A new wave of different versions of songs in Hindi Film albums
Where Hindi movie is changing and improving every coming day, the music of the film soundtracks is not behind as well. It very aptly follows and hoofs it with the international pattern of the ongoing music scene. There is absolutely no doubt in saying that the actual life of a Bollywood flick is its music. And Bollywood industry is also widely known around the globe due to its mellifluous songs swathed with the astounding ear pleasing-catchy tunes, silken voices of the vocalists, eye candy picturization and breathtaking choreography. The music is what helps the Hindi film industry stands tall amongst the other film industries of the world. Even every Bollywood star from Big B (Amitabh Bachchan) to King Khan (Shah Rukh Khan) to all are found chipping in that our industry is known in the world because of our music (songs in films). Since the popularity of the tracks is very high, the whopping amount is consumed on the making of the songs. The filmmakers specially go to different countries to select the breath-arrestingly gorgeous locales for their films’ songs. And most of the time, one song is picturized on various locations of the world. Since the whole unit is there with the leading stars in outdoor locations, one can imagine the big amount, which is consumed on the making of a number. The big banners’ movies are always laced with the tracks, which are churned out with the huge money ranging from one crore to two crores rupees like Dharma Productions’ films and Yash Raj Films, etc. Lately a song in the film, ‘Bhaagam Bhaag’ (A Shree Astavnaik Films) had been made with the colossal amount of rupees one crore. Thus this does not mean that only the big banners chew up the tracks with big budget, there are other film companies as well that also go to gobble up mammoth money to make a song for their movie. The filmmakers put the massive amount at stake on the songs’ making without any hesitation because they know if the tracks get popular with the listeners, the movie will be a hit automatically. And it’s a fact that the blockbusters are always boot-laced with the hit numbers.
Till some years back, a film album used to carry only five to six songs and sometimes a song used to be repeated on the play list with a different voice (like if a songster sang the original number, the repeat version had been sung by some other singer). This was enough to give the album a distinctive impact on the listener and he was more than happy to buy and listen it with much oomph and pleasure. The rapid progress of the society has an effect on the entertainment world. So has on the Bollywood music. For last few years, Hindi music has changed a lot. Now a film album seems to be incomplete if it does not carry ten or above ten songs. Very rarely, it is seen that a film soundtrack is draped with less than ten tracks. A new wave of carrying different versions of songs has been introduced on Bollywood scene some years back probably after year 2000. But it actually got introduced after the “Remix” was launched in Hindi music. The credit of launching remix in Bollywood goes to the Remix King, Bally Sagoo who brought the remix in Hindi music by the end of last decade (1998/1999). His remixes of old popular numbers got much popular amongst the listeners of all age groups particularly the youth loved to stay with the maestro’s works. Sagoo became more famous when he did albums with the legendary world-renowned Pakistani qawwal late Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. His popularity graph soared sky high when he remixed the very hummable number, ‘Noorie’. The video really caught the viewers’ attention in which the girl (the coveted super model turned actress Maushmi Udeshi who was shown as a ghost) fully clad with white sari walked on the roads holding a candle in hands. After that the music companies reached at the listeners’ pulse as to where their likings exist. The innovations in music were liked by the Hindi music lovers and this helped the music companies and filmmakers to start launching further new items in music. And finally they began to feature the different versions of an original number in a film soundtrack. Today, you may find many versions of an original track such as ‘Remix Version’, ‘Lounge Version’, Repeat Version’, ‘Club Version’, ‘Sad Version of a Romantic Track’ and the likes. As the youth is the big target to sell the album, they simply adore and like to stay with these kinds of versions. So the music and film companies have absolutely no hesitation at all to masticate these kinds of mixes in the soundtracks. Even the mixes are being produced in private albums as well. These mixes (except sad versions) have blood-boiling effect and appear as foot-tapping, fast and peppy, so today’s listener finds them mesmerizing while playing them in the parties to shake the bodies on and while driving to have a joyous journey along. Since the ‘Rap’ portion is added to the mixes mostly, it sends chill through the listener’s body. This all helps the music aficionados become passionate about going for buying these albums. And as a result, a massive sale is witnessed at the music stands.
Although today’s soundtrack is laced with abundant of songs, it does not matter at all whether or not all the tracks on the play list are featured in the movie. You must have observed it that the soundtrack you buy of a Bollywood film carries a long list of songs whereas when you watch the same movie, you do not find all the songs on the movie’s runtime. It is not because of the censor’s scissor rather it is only due to the songs’ different versions churned out to make a full-length album to sell to the listener, which he/she likes a lot.
Does this new trend in today’s music scene fill the bill utterly? Yes, it does! Because eventually the customer is the king and here the customer is a music listener. And he likes this new wave on Hindi music industry, which is not spoiling the music at all rather giving it innovations and innovations are always welcomed.
Written By: Goher Iqbal Punn
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- The writer is a popular and experienced Bollywood and Indian TV Analyst and laced with a good rapport with both of these fraternities and the people associated with these entertainment worlds. He also shares a good rapport with the celebs of these swanky industries. You may contact him at the e-mails: goheriqbal@yahoo.co.uk, goher.punn@yahoo.com and goher.punn@gmail.com
