Ismail Darbar: My work has always been better than Rahman's
V S Rawat
One gem was sufficient to make my day. Ismail Darbar says in
it, "My work has always been better than Rahman's. Hum Dil
De Chuke Sanam was better than Taal, and Devdas was better
than Saathiya,"
--
Rawat
--------
http://www.rediff.com/movies/2005/mar/08minter1.htm
Music director Ismail Darbar recently composed music for
Subhash Ghai's Kisna.
Though the movie bombed, Kisna's music fared well, and
Darbar managed to shine in spite of sharing credit with the
legendary A R Rahman.
Darbar believes his work on Kisna was, in fact, better than
Rahman's. "My work has always been better than Rahman's. Hum
Dil De Chuke Sanam was better than Taal, and Devdas was
better than Saathiya," he says.
He tells Contributing Entertainment Correspondent Patcy N
how he got Kisna because his work was good. The first of a
two-part conversation:
Ismail DarbarRahman did not have time to compose the music
and Subhashji wanted to start his film. So he approached me.
Subhashji had spoken to Rahman earlier about the joint music
direction as we did not want any misunderstanding.
I do not usually do movies where there are two music
directors. But Kisna was special.
People have told me my work was better than Rahman's in
Kisna. No one has told me otherwise. It could be because I
have made eight songs while Rahman has created only two.
But my work has always been better than his. Hum Dil De
Chuke Sanam was better than Taal. Even Devdas was better
than Saathiya.
But it is destiny that he got international fame. Angrezo ne
uska haath pakad liya hai toh logo ko lagta hai ke yeh kuch
zyada hi hai (Foreigners encouraged him so people think he
is very good).
I am not saying this because of jealousy. This is the bitter
truth.
Whenever my work is good and he takes the awards, I feel bad.
I wonder why people run after name and fame, and not good
work. Kyunki hamare yahan bahut kum akal ke log hai (we have
very few intelligent people here). We see some foreigners
holding someone's hand, and he becomes a big man.
But the foreigners have also praised my work in Hum Dil De
Chuke Sanam and Devdas.
Rahman and I have not worked together on any of the Kisna
songs. His two songs were recorded even before I started
work on the film. I didn't even speak to him for any of the
tunes and nor did I listen to his songs before I composed mine.
I was told that Kisna is set in the 1940s. So I started
visualising the songs in that period. If there were a
qawwali in the nawab's haveli, how would it be? Besides, it
should also appeal to the new generation. I am happy I have
done justice to the film.
I have learned music since I was 13 years old. The biggest
advantage is that one can create music of any country. Once
you listen to its style, you can present the music in your
own way. You don't have to steal it.
But for Kisna, I didn't listen to anything. I just looked up
what kind of musical instruments were available in those
days. Kisna is not like Asoka where the film moved in one
direction and the music in another.
If I had done such work, I would have criticised myself.
Take Deewangee . When I saw it, I liked it so much that I
told director Anees Bazme to remove the song from the film,
as that would enhance the movie. But he thought I was
joking. I am the type of person that if I don't like my
work, I will admit it.
There was a great amount of understanding between Subhashji
and me. For example, Kisna had a vocalist Ustad Rashid Khan.
We recorded Rashidbhai's voice without any music. But the
song was not going to be used in the film. So Subhashji
asked me why I was wasting time on this song, as it would
not be used.
But I replied we must use a singer as powerful as Rashidbhai.
Later, I thought we should use the song in the film. So I
arranged the music according to the film. When Subhashji
heard the song, he fell in love with it.
The song, Kahein ujadi moree neend, was used in the
beginning of the film, when the titles roll out.
I have launched a new singer Ayesha I Darbar, who also
happens to be my wife. She sang the title track, Kisna hai
and Chilman.
No one will believe me, but I had composed Chilman in my
dream! I had dreamt about this song for three nights! It is
my favourite in the movie, and also the toughest.
Subhashji and I worked on the music for 92 days. We don't
get satisfied very easily.
I visited on the sets only once -- when the song, Hum
brahmasmi, was being picturised on Isha Sharvani.
We actually had another title song in mind, which was
finalised. But one day Subhashji came to my house with his
assistant and said he wanted to listen to the song again.
After he heard it, he decided to do it in a different way.
Mein bahut junooni aadmi hoon jab aisa kuch hota hai. Mujhe
aisa lagata hai kya aap ek mahine se behere the kya? (I am a
very passionate person. When this happened, I wondered if he
was deaf for the past month!)
When I started working on the new title track, I asked him
to be present for the entire composition. Now, it has become
very popular -- Woh Kisna hai.
I get a lot of calls from my fans, who have liked my songs.
These are not people from the film industry but common
people. It is satisfying that today's generation liked the
songs.
People seem to think now that I can create music for period
dramas only. I can't change everybody's thinking. If a
director comes to me with a new type of music, I will prove
myself.
I have learnt to play the violin. It is not difficult for me
to make music of any style. I just need to understand it.
But I don't feel scared about being typecast in period
dramas because making music for such movies requires guts.
What I am doing is not easy. God has given me talent.
---
Pankaj Kakkar
"V S Rawat" <VSR...@HCLInfinet.com> wrote in message
news:422ed...@x-privat.org...
> Have not read it fully myself.
>
> One gem was sufficient to make my day. Ismail Darbar says in it, "My work
> has always been better than Rahman's. Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam was better
> than Taal, and Devdas was better than Saathiya,"
Even as a Rahmaniac I have to agree with that statement. These two movies
contain beautiful music, and music that is better than the two Rahman
winners from those years.
However, Ismail Darbar has failed to deliver to the extent Rahman does. In
alsmot 6 years in the industry, Ismail Darbar has delivered two gems and
several mediocre and less than mediocre tracks. Rahman on the other hand, in
the 13 years he's been around, has delivered far more: Bombay, Rangeela,
Roja, Dil Se, Kadhalan, and of course, the crown jewels in Lagaan and
Thiruda Thiruda; among many other good tracks.
Neither of the two is as consistent as they could be, but ID is far less
consistent than ARR.
Pankaj
Vallury Prabhakar
air petulant gripes on his peers - he comes across as a snivelling
juvenile and has undone a lot of his credibility as a composer.
He's doomed now to sink without a trace soon with the equally asinine
interview on Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Rediff is having a field day..
Personally, I thought ID did some very good work in Tera Jadoo chal
gaya, especially with the title track. Not popular perhaps, but fairly
intelligent arrangements.
OTOH, anything Sonu Nigam touches and all that...:)
VP
Arunabha S Roy
> He's doomed now to sink without a trace soon with the equally asinine
> interview on Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Rediff is having a field day..
Ishhhhhhh !
Please don't pan him, he is priceless ! He is even louder than his
Devdas songs.
"I feel bad I am not in his next project because I know if Sanjay and I
work together, history will be created.
I am not saying his songs won't be popular as he is shaukeen (talented)
when it comes to music. But history will not be created".
LOL !
Was he the composer for Deewaangee ? That had some really frightening
songs as well. I almost walked out of the theater but for the ongoing
snowstorm. But the song I love to remember him by is the Devdas sob-fest:
hameshaa tum ko chaahaa
aur chaahaa
aur chaahaa
aur chaahaa
aur chaahaa
aur chaahaa
aur chaahaa
....
....
....
and after everyone gets the point, an added reminder:
aur chaahaa chaahaa chaahaa
and later, some more of a good thing:
o priitam
o priitam
o priitam
o priitam
....
....
....
What torture. It IS bad that he and SLB aren't working together. They
are made for each other. But at the same time, Devdas soundtrack is the
musical equivalent of watching a V Shantaram film. Although it's
stunningly bad musically, it has its redeeming factor in the form of the
unputdownably funny nauTa.nkii number:
shreyaa: something ke baaho.n me.n something else kaa paharaa thaa
Jaspinder: HEYYYY ! HEYYYYY !! HEYYY !!! HEYYY !!!!
shreyaa: some equally forgettable line
Jaspinder (louder) HEYYYY ! HEYYYYY !! HEYYY !!! HEYYY !!!!
and after a lot of this, an extremely affected
"more piyaa ..."
with Jaspinder "Try me, I can shout louder than anyone else" Narula
going positively berserk at the end.
Devdas-the soundtrack is such fertile territory, almost every song can
be lampooned. It is such an exercise in excess, it makes Laxmikant-
Pyarelal sound like models of artistic restraint.
- Arunabha
asi...@my-deja.com
Enjoyed that!
Cheers
Arun
Ashok
>Devdas soundtrack is the
>musical equivalent of watching a V Shantaram film.
>- Arunabha
Can you elaborate?
Ashok
Vallury Prabhakar
The most hilarious one I've heard on Devdas is:
Q: Why does Devdas commit suicide?
A: Wouldn't you, if the two women in your life sang "Dildo laa rey,
Dildo laa rey".
:)
VP
yeskay
I have seen "Jal bin machali ntritya bin bijali" to understand what
Arunabha meant.
V S Rawat
> (Looks like my earlier attempt did not make it - resending).
>
> The most hilarious one I've heard on Devdas is:
>
> Q: Why does Devdas commit suicide?
> A: Wouldn't you, if the two women in your life sang "Dildo laa rey,
> Dildo laa rey".
>
> :)
>
> VP
>
:)
--
Rawat
Ashok
>
>"V S Rawat" <VSR...@HCLInfinet.com> wrote in message
>news:422ed...@x-privat.org...
>> Have not read it fully myself.
>>
>> One gem was sufficient to make my day. Ismail Darbar says in it, "My work
>> has always been better than Rahman's. Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam was better
>> than Taal, and Devdas was better than Saathiya,"
>
>Even as a Rahmaniac I have to agree with that statement. These two movies
>contain beautiful music, and music that is better than the two Rahman
>winners from those years.
Pankaj, I find it a very fair-minded statement, that too
coming from a Rahman fan. Wish all fans were like that!
In fact, you concede more than I would. So far, from Ismail
Darbar, I regard only Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam highly. The
music of 'Devdas' didn't appeal to me; 'Sathiya' was
somewhat better.
>However, Ismail Darbar has failed to deliver to the extent Rahman does. In
>alsmot 6 years in the industry, Ismail Darbar has delivered two gems and
>several mediocre and less than mediocre tracks. Rahman on the other hand, in
>the 13 years he's been around, has delivered far more: Bombay, Rangeela,
>Roja, Dil Se, Kadhalan, and of course, the crown jewels in Lagaan and
>Thiruda Thiruda; among many other good tracks.
>
>Neither of the two is as consistent as they could be, but ID is far less
>consistent than ARR.
>
>Pankaj
Let me reiterate my request to you: do write about new
and noteworthy songs/soundtracks.
Ashok
Sanjeev Ramabhadran
This is priceless, I was laughing so hard!! Would love to read a full
"review" from you on the Devdas soundtrack! My only nitpick is that I
believe the spoken lines in "More Piya" are also by Jaspinder, not
Shreya.
Sanjeev
Sunil Dandekar
>
> Devdas-the soundtrack is such fertile territory, almost every song
can
> be lampooned. It is such an exercise in excess, it makes Laxmikant-
> Pyarelal sound like models of artistic restraint.
Request you to give example of artistic excesses of L-P. Is it over
orchestration? Or do you mean 150+ instances of "dola re" in a single
song?
I think L-P are like Indian cricket team, much maligned, rarely
appreciated. When they click, they are up there with the best. Their
worst becomes a benchmark for decadance.
On this thread somewhere there is mention of 'Jal bin Machhali..". IMHO
L-P have come up trumps there. "Kajara Laga ke.." , "Oh mitwa.." , "Jo
main chali.." are timeless. They do not fit in any popular pattern of
HFM.
regards,
Sunil Dandekar
Pankaj Kakkar
news:39i0p4F...@individual.net...
> In article <d0o7va$5kk$1...@netnews.upenn.edu>, pan...@microsoft.com says...
>>
>>"V S Rawat" <VSR...@HCLInfinet.com> wrote in message
>>news:422ed...@x-privat.org...
>>contain beautiful music, and music that is better than the two Rahman
>>winners from those years.
>
> Pankaj, I find it a very fair-minded statement, that too
> coming from a Rahman fan. Wish all fans were like that!
> In fact, you concede more than I would. So far, from Ismail
> Darbar, I regard only Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam highly. The
> music of 'Devdas' didn't appeal to me; 'Sathiya' was
> somewhat better.
I like the opulence in the music of Devdas that other people have derided -
it's just personal preference, I guess. Of course, the song I most like from
that movie is not by ID (Kahe Ched), but I like the other songs as well.
Shreya Ghoshal's voice makes those songs, and I'm so glad someone out there
is staying religiously away from Lata.
> Let me reiterate my request to you: do write about new
> and noteworthy songs/soundtracks.
I'll definitely try, Ashok. However, my definition of "noteworthy"
frequently and violently disagrees with some people here ... :) talking of
whom, why is Mr Nani absent from this thread?
Pankaj
Sanjeev Ramabhadran
been talking about Jaspinder Narula...IIRC, one thing touted by Sanjay
Leela Bhansali in deciding to take on Shreya Ghoshal for Devdas was
that her renditions reminded him of a young Lata. Whether or not you
agree, I would hardly say SG has tried hard to stay away.
Sanjeev
Pankaj Kakkar
"Sanjeev Ramabhadran" <sanjeev.r...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1110826435.6...@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
Young Lata = Goddess, unreachable by anyone (including SG) but ideal worth
aspiring to
Today's Lata = Besuri and shrill mediocre singer, best kept away from any
singing
I'm not a big fan of Jaspinder Narula either - she's usually on sur, but
unnecessarily shrill.
Pankaj
Pankaj Kakkar
"Sanjeev Ramabhadran" <sanjeev.r...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1110826435.6...@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
To clarify further, I see the ambiguity in my last post. I meant that it is
good that ID did not use Lata in those songs. SG did well, and Lata in those
same songs would've been intolerable.
Pankaj
Ketan
>>Even as a Rahmaniac I have to agree with that statement. These two movies
>>contain beautiful music, and music that is better than the two Rahman
>>winners from those years.
>
>Pankaj, I find it a very fair-minded statement, that too
>coming from a Rahman fan. Wish all fans were like that!
Starting with yourself? :)
>Let me reiterate my request to you: do write about new
>and noteworthy songs/soundtracks.
"Tumhe Arpan" sung by Hariharan and Chitra from "Charas"--music by Raju Singh is
a brilliant song from a recent soundtrack. Love the subdued orchestration and
the easy flowing melody. Hariharan has sung it well. Chitra, sings it well, but
I can hear her heavy breathing far too often. Not sure if that is a feature of
the song and whether she was made to breathe heavily for the sake of sound
effects. Definitely worth a listen. All IMHO.
Ketan
yeskay
'Mat Ja' in Shabd has some amazing electric guitar, MDed by Vishal and
Shekar, this song by Sukhwindara Singh is sung unusually well by him. SS
is the Jaspinder Narula among men, but he is bearably good in this song.
Not a bad soundtrack as well, I would buy the CD if I didn't have access
to a legal mp3 site. I would stay far away from the movie though for
some reasons - zayed khan, Aiswarya Rai, confusing script being among
them.
Ketan
>'Mat Ja' in Shabd has some amazing electric guitar, MDed by Vishal and
>Shekar, this song by Sukhwindara Singh is sung unusually well by him. SS
>is the Jaspinder Narula among men, but he is bearably good in this song.
Yes but....every time I listen to the opening guitar riff..I expect SS to start
singing "On a dark desert highway..cool wind in my hair". Is it just me who
finds this and some subsequent riffs in the song inspired by "Hotel California"?
Ketan
asi...@my-deja.com
yeskay wrote:
> 'Mat Ja' in Shabd has some amazing electric guitar, MDed by Vishal
and
> Shekar, this song by Sukhwindara Singh is sung unusually well by him.
SS
> is the Jaspinder Narula among men, but he is bearably good in this
song.
>
> Not a bad soundtrack as well, I would buy the CD if I didn't have
access
> to a legal mp3 site. I would stay far away from the movie though for
> some reasons - zayed khan, Aiswarya Rai, confusing script being
among
> them.
The sountrack of 'Black Friday' by Indian Ocean is different.
You can listen to it at http://www.raaga.com
Suits the mood of the event. In general, I've loved Indian Ocean's
albums; Desert Rain, Kandisa and Jhini.
Arun
asi...@my-deja.com
- Arun
Srinivas Ganti
"Arunabha S Roy" <asr...@yahoo.com> wrote
>But the song I love to remember him by is the Devdas sob-fest:
>
> hameshaa tum ko chaahaa
> aur chaahaa
> aur chaahaa
> aur chaahaa
> aur chaahaa
> aur chaahaa
> aur chaahaa
Man how could you bear this torture. Maybe you can idolise the great Jaidev
even
more after this :)
Thanks for the wonderful post though.
sg.
ps: Last time when I was in Chicago I took my roomie to my favorite cd
store.
While he was checking out some titles, the owner lured him to buy the music
of Kisna. My roomie who is in Sync with old music as well as news stuff
found the music of Kisna average at best .The only song he liked was the
english number "my wish comes true".
The title song was a torture
"vo kisna hai hai hai...
vo raadha hai hai hai hai..."
pps: Even such repetitive words can be packaged in a good melody and
made wonderful to listen. Case in point SDB's "ye dil diwana hai, dil to
diwana hai"
This has been playing on repeat mode for the last month or so and I don't
seem to
get enugh of it.
Surjit Singh
Or,
ja ja ja ja bewafa
are na na ... toba
chham (10 times) rahen donon sath
>
> This has been playing on repeat mode for the last month or so and I don't
> seem to
> get enugh of it.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
--
Surjit Singh, a diehard movie fan(atic), period.
http://hindi-movies-songs.com/index.html
V S Rawat
"Shabd" has several parallels with "meenaxi".
Both are on "Creator" Vs "Creation". An interpretation could
be that one day the creation defies the will of creator and
goes his way. Something like "The Flies" by J P Sartre.
It amazes me that after decades, a film is made presenting a
new angle of human psyche, and within a few months, there
is another film which explores the same side further.
Have seen Shabd just last week but I am not able to remember
any of its songs. On the other hand, Meenaxi is musically
unforgettable.
--
Rawat
V S Rawat
> In article <d0o7va$5kk$1...@netnews.upenn.edu>, pan...@microsoft.com says...
>
> Let me reiterate my request to you: do write about new
> and noteworthy songs/soundtracks.
>
>
> Ashok
In Govind Nihlani's Dev, there was a song in the middle of
the film, probably in Asha's voice. Heard that only there,
thus not able to recall the lyrics. I think it was not a
full song. Probably, just some mukha.Daa. Maybe that only
that much was included in the film, or my VCD man had
snipped that.
I felt that it was a good song.
Don't risk seeing the movie just for this song. The start
was good, but after intermission, the story gets totally
confused, becomes unthinkable and unbelievable, leading to a
sudden end without giving answers to the important questions
it raised.
--
Rawat
yeskay
I feel it is lifted more from Metallica (try 'Nothing else matters').
Arunabha S Roy
> Request you to give example of artistic excesses of L-P. Is it over
> orchestration? Or do you mean 150+ instances of "dola re" in a single
> song?
L-P's orchestration makes their occasionally good melodies into an
unpleasant overall product. Their centerstage use of the Dholak has a
lot to do with it. I can't think of an occasion where it has been to
good effect.
For examples, take the pair of Sati Savitri/Sant Gyaneshwar. These have
very good-to-excellent tracks like "jiivan Dor tumhii.n sa.ng", "bahut
din biite", "mere laaDalo phuulo phalo". In "jaago prabhaat aayaa" and
"sakhii rii pii kaa naam aayaa" however, the instrumentation rises above
the lead vocals and is distinctly jarring. Even "jyot se jalaate chalo"
has too much of Dholak. So much for the good songs. Then there are the
bad screechy songs like "meraa chhailaa chhalledaar" a Mukesh- Shyama
Hemmady song and a couple of others which I have forgotten.
I feel instances of restrained melody from them, such as in Piya Ka
Ghar, Shor, Shagird are really the exception rather than the rule.
As for Jal Bin Machhli, well ...
- Arunabha