Throughout the entire history of mythology and storytelling culture in India with the instruments of legends and itihasas, the singsongy rhythm and kirtan format started taking shape which in turn enabled our vast subcontinent’s rich tapestry. As per honest reviews by Filmyjanta here is our take.
Once a friend of mine asked me what I reckoned at least one thing Bollywood had been doing better than Hollywood consistently and my answer was- when an apparition in our horror movies takes a long walk in a dark atmospheric alley when lightning whips and thunder strikes with the shadows of giant trees in the background, it’s not just the ghouls, the witches nor the ghosts that are decidedly scary, it’s the amalgamation of all those with the tracks. The songs become a device that alert us viewers about the premonition that’s imminent. From 1965 Gumnaam’s haunting title track Gumnaam Hai Koi by Lata ji, blasting from all the directions in the movie that used to send shivers down the spine during my childhood to Chalo re Doli in 1979’s Jaani Dushman by Rafi Sahab to Aami je Tomar in 2006’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa to Ajnabi Hawaayein in 2010’s Shaapit; in Hollywood movies that part has always been absent. I mean can you imagine Manjulika without the song and dance routine or feel the eeriness when Kaaya in Shaapit wanders from the cottage into the dark forest and our protagonist follows her, without Shreya Ghosal’s melancholic voice that signifies longing? It would seem off. Right? Definitely one among I am sure many things Bollywood has a special knack for.
Special mention- try imagining any travel movie, whether it’s Dil Chahta Hai or ZNMD or Piku without their tracks. I cannot speak for everyone else but I certainly don’t want to watch these brilliant movies without the songs they brought in. Luka Chuppi in Rang De Basanti, Maa in Taare Zameen Par, Bhar Do Jholi Meri in Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Chak De in Chak De India which became an anthem in every stadium and was used ad nauseam, any song from Border or LOC. Or, and this here is one of my favorites, the climax johar scene in Padmaavat without the rousing Rani Sa in the background. Barfi would have been a collage and montage of goofy Chaplin knock-offs with The Notebook scenes sprinkled here and there, had it not been for Pritam, Mohit Chauhan, Sherya Ghoshal, Papon, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shafqat Amanat Ali and Rekha Bhardwaj (and of course the performances).
Sure, Films many times go overboard with their usage of songs and only a few of these participate in shaping up the respective era’s Zeitgeist. Currently, Bollywood movies are being plagued by gratuitous use of item numbers and some times most tracks don’t ever add to the flow of the storytelling and they have no contribution to enliven the characters who inhabit the space, unlike- Udaan, Ashiqui 2, Andhadhun, Qala etc. But, I am willing to make that trade-off, I would rather songs hit or miss than I miss the wonderful varieties of songs.
Great songs add flavors to the themes and elements to strengthen the characters, for that I think the trade-off is beneficial with all the out-of-place song sequences where the actors vanish into a trance leaving the story hanging in the air for five minutes.