Forthcoming: Heroine

Okay, after watching this trailer, words cannot express how ecstatic I am that it's Kareena Kapoor doing this film instead of Aishwarya Rai. Mostly because this movie is perfect for Kareena. (And I also never really liked Aish, but that's beside the point.)

As anyone with a Bollypulse probably knows, Heroine is a forthcoming film directed by Madhur Bhandarkar and starring Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal. The movie is supposed to expose the "realities" of a the Hindi film industry. I know. As a Madhur Bhandarkar film, this is completely shocking.

Really though, I know this is nothing new. And I know this pretty much looks like a Fashion version 2.0 (complete with the same Mughda Godse). Nevertheless, I am so unbelievably excited for this movie. One small part of it is that I've always loved movies about Bollywood (Khoya Khoya Chand, Om Shanti Om, Luck By Chance, etc.)  The other part of it is that Kareena is a powerhouse and I know this movie will be good because of her.

Now to the trailer. Kareena looks, needless to say, ravishing. Is it too much for me to say that she might be becoming the new Queen Bee of Bollywood? If this movie does well, that may very well be the case. My other favorite part of the trailer was, but of course, the item song. The snippets we see of "Halkat Jawaani" are amazing, and the song is already stuck in my head. I can't wait for the music of this movie to release.

Even though this is definitely a topic that has been covered before, Heroine still looks bold, interesting, and best of all--glitzy. And this exactly how I like my Bollywood to be.

Obsessed: "Aa Re Pritam Pyare"

I was always Team Munni so it' no surprise that my latest obsession is "Aa Re Pritam Pyare" from Rowdy Rathore -- sung by Mamta Sharma of Munni fame. This song is just plain rowdy and I absolutely love it.

I think what made me fall in love with the song was the picturization (I can never get enough of the village-y item numbers) and the fact that there was actual good choreography. Everyone raved at how amazing Katrina (barf) was in "Chikni Chameli" but what pissed me off about that number was the utter waste of screen time on zooming in on her face as she mouths the words with her collagened lips. "Aa Re Pritam Pyare" has dancing all the gals dancing all the way through. And if we're being honest here, they three girls are a little unsynchronized at times BUT totally make up for it with their facial expressions and by making it look like they're having a ton of fun. The energy is fantastic. Most people are gushing about Shakti Mohan (the girl in the purple) but my favorite is Mumaith Khan (the girl in the fuchsia). Her enthusiasm is unmatched.

This is what a true item number should be. But somehow, this song is largely underrated and isn't as popular as it should be. Could it be the lack of a big name actress? Do we really only need Katrinas and Kareenas and Malaikas to ensure a song's success with audiences? The harsh answer is probably yes. So while everyone else obsesses over hot messes of songs like "Anarkali Disco Chali" I'll be replaying this for a while and appreciating its brilliance. :)

Kapoor Khazana! Ranbir's Item Number?

Item songs are not just for sexy women anymore and the latest hunk to join the item number party is Ranbir Kapoor for the upcoming flick Chillar Party. The video starts off with a group of school children asking "Ranbir Bhaiyya" to do an item number for their movie. Ranbir agrees and the tapori style "Tai Tai Phiss" begins.

This video is pretty bad as far as item numbers go. However, the song itself is actually kind of wonderful. "Tai Tai Phiss" is super catchy, funny, yet danceable--all winning ingredients in my book. The video itself just seems lazy. To me, item numbers are special because of their creativity, interesting sets ("Dard-e-Disco"), immaculate choreography ("Ishq Kamina"), and the sexy star ("Munni"). "Tai Tai Phiss" pretty much has none of these qualities (yes Ranbir is hot, but not as he's shown here!). What we pretty much get is Ranbir dancing in front of a screen. How creative.

The set looks like it's been reused from "Right Here Right Now," just cheapened. Add in those less than spectacular "special effects" and you've pretty much got yourself a joke. Call me superficial, but where's all the glitz and glamor of a true item number? By the end of the song, I had the same reaction as those school children.

Ok so if this video is so terrible, then why is it a Kapoor Khazana? Because the saving grace of this whole charade is Ranbir Kapoor. Despite the lame set and what seems like a lack of effort, Ranbir Kapoor was brilliant in this song. Don't watch this song for a sexy Ranbir, but watch it for his hilarious expressions and even more hilarious dancing. Ranbir is acting a fool, but you can tell he doesn't care making his performance all the more enjoyable to watch.

Song Review: Chammak Challo (Ra.One)

Film: Ra.One (Release Date: October 26, 2011)
Singer: Akon
Composers: Vishal and Shekhar

(I'm not gonna bother with a YouTube link to the song just yet. Since the song was leaked online, it'll just keep getting removed. So search for it and I'm sure you'll find it!)

When I first heard that R&B superstar Akon would be recording a couple songs for Ra.One, I was afraid. Very afraid. It could either go terribly wrong, or have the potential to be a super hit (but probably nothing in between). Thankfully, "Chammak Challo" falls in the latter category!

If you're not familiar with Akon and his voice/style, it may take a while for you to warm up to the song. But I assure you--you will!  The track starts off strong and is able to continue with the same strength until the very end, never losing it's high energy pace. It's surprisingly catchy and will probably get stuck in your head whether you like it or not.

Akon did an amazing job. First of all, he's a superstar in the American music scene, and is Senegalese-American. Despite his lack of complete familiarity with Bollywood and India, his Hindi pronunciation is really, truly impressive. There is no hint of an American accent in his Hindi lines (quite a feat!) and the words seem to flow naturally. Katrina Kaif could learn something from this guy! And even though Akon is singing for a different market and audience, he maintains his personal musical style in the song.

I usually hate when English is used in Bollywood songs. It tends to sound forced, unnatural, and the singers' Indian accents don't help much with that "cool" factor they're probably going for. "Chammak Challo" is the perfect example of how an English-Hindi fusion in a song can actually work. Akon's grasp of both languages defeats that usual awkwardness factor that comes out of these language fusion songs. The lyrics also help with this, with lingo English lingo that is popular in R&B songs and Hindi lyrics that are typical of Bollywood tracks.

The best part of this song? It's apparently going to be an item number picturized on Kareena Kapoor! This makes me happy for two reasons. One, I LOVE item songs with a passion. Two, I'm just glad they're not gonna have Shahrukh Khan lip synch to this (hopefully?!). I love love love SRK, but imagine the awkwardness that could come of out that. The chorus (my favorite part of the song) is also perfectly suited for a dance number, so I'm excited to see what could come of this.

"Chammak Challo" is a unique song, but one that is sure to be a hit. It's also a great marketing ploy for Ra.One, which will now get wider recognition within second generation NRI communities, as well as non-Indian Akon fans. It's a step forward in the current globalization of Hindi cinema--whether that's a good thing or not, is up to you.

Overall, I absolutely adore this song, despite my usual inhibitions about Western singers in Bollywood. Akon has reportedly also sung another song for Ra.One so, seeing as how this wasn't a disaster, I'm actually kind of excited to hear it. And yes, Akon, I'd love to be your Chammak Challo!

Final Verdict: 4.5/5

A glimpse of "Shalu Ke Thumkey"!

Mallika Sherawat recently made headlines for challenging Munni and Sheila in her new item song in the movie Bin Bulaye Baraati. Well, here's a glimpse of this "hot" number in a short 20 second clip.

I'll try really hard to keep an open mind once the full song comes out but, Mallika...giiiirl, stop trying so hard. "Razia" failed to create shock waves, what makes you think you'll succeed as Shalu by blatantly challenging the two biggest item girls of recent times? Also, way to completely Murder (yes, pun intended) the signature Sheila move at 17 seconds.

This song will probably be a success, but I really am getting a bit tired of all the Munni-Sheila references and competition. It's becoming overkill. Nonetheless, this song will probably bring some much needed publicity to Bin Bulaye Baraati which stars the struggling Aftab Shivdasani. The movie releases on July 8, 2011.

Song Review: Laila O Laila (Chalo Dilli)

Film: Chalo Dilli (Release Date: April 29, 2011)
Singer: June Banerjee
Composer: Gourov Dasgupta

The track "Laila O Laila" from the forthcoming film Chalo Dilli is the much talked about item song picturized on Yana Gupta and obviously adapted from the 1980 hit of the same title from the film Qurbani. While I will try my best not to compare the song to the original (listen to it here), let me just say that I read reports saying that the new song is virtually "unaltered" from the original track, and that is simply not true. The music is different, the singer is different, and the pace is different. If that's not "altered" then I don't know what is. Now, on to the revamped "Laila O Laila"!

The first minute or so of the song left me in sheer confusion (and terror!) to be honest. It starts off with soft, slow crooning, which many songs do. But this particular opening was so long and drawn out that I was wondering whether I was listening to a bhajan or an item number. But if you manage to stay awake through the first minute and 10 seconds of the song, it does get better! 

The music is hands-down the best part of this track. Once the main beat hits, you remain captivated by the song; it's very traditional and Desi, but at the same time modern and dance-able. I wasn't sure how "Laila O Laila" would work as an item song (especially one featuring Yana) but after hearing it, it's clear that this song was meant to be a sexy item number. The lyrics seem to be pretty similar to the original, but the new music really spices them up.

I'm not really sure about the singing, however. June Banerjee is clearly talented but I feel like this voice didn't suit the song. I understand what they were going for in trying to portray a type of "village vamp" (think Munni!) but I think they went a little too far and June's voice often sounded plain drunk rather than sexy. This is mostly evident in her singing the actual "Laila O Laila" chorus--she seems to do fine with the rest of the song. 

Ultimately, the new "Laila" excels music-wise, but the needlessly long intro and June's over-the-top singing are a few significant drawbacks. But, in the end, it's still fun, catchy, and item-number worthy.

Final Verdict: 3/5

Yana Gupta to be the new "Laila"

Yana Gupta is set to perform to the legendary song "Laila O Laila" (originally performed by Zeenat Aman in Qurbani) in the upcoming film Chalo Dilli. Yana is no stranger to item numbers. Remember her kind of awkward, but still memorable "Babuji Zara Dheere Chalo" in the 2003 flick Dum?

Apparently, no "alterations" were made to the original song. I'm not exactly sure what that means. Is the song just not remixed? Does the song contain the original artists' voice and music? Either way, Zeenat is reportedly very happy with the final product. She basically threw a fit with the new remix of "Mit Jaaye Gham" which is a great song, in my opinion.

I love remixes. They make songs fun and danceable. That's all there is to it. No one's claiming to be "better" than the original, so why can't people just lighten up? Also, just because something is older doesn't inherently make it better. I find the original "Laila O Laila" to be a bit dull, and wouldn't mind if it was spiced up a little. A lot of people also seemed to have a problem with the raunchy lyrics and picturization of "Mit Jaaye Gham." Well, take a look at this newly released "Laila O Laila" trailer:

How is this any less risque than the Dum Maaro Dum song? Yana is practically extremely scantily clad in the song and dances pretty suggestively (which isn't a problem!). But just because she, as opposed to Deepika, is in Indian clothes rather than Western ones, how is this any less...well...slutty? While "Laila O Laila" is a more traditional item number, "Mit Jaaye Gham" is simply more modern. As India and the world around it is changing, people should understand that cinema will evolve along with it--and that includes item songs. It's fine to not like "Mit Jaaye Gham" as a song, but I think it's unfair to write it off simply because it's a remix of an older number.

But I digress. Yana seems to sizzle in this new item song, and even if the song itself isn't any different from the original, I'm excited to see what flavor Yana brings to it herself! Chalo Dilli releases at the end of the month.

Song Review: Mit Jaaye Gham (Dum Maaro Dum)

Film: Dum Maaro Dum (Release date: April 22, 2011)
Singer: Anushka Manchanda
Composer: Pritam

It took a few listens of this track for me to come to the decision that I like this song. It is obviously (and expectedly) a take on the original "Dum Maaro Dum" from the 1971 movie Hare Ram Hare Krishna. While nothing can overshadow the original, this new track has its own spice and flair.

First off, Mit Jaaye Gham is an item song and will be picturized on the lovely Deepika Padukone. Judging from this song's rough 'n tough style, I can predict that we'll be in for quite a show. The song itself is unconventional. It starts off with a fierce monologue by the singer then goes straight into a playful rhyme, then a rap, before the catchy chorus begins.

Somehow, even though so many different elements and song styles are combined and compressed into just under 4 minutes, the song still works. It's different and unique, but everything is tied together through the use of the original "Dum Maaro Dum" chorus, which sounds as catchy as ever. It also seems that, because of the modern techno feel to the song, it'll probably appeal more to the youth market.

Anuskha's vocals are perfect for this song. She does a great job with all the different styles and elements of the track. As for the lyrics, I'm still not sure what to think of them. They're interesting, to say the least (ex: "Uche se ucha banda, potty pe bethe nanga!"). But this song definitely breaks some rules, and the lyrics are no exception. All in all, this song has landed a spot on my current playlist--I always love a good item number!

Final Verdict: 3.5/5