This track was UNdeniAblY melodious

Ehsaan Noorani composed three of the songs on the soundtrack of Mission Kashmir, including Socho Ke Jheelon Ka Shehar Ho. But this blog contains just a couple of them*.

Sameer penned the song, which could be translated to, “Imagine there’s a city of lakes.” Its next line was, “Lehron pe apna ek ghar ho” (which means, “We should have a house on the waves.”)

(Ud)it was rendered by Narayan and Alka Yagnik.

[*Note: The third was Maaf Karo, which was rendered by Yagnik and Rathod. It didn’t earn my (Vi)nod because I haven’t heard it.]

Shankar rendered this Lo(vel)y song

Interestingly, Loy Mendonsa’s contributions to the soundtrack of Mission Kashmir were two of the three solos*, one of which was Rind Posh Maal.

Originally a love poem penned by the 19^th-century Kashmiri poet Rasool Mir, its filmi adaptation was penned by Sameer.

Since it is a language I’m not familiar with, I will definitely not attempt to translate it.

But one thing is for sure – Shankar, the Ma(hadeva)n who rendered it, did a pretty good job. 

(*Note: The other was So Ja Chanda, which was rendered by Mahalakshmi Iyer. It is not on this blog.)

(Ud)It was certainly A(l)katchy song

Shankar Mahadevan composed a couple of songs on the soundtrack of Mission Kashmir. One of them was Chupke Se Sun*.

The remainder of the line went, “Is pal ki dhun, is pal mein jeevan saara.” Therefore, it could be translated to, “Listen silently to the melody of this moment. In this moment is my whole life.”

The track, which was penned by Sameer, was one of the best romantic songs of the millennium. (Ud)It was rendered by none other than Narayan and Alka Yagnik.  

(*Note: The other track, Dhuan Dhuan, is not on this blog.)

They did a CoMmeNdable job

Interestingly, the songs of Mission Kashmir (2000) were composed separately by Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa.

The film’s soundtrack earned the trio their Ma(ha)(i)de(va)n No(m)(oran)ination at the International Indian FilM(endonc)Awards, which took place in Sun City, South Africa, in 2001.

One of the songs composed by Noorani was Bumbro, which is Kashmiri for bumblebee.

It wouldn’t be incorrect to state that the lyrics, which were penned by Rahat, left an Ind(or)(el)ible mark on Hindi film music aficionados.

The track was rendered by Shankar (Mahadev)and a couple of female singers – Jaspinder Narula (Chauh)and Sunidhi.

Sapna's item number was A(wast)hit

There is no doubt that Shilpa’s career as a Hindi film actress hasn’t been successful.

Despite that, she has managed to S(het)t(a)y in the limelight, thanks to intermittent on-screen appearances.

One of these was in Main Aayi Hoon UP Bihar Lootne, the item number from Shool (1999).

Shankar Mahadevan, Noorani (Ehsa)and Loy Mendonsa composed the track, which was penned by Sameer.

It’s unclear whether people in the two aforementioned states gave it the thumbs UP, but it marked the Bi(ha)rth of a new star – Sapna Awasthi.

She Sha(nka)red singing credits with Mahadevan and Chetan Shashital. 

Mr Mahadevan certainly Rock(for)(e)d it

If you were a teenager growing up in India in the late 1990s, chances are you wouldn’t have missed the soundtrack of a film titled Rockford, which released in 1999.

The longest song in the film went, “Aasmaan ke paar shaayad aur koi aasmaan hoga” (which could be translated to, “There must be some other sky beyond this sky.”)

The track, which was six minutes and 15 seconds long, was penned by Gulzar.

It was composed by Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa. And the man who rendered it was none other than Mahadevan.

They weren’t R(aa)(ig)h(t)on the M(o)N(e)Y

If Raahon Mein Chhayee, from Dillagi, were to be described using just one word, it would be passable.

But music aficionados cut Shankar Mahadevan, Noorani (Ehsa)and Loy Mendonsa some slack, because it was one of the first Hindi films for which they composed.

The track, which was penned by Javed Akhtar, was rendered by three singers, (Naraya)namely Alka Yagnik, Mahadevan and Udit.

Its opening lines – Raahon mein chhayee aisi rangeeniyaan, dekhoon jidhar bhi hain nazaare jawaan – could be translated to, “The paths are filled with colour. Wherever I cast my gaze, there are youthful scenes.”   

It wasn’t taken (Mahadev)anotch Iyer

By no means was Kya Yeh Sach Hai, from Dillagi, which was penned by Javed Akhtar and rendered by Shankar Mahadevan and Mahalakshmi Iyer, a Maha hit.

The opening lines of the track, which was composed by Mahadevan, Noorani (Ehsa)and Loy Mendonsa, went, “Kya yeh sach hai tumko bhi mujhse pyaar ho gaya. Nigaahon ne jo kaha, nigaahon ne jo suna, sach hai kya bolo zara” (which could be translated to, “Is it true that you have also fallen in love with me? Let me know if what the eyes said and heard is true.”)

DuS AUSome SingerS created MAJiK

Sunny Deol tried his dhaai kilo ka haath at direction, helming Dillagi, which released in 1999. Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa were roped in to compose three of the ten tracks. One of these was Dillagi Dillagi.

The song, which was penned by Javed Akhtar, was rendered by ten singers. While half-a-dozen of these, including Mahadevan, were males, females accounted for the remainder.  

In alphabetical order, the nine (Shank)artistes who accompanied him were as follows: Abhijeet Bhattacharya, Alka Yagnik, Jaspinder Narula, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Mahalakshmi Iyer, Shaan, Sonu Nigam, Sukhwinder Singh and Udit Narayan.    

The DebUtantS made their Ma(halakshmi)rk

Dus, which was supposed to release in 1997, continues to be stuck in the cans, but Shankar and his partners Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa Ma(ha)de(v)an impressive debut as composers.

It isn’t known if others liked the patriotic song penned by Sameer, but one thing is for sure – every Hindustani who listened to it gaur se (which means, “with rapt attention”) loved it.

There’s no (Domini)question about the fact that all the four singers who rendered the track, including Mahadevan, did a great (Cere)job. They shared singing cre(U)dits with Narayan and the newbie, Mahalakshmi Iyer.