Remo Pens Song

Goa musician Remo Fernandes has penned an anthem for Anna Hazare's campaign against corruption, saying it is his 'tiny contribution' to the movement.
The well-known Bollywood singer and music director said on his YouTube channel: 'This free song is a tiny contribution to Anna Hazare's 'India Against Corruption' movement. Share it, spread it as much as you like.'
The song, also titled 'India Against Corruption', was uploaded Friday.
Remo's song touches every aspect of the activist's struggle against corruption and begins with a satiric, rhyming invocation to the motherland, 'India shining, my motherland... India Shining, in Switzerland', in a not so oblique reference to the reports about the billions of dollars hoarded away by the Indian elite in Swiss banks.
Invoking people to back Hazare, the song, which has been written by Remo along with Shyam Banerjee, has also credited another famous pop group, Microwave Papadums, for lending additional voices.
Remo, who has virtually launched a volley of comments in Hazare's support on his official Facebook page, says in his song that 'if you are not against corruption, then you are corrupt yourself'.
'I am an Anna supporter. Pure and simple. If you don't agree with him, stay away from this page,' Remo says on his page.
Meanwhile, Remo's fans cheered his initiative.
'Remo, you always have been one of the forerunner of many social causes. May your inspiration n likeness filter down so a few (wish for many) may follow in ur inspired footsteps (sic),' posted Ivan Souza from Dubai.
'Great song!!! We should use this song as the theme song for the latest crusade,' said John D'Costa, owner of a production house in Goa.
Remo has also made political statements earlier with an album titled 'Politicians don't know to Rock n Roll', which was released in 1992 by Magnasound. The hit album had several tracks critical of the establishment, in light of the communal violence prevalent at the time.

Soundtrack Music

Film: 'Soundtrack'; Music Directors: Midival Punditz, Karsh Kale, Kailash Kher, Laxmikant Kudalkar, Pyarelal, Ankur Tewari and Papon; Lyricists: Dhruv Jagasia, Anushka Manchanda, Kailash Kher, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Ankur Tewari, Papon and Anand Bakshi; Singers: Anushka Manchanda, Kailash Kher, Suraj Jagan, Ankur Tewari and Papon; Rating: **
When a movie is called 'Soundtrack', the least you expect from it is to have a strong musical backing. Fulfilling this to some extent is this album that has more than one composer and also marks the entry of electronic music specialists Midival Punditz and Karsh Kale in Bollywood.
The songs in this album are of various genres, including some retro hits that have been nicely transformed into contemporary numbers.
The music of the film starts with 'Atomizer', which is Midival Punditz' and Karsh Kale's original composition and was selected for the official FIFA World Cup 2010 video game. Later, they had featured it in their album 'Hello Hello'. The song is high on electronic beats and low on lyrics - good for parties and lounges.
Then comes in Papon with 'Banao', a track that has a raw feel, owing to its acoustic instrumentation. It is spiritually inclined but the composition of the song is more apt for a love ballad. So, the devotional song fails to impress.
Next is 'Ek manzil' with Vishal Vaid behind the mike. The Sufi rock composition brings forward east meeting west amalgamation. It begins on a solid note but fails to hold the interest till the end, though it is backed by strong orchestration.
Then comes another Sufi rock 'Fakira' crooned by Vishal Vaid. It seems more of a situational track. Although the music is still impressive to an extent, the song, overall, is mediocre. But it might gain importance with visuals.
Up next is an inspirational song 'Main chala' in Kailash Kher's voice. The fast-paced song has a strong musical backing and the punch in Kailash's voice gives it an edge. The intense song creates drama and slowly grows on the listener. Overall, it is an impressive number that should go well with ardent Indi-pop listeners.
'Naina lagey' is undoubtedly the best song of the album that has been skilfully voiced by Papon. This semi-classical track is soul-stirring and takes romance to a different level altogether. It is appealing and soothing to the ears, which makes this a slow-paced harmoniously delightful track.
Next is a re-arranged version of the song 'Ruk jaana nahin', which was originally sung by Kishore Kumar in the 1974 film 'Imtihan'. The new version has been rendered by Suraj Jagan in his silken voice. Although old is gold, yet this version is not too bad, since it retains the qualities of the original track.
Then comes another old rehashed Bollywood song 'Yeh Jeevan hai', which had appeared in 1972 film 'Piya Ka Ghar'. The song is more contemporary as Malini Awasthi has given her own singing style to the song.
Then there are two instrumental tracks, which are equally impressive. One is called 'Symphony of the streets' and the other is titled 'Soundtrack theme song'.
Finally the album ends with the song 'What the F' that might look like another controversial song in the making owing to its title. However, there is nothing controversial about the song that is sung by Anushka Manchanda. Although it tries hard to impress with its quirky lyrics, experimental singing and composition, yet it doesn't appeal much.

Bromance in Bollywood

Forget romance, 'bromance' is the buzzword at the box office. Films like 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara', 'Delhi Belly' and 'Pyaar Ka Punchnama' are bringing alive boy bonding on the big screen, albeit with a realistic twist.

'It's nothing new, just fresh,' says film critic Anupama Chopra.
'Bromance doesn't get better than Jai-Veeru in 'Sholay'! That was the great Indian bromance! So the concept is not new. It's been there...it's just that stories are not as overblown and over-the-top as they used to be,' she added and rightly so!
Zoya Akhtar's hit 'Zindagi Na...' narrates the story of three friends who head for a three-week bachelor party and discover their strengths, weaknesses and conquer their fears on their way.
Aamir Khan Productions' 'Delhi Belly', a money spinner despite having an A-certificate, turned out to be a cult project with abuses and mischief galore - in tune with India's growing, notorious, urban youths.
There was also the hilarious 'Pyaar Ka Punchnama', about three friends-cum-flatmates, and their lives after they get bitten by the love bug.
'Films on bromance are closer to reality now, without dialogues like 'Main tere liye apni jaan bhi de sakta hun!',' Anupama, wife of filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra, who gave a hit bromance with '3 Idiots', told IANS.
Earlier films like 'Chashme Buddoor', 'Satte Pe Satta', 'Amar Akbar Anthony' and 'Bombay Boys' had also touched upon boy bonding.
But the Hindi film industry saw a more contemporary take on the trend with Farhan Akhtar's 'Dil Chahta Hai' about three friends from diverse backgrounds, the bullying between them, their romances, their victories, their defeats - and their never ending support to each other.
It was followed by films like 'Jhankaar Beats', 'Rang De Basanti', 'Masti', 'Dhamaal', 'Dhol', 'Badmaash Company', 'Dostana', 'Rock On!!', 'Golmaal' series, 'Heyy Babyy' and 'Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji'.
Director Luv Ranjan, who tickled the viewers' funny bone with 'Pyaar Ka Punchnama', explains why the audience embraces bromances.
'After an age, people get burdened with a lot of responsibilities and these fun moments get lost on the way. So these films give them a reminder or an experience of the life that they perhaps wanted to have, or perhaps the life they miss,' Ranjan told IANS.
In Bollywood, bromances have usually had staple features - it's a gang of guys, there's confrontation and then a patch-up or there's a nagging girl, love is in the backdrop and friendship takes centrestage. Sometimes, the friends take a road trip and their experience helps audiences relive their past.
But a lot has changed in terms of the treatment, says Ranjan.
'It's very important to make films realistically. Films work when they are a true reflection of society. It's not as though men never used to abuse each other in their friends circle 40 years ago. But it was just a more closed and covered up society back then. That has changed.
'People are now open about using expletives in public, hugging and flirting in public...and so some of it is coming on the big screen, and people are loving it! That curtain of hiding the true, crazy bonding has been removed,' added Ranjan.
According to actor-comedian Vir Das, that's what worked best for his movie 'Delhi Belly'.
'Boy bonding is a formula which seems to be working a lot. In 'Delhi Belly', the characters were more real. Normally you see friends who are super rich, having fun and having the time of their life...but in 'Delhi Belly', there were three underdogs, very real people, who were together because of certain conditions. There were no ultra cool gangs, no ultra cool friends, just characters who looked real and used real language. That's the way it should be done,' said Vir.