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Qawwali is a Sufi form of music that originated in the 13th century. Amir Khusro, a Sufi musician, poet, and scholar is regarded as the godfather of Qawwali. It provides a synthesis of the truth and divine love and its rendition of creates a ‘sama’ that transports you to a completely different place. It is one of the most exhilarating musical experiences to listen to Qawwali live.

Bollywood has been successful in composing some of the best Qawwali, some of which have survived the test of times because of their sheer beauty. Here is a list of the best Qawwali’s that you will find in Bollywood –

 

1) Nigahein Milane Ko Jee Chahata Hai

‘Nigahein Milane Ko Jee Chahata Hai’ was released in 1963 as part of the album of ‘Dil Hi To Hai’ movie. Starring legends like Raj Kapoor, Nutan, and Prana, this album is perhaps best known for the song ‘Laga Chunri Mei Daag’ but hidden in the album is this gem. Sung by Asha Bhosle and composed by Roshan, this Qawwali is perfection in itself. Sahir Ludhianvi has weaved magic into the lyrics of this song that renders it a unique quality.

 

2) Murshid Khele Holi

A very recent Qawwali that won hearts was ‘Murshid Khele Holi’ of the movie D-Day. Sung by some of the most talented singers of this era such as Munnawar Masoom, Shankar Mahadevan and Javed Ali, this is nothing short of a masterpiece. Munnawar Masoom is a magical artist, whose work needs to be seen live in order to be fully experienced.

 

3) Na To Caravan Ki Talash Ho

Sung by Mohammad Rafi, Manna Dey, Asha Bhosle and Sudha Malhotra, this Qawwali which is around twelve minutes long defines what perfection is. It is from the movie ‘Barsaat Ki Raat’ which has some other famous Qawwalis and will leave you in awe of the composer Roshan and lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi. It remains a personal favourite and has an other-worldly element to it.

 

4) Jee Chahata Hai Choom Loon Teri Nazar Ko Mai

‘Barsaat Ki Raat’ starring Madhubala and Bharat Bhushan was an immense hit when released in 1960. It was also one of the last movies to star the very beautiful Madhubala. The movie album which has four Qawalis became really popular back in its day. This Qawwali which is sung by Asha Bhosle, Sudha Malhotra, Balbir, and Bande Hassan deserves a spot on this list for all the right reasons.

 

5) Teri Mehfil Mein Qismat

There is no movie that can ever reach the heights that Mughal-E-Azam has achieved. This remains to be one of the iconic movies that Bollywood has produced. People remember this movie for its direction, sets and, music. Composed by Naushad and sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Shamshad Begum, the ‘Jugalbandi’ is sure to enchant you and move you with its magical element.

 

Anukriti Mishra.

[email protected]

 

Feature Image Credits- Pinterest

 

We thrive on cinema, and our cinema thrives on its music. The music of any Indian film forms a major part of its promotional campaign, its total revenue collections, and what the audience remembers it by.

Music in the Hindi film industry had a glorious run in the 50’s 60’s and early 70’s where the music, though monotonous, was melodious. Composers like O.P. Naiyyar offset more ‘conventional’ musicians like Madan Mohan. The 80’s and 90’s became the era of mindless action flicks feeding into the audience’s demand for angry young men taking on the bad guys. There was no scope for melody.  In the 2000’s, while films saw new themes,the music industry went through a phase of uninspired, jarring, repetitive tunes.

The contemporary Hindi film music scene however, is going through a gradual transformation.  In the past few years it has become more inclusive, more experimental, and is producing varied and better music as a result. A few young musicians who are leading this change deserve special mention as they have created a completely new style for themselves,adding very refreshing elements to the concept of ‘film music’. They’re giving us hope and redefining what Bollywood Music means now and can mean in the future.

Amit Trivedi: He came, he saw, he conquered. While his first bollywood project was Amir, Trivedi shot to instant fame with his music compositions for DEV D. He won a national award for it, and then there was no looking back. Although firmly connected to the theme of the movie and the mood of the scene, all his tunes have a certain childlike innocence and simplicity. This, combined with beautiful melody is what distinguishes his music from that of his contemporaries.

Personal Favorite: Lootera Soundtrack

Sneha Khanwalkar:  She came into the spotlight through a music show on MTV, SOUND TRIPPIN. An enthusiastic traveler, Khanwalkar likes collecting the sounds of each place she visits on her recorder. These snippets of music (which can be anything ranging from a drum beat to the sound of water droplets on a steel pipe), when mixed with unconventional vocals, make for an extremely interesting album to listen to.  Her bollywood ventures include the soundtrack of critically acclaimed films Gangs of Wasseypur (parts 1 and 2). Her music is refreshing in its rustic tunes and earthy vocals. Sneha has been in the news also because she remains one of very few female music directors in the industry. She likes to play that down though. In her own words, ‘Does the gender of the music composer really make a difference to the audience?’

Personal favourite: Womaniya (Gangs of Wasseypur)

Mikey Mcleary: Originally from New Zealand, he has been living and composing music in Mumbai since 2007. Having composed music for a lot of television commercials, Mcleary gained popularity through two albums, Classic Bollywood: Shaken not Stirred (2011), and B Seventy (2013). Both have old bollywood tracks revamped and remixed with heavy influences of jazz, reggae, and cabaret. It is worth mentioning that while the soul or the mood of the mix always matches that of the original, each track has a distinct Mcleary quality about it. Mcleary’s Bollywood fame rests majorly on these revamped versions of old classics, but he has shown real talent in original compositions for films like Nautanki Saala and Shanghai.

Personal Favourites: Tum Jo Mil Gaye Ho (Coke TVC), Mast Kalender (David)

This development in our music industry has been a result of a number of things like receptiveness of the audience to new styles and increased willingness of musicians to take up composing as a profession. Film music being such an irreplaceable part of who we are for so many of us, this can only mean good things.

Sonakshi Agrawal (Gargi College)