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By Joginder Tuteja, May 31, 2004 - 17:53 IST
'New Age Cinema' - this is how the movies like Monsoon Wedding, Bend It Like Beckham, American Desi, Bollywood Hollywood, Bollywood Calling have been categorized after their success, ranging from exemplary to average. The man, who was one of the first to initiate this trend a few years back, was Nagesh Kukunoor, who made a refreshingly 'different' (no pun intended!) Hyderabad Blues [HB] that narrated the story of a US return Hyderabadi guy who finds his soul mate in his birth land. The movie effectively touched upon the issues of morality, the confusion of being educated abroad but living in India, respect for family and affection for friends. HB, which was made on a show string budget of a few lakhs, was a massive success mainly due to word of mouth and this began an altogether different trend of movie making. Nagesh Kukunoor went on to make a frothy spoof on functioning of Bollywood 'Bollywood Calling' and critically acclaimed jail drama '3 Deewarein'. None of the movies worked the way HB worked. Finally, Nagesh decided to make a sequel of his original HB as 'Hyderabad Blues 2 - Rearranged Marriage' and in his own words says "It's Great To Be Back At Square One". Music of HB2 is a mainly a collection of songs from various other non-film albums and may just make a fleeting appearance as per the situation of the movie. Since there are different teams for each of the numbers [as in the recent release 'Where Is The Party Yaar'], we will go song by song.
'Slipping Through Your Fingers', 'One Man', and 'Sea Of Stories'
Singer - Trickbaby
Lyrics - Hussain/Ager
A soft fusion song, 'Slipping Through Your Fingers' is mainly an English track that should appeal to the youngsters who are bred on the pop songs. There is an element of Indian music with tabla in the background. A track that speaks of 'Making a wrong decision may result in things slipping out of your hands', it is sung well by the female singer Trickbaby. In comparison, the other English solos 'One Man' and 'Sea Of Stories' are rhythmic in nature rather than being soft. 'Sea Of Stories' starts with tabla beats that stay throughout the song. Lyrics by Hussain/Ager are meaningful and those who are fond of soft western music may like the songs.
Tere Bina and Mora Saiyyan
Singer and lyricist - Fuzon
'Tere Bina' is a very good song about a guy who is in extreme love with his girl and can't dream of a moment without her. Fuzon's vocals do deserve an appreciation here. Though the lyrics written by him are not exceptional, the nice melodious music more than makes up for it. Mainly a pop track again, it is not for those who want to hear yet another conventional Bollywood track but for those who like pop songs of the likes of say 'Aryans' or 'Strings'. 'Mora Saiyyan' is a semi-classical song where the vocals are the mainstay during the entire duration whereas instruments take a complete backstage. A soft number about a girl who is trying to woo her partner because he is upset with her, the subtle use of guitar gives a very soft and romantic touch to the song.
Additappa
Singers - Candy, Cheryl and Liesl
Music - Raju Singh
Lyrics - Shyam Anuragi
An excellent rhythmic number, this was first heard a few years back when released. The same music was also heard in Anu Malik's 'Piya Piya O Piya Piya' in Har Dil Jo Pyaar Karega that had vocals of Preeti and Pinky (guess where the two girls are today!?). 'Additappa' returns with a vigor and is an instantly catchy number. A track by Candy, Cheryl and Liesl that makes you go for your dancing shoes, it is a full-fledged Hindi number that has the theme of young girls looking for a man of their dreams.
Aaj Ki Raat
Singer - Mahesh Patwardhan
Music - Biddu
Lyrics - Pandit Dinesh
Aaj Ki Raat is a song about a guy professing his love for a girl and looking forward to marrying her, it is very Indian and has an age-old charm associated with it. The song is interspersed by naughty vocals of females in the background that make it interesting to hear while the beats in the song make you feel that you are a part of a journey. Mahesh Patwardhan's vocals may meet with mixed reactions as they are soft but do not have much impact to hold the listener's attention. At places, they even sound a bit amateurish. While Biddu's music is in his trademark style - rhythmic, vibrant and earthy in approach, Pandit Dinesh's lyrics are good and 'different' from conventional Bollywood tracks.
Mo' Bhangra Blues (Instrumental Mix)
Music - Sonik Gurus
Seven numbers so far and still no sign of a bhangra track! How could that be possible? Well the answer is in the shape of 'Mo' Bhangra Blues' by Sonik Gurus. Don't know what exactly the term Mo'bhangra Blues mean, what exactly does this instrumental has to do in the movie and why exactly is it there at all in the album? The most disappointing of all tracks in HB2, it completely breaks the momentum created in the soft'n'subtle narration of the album. This one deserves a skip while listening to the album.
Dil Pe Mat Lo
Singer - Anand
Music and Lyrics - Alter Ego
The song carries the joke of original HB a bit too far. Remember the popular conversation between Nagesh and a group of friends about how 'Dil Pe Mat Lo but ......!!'. Well, an entire song has been composed starting with the same quote as lyrics and continues talking about the tradition of Hyderabad in terms of 'Biryaani', 'Charminar', 'Potti' et al. A poorly composed song, it has amateurish sing coupled by not-so-inspiring lyrics. The only original song composed specifically for HB2, it disappoints and brings the album to a grinding halt.
There is a strong feeling of discontentment when HB2 ends. While a couple of songs are good and interesting, a few others are average that may be liked by few while the last two tracks just do not impress. HB2 is a strict no-no for those who love on the staple diet of Bollywood. Also, it is not so exceptional that the classes may leap on it in dozens. At the most, its only target audience is going to be the lovers of pop music who want to hear some soft music. But this too would be a minority crowd as in entirety the album doesn't connect.
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