T20 - Shreya Special 1

I'm still between Heaven & Earth and unable to think of anything else to pen down - the meet with Shreya still haunts mesmerically. On requests from a few friends, I now post the article which I had presented Shreya on 31st Jan 2009 and it is for this that she has promised to mail me back after reading. I split them into couple of parts and here is the first. Here we go... 

Shreya Ghoshal songs mean The Best and to select just 20 of The Best demands so much effort. It did get really tough when I involved myself with the task of doing the same but the toughness was something I thoroughly enjoyed and I attribute this sweet bitterness to my love for her songs. Despite the love, the last thing I had wanted was confusion and ironically, that happened first as soon as I ranked the songs of my choice. The sheet of paper on which I had ranked had all scribbling possible and the ranks kept changing every minute and it was utter chaos, to say the least. Even mathematics or physics problems that I had solved in the past never had so much of scribbling. Here I go with the rankings and a short description for my liking.

20. Pyaar Ki Ek Kahani (Krissh)

      

To rank a song as good as Pyaar Ki Ek Kahani at the 20th spot, it just goes to show the quality of Shreya Ghoshal songs, the lucidity in her rendition and the power of the voice to reach the audience, no matter who they’re. This song happened 3-4 years after her entry into film music and Ms. Ghoshal makes her entry into this song almost after 2 minutes with a hum and understandably, big things don’t happen just like that but grows on the audience slowly. With Sonu Nigam for company, it was wonderful to listen to them together and I feel, Shreya gives her best when she sings alongside someone as great as Sonu. In my opinion, this was the best among all Shreya songs of Krissh.

Favorite Line: Ek Tha Ladka Ek Thi Ladki Deewani (Wow! It draws you forward)

19. Shikdum (Dhoom)

      

Shaan happens to be one of my favorite singers and I loved his combo with Shreya and if I’m right, this was their song together. The song made for a wonderful melody, a class apart when the rest in that album were all hip-hop and rock type. It was a fast-paced melody and the childishness in Shreya’s voice was brought to the forefront and this was best evident in the below line.

Favorite Line: Achcha lo chalo, haari main haari Maan li sabhi baatein tumhaari  

18. Ta Ra Ra Ra Rum Rum (Ta Ra Rum Pum)

One of the best ever melodies I’ve ever listened to. The song could be best enjoyed when one is in a state of distress. The best way to start feeling-good is turn on the music system and play this song. The rest shall be taken care of, by Shreya Ghoshal. The best quality to be appreciated in her rendition is the fact that, she makes sure she understands your distress but at the same time, she makes sure you get relieved of it. Courtesy: Cuteness in her voice

Favorite Line: Ho agar kabhi koi ghum toh, bilkul na tum…

17. Dhoom Thaana (Om Shanti Om)

This song intensifies the debate whether if Shreya is the next Alka Yagnik/ Lata Mangeshkar. To fans like me, we’re happy if she’s Shreya Ghoshal and we don’t want her to be called with such names simply because she’s a class of her own and none shall ever come anywhere close to her perfection in diction or clarity in rendition. It intensifies the debate, in the sense, Shreya takes us back to 1970s and the feel is just perfect. She beautifies Padukone with the rendition and in the process, with the fast beats, makes you dance along with SRK and Padukone. This song exemplifies her versatility and affirms the fact that her voice is not confined just to melodies though she’s the BEST at it.

Favorite Line: Kaise Banjaara Mann Ki Baat Mein Aaye, Kaise Ek Raaja Ko Manmit Banaye Kaise Pehnu Main Pyar..

16. Kaash Ek Dhin (Showbiz)

This is another of her duets with Shaan. It’s such a lovely number and I don’t know if this song became that popular. Nevertheless the beauty of a song is completely independent of its popularity and the combo of Shreya and Shaan rocks big time. The song is equally divided between them and makes for a wonderful listen. While Shaan makes it fantastic in the first stanza, Shreya outsmarts him in the second and she does to the extent, I get so much lost with her in the second stanza that I begin to wonder from where did Shaan entered when he begins ‘Kaash Ek Dhin’.

Favorite Line: Mere Dil Ko Tum Churaake… (The full second stanza- no compromises)

15. Tu Kahaan Kho Gaya (U Bomsi and Me)

      

This song is special to me in a way that this alone could make me sleep at the times when I was beginning to have sleepless nights. In the sense, the slowness of the song, the laziness in the rendition, reluctance in the voice modulations made up for a soothe listen that it had the power to turn an insomniac to sleep. It’s a must listen but ironically, this never turned out to be a smash hit. Divine!

It’s Shreya all the way and hence, I find it tough to pick just one line.

14. Mere Dholna (Bhool Bhulaiyya)

Firstly I feel bad to place one of my favorites at the 14th position and the competition for places starts to get tougher as we move up. Needless to say, this is one of the best classical numbers to have been composed in Indian films and such a composition’s brilliance is appreciated only when it’s rendered someone as exceptional as Shreya and Sree Kumar. The ease with which she seemed to have rendered is just wow! Amazing!

Favorite Line: Saanson Mein Saanson Mein Teri Saragamein Hain, Abb Raat Din...

13. Mausam (Kidnap)

It’s amazing to note, a singer who had sung Mere Dholna and Tu Kahaan has sung this song. That’s Shreya Ghoshal for you! Versatility personified. Minisha Lamba’s bikini act wouldn’t have electrified the screen but for Shreya’s sensual rendition. This kind of a visual effect demands an aural boost and this was perfectly provided by Ms. Ghoshal. This rendition brought back memories of one of her numbers from Jism (Got it?)

Favorite Line: Na Na Na Na Na Na (Undoubtedly…sensual best)

12. Har Taraf (Saaya)

      

This is one of Anu Malik’s best compositions and this song showcases Shreya at her teenage best, both visually and aurally. Yes! Shreya Ghoshal makes a guest appearance in the song as a school student leading the choir. Her presences on the screen were moments when I started to compare her visual beauty to that in her voice. The protracted high pitches calls for so much talent and that seems to be quite abundant in her. Overall this is a song which enables a music lover to enjoy the sweetness in Shreya’s voice when she was in her teens. 

Favorite Line: Ye aasmaan ye zamin, chaand aur sooraj kyaa banaa sakaa hai kabhi 

11. Saansein Madham Hai (Kasak)

      

This song is the Hindi version of Nuvve Naa Shwaasa (Okariki Okaru) composed by M.M. Kreem. A soothing number and it’s one song one can listen to, anytime – however good/bad their mood is. With this song, Shreya has affirmed the fact that language is no barrier and that she shall produce the feel in any language – the tune alone shall do. This is one of my favorites and her improvisation in the 2nd stanza speaks volumes of the talent she possesses.

Favorite Line: Rehna mujhe hain teri panaaho mein rakhna tujhe hain..(2nd stanza)

The Top 10 to be posted next weekend...