most importantly to protect us but the moment these guys arrived, the crowd simply started beating them. The Mob even physically abused Antara. They pushed her around and she sustained physical injuries.

Luckily after say five minutes, the Santacruz police were patrolling in the area and they came and rescued us from this mob. We were indeed fortunate that Mumbai police acted in time and because of them we were saved from facing something even worse! A heartfelt thanks to Mumbai Police.

Now, the Mumbai police had taken everything in their custody for example our bags, our car key, and by then the car was also locked.

As the part of legal process, we went through the medical test to detect ALCOHOL and we were not surprised to know that IT WAS NOT DETECTED.

By then the Mob, which had increased in numbers, had gathered outside the Police station. Sensing the tension outside Abhijeet informed Sonu Bhaiya about the incident. In few minutes Sonu Ji arrived at the police station. He tried to speak to the mob and media present there but the crowd was not ready to listen.

After Police got the official confirmation about the medical reports, I was released on bail. We were informed by Inspector Chavhan, who was supervising this whole issue, that the guys who were on the bike were completely out of danger. We were relieved to know this, as this was our major concern.

Finally, post everything, it was very sad for all of us to know that facts were distorted and were portrayed altogether differently because of the self made stories of people amongst the mob.

It seems many people were concerned about the fact that the car was damaged so badly in spite of it being in a nominal speed. To my understanding, no one in the car felt any jerk and were not injured at all and also the bikers would have been severely injured and so would we if my car was speeding. Also the car gets imbalanced because of the sudden brake, which didn’t happen. After the impact the car came to a halt on that spot itself and I was in control of my vehicle.

The only reason I could incur, is that the bike, which I assume was in a high speed, rammed head-on with the car, which resulted in such damage. And we were also informed later, that our car was further damaged by the furious crowd.

The brighter side of this dark night was that those bikers were out of danger and all of us were safe too. When my parents came to know about all this, even their first concern was about those guys who actually hit us. And they were relieved to know that we all were out of any danger. My elder brother Rohit Shukre, was with me throughout as a greatest support.

The issue of Mob fury on Indian roads has been raised over the time but now since we have actually faced this ugly scene we realized the gravity of situation.

Abhijeet as a true Idol, my elder brother, and my strength, came to our rescue and it was very unfortunate that he had to face the brunt of unruly mob. I feel sorry for him as he had to go through all this only because he was protecting me and my friends, I just can’t thank him enough, I am really grateful to him. Also want to thank my friends Nakash Aziz, Amit Sawant who also came running to stand by us, they also faced the fury of the mob.

A major tragedy has been averted due to the big support of Sonuji, Mika ji and Rahul Vaidya. Especially Rahul, who actually made sure that all of us were out of that mayhem.

My close friends Meenal Jain, Antara Mitra, and Ujjaini were there with me inside the car, and stood by me as a great support throughout. Thanks to them too. A very special thanks to Suresh Wadkar ji, Shaan Da, Mahalaxmi Iyer, Abhijeet Bhattacharya, Gaurav Dasgupta, Rana Majumdar and Harpreet, who were standing by us. I feel I am a part of a great family that is our music industry. Thank you all for your unconditional support and love and just want everyone to trust us when we say that we are not guilty, as we will never cheat our family.

Lastly, I want all of you to please spread this message and help me resolve all the misconceptions.

Lots of love, respect and yeah, please Take Care!

LOVE MUSIC PEACE

PRAJAKTA SHUKRE

I hope that we as an element of mob or opinion makers have the patience to listen to both the sides of the story. Thanks Prajkta for sharing it with me.

Prajakta Shukre’s side of the story is a post from: BollySpice

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Anjali’s Death: Anjali (1990) was originally a Tamil film that came out in the year 1990. Later dubbed in Hindi, I still remember watching it on TV as a kid when there were not enough satellite channels. There were quite a few scenes that are still stark clear in my mind, most of which were created by the emotional turn of events between a helpless father, his wife and their two children. The father didn’t tell his wife about his third child Anjali, who was mentally ill and suffered from a terminal illness. To put the movie up across the emotional marker, the family finally gets to know about Anjali and accepts her. What followed was the tale of this little ‘mad’ girl trying to make her way into every ones heart.

The most painful scene from the movie was probably the moment that is still haunting me. The mother wakes up and goes to wake up Anjali, but she doesn’t wake up. Anjali died in her sleep. As more and more people come after hearing her screams, they all are saddened by the demise of the girl who taught them to accept and forgive. It is still memorable how the director made that scene look so extra ordinary by just showing the sad faces of the people present and occasionally moving the camera to frame the innocence of the dead girl.

When SRK meets Manisha Koirala: Dil Se (1998) was a wonderful movie. It was also nothing less than a visual delight. Everything was so perfectly executed it seemed like a story told in the best manner ever possible. However, this movie in the pretext of terrorism also brought about a wonderful love story – the seven stages of love where a young Amarkant Varma (SRK) falls in love with a suicidal terrorist Meghna (Manisha Koirala). The music dominated the movie which was bound to happen if you bring in two geniuses together – Gulzar and Rehman. Mani had been doing this ever since then.

It was rather hard to pick up the best moments from this movie, as everything it catered was terrific. However, the first five minutes of the movie were the most beautiful ones. On a secluded and deserted railway station, when Amar sees Meghna, he immediately falls in love with her. His desperate attempts to initiate a conversation and get her to speak were failing until she asked for a cup of hot tea in order to withstand the cold. By the time he came back, she had left and all we were left with was the image of the rain drops dropping in those two glasses of the tea, and the Next thing we see was the song ‘Chhayya Chhayya’ which probably ruled the charts way back then.

Dil Se Climax: Throughout the movie, SRK was God like. His mere presence seemed to inspire others to put their best foot forward in terms of acting. Or it just would have been the sheer magic of the director, which even made Manisha looked awesome without any make up as a girl from a mountain village. Dil Se, contrary to what it initially looked like to be a movie based on terrorism, actually spoke about love in the form of total surrender. That’s what Amar (SRK) did for Meghna (Manisha). He surrendered himself completely to her which added the effect that gave the movie the typical Mani-Impact.

It is virtually impossible to dodge the impact of the climax when Amar, all beaten and bleeding crawls up to Meghna, holding her closer by her waist and he could feel the explosives hidden under her clothes. “Take me with you”, he kept on pleading to Meghna as an insane lover who has surrendered everything. He then pleads her to confess her love and all she could do in return was nod. A tear rolls down his cheeks and the bomb goes off breaking the notion of Happy Endings, which was quite prevalent in Bollywood way back then. To add to the impact, Sonu Niigaam’s voice emerges from the chaos with a smoky outline which goes on like ‘Mujhe Maut Ki Gaud Mein Sone De, Teri Rooh Mein Jism Dabone De (Let me sleep in the lap of death! Let me drown my body in your soul)’.

Aishwarya – Abhishek Fight: Guru (2007) was nothing less than a masterpiece in many ways. It was sophistication and class combined with brilliant story telling, which made the movie stand out from everything else he ever attempted. Guru is believed to be have been inspired by the life and times of the Indian entrepreneur Dhiru Bhai Ambani. Needless to say, the movie did well and gave new heights to Abhishek’s career and his marriage with Aishwarya soon followed.

The movie revolves around a highly ambitious man who wants to make it big in no time. His struggle puts forward a new dimension to how we used to watch films earlier. We as audiences were involved in everything young Guru Bhai did. That is probably why we were too moved when he was confronted by his wife (Aishwarya) on why he chose to marry her even after knowing that she has run away in the past. Not willing to accept the fact that he married her for dowry, he stays silent while the distances between them grow and the song ‘Tere Bina’ in Rahman’s magical voice starts emerging. The visual execution of the song was way beyond words, but what followed after the song ended was even more magical. Abhishek realized his love for his wife and drives down to her village to bring her back. She spots the car from her terrace and comes down running. They look at each other for a while and neither asked the other for justifications. This brief conversation ended with an embrace while Rahman’s voice was still playing in the background to make it look like a perfect moment straight out of fairy tales.

Guru Climax: One of the things that set Mani’s movies apart is their distinctive climaxes, which are highly dramatized but still continue to exist in the realms of possibility. This happens in Guru as a paralyzed Abhishek Bachchan was to appear in court for charges of corruption. His almost fairy tale like success didn’t go down well with people which on its way up inculcated over confidence and other vanities in him. Walking up to the room with Aishwarya on the side, who made up for the perfect wife adorned well in a sari and strays of grey hair, Abhishek takes a seat while every bit of his gestures made it clear that he is not going to give up. Roshan Seth as a stern but unbiased judge was at his very best in the scene as the proceedings begin and much to everyone’s surprise, Guru wanted to speak. The speech he delivered, along with the background score which kept on growing even more dominant with every passing second, added to the impact which was sure to last long. This is followed by a heart wrenching moment when a visibly old and powerful Abhishek Bachchan is shown addressing a huge audience in a stadium and that’s when the movie ends.

Arvind’s attempt to douse the burning flag: Roja (1992) was one of the first few movies to put forward a different opinion about terrorism and needless to say, it worked. The threat of terrorists in India meshed with mild romance is the summary of this movie. Roja (Madhoo), the protagonist, is an innocent girl whose newlywed husband Rishi (Arvind Swamy) gets kidnapped by Pakistani terrorists. It encompasses her struggle from pillar to post as she leaves no stone unturned to get her husband freed. Blindly in love, she managed to convince the authorities to release the dreaded terrorist Wasim Khan, which was nothing less than a menace to the Indian forces. In return, the terrorists had agreed to free Rishi. There were small elements here and there which made the movie all the more magnificent, for instance the reaction of the Police Chief (Nasseer) who worked hard to get hold of Wasim.

However, the best moment of the movie was when one of the terrorist guards comes rushing in and informs the head (Pankaj Kapoor) about Indian government’s denial to release Wasim Khan. The guard then takes out the Indian flag and goes to burn it in sheer desperation. Rishi Kumar reacts to this by forcefully breaking the window and jumping over the flag to extinguish the fire risking his own life. The quick cuts of Rishi’s struggle and calm composure of Pankaj Kapoor as he offers his daily ‘namaaz’ were ironic. The background score was brilliant and so was the camera work which managed to communicate the intensity of the scene without actually showing the flag properly.

Riots of Bombay: Bombay (1995) was another story brilliantly told story. Shekhar (Arvind Swamy) has finished school and returns to his village to tell his family of his plans to take a job at a newspaper in Bombay and attend night classes in journalism. Before he returns to the city, Shekhar catches a glimpse of a young burqa-clad Muslim woman, Shaila Banu (Manisha Koirala) when her veil flutters off her face in a seaside breeze. Shekhar is instantly captivated; he sees her again at a village wedding and then contrives to meet her, learning that she returns his interest. Rebuffed by their furious fathers – his, a respected orthodox Hindu pandit, hers a devout Muslim brick-maker – the couple elopes to Bombay and marries in a civil ceremony at a municipal office. Disowned by their parents, they build life of modest contentment and are blessed with twin sons. Then internecine tensions spark the Bombay riots of winter 1992-1993 – Hindus and Muslims tear after one another with Molotov cocktails and machetes, upending Shekhar and Shaila Banu’s peaceful little world.

Bombay was the onset of the new kind of cinema in India where one realized that a good story should have moments. A lot of them – good, bad, painful, happy but it should have moments that the audience can take back home after those three hours. Among many such moments, the one that chose to stay with me after all these years was when one of Shekhar and Shaila Banu’s twin boys, riding on the shoulders of his Hindu grandfather, furiously wipes the tilak from the old man’s forehead when the pair is confronted by a group of Muslim rioters. At its best, Bombay is a gripping succession of breath-stopping moments like these and a simply unforgettable film. However, it was a horrifying moment but it unmasked the ugly face of the communal Indian society, which was very prevalent back then.

Sasi and her abortion: Yuva (2004) is one movie that surpassed Bombay in terms of moments. They say you get better with time so there was absolutely no reason as to why Mani Ratnam couldn’t have created another masterpiece after Bombay. Yuva extends beyond the arena of college politics and also peeps in the life of millions of Lallans and Sasis living in every corner of the nation, not just Kolkata.

Another moment which starkly stands out was when Sasi had undergone abortion. The frustration was clear on Sasi’s face and amidst all the saddened faces, screams and shouts, the director still managed to catch that victorious whiff of air that surrounded Sasi despite the fact that she lost her own ‘child-to-be’. The intensity of the character that Abhishek portrayed was executed as it must have thought to be. Each and every second of those few frames were nothing less than reality and by the time it was over, you too could feel sorry for Lallan as he carried that remorseful look, but his frustration was perhaps too big to be conquered.

Lallan Kills His Brother: Yuva was one movie that had everything that was needed to make it a pot boiler. The best thing about the movie was the director’s ability to handle three parallel stories and make them meet at the same point of time without a single jerk. The casting was perfect and Abhishek Bachchan proved that he could act with his portrayal of the extremely moody and raw character of Lallan who is a small time criminal. When there are three different stories clashing all the while with one linked to each other, it is rather expected that the movie would have quite a few moments as Rani Mujherjee was outstanding too, playing Sasi (Lallan’s wife).

Sasi played the role of a perfect wife that we idealize here in this part of the world. She was dedicated and determined to bring Lallan on a noble track pulling him out of his brother’s (Sonu Sood) influence, expecting that he would finally give up on all those petite crimes and start his life for good. Meanwhile, to please his pregnant wife, Lallan pretended to have left all that until Sasi finds out. She decides to go for a abortion as a result of which Lallan ends up frustrated enough and plans to kill his brother. He leaves Sasi waiting in the train because he promised that they would leave the city forever and rushes off for his encounter with his brother. What followed was a brilliant set of dialogues with some superb acting while the whole scene was shot on a boat. Lallan’s act of regret after the assassination remains to be in my list of Most Touching Moments in Bollywood movies.

Vivek’s entry into Politics: Vivek Oberoi plays Arjun who falls in love with Kareena Kappor. He is shown to be one of the hip and advanced sections of the Indian crowd and the character too has been properly executed. He is the third pillar of the movie along with Ajay Devgan as Michael and Abhishek Bachchan as Lallan. He is the one who loves spending time in coffee shops, full of life and vibrant. However, Arjun wants to go to aboard to study, but in following his dad’s footsteps, or more or less to please him, makes up his mind for IAS.

Then enters Michael in his life who was rescued by Arjun after being shot by Lallan. Complex? It might sound like it but it gets really simple as the story unfolds and sweeps you off your seat. Arjun ends up being influenced by Lallan’s views of a better nation and his philosophy of ‘it-is-time-that-we-take-charge’ that he changes his mind. Glad that it happened because it leads to one of the most beautiful and inspiring scene as a young Indian boy I have ever come across. Arjun, as contrary to what we have seen of him initially, decides to go into politics and bring about a change. He tears off the papers laying all the possibility of turning his dream of going abroad to rest which for sure was an inspirational moment for the youth who always wanted to bring about a change and were ready to be that change. It for sure lit up may hopes of the people opting for politics as a career option for Indian youngsters.

Writing this article has certainly made me long for Mani Ratnam’s newest film Raavan. Who knows what wonderful moments we will be treated to by stars Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan when the film opens on July 18th!

10 Best Mani Ratnam Moments is a post from: BollySpice

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However, exceptions are always there. So out of the many things that Ranbir doesn’t regret, there is one thing that always comes back to haunt him. He regrets that he didn’t travel around the country before fame got the better out of him. He said, “When I was starting out, Aamir Khan had advised me to just pack my bag and travel around India before I became an actor. But unfortunately I didn’t do that and now I understand the value of doing so.”

In order to get over the blues, Ranbir was seeing enjoying every bit of it his Bhopal visit where he stayed for around a month shooting for his upcoming Raajneeti. The boy was so fascinated with the simplicity of a small town life that it has left a strong impact on him. May be that’s the reason for his escapades where he has been spotted cycling around the town late at night to avoid being caught by media flashes and an ever increasing fan following.

No Regrets for Ranbir is a post from: BollySpice

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Hum Tum Aur Ghost is slated for a release on the 26th of March and is produced by our very own circuit – Arshad Warsi. The movie is directed by Kabeer Kaushik and has Circuit yet again in a lead role opposite the pretty Dia MIrza. Boman Irani plays another crucial character. There were speculations of this being a horror flick which were laid to rest when Warsi announced that this is a romantic comedy.

The album has seven songs, three of which are remixes. The music is nothing of the sorts that stays with you except for a couple of tracks. The rest of the tracks are good, fresh and soulful. Apart from all the good and bad things, one thing you need to watch out for in this album is the beauty with which Shankar Mahadevan took himself to a new level, teaming up with Vishal Dadlani for the title track and Carlise Monterio for ‘Kal Tum They Kahan’. The other pairs like Shaan-Sunidhi, and KK-Shreya are equally enchanting. All songs are written by Javed Akhtar.

Dekho Raste Mein: This is really a gem of a track and it sounds way different from any of SEL’s previous works. It is undoubtedly the best track in the album and will make you to keep it on numerous repeats. KK and Shreya Ghoshal as singers sweep us off our feet as they present this dialect based number. It is a perfect mix of freshness, uniqueness and melody.

Hum Tum Aur Ghost (Title Track): The first thing you will notice about this song is the power packed voice of Vishal Dadlani well supported by the depth of Shankar’s voice as they put in their best to rescue this track. Needless to say, they succeed. It sounds like a perfect fusion and the beats are something you haven’t heard in a long time. Definitely worth listening to!

Banware Se Pooche Banwariya: A really peppy track. Oh wait, it doesn’t end there. We have got Shaan singing this one with none other than Sunidhi Chauhan. Isn’t it enough to make you put on your dancing shoes and dance along? This is one of those tracks, which despite not being remixed, will make it to the parties. And once you are done with the track you might find yourself singing, ‘DJ Gimme Some More’.

Kal Tum The Yahan: The beauty of this track lies in its melancholy. Slow paced, soulful and brilliant is what describes this track the best. This is one of the simplest-yet-so-amazing compositions SEL have ever came up with. The superb vocals given to this track by Shankar Mahadevan and Carlise Monterio add a slight variations here and there to break the monotonous melancholy, as a result of which, this track gets even better. The piano in this song will have a magical effect on you. That’s not all, the beauty with which the flute has been used for sure makes it one of the nicest tracks on the planet for all the ‘couples in love’.

Hum Tum Aur Ghost (Remix): A simple clean remix with nothing spectacular about it. Its just there and you can’t omit it. The original sounds much better and with the bundle of six beauties, I guess one can do away with one not so good track.

Dekho Raste Mein (Remix): Those who want to shake a leg, a perfect rendition of such a lovely song is right on its way. The remixed track sounds nothing like the original except for the words but yes, it stands out. To be on the dance floor, all you need is the groovy beats of this track and voila, you are done. Once the song does its trick, you might not stick to your inhibitions.

Kal Tum The Yahan (Remix): Another beauty to bust the myth which reads – ‘remixes are not good’. This particular remix is as beautiful as the original once. A little slow to be a dance number, this track will still be played on the radio for a long time and is perfect for a calm little drive down the town, especially in the middle of the night.

The album is a complete package with the right amount of happiness, melancholy, pep and beats. There is something or the other for everyone. Those like me who were awed with the music of My Name is Khan have to check this one out. I believed that this trio always sounds the same, but they proved me wrong this time. They have taken a leap, the past influences show but in a new package.

So what if the music is not that hyped, if it’s good it should be heard, and this album for sure needs to make it to your mp3 players.

Hum Tum Aur Ghost is a post from: BollySpice

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The movie, directed by Kedar Shinde, bears a striking resemblance to what Suraj Barjatya would have come up with in one of those ‘out of form days’. However, Kedar Shinde intentionally or unintentionally did his best to take the Suraj Barjatya’s out of form jinx and delivered TBP. The commotion and routine that exists in all close to life dramas with a tinge of comedy got the better of the director, making his helplessness pretty obvious at quite a few occasions.

Toh Baat Pakki has a variety of big, small, forgotten and ignored names all screaming, shouting and showing off their antics in this 2 hour long flick. The duration of the movie came as a surprise to me as every important element in the movie was lift off from what we as Indian audiences have been seeing for around a decade in movies like, DDLJ, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, MYKSH, etc. What makes it distinctive was the fact that this movie wore an outfit that loudly says; ‘COMEDY’ overpowering romance, family and other blahs, unlike the ones that it draws inspirations from.

Tabu makes her comeback as a middle class housewife portraying Rajeshwari Saxena. She looks gorgeous and by far she looks best as a stereotypical Indian housewife dressed in vibrant Saris and a beautiful smile. The other important characters are of Rahul (Sharman Joshi), Yuvraj (Vatsal Seth) and Nisha (Yuvika Choudhary).

The plot builds up as Rajeshwari, a control freak who loves to talk endlessly, tries to find a groom for her younger sister Nisha. Obviously it is more a hegemony factor in the nation that is lead by things like offering a dowry. Rajeshwari however is not very keen on it so she plays the cupid as she lets an engineering student Rahul in her house as a tenant, looking at him as a prospective groom. Rajeshwari’s determination worked and the couple, as planned, lands in the middle of a whirlwind romance.

The slow paced movie picks up with the entry of Yuvraj who fits perfectly in the category of an ideal with groom as he owns a house, car and a decent salary. That’s where Rajeshwari gets greedier and tries to fix up Nisha with Yuvraj, by hook or by crook. The rest of the story is about Rahul’s efforts of winning back the love of his life, making the second half of the story more emotionally strong than the first half.

The music of the film can be ignored. Pritam once again proved that he can either be good or original. The songs don’t fit in the movie and are totally avoidable since they are not doing any good to the movie. However, there is not much importance given to the background score since the dialogues of the movie are well placed and well spoken and any additional piece of music would have taken the attention away from the beauty of the dialogues, which are laced with comedy and emotions at the same time.

The cinematographers, Rahul Jadhav and Raja Satankar, did a great job as they lend a whole new feel to an age old story and the emotions that envelope every Indian household blessed with a girl. Needless to mention, they have captured the scenic beauty of a make shift hill station of Palanpur. The credits should also be given to the monstrous efforts of the art director duo of Shailesh Mahadik and Shital Kanvinde who created Palanpur.

It is noticeable how Tabu and Sharman Joshi carry the entire movie on their shoulders without letting it dip even for a minute. With this movie in her kitty, Tabu for sure has proved that she can handle comedy, especially after not being able to make a resounding presence in Priyadarshan’s Hera Pheri, while Sharman is at its best again after the mesmerizing Raju from 3 Idiots. However, Vatsal Seth fails to get this movie working in his favour, yet again.

We Indians are surrounded by drama everywhere. Right from the soaps that are aired on television to the intricacies of our own lives over flooding with family values and emotions. It was not expected that another one of the movies which dates back to the 80s would work so well for the Indian market. Someone once said, “It’s the way you look at things,” and the movie just proved it with an unmatched amount of freshness.

If you prefer a little slow paced cinema rather than the one that always keeps you on the edge of the seat because of its frantic pace, this is something for you.

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The movie stars Arshad Warsi, Naseeruddin Shah and Vidya Balan in lead roles. Directed by Abhishek Chaubey, who is better known as Vishal’s assistant all through, the movie is set in Uttar Pradesh boasting its scenic visuals. Based on the story of two thieves falling in love with a widow, this movie is set for a release on 29th January 2010.

This movie has seven tracks, three of which are remixes and two of best songs I have heard in a long time.

Dil To Bachcha Hai: Performed by none other than Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, this song is a sure winner. I cannot think of anyone else other than Rahat Fateh Ali Khan who could have added a bit of Sufism that was required to portray Gulzar’s words in the right manner. The music draws inspiration from the 60s with the whole lot of La la la la la’s and the beauty of the instrument in the intro which gets even better into the verse. The words are clear, sophisticated and mesmerizing. This is a track you should listen to at any cost just to feel how beautiful music can be.

Ibn-e-Batuta: This track serves a purpose for each of the the singers. It is another feather in Sukhwinder’s cap and at the same time, it takes Mika to a whole new level. The song has a folkish feeling, and the words seem perfectly fit for a delectable party at a certain dhaba (eating joint found on highways) in remote Uttar Pradesh. The visuals of the song will make the situation more clear. The music is fusion based and you may sense a variety of Indian and western instruments clubbed together for a song that would force you to sing “Ibn-e-Batuta tat a ta” all day long.

Ab Mujhe Koi: The vocals for this song have been rendered by Rekha Bharadwaj in a brilliant manner. The most interesting thing about this song is that it is a very intriguing summation of a few generations. The intro gives you a very different feeling but as soon as the vocals pick up, you would think that this is some Gazal. Then, two minutes into the song it will give you an altogether different feeling and eventually you will realize that this song is working for you. The track is another beautiful composition and for sure a dessert to all you lyric fanatics out there. Melancholy at its best and a couple of lines that proves my point exactly are as follows:

Jin Dino Aap Rehte The, Aankh Mein Dhoop Rehte Thi. Ab to Jaale hi Jaale Hain, Yeh Bhi Jaane Wale Hain. Woh jo tha Dar ka Karaar Kahan, Woh jo tha Dar ka Karaar Kahan

Badi Dheere Jali: This song is an interesting play of the musical arrangements and vocals, with a classical touch. Rekha Bharadwaj, once again, establishes herself as a superb singer. The song certainly is a gem and is special in many ways. The lyrics are typically Gulzar’s, and the songs consists of raw vocals and the use of different Indian instruments at different places to create magic.

Dil To Bachcha Hai (Remix): The song is remixed by Clinton Crejo and yes, the English parts are performed and written by Clinton himself. Coming to think of it, I was wondering if the English portions were required at all? Clearly, it doesn’t seems like a song that will be played in nightclubs, and if it is being remixed for the sake of creative purposes then I would prefer it without Clinton singing in between the phrases. The song would work equally nice, if not better than the original, if the first two minutes of the remix continued until the end.

Ibn-E-Babtuta (Nucleya Remix): All the trance lovers are going to fall in love with this one immediately. This track is perfect for parties, clubs and discos. I wonder why it is not named House Mix instead of Nucleya Mix. Over all, it is nice, fast paced and one of the better remixes you have heard lately.

Ibn-E-Batuta (Remix): Remixed by Jackie V, this song has something gone terribly missing. What could it be, you ask? Oh yes, this song lacks the rawness and the beauty of the original version. Take my word for it, if at all you are keen on the remix of ‘Ibn-E-Batuta’ then please listen to the Nucleya Remix over this one. Too much manipulation is killing the beauty and sincerity of Sukhwinder’s voice as well as Gulzar’s words.

Six out of seven songs worked for me. This is one of the music albums you should be buying, but even if you don’t like all the songs, then give ‘Dil To Bachcha Hai’ and ‘Ibn-E-Batuta’ a try for they are beauties indeed and worth every single penny.

Gulzar and Vishal Bharadwaj as a lyricist and composer duo date back to a long time. Every song they have worked on is beautiful, irrespective of the response it got. Let it be Makdee, Hu Tu Tu, Omkara or even Rekha Bharadwaj’s album, Ishqa Ishqa, each and every song they have shelled out for us is an object of eternal admiration. Luckily, this album gives you at least two masterpieces to fall in love with.

In the beginning I had said that the duo has stopped creating songs or music because they are now creating experiences. After listening to ‘Dil To Bahchca Hai’ and ‘Ibn-E-Batuta’ over and over again, I realized what a wonderful experience it has been.

In all probabilities, it is a must have album in your collection if you are moved by the words of the songs or if you just want to figure out what true music should sound like.

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Ayan Mukherjee – Wake Up Sid

They say that a story can be said in a million different ways. When Bollywood was getting repetitive with their style of storytelling that bored audiences to death, Ayan Mukherjee, who wrote SRK starrer Swades, took the challenge and presented the same old story in a new format making it easier for the members of audience to relate to. He picked up small elements from our own lives and represented them on the screen portraying a realistic image of a father, mother, son and an independent ambitious girl. The characters were quite close to what we would see around ourselves and yes, the story that he said wasn’t about a miraculous escape and a bare handed guy smashing 50 odd villains, it was about us, being us. All in all, Ayan’s Wake Up Sid starring Ranbeer Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma became an instant hit and none of us really cared for the loopholes, even if there were any.

Zoya Akhtar – Luck By Chance

Luck By Chance starring Farhan Akhtar and Konkona Sen Sharma, is more than a movie. It is a sneak peek into the lives of many who come to Mumbai flooded with dreams of being a renowned name in the film industry. It is rather the reflection of what happens. The issues it puts up front range from casting couches and star kids to media controversies, etc. The movie is clear, straight forward and is served to the viewer sans the nonsense, and each complexity was handled with great ease. As per the speculations, it would have been little difficult for a new comer like Zoya to deliver a movie that showcased the other side of the screen and the hearts of those who make stories. But, Zoya did it, making her characters as close to life as possible and now she lives on tell the tale. Luck By Chance is simple, yet an effective movie. Seems like her experience as the Assistant Director for films like Lakshya, Dil Chahta Hai and Bombay Boys worked the magic.

Nandita Das – Firaaq
All in all, the year 2009 saw two great female directorial debuts. One was Zoya Akhtar and the other was Nandita Das for her movie Firaaq which was considered more to be on the lines of docu-drama. The movie starring veterans like Naseeruddin Shah and Paresh Rawal also included actors Sanjay Suri, Tisca Chopra, Shahana Goswani and Deepti Naval who played other crucial roles. The movie is based on the relationships of people that changed during post Gujrat riots and managed to mesmerize critics but at the same time, it drew unwanted controversies which affected the movie big time. Nevertheless, a wonderful actor Nandita Das proved her mettle in the field of direction too by coming up with Firaaq. It was a clear reflection of the movies or short films that she has done in the past. The USP of Firaaq is the unmatched potential of the cast utilized well by the director for a story that is set over 24 hours, one month after the Gujrat riots in 2002.

Rensil D’Silva – Kurbaan

The script writer turned director Rensil, came out with Kurbaan, starring Saifeena (Oh! Saif Ali Khan and Kareena), but even before the movie hit the cinema halls it created a whole lot of issues with the local political group for its provocative posters. Rensil, in the past, has written the script for Rang De Basanti which shattered many barriers, raising the expectations higher for his own film. Many have claimed that it was a movie across genres, but in fact it had too much to be contained into one single genre. It is a perfect blend of ingredients – a love story, global terrorism, political tension, thrilling action, etc. served on the platter of a religion focused delicacy. The controversies were bound to happen and among those controversies, Rensil managed to present a strong comment on Islam, picking up where Rang De Basant ended. However, it can be said that he strayed too far, managing to get a striking resemblance to John and Katrina starrer New York which released earlier this year.

Prabhu Deva – Wanted

At BollySpice, we believe in the content of the movie but we do not deny the commercial aspect attached to it. It takes a great amount of courage to choose between the commercial and the creative, and one fellow who ended up making a blockbuster is none other than our very own Prabhu Deva, formerly and better known as the dancer without bones. With his Wanted starring Salman Khan and Ayesha Takia he did set the cash register ringing throughout. Critics believe that it was some Tamil movie with Bollywood stars in it but critics should have stayed quiet because the movie was meant for the masses, not for them. Flooded with mindless action and bad treatment, the movie managed to reach the peaks of commercial value and the credit goes to none other than the director himself. Shhh! We do realized that it’s a frame to frame remake of Pokiri.

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Our writer Piyush Singh pays a personal tribute to Asheem

Asheem: A Voice That We’ve Known

I don’t know if it needs to be written or not but I just wanted to get away from that voice for a while. Yes, I needed an escape. I had a few unsuccessful attempts but every time I would try and do something else, his smiling face would ruin my trials. Now since he is gone, I feel as if he has ordered his voice to linger in our minds constantly. I want it to stop playing in my head. Every time I hear his diction of word ‘Bondhu’, a tear would roll down while I try to put down random words with my trembling hands and unease mind.

Asheem was one of those people who dragged me towards my future. If it wouldn’t have been for Indian Ocean or for him, I would have been dissecting human bodies in an operation theatre of some multi specialty. Indian Ocean gave the power to my words and they made me believe in me. Everything else, or rather, everyone else followed.

The gigs that I have been with them or the ones that I have organized for them now make a part of a wonderful memory. Coincidentally, I always ended up being on his side of the stage and the first person I would click was Asheem. He would smile while his fingers kept on doing his things on the Tabla. It always was one of those smiles that would right away bring you out of the state of mind that reads ‘Oh, You Are a Organizer. Something Might GO Wrong. You had a long day…blah… blah’. And that’s not all. If you look at him often during his performance, he would oblige you with a shower of those smiles and suddenly it all starts to feel alright.

I haven’t met him for quite some time. The last I met him was in the February of 2007. The very same year that took away my father. I have been on phone with Asheem with off and on during this span and when I got to know of his heart attack around Diwali this year, I felt as if my world would collapse. The way I was been told about his condition quite gave me an idea as to how serious it all could get. I have been preparing myself since then. But looking at the results today, I think my preparations were just not enough.

We have a series of good mutual friends. Not many people were unfortunate enough to wake up every morning with Asheem’s health tucked away safe in some corner of their minds. Even a slightlyvague status message about Asheem would steal my peace of mind and I would instantly message someone who is really close to the band and yet not a part of the band. In the past two months, I really didn’t have the courage to speak to anyone from the member and even today, I just can’t seem to have the courage to dial the same number which has been on the top of my mind for past 9 years.Yes, I am really sorry, Amit Bhaiya.

He brought joy, he brought smiles, more over he brought fame to India. We didn’t realize the fact that it is just because the constant effort of these pioneers that alternate music is able to survive. The Indian musicians who say that they never have been inspired by bands like Indian Ocean and Parikrama and probably lying. This makes Asheem the person who changed many lives. The moment he would start Hille Le on stage, you just cannot miss the softness of his face that would sweep you off your feet. The song is typical Asheem as far as I have known him. It just takes you in the flow and both, Asheem and the song, are totally unforgettable.

Things are way different now. One can pursue music and do a job properly. But when Asheem started, he had to quit his job to follow his passion for music. He had kids, a family but this guy was all keen to set an inspiring example so that the hundreds who have read his story have the courage to follow their hearts. Those who have been following me recently might be aware of something that I said a few days back. Do set an example, good or bad is another part of the same story. This guy for sure knew how to set an example.

An honest musician and a marvelous human being left us today. The loss, I believe is terrible. It has left a void and now I feel alone sitting here in my room as the night gets darker and deeper. My phone is lying in another corner of room with innumerous missed calls and unchecked messages. Just don’t feel like picking it up and seeing a mutual friend in that list of messages and calls. His voice and personality was so powerful that I am having tough time attempting an escape. His voice commanded authority over one and all. I have seen him organizers running around even if he made a small request on stage before the show. Though, this person never made frivolous requests, even a ‘big pedestal fan’ next to his raiser during summers seems justified now.

The time that I have spent him lately was about his forgetting habbit. The moment he would land at an airport and met someone from the organizing committee, he would straightaway ask for the person’s phone number. He always explained with a smile, “Main bhool jaata hoon. Kho gaya to?” This trick of his, though justified, always brought smile to the person and then he would keep on showering smile all the while. I believe it takes great effort to maintain a band. This guy did it.

Its Christmas today and the clock hands are getting close to strike 12. In a few minutes the day will be over. I am still getting IMs that say, “merry Christmas”, and all that I can say is “”. I have no better answer for many reasons but the most important one being, ‘What’s so Merry about this Christmas?” This year, Christmas has been a killer and it took away Asheem. The pain is terrible, I wish I would have never known him. His voice is stil running through me.

It is rather strange that how people cope up with deaths. Despite the fact that I am not at peace after he’s gone, I am praying for him to rest in peace. Strange is the world and stranger are its ways. I feel like praying but I want to pray to God to grant him an even grander afterlife, if it really exists. Asheem has always brought smiles to His children, weaved them together with his music and voice, and lived an honest and modest life. By all means, he deserves to a God’s child who is closest to Him.
As far as I am concerned, I will probably sit here, through the night, in front of my computer trying hard so that his voice stops playing in my mind.

Asheem, I owe you a lot. I will make it a point to pay you back whenever we meet. Naming my son after you is the least I could do living in this surreal world. You will be missed for now and forever.

Forever Yours

Piyush Singh
25th December 2009

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His experience in Paa allowed Abhishek to finally ‘grow up’, and he has said, “Most definitely, we are coming together. All four of us are completely for it. We need to sort out certain variables. The scripts that we had been given didn’t justify our collective presence. Each individual of the family has to be willing to be part of the film. All four of us are unique actors. It’s very difficult for any script to please collectively.”

Though he’s all praises for his father, Abhishek is worried about Big B’s health because of his workload. He said that after doing five films with his father, considering the authority he has, he said that what the audience has seen of his work is ‘just the tip of the iceberg’. Abhishek is planning to do a comedy with his father before the entire Bachchan parivar comes together on screen.

Abhishek had just two releases this year. Other than Paa, he was seen in Delhi 6. But he is all set to take Bollywood by storm in the year 2010 with as many as seven releases. This fine actor just finished shooting for Mani Ratnam’s Ravana and Ashutosh Gowariker’s period flick Khele Hum Jee Jaan Se. He is also doing Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s untitled projects along with Rohan Sippy’s Dostana 2. Once he is done with these, he will start working on Abbas — Mastan’s remake of The Italian Job and Neeraj Pandey’s Special Chabbhis.

Bachchan Bahu will be seen in Action Replay and Guzaarish and as far as Big B is concerned, he will start the year with Rann, followed by Teen Patti, The Actor, Shoebite and Buddha. The flick with the Bachchan parivar will just be the icing on the cake for people who always craved for movies starring the members of the Bachchan family.

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