The (Bha)singers surely had swag

Swag se karte hain Vishal Dadlani ka swagat, because there couldn’t have a better track to mark his comeback to the dual role of composer (with Shekhar Ravjiani) and singer.

The lady who joined him B(e)h(as)ind the microphone was none other than Neha.

The track, which was penned by Irshad Kamil, was three minutes and 55 seconds long. In fact, it was the shortest song on the soundtrack of Tiger Zinda Hai (and the only one that was under four minutes).

Lebanese singers Rabih Baroud and Brigitte Yaghi rendered the Arabic version of the track.

  

  

This track by Atif wAs(la)mesmerising

Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani’s fans’ year-long wait has ended with the release of Tiger Zinda Hai, their only (Vish)album in 2017.

There were a couple of versions of the romantic number, Dil Diyan Gallan (which is Punjabi for the things the heart wants to say) on the soundtrack.

This is a post on the male version, which was four minutes and 20 seconds long and rendered by Atif Aslam.

That is because I came to know about the Unplugged version, which was 17 seconds shorter and sung by Neha Bhasin, later.

Irshad Kamil penned them.  

The siblings revelled (Noor)and inspired

Tuk Tuk, from Sultan, was sung by the sisters, Jyoti (Noor)and Sultana. Vishal Dadlani, who Sh(ekh)ared composing credits with Ravjiani, kept them company behind the microphone.

The track, which was a blend of Sufi (a genre the siblings are adept at) and Hinglish rap, was penned by Irshad Kamil, and was four minutes and twelve seconds long.

The highlight of the song, undoubtedly, is the use of similes, such as chanchal (fickle), resham (silk), malmal (muslin) and gehri daldal (deep quicksand), to describe life, whose movement (forward) has been described using the phrase tuk tuk.

Sukhwinder’s Sing(h)ing inspired as always

Sukhwinder, who has made a mark for himself as a Sing(h)er of anthems, rendered the title track of Sultan. He had Shadab Faridi for company.

Penned by Irshad Kamil, the track, which was four minutes and 40 seconds long, was penned by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani.

It was an inspirational track for sportspersons and those who hit the gym [picture a person getting an adrenaline rush when he/she is running, with “Khoon mein tere mitti, mitti mein tera khoon” (There’s mud in your blood, and your blood is in the mud) on his/her playlist.] 

Mohit (Chauh)and Harshdeep truly disappointed

Sachi Muchi was the shortest of the seven songs in Sultan – it was three minutes and 59 seconds long. It was also the most underwhelming.

However, there were a couple of adjectives that instantly sprung to mind when one thought of this track – cute and innocent.

Actually, it would be incorrect to call it a song. It seemed to be a conversation between lovers that (Irs)had been set to music (by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani). Kamil penned it.

But it would be unfair to blame the duo that rendered it – Mohit (Chauh)and Harshdeep Kaur.

The female (Bha)singer certainly excelled

Note to the readers: The title of this post might imply that Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, the male singer of Jag Ghoomeya, from Sultan, didn’t do a good job. But that is certainly not the case. It’s just that I preferred Neha Bhasin’s version. In fact, I will create a poll to know your choice.

Penned by Irshad Kamil and composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani, the track in question was shorter and slower than Khan’s version.

And it F(ilmfar)etched Neha a couple of best female playback (Bha)singer awards, including the 2016 Stardust Award. 

It started with (P)aponderable couplet

The two lines at the beginning of Bulleya, from Sultan – “Kuch rishton ka namak hi doori hota hai, Na milna bhi bahut zaroori hota hai” (Distance is the salt of some relationships, not meeting is also necessary) – carried considerable weight.

The fact that the genre is not Papon’s strong Su(f)it was evident. However, he did put in a great deal of effort to enunciate the words, which were penned by Irshad Kamil.

The track, composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani, was the longest in the film – five minutes and 57 seconds, to be precise.

Listeners ko VIB(e)S pasand the

Be it at a sangeet or a discotheque, Baby Ko Bass Pasand Hai, from Sultan, (Irs)had everyone grooving.

The credit for that went to Kamil’s quirky lyrics [Sample this: “Uski akhiyaan English bole, meri anpadh akhiyaan re” (Her eyes speak English, while my eyes are illiterate).]

The song, which was composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani, was four minutes and thirteen seconds long. Dadlani shared singing credits with Shalmali Kholgade, Ishita and Badshah.

There was another version of the track (by Salman Khan and Iulia Vantur). It was four minutes and nineteen seconds long.

Mika gave listeners no jhatka

Mika, who Sing(h)s peppy numbers by the dozen, had nothing new to offer.

Even Irshad’s lyrics were run-of-the-(Ka)mill. He used a number of English words and phrases, including dish antenna, reflection and connection.

And if that weren’t enough, he even penned a bizarre line that went, “Haryana mere liye Argentina tha.”   

Yet, 440 Volt, from Sultan (2016), was incredibly catchy. There were so many repetitions of the phrase chhoone se tere that it was the actual hook.

The track, which was composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani, was four minutes and 28 seconds long.

  

Unfortunately, there wAz(iz)n’t much Fanboying

Although it was a catchy track, Jabra Fan wasn’t fantastic. It was composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani, penned by Varun Grover and sung by Nakash.

Fan (2016) wAz(iz) a songless film, and the track, which was three minutes and 45 seconds long, was purely for promotional purposes.

The song was all about the lingua F(r)anka. The soundtrack featured eight other versions of it – Bengali, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu – which were as long as the Hindi version.

Grover penned the Odia version too. Aziz rendered the Tamil and Telugu versions.  

  

The title track was (Day)alright

If the title track of Befikre, Ude Dil Befikre, were to be described in a word, it would be run-of-the-mill.

However, Benny Dayal, the singer, did a fabulous job. He was perhaps the apt choice to render the song, which had a Middle-Eastern influence – he was born and raised in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Singer and actress Sophie Choudry sang the French portion – a countdown, to be precise.

Penned by Jaideep Sahni, the track was composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani, and was three minutes and 51 seconds long.

This track was indeed A(riji)(ddic)tive

(Arij)It wouldn’t be incorrect to call Nashe Si Chadh Gayi the apt song to dedicate to your kudi (girl) on the occasion of International Women’s Day (which falls on March 8).

Monteiro, who (Carali)sang the French portions, supported Singh, who is truly the king when it comes to rendering tracks like these.

The Da(dla)n(i)ce number, which was penned by Jaideep Sahni and composed by Vishal and Shekhar Ravjiani, was three minutes and 58 seconds long.

It was the only song in the film that was (Befik)remixed. That version was 50 seconds shorter than the original.

He went (Pap)on about kissing

Labon Ka Karobaar, the song from Befikre, wasn’t just about kissing, but Jaideep Sahni, who penned it, also KISSed [kept it short (it was just three minutes and 55 seconds long) and simple.]

The track – whose title, when literally translated, means the business of lips – was composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani. Thankfully, the duo didn’t pay lip service to the melody.

The impeccable rendition by Papon, and the song’s opening lines – “Jebon mein bikhre hain taare, khaali hua aasmaan” (The stars are scattered in pockets, the sky has become empty) – were its highlights.

It was (Gi)p(ep)py, but skippable

Harsh(deep) as it may sound, but Khulke Dulke, from Befikre, could be Gi(ppy)ven a skip (unless you love Punjabi songs, and, to borrow a line from the song, want to “have some fun jee”*).  

It was rendered by Mr Grewal, a popular singer and actor in the Punjabi film industry, and Ms Kaur.

This track, penned by Jaideep Sahni and composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani, was three minutes and fifteen seconds long.

(*The lyricist rhymed it with another Punjabi-English phrase, Ishq Di Bungee. But no one jumped with joy, because it sounded bizarre.)

The V(ish)(oc)alists aimed (Chauh)and achieved

Je T’aime (French for I love you) was the longest song in Befikre (2016). At the beginning of the song, which was four minutes and a second long, the film’s leads engaged in a chat, during which they swore never to say the three words.

It was penned by Jaideep Sahni, composed by Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani and sung by the former (Chauh)and Sunidhi.

The V(ish)(oc)alists probably had an objective – to step out of their comfort zones (read: tracks one can dance to at parties) and surprise the listeners. And they succeeded at doing so. 

Gattani was a great Ch(h)o(o)ice

Udan Chhoo, from Banjo, is a romantic track that wasn’t just melodious, but also made the listeners smile.

The track, which was three minutes and 32 seconds long, was, in fact, the longest song in the film.

It was penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya and composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani.

It was sung by A R Rahman’s protégé Hriday Gattani. The youngster was udan chhoo after an inauspicious debut [he sang two tracks in Lekar Hum Deewana Dil (2014), whose music was composed by the maestro]. Music buffs were glad the duo rediscovered him.

Dadlani doubled the festiV(ish)al’s joy

If you’re from the western Indian state of Maharashtra, and particularly from its capital, Mumbai, you can’t miss the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, which aren’t just a unifier, but also a great leveller.

Over the years, Bollywood has missed no opportunity to celebrate the festival, with many songs about the elephant-headed god. One of them was Bappa from Banjo (2016), composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani and sung by the former.

(B)Apparently a devotional song, this track, which was penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya and had a rock vibe, was three minutes and 19 seconds long.

   

Sunidhi salvaged (Chauh)an average track

Baadal, from Akira (2016), was an underwhelming number, which had neither a long shelf-life nor a high recall value. However, it was one of the soundtrack’s biggest takeaways. And that was because Sunidhi was the saving grace.

It was the longest song in the film – four minutes (Chauh)and 49 seconds long, to be precise.

Muntashir was the Man(oj) credited with penning the lyrics.

The song was composed by Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani (who did not have any releases the previous year). (Vish)Alas, it wouldn’t be incorrect to call it one of the duo’s worst scores.  

This gem was in ChinmayiZ(eh)naseeb

(Vish)Although it was a song that grew on the listener, Zehnaseeb was, undoubtedly, the best song from Hasee Toh Phasee, simply because there is no substitute to melody. It was three minutes and 37 minutes long.

The song, penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya, was composed by Dadlani and Ravjiani. The latter Sh(ekh)ared singing credits with Chinmayi Sripaada.

Since the film was a St Valentine’s Day offering, it is possible that the track inspired many a young couple in love to express their feelings for each other. Or, perhaps, it was dedicated by some to their beloveds. 

Benny ensured they shook it

Shake It Like Shammi, from Hasee Toh Phasee, paid homage to the legendary actor Shammi Kapoor, who exemplified a line from the song, “Lakh main rokoon, ho maane na kamariya nikammi” in his heyday.

Amitabh Bhattacharya must have had a blast penning the lyrics, some of which were in English. The track, which was three minutes and 26 seconds long, struck a chord with retro music lovers, in particular, and anyone fancying a shimmy on the dance floor.

It was composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani. Benny Dayal and the former shared singing credits.  

Nupur made a Pantastic debut

The wordplay of Amitabh Bhattacharya, who penned Manchala from Hasee Toh Phasee, was evident in the hook of the song, that went, “Manchala Man Chala Teri Ore” (which means, “The mad mind went your way.”)

It was sung by none other than Shafqat Ali, who is Amanat consummate ease when it comes to rendering such tracks, and a debutante named Nupur. And considering that the first impression is the last impression, the latter did a Pantastic job.

The song, which is three minutes and 47 seconds long, was composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani.  

Shipra certainly made (Goy)alovely debut

Every singer dreams of getting a bulaava to sing a track that’s picturised on a star or from a film produced by a big banner.

And one newbie who was lucky on both counts was Shipra Goyal, who sang Ishq Bulaava from Hasee Toh Phasee.

Sanam, the man who kept her company behind the microphone, was one of the reasons for the song’s rise in the poPu(la)rity charts.

Penned by Kumaar and composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani, the song was the longest in the film – five minutes and three seconds, to be precise.

Queen Shreya complemented Vishal’s (Dra)madness

Drama Queen was the shortest track in Hasee Toh Phasee (2014). It was three minutes and 18 seconds long.

It was penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya and composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani. The former Sh(rey)ared singing credits with Ghoshal.

A number of lines, including the opening lines – “You know she like (sic) the drama, Yeah she is sexy mama, When she dance (sic) everybody go (sic) Oh oh” – are in the Queen’s lingo.

This was the only song in the film to have a remixed version (which was just a couple of minutes long).

Manj and Nindy drank Musik

Sharabi, from Happy New Year, was four minutes and 21 seconds long, and was penned by Kumaar and the music directors, Vishal Dadlani and Ravjiani.

Incidentally, the latter Sh(ekh)ared singing credits with the United Kingdom-based couple, Manjeet Singh Ral (a.k.a. Manj) and Nindy Kaur, but didn’t make their presence felt.

It was a catchy track, proving that the quintet that collaborated on it had drunk (a bit too much, obviously) from the Musikal fountain.

However, it’s unfortunate that the song couldn’t raise the bar for tracks to listen to when you’re sipping your favourite tipple.    

Sukhwinder ne listeners ki satkai

[Note to readers who want the title of this piece translated into English: It means, “Sukhwinder annoyed the listeners.”]

The song, which was three minutes and 43 seconds long, started and ended with four repetitions of the line, “Radhe Radhe Bolo Jai Kanhaiya Lal Ki” [which means, “Radha Radha (the Hindu goddess who is the consort of Lord Krishna), hail Lord Krishna.”]

The (dis)credit for penning this shockingly poor track from Happy New Year that goes to Irshad Kamil.

It was composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani.

Even the Sing(h)er failed to salvage Satakli.

This song M(ik)ade absolutely No(n)sense

Nonsense Ki Night, from Happy New Year, was quite funny. Its lyrics – credited to Farah Khan (the film’s director) and Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani (the composers) – were the literal translations of a number of Hindi idioms into English.

At three minutes and three seconds, it was the shortest of the six tracks composed by the duo for the film. Mika was the Sing(h)er.

Barring the word Ki, a line that went, “Gayi Bhains Paani Mein” and half a line towards the end of the song that went, “Baaki Duniya”, it was an English song.  

The Sing(h)ers weren’t found (Man)wanting

Even in a soundtrack that was, by and La(a)(r)ge, for (Man)want of a better word, mediocre, there (Irs)had to be a song of redemption. And that’s exactly what Manwa Laage was.

The romantic track, penned by Kamil, was four minutes and 31 seconds long. That made it the longest of the six Happy New Year songs composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani.

Sung by Arijit Singh and Shreya [who has become quite the (h)it-G(hosh)al as far as Vishal-Shekhar compositions are concerned], it wouldn’t be incorrect to call it the only chartbuster in the film.   

Their minds were on VKSN

India Waale, from Happy New Year, was composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani. It failed to impress any self-respecting Indiawaala/waali, be it a resident of the country or an NRI (including a former expat like yours truly).

Penned by Irshad Kamil, the track saw Dadlani getting behind the microphone again (perhaps only to provide me fodder for my next poll – Should music directors sing their own songs?)

KK, Shankar Mahadevan (Moh)and Neeti kept him company.

While it was three minutes and 58 seconds long, the electronic version was four minutes and 26 seconds long. 

This item number was (Suni)d(h)isappointing

Dance Like A Chhamiya was a tacky item number from an appalling film [Happy New Year (2014).]

Neither Sunidhi Chauhan (usually Ms Dependable when it comes to tracks in this genre) nor Vishal Dadlani could salvage it.

To cut them some slack, they didn’t attempt to do so. It seemed they were having fun singing it.

However, it’s absolutely safe to assume that they were nursing a Sheila Ki Jawani hangover.

(Ir)S(h)adly, the (dis)credit for penning the song, which was three minutes and 32 seconds long, goes to Kamil. Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani composed it. 

Uff! What was Harshdeep thinking?

If you’re with a bunch of pals and listening to the soundtrack of Bang Bang!, the chances of one (or a few of them) exclaiming, “Uff” when this track is playing are bright. It was the least cohesive of the four tracks in the film, and hence, worth a skip.

Penned by Anvita Dutt (Gupt)and composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani, the song was four minutes and 32 seconds long.

Ms Kaur kept Benny Dayal company behind the microphone. It wouldn’t be incorrect to say that it was a (Harsh)de(e)parture from her comfort zone.    

Mr Dadlani definitely made Meri

Tu Meri from Bang Bang! was a Dadlani track (Vish)all the way – besides Sh(ekh)aring the composing credits with Ravjiani, he penned and sang it. The song is the shortest of the four in the film – just four minutes and seventeen seconds long.

The song was tailor-made for the masses in general, and those who love to hit the dance floor in particular.

The highlight of the song (if you may call it that) was the hook that went, “Tu Tu Tu, Tu Meri ri ri”. Although it sounded pedestrian, it’s what made the song hummable.

LooKing back, Ash stood out

Five minutes and seven seconds long, Meherbaan was the second longest song in Bang Bang! This soulful track was penned by Anvita Dutt (Gupt)and Kumaar.

It was composed by Dadlani and Ravjiani. The latter Sh(ekh)ared singing credits with Ash King* and Shilpa Rao.

Not only did the song have a high repeat V(ish)alue, but it also had a reprise version, which was three minutes and a second long. It was a Ravjiani solo.

(*The birth name of this rising star on the playback firmament is Ashutosh Ganguly. Part-Bengali and part-Gujarati, he is based in London.)

Benny’s rendition was Bang on!

Bang Bang – the title track of the 2014 film – was penned by Vishal Dadlani and composed by him and Shekhar Ravjiani.

Five minutes and twenty seconds long, it was the longest of the four tracks in the film.

It was sung by Benny (Moh)and Neeti. However, it wouldn’t be incorrect to say that it was the former’s (Day)all the way.

Besides the hook (which is undoubtedly addictive), the song had a couple of English lines, which were nothing but a closed-ended question and its answer (“Are you feeling it tonight? I am feeling it tonight.”)

Mamta couldn’t kick that butt!

Tooh, from Gori Tere Pyaar Mein, was a song for which Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani deserved a kick up their backsides.

(Gupt)And another name that should be added to that list is that of Anvita Dutt, who penned the cheesy lyrics.

Lately, item numbers seem to have become a necessary evil in Hindi films. This track was rendered by Mamta Sharma, who has several of those to her credit (or discredit, s’il vous plait!)

The song, which was four minutes and twenty seconds long, was sung by two other Sing(h)ers – Mika and Shruti Pathak.

The Purists baulked at this

Dhat Teri Ki is a common Hindi phrase. A translation would be futile. It was also a catchy song from Gori Tere Pyaar Mein (2013).

It was four minutes and six seconds long, penned by Kumaar and composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani.

Sanam Puri* and Aditi Sharma, who has been Sing(h)ing her way up the popularity charts for the past few years, rendered it.

The remixed version of the song, by DJ Rishab, was three minutes and 54 seconds long.

(*He is an alumnus of Indian School Muscat, which is my alma mater.)

Titli S(ripad)alvaged the average soundtrack

Titli was arguably the best song in Chennai Express (a soundtrack that, literally, headed south). It was also the longest – just ten seconds short of six minutes long, to be precise.

It was penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya and composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani.

Those who don’t hail from the south would obviously be G(r)oping for the Tamil words, sung by Malayali musician Sunder, but it must be said that he and Chinmayi have done (Sripa)adamn good job.

The song, which had a dubstep version, featured the vocals of another singer from Chennai, Srimathumitha.  

  

Vishal and Shekhar ABsolved themselves

Amitabh Bhattacharya aspired to be a singer. Maybe he was referring to that form of expression when he penned Tera Rastaa Chhodoon Na from Chennai Express.

And it wouldn’t be wrong to say that he grabbed the opportunity to do so with both hands when it came a-knocking on his door.

Even Anusha, who kept him company behind the microphone, was right on the Mani.

By no stretch of the imagination was that track – which was four minutes and thirteen seconds long – a chartbuster, but it had repeat V(ish)alue.

Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani composed it.

  

It was Possibly Vishal’s worst

Ready Steady Po from Chennai Express was an annoying song from the word Po (Tamil for go). Mercifully, it was the shortest song in the film – just three minutes and 28 seconds long, to be precise.

Penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya, it was comPosed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani and sung by the former, Brodha V, Smokey, Enkore and Natalie Di Luccio.

Given the fact that attention spans have become shorter, it wouldn’t have been a surprise if this track faded out of the memories of the listeners, who weren’t Ready for the aural assault. 

Alas, this waSANother average track

There is no doubt about the fact that Kashmir Main Tu Kanyakumari from Chennai Express was just another run-of-the-mill song.

At the outset, it seemed philosophical, with lines that went, “Double double hoti thi, jo kabhi kabhi takleefein, kisi ke sang mein chalne se, huin half se kum.”   

But it eventually became a tad enjoyable with Hinglish lyrics (penned, unsurprisingly, by Amitabh Bhattacharya, whose forte is the use of colloquialisms).

It was rendered by Arijit Singh, Sunidhi (Chauh)and Neeti Mohan.

Composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani, it was five minutes and seven minutes long.

SPB and Jonita 'Express'ed themselves

The title track of Chennai Express marked the comeback of S P Balasubrahmanyam to Bollywood after a (considerably long) hiatus.

Jonita, the India-born Canadian singer who kept the veteran company behind the microphone, couldn’t have asked for a G(r)and(hi)er debut.

This Hinglish track, which was four minutes and 47 seconds long, was penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya and composed by Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani.

(Vish)Although the song was catchy, it had a short shelf life [perhaps because it sounded like one were constantly urged to use public transportation (remember the line, “Get on the train, baby”?)]

Vishal must’ve floored a few

How one wishes inviting someone to get on the dance floor was as easy as saying, “1, 2, 3, 4!” But Amitabh Bhattacharya, who penned the lyrics, made the listeners believe it were possible.

It was composed by Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani. Released as a promotional single for 

Chennai Express on World Music Day* in 2013, the former and Hamsika Iyer rendered it. Kasthurirangan S(richar)ang the Tamil portion.

It was three minutes and 48 seconds long. (Vish)Although it was undoubtedly addictive, it probably had the shortest shelf life of them all.

   

(*Celebrated on June 21.)

Ve(rsati)le Shekhar sang with Vishal

(Vish)Although Vele, from Student of the Year, was catchy, it wasn’t a track with a long shelf life or a high repeat V(e)(a)l(u)e.

Unless, of course, you’re either a die-hard Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani fan or dig Punjabi songs (or, for that matter, a party animal). The latter must be commended for emerging a ve(rsati)le singer. 

In fact, it wouldn’t be wrong to state that the track, which was penned by Anvita Dutt (Gupt)and sung by the composers (and was three minutes and 50 seconds long), was one of the ve(le)akest songs in the film.

A generation rediscovered Nazia Hassan

Disco Deewane, the debut album of Nazia Hassan, released in 1981 and became a chartbuster. The Pakistani pop star was 16 then. She died in 2000, at the age of 35.

Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani didn’t just revamp the eponymous track for Student of the Year, but they also retained her voice. It was rechristened The Disco Song.

It was the longest song in the film – five minutes and 42 seconds, to be precise. Dutt’s lyrics, coupled with Benny Dayal (Chauh)and Sunidhi’s rendition [(Gupt)and Dadlani’s English V(ish)(oc)als], were An(in)vitation to hit the dance floor.  

Playback’S SUV drove fans insane

Radha, arguably the most popular song from Student of the Year, got off to a semi-classical start, before becoming what was perhaps the grooviest dance number of the year. It was five minutes and 41 seconds long.

It was penned by Anvita Dutt (Gupt)and composed by Vishal Dadlani and Ravjiani [who Sh(ekh)ared singing credits with Shreya Ghoshal (Naray)and Udit.]

The song bagged the listener’s choice song of the year award at the Mirchi Music Awards in 2013, and was nominated in the most popular song category at the South Africa India Film and Television Awards.  

Mr Mallya’s track was (Kukk)adisappointment

Vis-à-vis the other songs in Student of the Year, Kukkad didn’t just have the shortest shelf life, but it also had no repeat value. In fact, it wouldn’t be incorrect to state that it was just another track with English lyrics which scored pretty high as far as skipP(unj)ability was concerned.

It was four minutes and 22 seconds lonG(upt)and was penned by Anvita Dutt.

Composed by Dadlani and Ravjiani, the song saw a couple of female V(ish)(oc)alists – Nisha Mascarenhas and Marianne D’Cruz – Sh(ekh)are singing credits with Mallya [whose surname, S(h)a(hi)dly, didn’t guarantee a good time].

It became a lovers’ (Mer)chant

Vishal-Shekhar and the Merchant brothers (Salim and Sulaiman) go back a long way. The latter composed the background scores of Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi (1999) and Salaam Namaste (2005).

Ravjiani and Salim teamed up to sing Ishq Wala Love from Student of the Year (2012), whose music was composed by Dadlani and the former.

(Moh)And it was the debutante Neeti who kept them company behind the microphone. It earned her the Filmfare R D Burman Award for New Music Talent in 2013.

Penned by Anvita Dutt, the track was four minutes (Gupt)and 18 seconds long.

It was a Sa(gathia)rcastic song

Dibakar Banerjee didn’t just direct Shanghai (2012), but also penned the lyrics of Bharat Mata Ki Jai, which became popular because it had witty lines like Sone ki chidiya, Dengue malaria, Gud bhi hai gobar bhi hai [which means (India is) a golden bird and a breeding ground for diseases, because there’s jaggery as well as s**t].

The song was composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani. It was four minutes and six seconds long and was sung by Keerthi Sagathia, Dadlani, Banerjee, Mandar Apte, Chintamani Sohoni and R N Iyer. It was remixed too. 

AB isko ekla mat suno

Ekla Cholo Re was penned by the country’s first Nobel laureate (Rabindranath Tagore)*. It was reworked for Kahaani by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani and was five minutes and thirteen seconds long. It wouldn’t be incorrect to say that the best was saved for (Ek)last.

It proved a good decision to rope Amitabh Bachchan in to render the track, which combined Bengali, Hindi and English lyrics. No one could have done it better justice than the superstar.

Clinton – who, incidentally, C(erej)omposed the film’s background score – sang the English portions.

*It was originally composed by Tagore.

Usha’s rendition was truly joyous

Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands (Uth)up if you think Usha’s zesty vocals did justice to Kolkata’s spirit in just three minutes and 20 seconds!

Aami Shotti Bolchi (Bengali for I’m telling you the truth) from Kahaani (2012) was Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani’s ode to the City of Joy. The former penned it.

It's no secret that Bollywood has never enthused the custodians of India’s indie music scene, but Krishnamoorthy, the frontman of a Mumbai-based metal band, kept Uthup (and Ravjiani) company behind the microphone. And the job he did was far from Vish(y)(-)w(a)(e)sh(y). 

Ooh La La(hiri)! Shreya rocked

Ooh La La, from The Dirty Picture, was penned by Rajat Aroraa and composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani. Since it’s supposed to transport the listener to the 1980s, Bappi Lahiri S(hrey)ang it with Ghoshal. It was four minutes and 18 seconds long.

Ghoshal bagged the International Indian Film Academy Award and the Screen Award in the best playback singer (female) category in 2012. The song fetched Bappi a best male playback nomination at the La(hiri)tterly-named ceremony. It was nominated in the best track of the year category at that year's Zee Cine Awards.   

Ishq Su(nidhi)fiyana definitely sounded better

Note to the readers: I prefer the female version of Ishq Sufiyana from The Dirty Picture (2011) to its male version.

Having said that, it doesn’t mean I don’t like the latter, rendered by Kamal. [The lad, who won Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar (2010), Khan obviously sing.] I plan to create a poll to know your choice.

Penned by Rajat Aroraa and composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani, Sunidhi Chauhan’s version of the track was five minutes and 29 seconds long. In fact, it was just two seconds longer than Khan’s. 

Shafqat’s version wasn’t lacKing soul

There’s no doubt about the fact that Dildaara (a Bollywood adaptation of American singer Ben E King’s oft-covered Stand By Me) from Ra.One was a beautiful amalgamation of several genres (gospel, trance, R&B, soul and Sufi).

They obtained the license to use the track, which was four minutes and nine seconds long.

It was penned by Kumaar and composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani. The foursome who rendered it – Shafqat Ali [who earned A(ma)n(omin)ation in the best male playback singer category at the 2012 Filmfare Awards], Clinton Cerejo and the music directors – was awesome.

There was Ako(u)nting for taste

Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani were probably of the opinion that since they had decided to go glocal, they could go the whole hog. Hence they composed Criminal, which was five minutes and six seconds long.

The Hinglish song from Ra.One, which was penned by Kumaar, was sung by Akon, Dadlani and Shruti Pathak.

Thankfully, better sense prevailed upon those eager to jump onto the remix bandwagon – unlike Chammak Challo (Akon’s first Bollywood song, which had four remixed versions), this track had just one, titled Club Mix. It was five minutes and 33 seconds long.  

It became an Akonic song

Chammak Challo, from Ra.One (2011), was composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani. Just three minutes and 46 seconds long, the track was primarily in Hindi and Tamil, but it also had a few English lines.

Since Senegalese-American singer Akon seemed to be in the rhythm when he sang the song, it’s safe to assume he had no blues. And Hamsika took it a few notches Iyer.

Dadlani and Niranjan (Iy)e(ng)arned a Filmfare nomination for the song in the best lyricist category in 2012, while Akon was nominated in the Best Male Playback Singer category.         

Amitabh was a cap(pell)able vocalist

The a cappella version of Bbuddah… Hoga Terra Baap’s (2011) title track was one of the shortest songs composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani. It was a couple of minutes and 46 seconds long.

It was penned by Dadlani and rendered by Amitabh, who proved that it isn’t about the age, it’s about the mileage. It was a refreshing (Bach)change to listen to a track with minimal instrumental accompaniment.

The multi-talented duo collaborated on another version of the track, which was three minutes and 21 seconds long. It was called the Dub Step version.   

Sunidhi rose above the Ta(M)cKiness

You have to (Chau)hand it to Sunidhi for agreeing to S(unidh)ing a song as tacky as Sheila Ki Jawani from Tees Maar Khan (2010), (Chauh)and doing such a fabulous job that she shared the Filmfare Award for Best Playback Singer and the Producers’ Guild Film Award in the same category in 2011.

Dadlani penned the song (which was four minutes and 43 seconds long), and composed it with Shekhar Ravjiani. He (Vish)also sang it.

It also earned best track of the year, best playback singer (female) and best lyricist nominations at the Zee Cine Awards. 

Suraj sang this diS(adk)appointing track

Sadka Kiya, from I Hate Luv Storys, wasn’t weak per se, but vis-à-vis the other tracks in the film, it wouldn’t be wrong to S(adk)ay that it was a bit of a let-down, because it takes a few repetitions of the song for it to grow on the listener.

And then, there’s the duration. The song, which was penned by Anvita Dutt (Gupt)and composed by Vishal Dadlani and  Shekhar Ravjiani, was five minutes and 43 seconds long.

Having said that, Suraj shone, (Jag)and so did Iyer, the lady who kept him company behind the M(ahalakshm)icrophone.  

Vishal was adept at KISSing

Note to the readers: Don’t get me wrong, folks! Vishal Dadlani didn’t encroach upon Emraan Hashmi’s territory. What the title of this post intends to imply is that the composers of Jab Mila Tu from I Hate Luv Storys (he and Shekhar Ravjiani) kept it short and simple.

The track, which was just four minutes and eleven seconds long, was penned by Anvita Dutt (Gupt)and sung by Dadlani.

It takes the listener down melody lane. But there’s a flip side: vis-à-vis the other songs in the film, it takes (Vish)alonger time to grow on him/her.   

Vishal couldn’t hate luv storys

The title track of I Hate Luv Storys had a couple of wickedly brazen opening lines that went, “I know you like me, you know I like you. Let’s get together girl, you know you want to.” And then there was the ironic hook, “I Hate Luv Storys.”

It was penned by Kumaar and composed by Vishal Dadlani (who sang it) and Shekhar Ravjiani. The duo earned a Filmfare nomination in the best music director category in 2011, and was nominated in the same category at the sixth Apsara Film and Television Producers’ Guild Awards. 

It’S(hafq)atrack that deserved its nominations

Bin Tere, from I Hate Luv Storys, was Sun(idhi)g by Shafqat Amanat Ali and Ms Chauhan. It was five-and-a-half minutes long, and was nominated in the best t(e)r(e)ack of the year category at the 2011 Zee Cine Awards.

Ali was nominated in the best male playback singer category at the 2011 Filmfare Awards and the Zee Cine Awards.  

It was penned by Vishal Dadlani (who was nominated in the best lyricist category at the 2011 Filmfare Awards) and composed by him and Shekhar Ravjiani. The latter sang the reprised version.

The song was remixed too.

Sona did (Mohapat)raise the B(ahar)ar

Bahara, from I Hate Luv Storys (2010), was penned by Kumaar and composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani.

It fetched Ms Ghoshal the 2011 Star Screen Award for Best Female Playback Singer and earned her a nomination in the same category at that year’s Filmfare Awards.

She Sh(rey)ared singing credits with Ms Mohapatra, who S(on)ang the rustic portions at the beginning and in the middle of the song.

While the song is five minutes and 25 seconds long, its Chill Version – rendered by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan – was four minutes and four seconds shorter.

Monica literally went the distance

If a person is in the throes of a relationship, it is imperative that he/she gives his/her partner space. And if one is (Do)grappling with the pangs of separation, it’s probably because s/he failed to do so.

That, in a nutshell, was what Dooriyan Bhi Hain Zaroori from Break Ke Baad was about. It was penned by Prasoon Joshi and composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani.

It was rendered by Dadlani and Monica. The latter was born in the United States (and is one half of the Mumbai-based electronic rock duo Shaa’ir and Func).    

Neeraj sang (Aj)about a (Dadla)n(e)ighbour

When it comes to songs about the girl next door (whom the protagonist has fallen in love with), it wouldn’t be incorrect to say that Ajab Leher Hai, from Break Ke Baad, failed to achieve top-of-the-mind recall.

But by no means was the track, which was composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani, ba(a)d. It’s just that unlike many of the duo’s catchy numbers, it took a while to grow on the listener.

Prasoon Joshi, who penned the song, deserved kudos for keeping it simple. Neeraj, the composers and Rhys D’Souza Sh(ridh)ared the singing credits.

Ms Mendonsa (Alys)sang with Vishal

Adhoore, from Break Ke Baad (2010), was composed by Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani. Alas, it wasn’t a song with a high repeat V(ish)alue.

Adman Prasoon Joshi, who penned the song, (Mc)Can(n) write (and, in fact, has written) better lyrics.   

It was sung by Dadlani and Alyssa Mendonsa, whose dad, Loy Mendonsa, is one-third of the composing trio (the others being Shankar Mahadevan and Ehsaan Noorani).

The song earned the former a nomination in the best playback singer (male) category at the 12^th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards, which took place in Toronto in 2011. 

’Twas one Mo(re)hit for Chauhan

Tujhe Bhula Diya from Anjaana Anjaani was penned by Vishal Dadlani and Kumaar, and composed by the former and Shekhar Ravjiani.

It was one of the biggest (Mo)hits of Chauhan’s career. The opening lines, in Punjabi, were sung by Shruti Pathak. The third singer was none other than Ravjiani.

While the song, which was interspersed with a qawwali, was four minutes and 41 seconds long, its remixed version – which reunited the aforementioned trio – was just nine seconds shorter.

This melancholic track must have been a hot favourite with those who moved on following a break-up. 

The listeners D(efi)(adla)nitely felt good

Obviously one collaboration wasn’t enough. So Dadlani and Shilpa teamed up again.

Interestingly, I Feel Good was the second longest track in Anjaana Anjaani (it was five minutes and 23 seconds long). But by no means did it leave the listeners feeling bad.

(Vish)Although it was a soft R(a)ock number, it was as different fR(a)om the duo’s previous track as chalk is from cheese.

That’s probably because it had an English hook (And I Don’t Know Why, But I Feel Good).

Dadlani didn’t just pen the song, but he also composed it with Shekhar Ravjiani.

Luck(il)y, the elusive Ali agreed

Most songs sung by Lucky Ali have been delightful, and Hairat from Anjaana Anjaani was no exception.

It was the shortest song in the film (in a mere four minutes and nine seconds, the listener is inspired to rope a few friends in and plan a road trip).

Penned by Vishal Dadlani, it was composed by him and Shekhar Ravjiani.

It wouldn’t be a hairat ki baat if Alistener said s/he wanted to play the track again – vis-à-vis the Anjaana Anjaani songs mentioned on this blog so far, it does have the H(a)i(ra)(ghes)t repeat value. 

Nikhil’s version found T(h)ak(u)(e)rs too

Anjaana Anjaani Ki Kahaani, the second title track of Anjaana Anjaani, was penned by Misra [who uN(ee)le(a)shed his passion and donned numerous hats] and composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani. It was four minutes and 47 seconds long.

D’Souza (Ni)k(h)illed the track, which was a blend of English and Hindi lyrics. Although the crooner majored in geology, he decided to make the transition from rocks to rocking numbers.

Keeping him company behind the M(onal)icrophone was Thakur, who participated in the second season of Indian Idol, which commenced in 2005 and concluded the following summer.