It was bizarre but K(avit)atchy

Telephone Dhun Mein Hansnewaali must have conjured up the image of a woman whose laugh sounded like a ringing telephone.

But since that didn’t have a nice ring to it, it must have amused the listeners no end. 

The song, which was from Hindustani, was six minutes and 15 seconds long.

It wouldn’t be incorrect to say that the song, which P K Mishra penned, became popular because it was absurd (Can someone explain what its second line, Melbourne Macchli Machalnewaali, meant?)

A R Rahman composed it.

It was rendered by Hariharan and Kavita Krishnamurthy.

Swarnalatha didn’t leave anybody SPellBound

P K Mishra treated the listeners to some alliteration when he penned Maya Macchindra.

Five words of the opening line of the track from Hindustani, which was five minutes and 37 seconds long, began with M. These included the two aforementioned words. The others were, “Mujhpe mantar mat.”

By no stretch of the imagination was the song, which was composed by A R Rahman, mind-blowing, but it wouldn’t be incorrect to say that it enjoyed its fair share of popularity.

It was rendered by S P Balasubrahmanyam, who was joined behind the microphone by Swarnalatha.

Indeed, it waS(warnalath)a (Lat)katchy track

Hindustani, which released in 1996, was the Hindi version of Indian, a Tamil film which released the same year.

It is indeed interesting that Latka Dikha Diya Humne was the only song on its soundtrack that had a couple of versions. Both were five minutes and 52 seconds long.

This blog contains a post on just one – the one rendered by Swarnalatha.

The other version was sung by actress and singer Suchitra Krishnamoorthi.

Both the versions of the song, which was catchy, were penned by P K Mishra.

They were composed by A R Rahman.

It was (Rahm)another dubbed chartbuster

Duniya Dilwalon Ki, which released in 1996, was the dubbed version of Kadhal Desam, a Tamil film that released the same year.

It wouldn’t be incorrect to say that Mustafa Mustafa – the Hindi version of the song of the same name – was the most popular song on its soundtrack.

P K Mishra penned the track, which was about friendship.

In fact, there was an English line at the beginning of the song, which went, “Friendship is what we're looking for.” Indeed, everybody is.

A R Rahman didn’t just compose the track, but also rendered it.

Rahman SaNg a catchy track

Undoubtedly the most popular song on the soundtrack of Humse Hai Muqabala, Urvashi Urvashi was also the longest – it was five minutes and 39 seconds long.

Incidentally, the Tamil original, titled Urvasi Urvasi, was as long as the Hindi version.

A R Rahman wasn’t just the composer of the song, but was also one of the three singers. Mr Mahadevan and Noell James Sha(nka)red singing credits with him.

By no means would it be wrong to state that the absurd lyrics – which were credited to P K Mishra – worked in favour of this catchy number.    

It was (Harihar)an excellent rendition

When Hariharan rendered Sun Ri Sakhi, every female Hindi film buff (and her male companion) listened with rapt attention.

Soothing to the ears, the track, from Humse Hai Muqabala, was five minutes and 11 seconds long.

It was penned by P K Mishra, who used an interesting word, Naagmani (which means a gem possessed by a shape-shifting cobra).

The rest of the line went, “Teri nagin si zulfon ko sanvaaroon main” (which can be translated to, “I will part your hair that is like a female cobra.”)

The track was composed by A R Rahman.

This NonSenSical track became popular

Patti Rap, from Humse Hai Muqabala, was the Hindi version of Pettai Rap, a rap-like track which interspersed English words with Hindi or Tamil ones, as was the case.

The original was in Madras Bashai, the slang used in Madras (now Chennai). Bashai is derived from bhasha, which means language).

A R Rahman composed both the versions of the track, which were four minutes and 23 seconds long.

P K Mishra penned the Hindi version of the track, which was rendered by Suresh Peters (who sang the Tamil version too), Noell James and Shankar Mahadevan.  

This was certainly (M)anoutstanding version

It certainly wouldn’t be incorrect to state that Muqabala Muqabala, from Humse Hai Muqabala, was the best of the many Hindi versions of the Tamil track of the same name (which, incidentally, had an entry in the Limca Book of Records for the same reason).

Five minutes and 23 seconds long, it was penned by P K Mishra.

Both versions were composed by A R Rahman (who was, incidentally, one of the singers who rendered the Tamil version of the catchy number).

Mano and Swarnalatha, who joined him behind the microphone, rendered the Hindi version.

Mr Balasubrahmanyam definitely (Jana)killed it

Humse Hai Muqabala released in 1995.

It was the Hindi version of Kadhalan, a Tamil film that released the previous year.

The songs of both the versions were composed by A R Rahman.

Those of the Hindi version were penned by P K Mishra.

Gopala Gopala, a fast-paced number, was five minutes and eight seconds long.

Besides the mind-blowing music and the outstanding lyrics, the track had the third ingredient that goes into the making of a fantastic track – awesome rendition by S P Balasubrahmanyam and S Janaki, known as the Nightingale of South India.

It didn’t impress anyone MUCh

In A R Rahman’s early days in the Hindi film industry, his discography mainly comprised dubbed versions of his Tamil film soundtracks.

Thiruda Thiruda, director Mani Ratnam’s second collaboration with him (after Roja), was no different.

The film, which released in 1993, was remade in Hindi as Chor Chor.

One of the tracks from that film was Pyaar Kabhi Na Todenge.

P K Mishra penned it.

(Ud)It was rendered by Mr Narayan, K S Chithra and Nagoor Babu, who is known by his stage name, Mano.

By no stretch of the imagination was it outstanding.

It was a SuPerB (Chi)t(h)rack

Not only was Yeh Haseen Wadiyaan, from Roja, a wonderful song, but it was beautifully picturised as well.

The track, which was five minutes and 21 seconds long, was penned by P K Mishra, who used similes to describe the beauty of Madhoo, who essayed the titular character.

Without an iota of doubt, the most striking of those was, “Tere honthon pe hain husn ki bijliyaan” (which can be translated to, “There are sparks of beauty on your lips.”)

Composed by A R Rahman, it was rendered by S P Balasubrahmanyam and K S Chithra.

Baba S(hwet)ang this hilarious number

Rukmani Rukmani was the longest song on the soundtrack of Roja – it was six minutes and five seconds long.

Even if the track, which was penned by P K Mishra, was a tad risqué, it wouldn’t be incorrect to state that it was extremely popular.

And that was primarily because the thin line between classiness and vulgarity wasn’t crossed.

A R Rahman composed the song, which was rendered by a couple of singers who became household names in India with the advent of satellite television and Indipop in the 1990s – Baba Sehgal and Shweta Shetty.  

This was (Harihar)another awesome version

Version 2 of Roja Jaaneman, the title track of Roja, had four things in common with Version 1.

Firstly, they were the same length – five minutes and seven seconds.

Secondly, both versions were penned by P K Mishra.

Thirdly, A R Rahman composed them.

Fourthly, Sujatha Mohan rendered both the versions.

There was just one difference between them – Version 2 was sung by Hariharan.

The fact that the listeners thought comparisons between the two versions were unnecessary proved a point, that could be called the fifth (and most important) similarity – both the versions were outstanding. 

Sujatha sang a SuPerB track

There were a couple of versions of Roja Jaaneman, the title track of Roja.

Version 1 of the song was rendered by S P Balasubrahmanyam, who was joined behind the microphone by Sujatha Mohan.

The track was five minutes and seven seconds long.

While each line was beautifully penned by P K Mishra, there was one line where imagery was used to outstanding effect.

It went, “Phool jo khile thhe woh, shool ban gaye hain kyon?” (which could be translated to, “Why have the flowers that bloomed become thorns?”)

A R Rahman composed the song. 

Minmini earned the maximum appreciation

To say that Chhoti Si Asha, from Roja, went on to become a bada popular song would be an understatement.

Obviously, A R Rahman deserved the lion’s share of the credit for that – not only did he compose it, but he also joined Minmini behind the microphone.

The song was four minutes and 58 seconds long.

It also had a version titled Bit, which was a minute and seven seconds long. It was rendered by Minmini.

P K Mishra penned the track, which was the Hindi version of the Tamil original, titled Chinna Chinna Aasai.   

It was (Harihar)an outstanding number

Bharat Humko Jaan Se Pyaara Hai was, undoubtedly, one of the best patriotic songs of our times.

It was from the Hindi version of Roja, a Tamil film which released in 1992 and marked the debut of A R Rahman.

Merely calling him a composer would do absolutely no justice to the musical genius, who would go on to become India’s pride.

P K Mishra penned the song.

It was, technically, the second-shortest song on the soundtrack – it was just three minutes and five seconds long.

Hariharan, who rendered it, was accompanied by a chorus.