Wednesday, November 16, 2011

30-Day Bollywood Soundtrack Challenge - Days 16-20

Here's more of my picks for the 30 Day Bollywood Soundtrack Challenge!

Day 16 - A song that you would potentially have at your wedding as a first dance:

I actually used a Tamil song for my first dance at my wedding ("Vaseegara" from Minnale) and am 100% satisfied with the song we had, it was perfect for us and is still super meaningful. But let's pretend that any Hindi song would have been in the running for our first dance ... I would have probably chosen the title song from Yeh Vaada Raha (1982). It's just CLASSIC.



Day 17 - A song that you know all the words to:

Honestly, the answer to this would be ALL the songs from ALL the early 90s soundtracks - Maine Pyar Kiya, Baaghi, Aashiqui, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Patthar Ke Phool, Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin, etc. etc. PLUS many of the older songs my sisters and I used to perform with our band back in the 90s ... but I'll just use "Antakshari" from Maine Pyar Kiya (1989) as a sample ...




Day 18 - Favorite patriotic song:

"Mere Watan Se Achha" from Ladki (1955) is definitely my favorite -- I ADORE Vyjayanthimala (she was my mom's favorite actress and it rubbed off on me) and my mom actually set this up for us one year when we were dancing for India's Independence Day. Lots of fond memories.




Day 19 - A song you love but are embarrassed to admit it:

"Disco Bhangra" from Ganga Jamuna Saraswati (1988) is a complete travesty, I know. The Michael Jackson outfit (complete with glove), the awkward choreography and the clearly out-of-comfort-zone Amitabh are just cringe-inducing. And yet something about this song is catchy!




Day 20 - A song picturized on your favorite yesteryear/current Bollywood star male/female:

"Aa Meri Jaan" from Chandni (1989) isn't necessarily one of my favorite songs but I do love the picturization ... Sridevi and Rishi Kapoor are indeed my absolute favorite actors and can be considered both yesteryear and current! Both started films at a very young age and had huge successes in the 70s and 80s (yesteryear) and both are currently filming various projects. I also think that they both did a tremendous job in this song ... Rishi's vulnerability and sadness is so beautifully subtle, and Sridevi's determination to smile through her tears shows Chandni's unique strength.


More to come! Please do come back and visit soon!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Quick Take: Ooh La La - Tu Hi Meri Fantasy ... the wannabe

So I listened to the "Ooh La La - Tu Hi Meri Fantasy" track from The Dirty Picture (Silk Smitha biopic starring Vidya Balan) today and at first I really liked what I was hearing. The music perfectly evoked the crazy, glittery feel of the 80s. I was envisioning stacks of matkas, brightly dressed background girls, etc.

But then as the song went on, it sort of went downhill for me. One issue being the lyrics ... I really feel like they could have come up with better than throwing in the word "Fantasy", and the "Ooh La La" just seemed like a cop-out.

And then by the first music interlude, I realized what they had done. They had simply taken an existing song from the 80s and played around with it a little, changed the lyrics, and OUILA!

Here's the original song:



And here's what they did with it:



You see? Come on, guys ... you mean you can't come up with an ORIGINAL song that evokes that time?