Music Videos to Cherish - 2

I felt like I owed it to my blog to finish at least ONE of the drafts that have been sitting around waiting for me. Well, now that I have an assignment to do, here I am! This is a classic (although not a very efficient) example of "Structured Procrastination," but maybe more of that in another post. Out of the three drafts, I had most videos lined up for this one, the theme being heart-felt tragedy, or at least sorrow if not tragedy.

Tragic songs must be tricky to film. On one hand there is the simplicity of stage: one doesn't need a fancy backdrop, choreography, or wardrobe, although they can be used to contrast the solemn mood. But on the other, the video has the danger of being plain boring. So the director has to set the mood in the plot, and has to facilitate the viewer to feel emotion with not much happening on the screen.

Not all tragic songs are low toned, simple, and sorrowful however. There are some that are more intense, more angry and maybe even able to inspire a stronger emotional response from the audience. If you think about it in terms of Rasas, while the former inspires only Soka, the other arouses a combination of Soka and Krodha. Hmm, did I just get a bit carried away? I might have, and I blame my Asian Studies professors and the general awesomeness of that subject.

I'll start with a perfect example of a song where not much happens but is, given the right mood, hypnotizing to watch. I feel the need to point out that as good as Herman Baweja did in the movie as a whole, this video owes the magic to Priyanka Chopra, the object of the singer's attention. She is so simple here, straight hair, soft colors, big teary eyes, so still. This movie made me think more than once: how can he walk away? But I guess a man looking for a wife will choose against complications if he had the option, and who can blame him? Still, it's just so heart-breaking to watch.

bikhri bikhri, What's Your Raashee? (2009)
singer: Sohail Sen and Marianne D'Cruz, music director: Sohail Sen, lyricist: Javed Akhtar
actors: Harman Baweja and Priyanka Chopra, movie director: Ashutosh Gowariker


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Sonu Nigam knows how to sing all kinds of songs, but he does so great in this mood. Add Aamir Khan to the mix and it's not so unnatural that you'd get a video that I'd post on a blog like this. We hear at times of being alone in a crowd, but do we really imagine it? Or the disappointment and despair, perhaps helplessness, that characterizes the period where a person realizes that life must go on. On the brink of accepting the end of something that had the potential to bring to one's life happiness. Or maybe the stubborn dedication to move on with life, but only to be hindered by the acute feeling of loneliness that was never there before.

tanhayee, from Dil Chaha Hai (2001)
singer: Sonu Nigam, music director: Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy, lyricist: Javed Akhtar
actors: Aamir Khan and Preity Zinta, movie director: Farhan Akhtar



I just realized that Farhan Akhtar directed this movie, and I am surprised. He actually did a pretty good job. I always thought his debut was Luck By Chance, but I guess he is an older player that I had thought. That reminds me, sapno se bhare naina from Luck By Chance (2009) is another great composition by Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy worth listening to many times over. The lyrics are worth a thought too: eyes full of dreams, no sleep, no peace (by Javed Akhtar, surprise?).
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Let me introduce MM Kreem as he was introduced to me: Jism (2003) and Dhoka (2007) both great albums, turns out composed by the same man, Kreem. Other popular albums by Kreem include Paheli (2005), Rog (2004), Sur (2002), Zakhm (1998) and Criminal (1994). Are you seeing what I saw? MM Kreem is a tortured soul it seems, and his music is just so perfect for this post. I wonder what he is up to now, I can't wait for his next composition.

If John Abraham ever did a good job, it was in Jism. Amit Saxena, the director of the movie, must therefore be really talented; hats off to Amit Saxena. The movie starts off with this song, and so it doesn't really need an introduction but if curious, watch the movie. It is worth it: the music, the story, the direction, the acting, everything was good.

awaarapan, Jism (2003)
singer: MM Kreem, music director: MM Kreem, lyricists: Neelesh Misra and Sayeed Quadri
actors: John Abraham, movie director: Amit Saxena



Some songs of Kreem that are worth a mention in particular are roya re from Dhoka (2007), khoobsoorat hai vo itna from Rog (2004) and aa bhi jaa from Sur (2002), among others.
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Anyway, I seem to only remember the sad songs at the moment. But I promise to come up with angsty songs with great videos as well, sometime in the future. Maybe it is just harder to make amazing angsty videos; they do seem to tread a finer line. Pritam's bheegi bheegi from the movie Gangster (2006) is a good, heart-wrenching, tear-provoking, sad yet intense, perfect example of my kind of song. But while James did an outstanding job as a singer, and the music composition was absolutely fabulous, somehow the video wasn't able to compete.

Some other great songs unfortunately paired with not such great videos include saathi mere (horrible, horrible, horrible video) from Kumar Sanu's Kehna To Hai, kaho na kaho from Murder (2004) while not a complete disaster could have been better (although gotta love the ending), and venturing into old times, ab tere bin from Ashiqui (1990).

On a side note, here is the original, Arabic version of kaho na kaho. And a link to Ashiqui's songs, that's a great album right there.

That's all for now folks.
Still thinking of a pen-name, this is Juhi, moving on to her asignment.