Track record

Many flop movies delivered hit music this year.

BOLLYWOOD has experienced several downs this year. The hype around most films was followed by a Friday which declared it a super-dud. Priyanka and Ranbir promised to sizzle onscreen with Anjaana Anjaani, but the audience came out of the movie theatres ‘anjaan’ about the storyline. Something similar happened with I Hate Luv Storys, which the viewers really hated. But,though most movies sank without a trace, their music lived on in our minds. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh agrees, “These days, songs are marketed differently. Even the masses are aware that the song, most of the time, has nothing to do with the film at all.” So, do songs have the power to make a movie a hit? He adds, “Songs definitely attract many viewers to the theatres, like in the case of Munni and Sheila. But in many cases,the audience goes with a lot of expectations and ends up being disappointed.”

This year, even if the movie turned out to be a bad product, the melody of its song made an impact on the audiences. As singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan explains, “Music is a very powerful medium to lure the audience. To top it, if the movie turns to be good, then it goes to another level. But these days, songs are made such that they come with an inbuilt power to sustain. I love Uff Teri ada from Karthik Calling Karthik, Zor ka Jhatkafrom Action Replayyand Gal Mithi Mithi Bolfrom Aisha, but I cannot say the same about the movies.” Film critic Deepa Gahlot feels that music plays a big role in getting a film noticed. She says, “There have been many who have said that they went to watch the Akshay-Katrina starrer just for the song Sheila ki Jawani. Good numbers surely help the movie stay in the minds of the people a little longer. It’s an emotional gimmick.” MBA student Manish Nerlerker agrees, “When I first heard the song of Break ke Baad and Jhootha hi Sahi, I got really addicted. And when the movies released I went to watch it with my friends. It was a bad experience though.”

The popularity of songs can be gauged by the number of requests DJs get to play them. DJ Agnel narrates one such incident, “Whenever I play Sheila ki Jawani I get an encore. They don’t mind me repeating some hot favorite songs on 2010 like Sheila, again and again. That’s the kind of impact the songs make.” Zor Ka Jhatka from Action Replayy, Dhanno from Housefull, Anjaana Anjaani and Tujhe Bhula Diya from Anjaana Anjaani and Break Ke Baad’s Ajab Leherare some other tracks which have been popular on the dance floor and on the blockbuster list. But DJ Akbar Sami disagrees. He says, “It’s not just the movies but also the songs which haven’t been very good this year. They have a really short disc life.”

But ask the audience and they don’t seem to care about the statistics and numbers.As Anjali Chandra, a marketing professional says,“For some movies,the 70mm experience was terrible,but I thoroughly loved the naach-gaana. I love grooving to Zor ka Jhatka from Action Replayy and Nain Parindey from Lafangey Parindey.” As long as good music is churned out, music lovers can’t complain. But what about the movie lovers? Will their eyesores be treated in 2011? Suppose only time can tell!