By Subhash K. Jha, Mumbai:

Though the slump in film music persisted, 2003 saw the return of melody-based albums in Bollywood.

The film music industry needn't uncork champagne bottles. But composers don't need to pack their bags either. A look at the 10 best film soundtracks of 2003:

a. "LoC" : The Javed Akhtar-Anu Malik combination, which created the imperishable melodies of "Border" five years ago have come up with an album of aching sweetness that will be remembered long after the film's final fadeout.

A special word for Sonu Nigam's touching "Ek saathi aur bhi tha".

b. "Jism": "Jadoo hai nashaa hai"...intoxicating, enchanting illuminating. What's keeping M.M. Kreem from crash-landing into Bollywood?

His tunes marked the coming of age for the film's main singer Shreya Ghosal. If in "Devdas" she sounded girlish, in "Jism" she's seductive.

At a time when even the genius A.R. Rahman has become somewhat repetitive, every melody in "Jism" sounds original.

c. "Baghban": Aadesh Shrivatava finally found his metier in this melody-draped curtain raiser of an album in which Amitabh Bachchan sang three lengthy tracks. All superbly earthy and melodious.

The music score is of epic proportions. Aadesh proved himself to be the Laxmikant-Pyarelal of the new millennium.

d. "Tere Naam": Who would have thought that Himesh Reshammiya had it in him to spin such sounds? Tunes like "Tumse milna baatein karna", "Tere naam" and "Odhni" represent cherished aspects of Hindi film music.

e. "Pinjar": In spite of hits like "Dil To Paagal Hai" and "Gadar", Uttam Singh remains a neglected music maker. With "Pinjar" he could've created a hat trick of musical hits. Alas the film bombed, and so did his tunes harking back to the era of pre-partition Punjab.

Filled with sounds of merriment, melancholy and acute emotional fragmentation, "Pinjar" moves one to tears specially when the composer's daughter, Preeti Uttam, does Amrita Pritam's "Bete ko deti mehel atariya beti ko deti pardes re"!

f. "Kal Ho Na Ho": Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy came up with some really decent scores in "Ek Aur Ek Gyarah" and "Armaan". Both bombed. But with "Kal Ho...", the trio has arrived.

With Sonu Nigam taking the title song to a plane of passion and pain, the album moves from mood to mood, genre to genre, leaving one breathless with anticipation. The music played a vital part in making the film what it was.

g. "Joggers' Park": Adnan Sami has never sounded more evocative than he did in "Ishq hota nahin sabhi ke liye". Subhash Ghai's grand musical tradition remained alive and vibrant throughout this album of gossamer melodies.

Untried composer Tabun Sutradhar got a load of accomplished voices from Adnan to Asha Bhosle to Usha Uthup to pump up that glorious feeling that Ghai's music always brings about.

h. "Koi...Mil Gaya": Rajesh Roshan makes his presence felt once in a while. The songs for his nephew Hrithik Roshan in "Koi..." were tender and supple.

From the gently breezy title song to the seriously zany "Idhar chala main udhar chala", he should be a strong contender for the popular music awards this year.

i. "Chameli": Composer Sandesh Shandilya teams up with singer Sunidhi Chauhan for a score that wallops the wispy mood.

"Behta hai mera man" is amazingly moody and erotic. The rest of the score also has pathbreaking sounds that convey the electric mood of a gathering storm.

j. "Zameen": Himesh Reshammiya is the only composer to get two places in the Top 10. He earns the right.

From the pop-bhangra sounds of "Tere naal" to the utterly unconventional love ballad "Tere sang ek simple si coffee bhi kick deti hai" to the item song "Pyar tera dilli ki sardi", this soundtrack packed in quite a punch.

Also worth listening: Anu Malik's "Khushi", Anu Malik's "Ishq Vishq" (great vocals by Alisha Chinai), Nadeem Shravan's "Andaaz", Jatin-Lalit/Aadesh Shrivastava's "Chalte Chalte", Vishal-Shekhar's "Jhankar Beats" (a heart-warming tribute to R.D. Burman), Anu Malik's "Main Prem Hi Deewani Hoon", Himesh Reshammiya's "Ishq Hai Tumse", Lalit Sen's "Dhoop" and Shankar-Ehsan-Loy's "Kuch Na Kaho".

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But dang, for a read that is as fun as any "junkyard topic" with all its crazy words, this one's right on topic!

Punjab! Jism! "Tere sang ek simple si coffee bhi kick deti hai" ("There sang a simple coffee mug while getting kicked in the head"???)

quote:

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Originally posted by PeterK:

Punjab! Jism! "Tere sang ek simple si coffee bhi kick deti hai" ("There sang a simple coffee mug while getting kicked in the head"???)

[Message edited by PeterK on 01-09-2004]

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That IS funny becuase the translation above is incorrect-It goes like this:

" Even a simple cup of cofee gets a kick out of you"

Guys Ive grown up with Bollywood films and music (& Hollywood.)

I know their music.These are entirely domesticated formula films. But India is entering a new era of its own these days-Its like the 2nd coming of their Golden Age.

Amer
Karachi,Pakistan