One of my favorites Bollywood music composers/directors is Pritam Chakraborty who started working in the Indian film industry in 2002. Before writing for Bollywood films he composed advertising jingles and title tracks for television series. Now with more than a decade of solo music direction behind him, he has won multiple awards for creating musical hits in a variety of styles. Here are five of my favorites.
WARNING: Listening to the following songs
may cause spontaneous singing and dancing.
1. "Dhoom Machale" | "Dhoom Dhoom" | "Dhoom Again"
"Dhoom" means to have a blast or create an uproar. While these three songs come from different soundtracks, they leverage the same musical theme. Picturized on Esha Deol, "Dhoom Machale" (Dhoom) is exuberantly sung by Sunidhi Chauhan whose spirited and sexy performance earned her Zee Cine, IIFA, Global Indian, and Bollywood Movie awards for Best Female Playback Singer. The Thai-American pop singer Tata Young released a remixed version in English called "Dhoom Dhoom". The testosterone-laced "Dhoom Again" (Dhoom 2) begins with the sound of a rainstick then heavy percussion which evolves into a tap-dance-sounding style that encourages you to find your inner Fred Astaire. The song is made singable to a broader audience by featuring mostly English lyrics. "Dhoom Again" is picturized on Hrithik Roshan in the opening credits then his costar Aishwarya Rai Bachchan performs with him in the closing credits.
Films: Dhoom (2004) | Dhoom 2 (2006)
Links: "Dhoom Machale" | "Dhoom Dhoom" | "Dhoom Again" Official Videos (YRFsongs)
Singers: Sunidhi Chauhan ("Dhoom Machale") | Tata Young ("Dhoom Dhoom") | Vishal Dadlani, Dominique Cerejo ("Dhoom Again")
Lyrics: Sameer
Length: 6:17 | 5:02
2. "Mauja Hi Mauja"
This energetic song is in the bhangra style - featuring a rich Punjabi beat with some western audio mixes - to give you the ultimate party dance. "Mauja Hi Mauja" earned Pritam a Zeen Cine Award for Best Track of the Year. The song is picturized on Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor. The remix version offers a bit more techno. By the way, according the Times of India, when Mika Singh was recording for Jab We Met he promised that if "Mauja Hi Mauja" turned out to be a hit he would gift Pritam a car. Pritam didn't think that Mika actually meant it. So when the SUV reached Pritam's office, he was completely surprised. Though Pritam appreciated the gesture, he didn't keep the car.
Film: Jab We Met (2007)
Links: Official Video (T-Series)
Singers: Mika Singh
Lyrics: Irshad Kamil
Length: 4:04
3. Love Mera Hit Hit
One of my favorite songs from the film Billu is "Ae Aa O" which always prompts me to sing along. But the rollicking "Love Mera Hit Hit" gets me singing and dancing. Actually, it encourages a combination of aggressive walking and dancing - which morphs into something akin to a cardio workout. The song is unabashedly driven to keep your interest and by the end, you want to hear more. Fortunately, there are two remixes: a fast-paced "House Mix" by DJ Amyth and a uber-techno "Remix" by DJ Chetas, DJ NYK and Gautam Chakraborty which features a rap introduction where SRK, Pritam and the DJs are mentioned. The song is picturized on Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone.
Film: Billu (2009)
Links: Official Video (T-Series)
Singers: Neeraj Shridhar, Tulsi Kumar
Lyrics: Ashish Pandit, Mayur Puri
Length: 4:48
4. "Twist"
Pritam takes the classic melody "Man Dole Mere Tan Dole" (Nagin, 1954) and updates it with hip-hop grooves to create the energetic "Twist". "Since the storyline of Love Aaj Kal shuttles between past and present generations," explained Pritam via Glamsham.com, "we (directory Imtiaz Ali, lyricist Irshad Kamil and Pritam) wanted a song that will be a Gen-Y hip-hop, but also have a tinge of yesteryear's peppy music and lyrics. We considered three songs - this Nagin one, 'Leke Pehla Pehla Pyaar' and 'Jhumka Gira Re'. Finally, we zeroed on the Nagin hook." This is the only song that survived when Pritam scrapped and rescored the film. Perhaps it was the addictive chorus "and we twist, we twist, we twist, we twist…" that helped keep the song as a centerpiece of the soundtrack. His redo of the soundtrack paid off as Pritam won the IIFA award for Best Music Director for Love Aaj Kal. The song was picturized on Saif Ali Khan and Florence Brudenell-Bruce. The "Twist Remix" offers a louder beat, more rap, and more fun.
Film: Love Aaj Kal (2009)
Links: Video
Singers: Neeraj Shridhar
Lyrics: Irshad Kamil
Length: 4:42
5. "Badtameez Dil"
This spirited, crazy tune easily pulls you onto the dance floor. With fast beats and a few English words ("Bollywood, Hollywood ...very, very Jollywood!") sprinkled in for good measure, "Badtameez Dil" is served with carnival revelry. According to BollywoodLife.com, "there’s no time to reminisce, pause or even breathe while listening to this one. Benny Dayal goes from one line to the other at a great speed and with an equal amount of ease; never mind the lyrics, as they don’t mean anything in particular, as the makers themselves have said, they are essentially nonsense patter." The song is picturized on Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, and Kalki Koechlin.
Film: Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013)
Links: Official Video (T-Series)
Singers: Benny Dayal, Shefali Alvares
Lyrics: Amitabh Bhattacharya
Length: 4:12
Have any doubts as to whether these songs are for you? Check out the film versions of these songs in the video playlist, below:
If you like this post, check out our other Friday Five lists of Bollywood films and music.