Best Original Song
Music is the life and soul of Hindi films, it's the bread and butter. With the ever changing landscape of Hindi cinema, taking new twists and turns; it is becoming increasingly common to see songs especially those that cater to a much more emotional complexity, to play in the background rather than be outright sung by its actors/performers.
We still have those occasionally idiotic party songs as well as some catchy music that requires the actors to perform one of the most underrated and truly guilty pleasures [to watch] only Hindi cinema can partake in; the lip sync song.
I decided to move onto Original Song this year rather than soundtrack as it helps give a taste of the music in store in different films and can also divide a song from an overall terrible soundtrack, saving it from not being nominated if the whole soundtrack was in contention.
This year alone was a host to some fantastic music from a varied number of films, here are those numbers that just missed the cut;
"Tu Hai Ki Nahi' by Ankit Tiwari, Roy
"Gulaabo" by Vishal Dadlani, Amit Trivedi and Anusha Mani, Shaandaar
"Tu Jo Hain" by Ankit Tiwari, Mr. X
"Maan Kasturi" by Indian Ocean, Masaan
"Insaaf" by Arooj Aftab, Talvar
"Zinda" by Rekha Bharadwaj, Talvar
"Journey Song" by Shreya Ghoshal and Anupam Roy, Piku
The Rest of Badlapur Soundtrack
The Rest of the Tamasha Soundtrack
The Rest of the Bombay Velvet Soundtrack
And the Most Glaring Omission [which I apologize for immensely and should have most likely been nominated];
"Moh Moh Ke Dhaage" by Papon and Monali Thakur, Dum Laga Ke Haisha
Apologies if I missed out any other honorable mentions, please do inform me in the comments section below.
Also the Original tag here is a new addition, which means that some stellar songs don't make the list due to their adaptive natures;
"Albela Sajan" Kunal Pandit and others, Bajirao Mastani-Adapted from Albela Sajan, Hum Dil De Chukhe Sanam
"Fifi" by Suman Sridhar, Bombay Velvet-Adapted from Jaata Kahan Hai Deewane by Geeta Dutt, CID]
Well let's move on then to The HIndie Award for Best Original Song, and the nominees are...
"Judaai" Sung by Rekha Bhardwaj and Arijit Singh, Lyrics by Dinesh Vijan and Priya Saraiya, Composed by Sachin-Jigar for Badlapur
Featuring the haunting voice of Rekha Bhardwaj and the pain filled angst of Arijit Singh, Judaai perfectly encapsulates the complete sorrow that goes through Raghu [Dhawan] at the heinous destruction of his family. It gives you that faint glimmer of humanity in the character that allows the viewer to completely invest in his journey despite the downfall and despicable path he will take.
The heart breaking vocals mixed with a melodious tune that never threatens to turn outright sad but rather becomes a neat poignant reflection on loss.
"Tu Kisi Rail Si" Sung by Swanand Kirkire, Lyrics by Varun Grover, Composed by Indian Ocean for Masaan
Not particularly original as the lyrics are adapted from a Dushyant Kumar poem, the 'Mukkhda' [Main Line];
Tu Kisi Rail Si Guzarti Hai, Mai Kisi Pul Sa Thadtha Rata Hoon [When you pass like a train on the tracks through me, I shiver like the bridge under you]
Is that line in question borrowed that builds the poetry of the song.
Yet one cannot deny the prowess of Varun Grover, he has mastered the art of lyrical poetry in his music and one can hazard a guess that a lot of that skill comes in handy here to a simpler refined translation.
On the other edge is Indian Ocean who just have a great flavor of music with their instrumental providing the backdrop for the poetic lines to be bellowed with sincerity and beauty by Swanand Kirkire. Honestly, the heart just melts absorbing this song; it encompasses the profound impact of love and how the interactions with ones lover is the most joy filled pain one can experience.
"Deewani Mastani" Sung by Shrey Ghoshal, Lyrics by Siddharth-Garima with Nasir Faraaz [Qawali] and Ganesh Chandanshive [Marathi], Composed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Shreyas Puranik
Forgoing the opulent brilliance and visionary display of the song that adapts nicely some iconic visual cues from cinema ['Sheesh Mahal' from Jab Pyaar Kiya Toh Darna Kya, Mughal-E-Azam].
The honey soaked voice of Shreya Ghoshal as the backdrop to the angelic Deepika Padukone as Mastani is a sight begging to be smitten by. It helps that Ghoshal has this voice that is hard to resist, giving in honest the dullest part of the song some energy and seductive glory.
Everything else falls into great tempo, especially the back up singers proving their own with the initial Marathi portion being a cracker and the Qawali adding a mesmerizing sufi touch to round out the song
It helps immensely that Bhansali is at the forefront of his own films music, because in essence it becomes the thread that contains his narrative and especially with this song that pays ode to the most tragic love story and eventually becomes it.
"Dhadam Dhadam" Sung by Neeti Mohan, Lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya, Composed by Amit Trivedi for Bombay Velvet
Not even Anushka Sharma can mess up what is the emotional crux of the film in Dhadam Dhadam. Being fair to her, she is competent as can be in much of the film apart from her all important jazz music numbers; where she terribly falters, made worse by the mind blowing presence of a game Raveena Tandon.
In Dhadam Dhadam, Anushka gets her finest moment because the emotional levels at which Neeti Mohan plays with the song is easy to relay but no doubt hard to vocalize. Her voice sells a true pain and guilt that moves its protagonist to feel the love and eventually turn it to forgiveness.
I could have just as easily nominated the whole soundtrack, the trio of Mohan-Amitabh-Trivedi are a masterclass through out; but everything [unlike for much of the film] just comes together in this piece. It becomes the masterstroke in otherwise shoddily painted film.
"Tum Saath Ho" Sung by Alka Yagnik and Arijit Singh, Lyrics by Irshad Kamil, Composed by A.R. Rahman
Get out the tissues for this one. If you know the meaning of true, relentlessly painful heartbreak, then you know "Tum Saath Ho".
It's as much as I'd love to say about this song. Yet there's more.
This isn't your typical heartbreak song despite the use of two romantically tragic yet sweet voices of Yagnik and Singh, the evergreen poetics of Irshad Kamil or the mastery of Rahman. Instead they reinvent the trope with a simple touch, the music is in all its glory presented as an operatic finale to the end of an act. Much like the film that runs like a theatrical emotion.
Truly, get the tissues out because this one relentlessly brings the tears out.
And the Winner is...
"Tu Kisi Rail Si" Sung by Swanand Kirkire, Lyrics by Varun Grover, Composed by Indian Ocean for Masaan!
Okay, so there's your winner. When those balloons fly up, and the signal of love is bright; my heart skips a beat.
Also don't worry, I haven't forgotten about short film, I just need to revise that section a bit.
Up Next: The sound of a film sets the tone of the film and hooks the audience with an emotional intensity so who conquers it this time...The HIndie Award for Best Original Score!
'Nuff Said
Aneesh Raikundalia
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