Unsurprisingly, Kavita S(warnalath)ang (Ud)it well

Make no mistake, Sunta Hai Mera Khuda, from Pukar, was a typical A R Rahman composition – (Ud)it did (Kavi)take a long time to grow on the listeners. When it did, all one could say is, “Woh sunte rahe.”

Narayan and Krishnamurthy were joined behind the microphone by Swarnalatha.

By no means would it be incorrect to say that the lyrics of the song, which Majrooh Sultanpuri penned, were its highlight.

The song, which was six minutes and 36 seconds long, was shot at a picturesque locale – Arches National Park in the American state of Utah.

Ms Paudwal sang (Nig)amind-blowing Son(u)g

Kismat Se Tum, the romantic track from Pukar, was one of the best Son(u)gs in the film.

It was rendered by Mr Nigam and Anuradha Paudwal.

While Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit were professing their love for each other on screen, Hindi film music aficionados couldn’t be blamed for wondering whether the singers were expressing how fortunate they were to bag the song, which was six minutes and 20 seconds long.

The A R Rahman composition was penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri.

It was shot at Glacier Bay National Park in the American state of Alaska.

Ms Krishnamurthy sang (Shank)arocking track

With Mahadevan Sha(nka)ring singing credits with Kavita Krishnamurthy*, and Prabhu Deva and Madhuri Dixit dancing, Kay Sera Sera, which derived its name from Que Sera Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)**, was an audio-visual treat.

Javed Akhtar penned the track, which was six minutes and 51 seconds long.

The song, from Pukar, was a remake of Kadhal Nayagara from En Swasa Kaatre. Both the tracks were composed by A R Rahman.

(*Note: Swarnalatha joined them behind the microphone.)

[**Note: Rendered by Doris Day, it was from Alfred Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956).]

(Ud)It was salvaged by Sardesai

Humrahi Jab Ho Mastana was a passable song from Pukar. In fact, that would be putting it mildly – it was the weakest song in the film.

Of the five songs from the film on this blog, it was the shortest – it was four minutes and 26 seconds long.

It was penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri.

Even A R Rahman, who composed it, could not boast of an unblemished record, at least as far as Hindi film soundtracks were concerned.

(Ud)It wouldn’t be incorrect to state that the track was salvaged by Mr Narayan and Hema Sardesai.

Lata didn’t let anyone down

Pukar, which released in 2000, was undoubtedly among A R Rahman’s top ten Hindi film soundtracks.

The song, which was six minutes and 29 seconds long, was penned by the veteran Majrooh Sultanpuri (who passed away three months after the film’s release).

Ek Tu Hi Bharosa, which wasn’t just rendered by, but also picturised on Lata Mangeshkar, continues to give the listeners goosebumps.

Rahman reused his composition, O Bosnia (which was performed by him at his 1996 concert in Malaysia, which was in aid of Bosnian victims), as this track. He also played the piano.

Rahman was a guest KoMpoSer

Mumbai's Haji Ali Dargah, which is as much a symbol of the city’s pluralism as it is an architectural marvel, inspired Piya Haji Ali, a song in Fiza (2000).

Fans of A R Rahman, who is known for his all-or-nothing approach to composing the music of films, were pleasantly surprised, because this was the only track on the soundtrack of the film that was composed by him.

He was also one of the four singers who rendered it, the others being Kadar Ghulam Mustafa, Murtaza Ghulam Mustafa and Srinivas.

It was penned by Shaukat Ali.

Mr Fernandes rendered (M)aninane number

Although O Maria, which was on the soundtracks of Dil Hi Dil Mein and Kadhalar Dhinam, was about chatting via the Internet, which had become a craze among the youth at that point, it wouldn’t be incorrect to state that it failed to connect with them.

Its Hindi version, which was rendered by Remo Fernandes and Febi (who also sang the Tamil version*), was six minutes and 21 seconds long.

The track, which was penned by Mehboob, was composed by A R Rahman.

[*Note: She was joined behind the M(an)icrophone by Devan Ekambaram and Yugendran.]

Abhijeet sang a below-par geet

Dil Hi Dil Mein, which was a partially-reshot version of the 1999 Tamil film Kadhalar Dhinam, released in 2000.

The soundtrack of the Hindi version, which was far from outstanding, had a below-average song, which was titled Ae Nazneen Suno Na and rendered by Abhijeet.

Unfortunately, the listeners, barring Mr Bhattacharya's fans (and perhaps a few teenagers who had fallen in love), seemed to be in no mood to pay heed to his request.

The track, which was five minutes and 58 seconds long, was penned by Mehboob.

It was composed by A R Rahman.