Ms Gandhi was the Sing(h)er

Pink Gulabi Sky was the shorter of the two tracks from The Sky Is Pink on this blog – it was four minutes and nine seconds long.

The track was rendered by Jonita Gandhi, who was joined behind the microphone by Shashwat Singh.

Though Gulabi is Hindi for pink, no one really cared, because the track was penned by none other than the czar of lyrics, Gulzar.

It was composed by Pritam.

Since the festive season was underway when the film hit the screens, it would have probably made it to many people’s playlists for parties.

(Arij)It was an addictive (Mi)track

This blog contains posts on a couple of tracks from The Sky Is Pink, which released in 2019 and marked Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ return to the Hindi film industry.

If they were arranged in the alphabetical order, and in the descending order of their durations, Dil Hi To Hai would be the first – it was four minutes and 40 seconds long.

The title of the Pritam composition might remind the listeners of a film that released in 1963, the year Gulzar, who penned it, debuted.

 Antara and Arijit Singh rendered the (Mi)track, which was addictive.

(Arij)It was a mind-blowing solo

By no means would it be incorrect to state that as far as rendering soul-stirring numbers are concerned, there is just one king – the one and only Arijit Singh.

And contrary to what its name translated to, the title track of Kalank was certainly no blemish on his ‘track’ record (pun intended).

It was five minutes and 11 seconds long.

As the saying goes, good things – or in the case of this Pritam composition, great ones – come to those who wait.

The track was penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya, who did a marvellous job as usual.

It certainly was (Mh)adelightful SonG

Back from a two-year absence from the Hindi film music scene, Pritam was raring to go, and that was evident in Ghar More Pardesiya, the song from Kalank, the film that marked his return.

Interestingly, the track, which was five minutes and 19 seconds long, was penned by the one and only Amitabh Bhattacharya, and was very different from the ones he has written earlier.

The song, which was picturised on the dancing diva Madhuri Dixit-Nene and the current heartthrob Alia Bhatt and features Kathak moves, was impressive.

Shreya Ghoshal and Vaishali Mhade rendered it.

(Arij)It was indeed a first-class NuMber

Of the three tracks from Kalank (2019) on this blog, First Class was the shortest – it was four minutes and 36 seconds long.

There’s no two ways about the fact that the song, as its title suggests, was first-class, and was aimed at bringing people to the dance floor.

Pritam, who composed the track, was back with a bang with this number, which has made a smashing entry on the charts.

Amitabh Bhattacharya penned the track, which was rendered by none other than Arijit Singh, who was joined behind the microphone by Neeti Mohan.

It failed to induce nosTalJia

Being a retro Hindi film music buff, I listened to the film version of Woh Din only because it had a line that went, “Yaad hain filmon ke purane R D Burman ke woh gaane”.

It was the longest of the five tracks from Chhichhore on this blog – it was five minutes and a dozen seconds long.

And it wouldn’t be incorrect to state that listening to the Pritam composition, which Amitabh Bhattacharya penned, was a chore.

Tushar Joshi rendered it.

Arijit Singh sang the other version, which was four minutes and 18 seconds long.

Mr Singh sang (Arij)it ‘well’

Khairiyat poochhna is asking someone how he/she is.

And Pritam was obviously well, because he composed a couple of versions of a track titled Khairiyat, which was from Chhichhore.

The version on this blog was four minutes and 40 seconds long.

The other was a bonus track, which was just ten seconds shorter than the aforementioned version.

The track, which was penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya, contained the word Kaifiyat, which means news.

Of course, it is no news that (Arij)it was rendered by none other than Mr Singh, who, as always, did a marvellous job.

This tracK brought nostalgia back

By no means would it be incorrect to state that Kal Ki Hi Baat Hai was the aural equivalent of déjà vu.

The track, from Chhichhore, was four minutes long, and was a trip down memory lane to the late 1990s, especially for the fans of the man who rendered it – KK.

Amitabh Bhattacharya obviously wrote it for someone very special, because it had lines that went, “Veerane mein bahaar laaya tha tu” and “Tere aage lagte hain bemaane sab naate”.

But the highlight of the track, which was composed by Pritam, was its melody.

Mitra AND Mishra joined Sreerama

While I was not impressed by Fikar Not, I certainly believe that it conveyed the message as simply and effectively as Bobby McFerrin’s 1988 song, Don’t Worry, Be Happy.

It was the shortest of the five tracks from Chhichhore on this blog – it was three minutes and nine seconds long.

Amitabh Bhattacharya penned the Pritam composition (using the mutual fund analogy and the story of the hare and the tortoise), besides being one of the six people who rendered it.

The others were Antara Mitra, Amit Mishra, Dev Negi, Nakash Aziz and Sreerama Chandra Mynampati.

WordSMith Bhattacharya saNG it too

Music director Pritam has re-entered the blog with a song whose title was precisely what he was unable to do until his gap year (2018) – Control his urge to be Mr Prolific.

If the five tracks from Chhichhore (2019) on this blog were arranged in the alphabetical order, it would be the first.

The song, which was three minutes and 36 seconds long, was penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya, who also happened to be one of the five men who rendered it.

The others were Geet Sagar, Manish J Tipu, Nakash Aziz and Sreerama Chandra Mynampati.

(Am)Its simplicity was its USP

Radio, from Tubelight, was rendered by Kamaal Khan and Mr Mishra. 

(Am)It was a simple and lively track, with a hook that went, “Sajan radio, bajaiyo bajaiyo bajaiyo zara” (which, in this context, can be translated to, “Darling, turn the radio on, turn the radio on, turn the radio on.”)

Perhaps, FM aficionados were impressed.

The soundtrack of the film featured a couple of versions of the song, one of which was titled Film Version. 

Both were the same length – four minutes and 40 seconds.

Amitabh Bhattacharya penned the track, which was composed by Pritam.

It was aN aDdiKTive song

Naach Meri Jaan, from Tubelight, couldn’t have been penned by anyone but Amitabh Bhattacharya. 

It was peppered with colloquial phrases, like hukum ka ikka (the ace of spades in a game of cards) and cricket ka chhakka (a six in cricket).

It was Kamaal ka comeback of sorts of Mr Khan.

He was joined behind the microphone by three other singers – Dev Negi, Nakash Aziz and Tushar Joshi [who was the voice of Ranbir Kapoor’s character in Jagga Jasoos (2017)]. 

The catchy track, which was four minutes and 47 seconds long, was composed by Pritam.

It was certainly A(ti)fantastic track

Main Agar, from Tubelight (2017), wAs(l)amassy number, but impressed the classes too.

The soundtrack featured a couple of versions of the song, which, by no means, was a typical Salman Khan number, because it was the sort of track that would take a long time to grow on the listeners. 

This blog features a post on the longer version, which was sung by Atif.

It was four minutes and 39 seconds long.

The Film Version, which was three minutes and 28 seconds long, was rendered by KK.

Amitabh Bhattacharya penned the track, which Pritam composed.

Nikhita Sang this recreated track

First up, recreating a track, irrespective of how old the original is, is pointless. But (Arij)it seems to be the prevalent trend in the Hindi film music industry. 

The title track of Raabta was a version of the song of the same name from Agent Vinod, which released just five years before the aforementioned film.

Nikhita Gandhi rendered the song, which, fortunately, wasn’t appalling. 

Mr Singh played second fiddle.

The longest track in the film, it was four minutes and 57 seconds long.

Penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya and Irshad Kamil, it was composed by Pritam.

(Arij)It was tailor-made for Singh

Ik Vaari Aa, from Raabta (2017), was an outstanding song. 

The soundtrack of the film featured a couple of versions of the track.

This blog contains a post on the version rendered by Mr Singh.

(Arij)It wasn’t the sort of number one expects him to croon, but it had the qualities required for it to be a chartbuster. And that’s exactly what it was.

The second was titled Jubin Version, because it was sung by Jubin Nautiyal.

Both were four minutes and 34 seconds long.

The track was penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya.

Pritam composed it.

Another Ms Gandhi rendered (Arij)it

Mr Singh was at (Arij)it again (is a Hindi film soundtrack complete without a song rendered by him now?)

And on this occasion, he was joined behind the microphone by Nikhita Gandhi, a qualified dentist who doesn’t share just her surname with Mahatma Gandhi, but also her birthday (October 2). 

The track was titled Ullu Ka Pattha.

Three minutes and 23 seconds long, it was from Jagga Jasoos.

It was penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya [which explains phrases like sau-sau ka chhutta (change for Rs 100 notes) and Akbar ka pota (Akbar’s grandson)].

Pritam composed it.

(Arij)It was (Moh)an unconventional melody

Jhumritalaiyya isn’t just the Jharkhand town that became famous in the Golden Era of Hindi film music for a slew of farmaishein (requests) for songs on Radio Ceylon and Vividh Bharati, All India Radio’s national broadcast service. 

It was also the name of a track from Jagga Jasoos.

Three minutes and 59 seconds long, it was the only song in the film that was penned by Neelesh Misra.

It was composed by Pritam.

Incidentally, the track, which was rendered by Arijit Singh and Mohan Kannan, also had a reference to Timbuktu, the city in Mali.  

Mishra and Singh killed it

Make no (Galti Se) Mistake, the song from Jagga Jasoos (2017) was thoroughly enjoyable. 

Is it any wonder that Pritam, who composed it, was nominated in the Best Music Director category at the Zee Cine Awards that year?

The song was nominated in the Song of the Year at the same ceremony.

Incidentally, Vijay Ganguly and Ruel Dausan Vrindani bagged the Zee Cine Award for Best Choreography for the song.

The track, which was just three minutes and 23 seconds long, was penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya.

(Am)It was rendered by Mr Mishra and Arijit Singh.

(Arij)It was a melodious track

Safar, from Jab Harry Met Sejal, could be the favourite song of all those who believe that life is a journey. 

And, of course, that of all those who concur with its hook, that went, “Safar ka hi tha main, safar ka raha” (which could be translated to, “I belonged to the journey, and I continue to be a part of the journey.”)

At six minutes and five seconds, it was the longest song in the film.

(Arij)It was rendered by Mr Singh.

The track, which was penned by Irshad Kamil, was composed by Pritam.

Mr Mallya rendered a (Sunid)hit

The seamless meshing of the Punjabi portion (rendered by Shahid Mallya) into the Hindi portion, and the energy of the female vocalist, Ms Chauhan, were indeed the (Sunid)highlights of Radha, the song from Jab Harry Met Sejal. 

Five minutes and a couple of seconds long, the track was penned by Mr Kamil.

Composed by Pritam, it was the first released song from the film. The song (Irs)had been doing the rounds a month-and-a-half prior to its release.

And if it to be described in a word, there’s no doubt the best adjective would be catchy.

Mr Singh rendered (Arij)it beautifully

By no means would it be incorrect to state that Hawayein was the most outstanding song on the soundtrack of Jab Harry Met Sejal. 

In fact, it wasn’t just the title of the song, but given the number of repetitions, it could also be called the hook of the song, which was four minutes and 50 seconds long.

(Arij)It was rendered by Mr Singh, who has, in a short span, become one of Pritam’s go-to crooners.

The Film Version of the song was five minutes and seven seconds long.

They were penned by Irshad Kamil.

This club song was pASSable

Beech Beech Mein, from Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017), could only be remembered for one thing – Arijit, who is known for Sing(h)ing ballads and soulful numbers, sang a party song (which was ordinary).

He was joined behind the microphone by Shalmali Kholgade and Shefali Alvares.

Its opening verse had an understatement – “Sur lag jaata mera tumhare wala beech beech mein” (which can be translated to, “Sometimes, I manage to hit the same note as you.”)

The track, which was penned by Irshad Kamil, was composed by Pritam.

It was three minutes and 26 seconds long.

Mallya didn’t sing (Rafta)arocking number

By no stretch of the imagination did Toh Dishoom, the title track of Dishoom, pack a punch. 

At four minutes and three seconds, it was the longest song on the soundtrack of the film.

Penned by Mayur Puri, it was composed by Pritam.

Shahid Mallya rendered the Punjabi portion of the track, which featured a rap portion by Raftaar. 

The references to big names in the Indian and international music industry [Kishore Da (Kumar), Katy Perry and (Yo Yo) Honey Singh] gave the listeners the impression that it was a song they had already heard.

(Am)It was certainly a (Gand)hit

The lyrics of a song can make or mar (Pand)it. But fortunately, Kumaar and Ashiesh, who penned Sau Tarah Ke, did a pretty good job. 

The song, from Dishoom, was three minutes and 58 seconds long, and catchy.

(Am)It was rendered by Mr Mishra and Jonita Gandhi.

Pritam composed the track.

But was there a need to have another version of the track, titled Revisited?

Although the answer to that question was no, there was one, which was penned by Mayur Puri.

It was a second longer.

Abhijeet Sawant and Aditi Singh Sharma sang it.

It was (Am)an average (Mi)track

The soundtrack of Dishoom, which released in 2016, had a couple of versions of Jaaneman Aah, the item number picturised on Parineeti Chopra and Varun Dhawan. 

Mayur Puri penned both versions of the (Mi)track, which Antara rendered. Pritam composed them.

This blog contains a post on Version 1, which was rendered by Aman Trikha, who participated in Sur Kshetra, the 2012 reality show which featured contestants from India and Pakistan and was aired on Colors TV and Sahara One.

Nakash Aziz sang Version 2.

They were, incidentally, the same length – three minutes and 50 seconds.

(Arij)It was an outstanding song

A song that could be translated to eyes and was a treat for the ears – that, in a nutshell, would perhaps be the best way to describe the male version of Naina from Dangal. 

(Arij)It was rendered by Singh. 

By no means was it a surprise that his contribution to the soundtrack was a pathos-laden song, because such songs are right up his alley.

Amitabh Bhattacharya penned the track, which was three minutes and 45 seconds long and composed by Pritam.

Interestingly, its female version, rendered by Neha Kakkar, was a couple of seconds longer.

These Khans surely packed (B)apunch

Bring a couple of precocious kids, whose mischief will provide the track the requisite tadka. Get them to render a few hilarious verses, penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya.

What you’ll get is a (Haani)k(aa)ra(c)ker of a track, which even your Bapu (who you may perceive as a strict man) would give his nod to.

The song from Dangal, which was four minutes and 22 seconds long and composed by Pritam, was rendered by Sarwar Khan and Sartaz Khan Barna.

They belong to the Manganiyar community, which hails from Rajasthan and is renowned for its folk music.

This Gandhi sang about freedom

Gilehriyaan, which means squirrels, was a song from Dangal. 

It was a word in a line that went, “Kyun phudak phudak ke dhadkanon ki chal rahi gilehriyaan” (which means, “Why are the squirrels of the heartbeats hopping?”)

The track, which was penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya and composed by Pritam, was three 

minutes and 40 seconds long.

A metaphor for freedom from tyranny, it was appropriate, albeit coincidental, that it was rendered by Jonita, who, incidentally, shares her last name with the Father of the Nation (Gandhi).

It was pleasing to the ears of the listeners.

Raftaar sent everyone into ‘rap’tures

A couple of minutes and 56 seconds long, Dhaakad, which means a powerful person who is definitely respected and may be feared, was the shortest song on the soundtrack of Dangal. 

It wouldn’t be (Dil)incorrect to state that Mr Nair, who rendered it, was on fire. For those wondering who he is, he is a rapper better known by his stage name, Raftaar.

The song, which was penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya, was composed by Pritam.

Another version of the track was sung by Aamir Khan, the film’s lead. It was as long as Raftaar’s version.  

This track (Dan)g(a)laddened Mehndi’s fans

Dangal, which released in 2016, earned Pritam the Star Screen Award for Best Music Director (and the award for the Best Background Music at the same category) the following year.

It bagged the Listeners’ Choice Album of the Year Award at the Mirchi Music Awards.

The title track of the film was the longest song on its soundtrack – it was four minutes and 59 seconds long.

Amitabh Bhattacharya, who penned the track, deserved kudos for understanding the rustic milieu.

But, without an iota of doubt, the highlight of the track was Daler Mehndi’s energetic rendition.

(Arij)It was certainly An(tar)addictive (Mi)track

Only one of the tracks on the soundtrack of Azhar – which was based on the life of Mohammad Azharuddin, the former skipper of the Indian cricket team and released in 2016 – was composed by Pritam. 

Titled Itni Si Baat Hai, it was four minutes and 55 seconds long.

(Arij)It wouldn’t be wrong to say that it was the best (Mi)track in the film.

The song, which was rendered by Mr Singh and Antara, appealed to two kinds of listeners – (a) those who like romantic numbers, and (b) those are in love.

Manoj Yadav penned it.  

Jonita’s rendition was Not BAd

Interestingly, The Break Up Song, from Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, released as a single on October 13, 2016, which happened to be yours truly’s 34^th birthday. 

(Arij)It was rendered by Ms Gandhi (who was nominated in the Best Playback Singer – Female category at the Stardust Awards in 2016 and the Filmfare Awards the following year), Mr Singh, Badshah and Nakash Aziz. 

It wasn’t the weakest song on the soundtrack, but was (Jon)ita track whose shelf life was long? No!

Amitabh Bhattacharya penned the track, which was four minutes and 12 seconds long.

Pritam composed it.

Pardeep S(r)ang a run-of-the-mill song

Cutiepie was the most disappointing song on the soundtrack of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

Incidentally, it was also the shortest – it was just three minutes and 51 seconds long.

It introduced Hindi film music aficionados to (Sr)anew voice – that of Pardeep Singh, whose previous claim to fame was being a contestant on India’s Raw Star, a show that aired on Star Plus in 2014 and featured Yo Yo Honey Singh as mentor.

Aziz, himself a reality show alumnus, (Naka)shared singing credits with him.

The song, which was penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya, was composed by Pritam.

(Arij)It was among Singh's best

Channa Mereya was, by far, the most outstanding song on the soundtrack of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

In fact, it wouldn’t be incorrect to state that (Arij)it is also one of the best tracks that Mr Singh had rendered to date.

Four minutes and 49 seconds long, it earned Amitabh Bhattacharya the Best Lyricist Award at the 2016 Stardust Awards and the 2017 Filmfare Awards.

Pritam composed the soulful track that began with, “Achcha chalta hoon, duaon mein yaad rakhna” (which can be translated to, “I’ll take your leave now. Keep me in your prayers.”) 

Everyone was Bull(eya)ish about Amit

Five minutes and 49 seconds long, Bulleya was the longest song on the soundtrack of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. 

(Am)It was Mishra's breakthrough track, and earned him the R D Burman Award for New Music Talent at the Filmfare Awards in 2017.

He also bagged the Screen Award for Best Male Playback in 2016.

Shilpa joined him behind the micR(a)ophone.

The song, which was penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya and composed by Pritam, had a version titled Reprise.

(Arij)It was just a second shorter than the original. While Rao was the female singer, Singh replaced Mishra. 

(Arij)It certainly deserved every accolade

Upon listening to the title track of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016), it certainly isn’t difficult to understand why Pritam bagged the Screen Award and the Stardust Award for Best Music Director that year and the Filmfare Award in the same category the following year. 

The song, which was four minutes and 29 seconds long and was emotional, earned Amitabh Bhattacharya the Screen Best Lyricist Award and nominations at the other two ceremonies.

And Arijit won the Filmfare Best Playback Sing(h)er Award, in addition to being nominated in the same category at the Screen Awards.

Ya Baba, it wAs(r)arocking track

The soundtrack of Phantom (2015) featured four versions of Afghan Jalebi. 

The post on this blog is about the version titled Ya Baba. Three minutes and 43 seconds long, it was the shortest of the four.

Pritam composed the song, which was penned by Akhtar Chanal Zahri and sung by Syed Asrar Shah.

Zahri rendered its Film Version, which was a second longer, and its Dumbek Version, which was six seconds longer.

Amitabh Bhattacharya penned them and the fourth version – Ya Baba (Fitna Farebi), which was as long as Shah's version. Nakash Aziz sang it. 

This track certainly wASN't rocKiNg

Tukur Tukur, from Dilwale, was a song with a random verse (“Vasco da Gama, pagdi pajama”). 

However, it was unable to make a lasting impression on the listeners.

The track, which was four minutes and 33 seconds long, was penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya and composed by Pritam, who, surprisingly, won the Composer of the Year award at the Mirchi Music Awards and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for Best Music.

Arijit was one of the five Sing(h)ers who rendered it.

He was joined behind the microphone by Nakash Aziz, Siddharth Mahadevan, Kanika Kapoor and Neha Kakkar.

It was no 3AM mood-lifter

Manma Emotion Jaage, the peppy track from Dilwale, was penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya and composed by Pritam. 

It may have been inspired by a track by American girl band Fifth Harmony, which featured rapper Kid Ink, but was it Worth It? Probably not, because it had a short shelf life.

Incidentally, it was the shortest song in the film – it was three minutes and 29 seconds long.

It was rendered by three singers who, interestingly, share initials. Amit Mishra was joined behind the microphone by a couple of female vocalists – Antara Mitra and Anushka Manchanda. 

Mr Singh did dominate proceedings

Would (Arij)it be correct to state that Janam Janam, from Dilwale, was dominated by the male Sing(h)er? Of course. 

In fact, a majority of the listeners may not even remember that he was joined behind the microphone by Antara Mitra.

The track, which was penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya and composed by Pritam, was three minutes and 58 seconds long.

It was picturised on Shahrukh Khan and Kajol, who stood under an umbrella on a rainy night, a la the showman Raj Kapoor and his muse Nargis in Pyaar Hua Iqraar Hua from Shree 420 (1955). 

(Arij)It was among Antara’s best

At five minutes and 45 seconds, Gerua was the longest song on the soundtrack of Dilwale. 

It was among the best songs in the film, and was a feather in the cap of Antara Mitra, who shared Sing(h)ing credits with Arijit, who was nominated in the Best Playback Singer – Male category at the Filmfare Awards in 2016.

It earned Amitabh Bhattacharya a nomination in the Best Lyricist category at the Filmfare Awards the same year.

Pritam composed the track, which was shot in Iceland and picturised on the iconic jodi of Shahrukh Khan and Kajol.

(Arij)It was an ordinary track

While there are no limits to creativity, people tend to set Daayre.

The people in question were Amitabh Bhattacharya, who penned it, and Pritam, who set it to music.

The latter was nominated in the Best Music Director category at the 61^st Filmfare Awards, which took place in 2016.

By no means would (Arij)it be incorrect to state that the track, which was four minutes and 50 seconds long, was the least impressive song on the soundtrack of Dilwale, which released in 2015.

Rendered by Mr Singh, it was the only solo in the film.

Chakraborty, the crooner, joined Jubin

Believe it or not, I hadn’t heard Zindagi Kuch To Bata, from Bajrangi Bhaijaan, until recently. Hence, I didn’t write a post on the song when I began to write my blog dedicated to Pritam’s music.

His involvement in the track, which was four minutes and 23 seconds long, wasn’t restricted to composing it, but he was one of the two men who rendered it too.

The person he joined behind the microphone was Jubin Nautiyal, an upcoming male vocalist then (he won an award in a category of that name).

Neelesh Misra penned it.