There was more to Hindi film music this year than ‘Kesariya,’ as the other songs on this list prove
This year has been a mixed bag for film music. Most soundtracks failed to live up to a timeless legacy and much like the English music market, Bollywood too is now being mostly driven by singles instead of comprehensive albums.
This chart exclusively features songs originally from Hindi cinema, so it will not feature dubbed or multi-language film releases. With that said, these were the standouts of 2022 and guess what, they weren’t all by Arijit Singh!
“Doobey” – Gehraiyaan
The year kicked off with perhaps the most interesting soundtrack in the form of Gehraiyaan. Savera Mehta and Kabeer Kathpalia a.k.a OAFF pretty much moved from relative indie obscurity to overnight stardom thanks to Bollywood’s full-fledged introduction to atmospheric electronica. “Doobey” was the highlight of the album, a single that instantly connected with the youth making OAFF, composer-singer Savera and singer-songwriter Lothika Jha immediately in high demand. While Bollywood has dabbled over the years with some forms of EDM (particularly the Sanjay Gupta-helmed films Kaante and Musafir), it’s usually just been an afterthought in the form of ‘remix’ versions that in the early to mid-2000s became the new “jhankaar”.
“Mehram” – Jersey
Released at the very tale end of 2021 first, the Shahid Kapoor-starrer Jersey tried to replicate the smashing success of Kabir Singh both at the box office and with its soundtrack. While the album didn’t reach the same soaring heights of that film, the single “Mehram” composed by Sachet-Parampara and performed by Sachet himself became a melody for the ages. The single with lyrics by Shellee is an inspirational nod to oneself that no matter the obstacles of life, you have to move on… no matter what.
“Kahani” – Laal Singh Chaddha
I’ll be honest, I haven’t seen the Aamir Khan film Laal Singh Chaddha. As someone who grew up watching Forrest Gump and still has memories of going to the theater the summer it released and just being blown away, I was a bit hesitant. So, I was pleasantly surprised when before the release we were given the song “Kahani,” a lovely track composed by Pritam, with lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya and performed by Mohan Kannan. I thought perhaps this might be the album closer, a new recording that would bookmark all the other songs from the eras covered in the film. But sadly, I soon realized that was just single #1 and that the film would include numerous other Pritam compositions and that the soundtrack would be all original. In any other film context, I’d be okay with this but at the root of the film Forrest Gump, the music that played at every moment throughout the story added historical and cultural context to every scene, adding to the true immersion of the audience to that story. The album per se is not bad, but it does have a major Barfi hangover and perhaps my judgment inhibits true enjoyment of the other tracks because I’ve not seen the film. But for me, “Kahani” seems to sum up the film well enough.
“Kesariya” – Brahmastra
“Kesariya” is probably the most heavily hyped song I think I’ve ever seen in Bollywood history even before the release of the entire song, let alone the film it stems from, Brahmastra. Did it deserve so much attention or was it genius marketing? I’m guessing a little of both. Pritam and lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya reunited again this time with their favorite Arijit Singh for this Ranbir Kapoor-Alia Bhatt starrer. The result is exactly what you expect. Singh sings his heart out and romantics everywhere swooned. Despite it feeling a bit derivative (Pritam is still experiencing an Ae Dil Hai Mushkil hangover here), the song works because, well, most of the other Arijit Singh songs churned out of late have been so repetitive and dull that when a melodious one comes along again, we lap it up.
“Manike” – Thank God
“Manike” is the correct way to cover and/or remake a song. The original single titled “Manike Mage Hithe” is a Sri Lankan song in the Sinhala language recorded by Yohani and Satheeshan Rathnayaka and produced by Chamath Sangeeth in 2020. The song became a big hit in the native land during the pandemic, while an official cover by Aleeza Mohammad released just about a year later went viral, leading to the single being dubbed into numerous Indian languages. Enter Indra Kumar, the director of Thank God, who got Yohani to do a Hindi version for his film. Bollywood remix king Tanishk Bagchi was asked to recompose the version and the lyrics were penned by Rashmi Virag. Unlike most of Bagchi’s covers, this one felt a little more special because the original singer Yohani herself got to be a part of it. Of course it’s not a real remix without remix-vocal mainstay Jubin Nautiyal being a part of it too, with some additional support from Surya Ragunaathan. The song, picturized on Nora Fatehi and Sidharth Malhotra, was an instant smash as it should have been. Bollywood film music has always been inspired by (or directly lifted) from other songs from around the world. The remakes then require a far more “desifying” (is that a word?) process than just adding a jhankaar beat to an old Bollywood song (a trend that just doesn’t die!). We approve!
“Meri Jaan” – Gangubai Khathiawadi
Of course, we also still get original music too! And guess what, it can be damn good! Sanjay Leela Bhansali has become the most prolific music director alongside film director of late as his films boast some incredible melodies. Gangubai Khathiawadi was yet another feather in his composition cap. Worded beautifully by Kumaar and performed brilliantly by Neeti Mohan, “Meri Jaan” was a pure delight as Bhansali was able to musically recreate an era long gone but with production that doesn’t alienate today’s audience. The album as a whole was one of the best of the year, though Bhansali needs to get over his Gujarati dhol song hangover. Every film has one song like that and while exquisitely staged, the songs themselves can all be interchanged. The man can literally have his own garba playlist at this point from songs just from his films!
“Dhan Te Nan Zindagi” – Salaam Venky
“Dhan Te Nan” from Kaminey this is not. For a film that found basically zero takers at the box office, Salaam Venky actually has a pretty great soundtrack. The highlight is for sure “Dhan Te Nan Zindagi,” a poignant slice-of-life song performed by Mohit Chauhan alongside composer and lyricist Mithoon. The song utilizes the best parts of Mithoon’s melodic staples, but there’s an upbeat and energetic push to the song and Chauhan’s vocals help to further create an inspirational anthem that will likely outlive the film.
“Apna Bana Le” – Bhediya
While nearly every film has an Arijit Singh track these days, most are interchangeable. Of course, “Kesariya” was an exception this year and ditto for “Apna Bana Le” from Bhediya. Oh, what a difference a music composer can make. While the lyrics continue to be penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya, Singh is a bit more challenged here thanks to composers Sachin-Jigar (they also provide great background vocals). While there is a bit of “Kalank”-ness to the song (not helped by the fact that this too features Varun Dhawan), I have to wonder what the possibilities would be when Singh works with different music directors and lyricists, and gives the vocals for different actors!
“Har Jagah Tu” – Doctor G
Ayushmann Khuranna hasn’t lately been giving us the big musical hits he once did (nor have his films been getting the big box-office revenues they once did). But that’s not to say that his films don’t offer melodious songs; they just don’t get the same hype or plays anymore that they once did. “Har Jagah Tu” from Doctor G is a perfect example of another smash hit that should have gotten the plays and views that the actor usually guaranteed. The song composed by Sultan Sulemani and penned by Kumaar is beautifully performed by Raj Barman. Thankfully, most of Khuranna’s films get a new lease of life on streaming and here’s hoping the single finds the listening audience in the coming months.
“Current Laga Re” – Cirkus
The latest of the lot and while I can’t say I saved the best for last, I was worried that the list would only comprise melodious slow to mid-tempo compositions. Truth be told, the best upbeat numbers aren’t coming from Bollywood but rather from films originating down south or in the independent music market. Having said that, while Deepika Padukone started off the year for us, she also ends the year off for us with another dance number, this one far more embedded in Bollywood tradition and starring her husband, Ranveer Singh. While Padukone is only a guest, their chemistry together ignites the screen and after a long time, a song becomes even more enjoyable after viewing the video. “Current Laga Re” is everything current. The hybrid Hindi/Tamil lyrics are a brilliant move. Composed by Rohit Shetty fave Lilo George and DJ Chetas and with lyrics by Kumaar (Hindi) and Hari (Tamil), the song is infused with high-octane energy thanks to the vocals of Nakash Aziz, Dhvani Bhanushali, Jonita Gandhi and Lilo George himself. While another spark-related song just released too (“Bijli” from Govinda Naam Mera), this is the stronger track and hands down the ‘masala’ hit of the year!
