Electric guitar strings for jazz guitarists

By Aakriti Mehrotra Vishal-Shekhar have been a huge part of Bollywood’s music industry in the last decade or so. The duo comprises Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani. They came together as a duo in 1998 when both of them got to know that they working on the same film – Pyar Mein Kabhi Kabhi (Vishal and Shekhar were both asked to compose some songs for the film, separately). The childhood friends began interacting more because of that, and began playing their songs for each other. They then decided to do the last song of the film together. That’s how Vishal-Shekhar was formed. They won the Filmfare RD Burman Award for New Music Talent for Jhankaar Beats. They grabbed a firm hold of the industry after the success of Musafir and their success has constantly been on the rise ever since. What is most commendable about Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy is that even their worst works are average, that while an album might not have even one great song, on an average, that album won’t be horrible (even if itis disappointing). Au contraire, what is incredible about Vishal-Shekhar is that they have managed to have a couple of good tracks in every album of theirs, even if the album as a whole has been a disappointment. For every India Wale, there is a Manwa Laage; for every Drama Queen, there is Ishq Bulava; for every Criminal, there is Bhare Naina and so on. I went ahead and did one more than the usual, so here is a list of their top 11 soundtracks (Pyar Mein Kabhi Kabhi, a beautiful album which also gave us Shaan, is not included because the duo only did the title track together. Kaante has only one song from the duo). 11. Dostana (2008) We start off with Vishal Shekhar’s very popular album. Dostana’s music was loved by the masses and rightly so. Jaane Kyun sort of became a friendship anthem. Its a delightful song where Vishal Dadlani’s gritty, raspy voice complements the upbeat music. The more popular numbers Desi Girl, Shut Up And Bounce and Ma Da Ladla are all dance numbers and can beenjoyed in those settings but they are not the songs you would like to listen to separately. But fair play to them for making these tracks and ensuring they were chartbusters in 2008. Kuch Kam provides a much needed boost to the album and is a pleasant tune and while it breaks the domination of the dance tracks, it is a very basic song with relaxed instruments and pleasant vocals of Shaan. Khabar Nahi is unarguably the best song from the album. V-S have composed a beautiful melody and Vishal, Shreya Ghoshal and Amanat Ali have done justice to it with their singing. 10. Shabd (2005) This Aishwarya Rai Bachchan starrer was a giant flop at the box office, even though some critics appreciated the idea, not the execution. However, the music of the movie was appreciated largely and held to be one of the only positive of the film. Sholon Si, the most popular song of the album, is extremely catchy and you’d be forgiven if you thought it was Adnan Sami accompanying Sunidhi Chauhan. In fact, itis Vishal Dadlani who lends his voice to the upbeat track, set to a Latin mood. Sonu Nigam’s Khoya Khoya Tha, Sonu Nigam’s and Shreya Ghoshal’s Bolo Na are the other stand out tracks from the album. Overall, the music of this album is very underrated and it’s surprising it wasn’t nominated for the Filmfare. Then again, Swades (AR Rahman) lost out to Main Hoon Na (Anu Malik) in the music category that year. Popularity really matters in the film industry, right? 9. Om Shanti Om (2007) OSO’s music was really well received and rightly so. Still regarded as one of V-S’s biggest musical hits, OSO’s music is very impressive indeed. Ajab Si and Main Agar Kahoon are still deemed as two of the best love ballads where KK and Sonu Nigam have done justice to their respective songs with their soft vocals. There is Dard-E-Disco which immediately became a massive hit and Sukhwinder Singh makes sure it remains in your head for a while after you’ve heard the song. Deewangi Deewangi is more entertainingbecause of the video it accompanies. Jag Soona Soona Lage, a typical Bollywood sad song, works well and does bring out the pathos it intends too. Of course when you have Rahat Fateh Ali Khan singing the words penned by Javed Akhtar, much can’t go wrong. Dhoom Taana, Daastan-e-Om Shanti Om also work well in the movie and otherwise. Vishal-Shekhar were deservedly nominated for the Best Music category for this film. 8. Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008) V-S were roped in to give music to this YRF production. Here, one can see the duo trying hard to diversify the album and we can see various genres from Lounge to Punjabi Rock. Khuda Jaane is a beautiful slow slog sung by Shilpa Rao and KK and arguably the song that brought Rao the mass attention she deserved. Lucky Boy and Small Town Girl are songs that you could miss, but V-S have managed to execute what they were asked to, pretty well in both these numbers. Not to mention, both these songs became big hits. Aahista Aahista, sung by Lucky Ali andShreya Ghoshal is a pleasant listen. It’s a love song done with a “lounge” appeal and V-S have nailed it with their perfectly synchronized electronic sounds, soft electric guitar strumming and subtle percussive elements. The Bachna Ae Haseeno title track is a successful rendition of the original song with upbeat hip-hop and westernized arrangements where Kishore Kumar’s voice is retained but also sees his son Sumit Kumar joining in. The pick of the album is by far Jogi Mahi, a Punjabi song sung by Shekher Ravjiani, Sukhwinder Singh and Himani Kapoor. This is an amazingly well composed and arranged track and the pick of singers couldn’t have been better. With the heavy dhols and the high-pitched choruses, you’ve got no choice but to feel the music. BAH is one of Vishal-Shekhar’s more consistent albums which worked even better because the movie was a success. 7. Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. (2007) Vishal-Shekhar possibly proved their potential in this 2007 album. Javed Akhtar penned thelyrics for this movie. We all fondly remember Sajnaji. Sunidhi Chauhan singing a Rajasthani techno folk song, with a bit of Bhangra thrown in, it’s catchy to say the least. At the time, Sajnaaji was what the critics called a “fresh track”, simply because it was so different from the other music being made. How many of you remember Albela Albela? V-S roped in Shankar Mahadevan to accompany Vishal Dadlani in this song. Vishal shows off his western music singing talent thoroughly here and this Bollywood-Funkadelic. There is this different charm to the song with saxophones being prominent throughout the song. Halke Halke, which was the beginning of Neeraj Sridhar’s Bollywood success;  Jaane Hai Woh Kahan are both okay for the movie, with the former being slightly better. Perhaps the most popular, and best (?) song is Pyaar Ki Yeh Kahaani sung by Sunidhi Chauhan and Gayatri Iyer (now Ganjawala). This Flamenco based number gives a very Mask of Zorro feel and is thoroughly enjoyable becauseof the wonderful music, great vocals and Javed ji’s lyrics. Overall, this was a very strong album from Vishal-Shekar and later that year they composed the music of Om Shanti Om, which gained so much popularity that this album was largely ignored. 6. Break ke Baad (2010) For the masses the saving grace of Break ke Baad was Vishal-Shekhar’s soundtrack. V-S kept it young and pulsating in this album, and Prasoon Joshi’s lyrics are expectedly great. Adhoore, a soft rock number to which Vishal and Alyssa Mendosa lend their voices is extremely enchanting and highly foot tapping. Ajab Leher, sung by Neeraj Shridhar, Shekhar Ravjiani and Vishal is another upbeat track with good use of the saxophone. Main Jiyunga is another similar song with its fresh and youth sound and the piano in this song is really intriguing. Nikhil D’souza is the perfect person to sing this song and makes it his own with his loungy voice. Don’t Worry About Me is the English version of the same number sung by VishalDadlani. Because its in English, it naturally alienated the masses but Vishal’s version is just as good. Dhoop Ke Makaan, sung by Shekhar Ravjiani, Sunidhi Chauhan, Caralisa and Mikey Mccleary is another fresh and young track and perhaps the highlight of this album for most, where the focus is more on the vocals than on the instrumental arrangement. The acoustic version of the same song is even better with its raw feel. Dooriyan Hain Zaroori, with its great lyrics, is a catchy number and Monica Dogra and Vishal sing it with so much enthusiasm, that it manager to do its trick.  Overall, this was a robust and fun soundtrack and Vishal-Shekhar had to be commended on their consistency given they also composed the hit music for Anjaana Anjaani and I Hate Luv Stories that same year. 5. Tashan (2008) This is an enjoyable soundtrack and given the theme of the film, it was understandable that YRF went to Vishal Shekhar. Dil Haara sung by the ever reliable Sukhwinder Singh is a unique mixture ofrock and folk. With the feel of rock with a V-S have executed exactly what they intended and done it brilliantly. Chaliya is a missable track but isn’t all too bad with Sunidhi Chauhan crooning to a western sound. Dil Dance Maare is a mass entertainer and one has to commend V-S for making sure the lyrics don’t sound as stupid in the song as they do otherwise. Then again, the lyricist for the song is Vishal himself. V-S bring in Udit Narayan for Falak Tak, where he is accompanied by Mahalaxmi Iyer. It turns around the mood of the album and the duo give another romantic hit. Arguably the best song of the album is Tashan Mein where Vishal and Master Saleem’s loud vocals on an underlying rock base do the trick. 4. Shanghai (2012) This is different from most Vishal-Shekhar albums. One could argue that V-S haven’t really got enough opportunities to show off their versatility and Dibakar Banerjee got them that through his 2012 flick, Shanghai. Bharat Mata Ki Jai is a parody on the country’sway of functioning and Banerjee himself has penned the words for this song and a lot of voices have crooned the song together including Dadlani and Banerjee. It was composed as a ‘street-dance’ or celebratory track and works extremely well  with its drumming, horns and trumpets, and boisterously loud vocals. Imported Kamariya is another satirical track where the focus is more on the lyrics than on the music and Richa Sharma gives it her folksy touch with the duo providing backup vocals here as well. Morcha and Mantra Vishnu Sahasranamam are songs which perhaps won’t entice you to come back for another listen but they’re largely situational and the latter deserves a lot of praise. Duaa is without a doubt, the pick of the album. Nandini Srikar joined by Arijit Singh and Shekhar, manages to wrench out the emotions from listeners. Duaa has is a fantastic melody that will definitely make you yearn for more. Khudaaya sung by Shekhar, is another slow number from this album and  the blend ofsoft-rock and Indian classical works very well. Given the theme of the film, V-S have managed to deliver well and be creative with their tunes even though it might not be a sensational hit like some of their other albums. 3. I Hate Luv Storys (2008) Another album filled with youthful flavour and zest, IHLS is a soundtrack that boasts of several great tracks and for a “feel-good” romantic entertainer, the duo has done a bang-on job once again. Vishal Dadlani sung Jab Mila Tu is a breezy song which is thoroughly enjoyable with an easy melody and the orchestration that isn’t too hard, but also not too minimal. Bin tere is a soulful and melodious number which Shafqat Amanat Ali ensures, reaches your heart. In the reprised version, Shekhar Ravijiani is raw and likeable. Bahara sung by Sona Mohapatra and Shreya Ghoshal is another slow-paced song which you fall in love with immediately with its great melody, right beats and pads, the smart mixing and the mixture of Ghoshal’s sweet vocalsbacked by Mohapatra’s rustic voice. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is accompanied by the predominant Sarangi in an impressive sounding “Bahara (Chill Version)”.  Sadqa Kiya is another good song sung by Suraj Jagan and Mahalakshmi Iyer. The chorus of the song really hits the right places and Jagan is impressive in the high octave. Overall, this album was a huge hit and rightly so and doesn’t have one miss, so to say. Perhaps the title track sung by Vishal Dadlani would be considered its weakest but once again, in what was required from it, V-S couldn’t have done better. 2. Anjaana-Anjaani (2010) Unarguably one of their finest ever, Anjaana Anjaani is a mindblowing album that you might not love on the first go, but listen to it again and it will evoke a range of moods, “from the mellow to the manic”, without the need for visuals (which really says something given how much we depend on videos, situations and the story of a film to enjoy a Bollywood song). Anjaana Anjaani Ki Kahani is a club trackbut its not one of the annoying ones that you can’t get out of your head. Nikhil D’souza and Monali Thakur with their spunky vocals set to club tunes make sure the song stays with you for the right reasons. Hairat with its rock base and electronic guitar riffs is a powerful song and Lucky Ali, with his extra throaty vocals manages to sound youthful even at 50. Aas Paas Khuda is another winner by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and his sufi sound in this soulful track makes it a beautiful listen. The unplugged version is equally marvellous. There is  a mellowed down situational theme-track titled Anjaana Anjaani where Vishal Dadlani and Shilpa Rao truly prospers in their singing. Its once again, a very well composed piece. A very underrated song from this album is Tumse Hi Tumse where Shekhar takes over the mic. Its a pleasant song and is simple, yet delightful, in both its melody and soft guitar based instrumentals. I Feel Good, like its name suggests, is a  “mood-improving number” where Vishaland Shilpa Rao team up to inject this soft-rock with spunkiness and zest. Lastly we have Tujhe Bhula Diya which you will find on every Indian teenager’s “sad” playlist. The melody pierces the heart at moments and Mohit Chauhan and Shruti Pathak convey the pathos intended rather well. It is  an excellent music composition by V-S, and definitely makes it one of the finest sombre tracks in the last decade or so. Overall, with Anjaana Anjaani Vishal and Shekhar have produced a gem. There are no misses in this album and the duo has struck gold with most, if not all, songs. 1. Jhankaar Beats (2003) Its hard to believe that this album came back 12 years back because I constantly get in touch with it given how amazing it is. Its not surprising Vishal-Shekhar got the Filmfare RD Burman Award for New Music Talent for this film. From Boss Kaun Tha, a tribute to RD Burman sung by Amit Kumar with a fun little interlude of “Kal Kya Hoga Kisko Pata” to Jab Kabhie, a sweet, pleasant, light romanticnumber sung by KK and Mahalaxmi Iyer, this album is filled with gems. There is Shaan gracing us with his melodious voice in Suno Na and Tera Muskarana, both very beautiful melodies. The most popular song from the album Tu Ashiqui Hai, sung by K.K. It was said to be a different song at the time because there is so much youth and zest in this number which evaded mainstream Bollywood music largely at the time. It starts slow with soft background music and gradually gets louder and bolder but manages to retain its tenderness throughout. Then there is Humen Tumse Pyar Kitna, a classic redone by Vishal & Shekhar and sung by Amit Kumar & K.K. V-S have done a spectacular job arranging and revamping this piece. While Amit Kumar sings the majority of the song (as well as the last song of the album- Ruk Ruk), K.K. sings stanzas of Tu Aashiqui Hai in the middle of the song and the two sound really good merged.  A young duo, not as good as AR Rahman or Anu Malik among others at the time, coming outwith such a brilliant soundtrack and ensuring critics and people, watch out for them in the future. 12 years hence, we have seen the dizzying heights they have achieved.   Share and Enjoy