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.)