Ye Nahi Suna, Toh Kya Suna? A round-up of the best Bollywood soundtracks, singers and songs

Alia Bhatt and Shraddha Kapoor showed singing mettle in a year that had its fair share of talented newbies as it is. But 2014 was definitely a year for singer-composers. They’re going to have a continuing run, come  2015, if their lineup of projects is any indication. If this was Vishal-Shekhar’s (albums) and Meet Bros Anjjan’s (hit singles) year, our money’s on Ankit Tiwari, Sachin-Jigar and Amaal Malik to continue shining in 2015.

Yaariyan

Music: Pritam, Mithoon, Yo Yo Honey Singh and Arko Pravo Mukherjee

ITNA toh suna tha, ki too many cooks spoil the broth, but this album was one big party! This coming-of-age tale had an album that broke records early in the year. A 13-track soundtrack, Pritam’s ABCD, Mithoon’s Baarish and Yo Yo’s Sunny Sunny were instant favourites while Arko’s Allah Waariyan and Anupam Amod’s Meri Ma (the label later called to say that this track was Pritam’s and that they were making the change in credits across platforms) were growers. Repeated listens and constant airplay made this one of the year’s earliest successes.

Highway

Music: AR Rahman

Rahman’s first release of the year, Highway had Irshad Kamil for wordsmith. Each song was soulful and strong, each pause punctuated with meaning. For a while, this one became my road-trip album. Patakha Guddi had two versions and it became difficult to choose between the Nooran sisters and Rahman’s versions — both were that different and that good. Zeb along with Alia (debuting as a singer) shone on the year’s first lullaby, Sooha Saha. Jonita Gandhi was the discovery of the album and Implosive Silence and Kahaan Hoon Main truly showed her range. Sunidhi was in top form with Mann Kuja. All in all, a treat to listen to.

Hasee Toh Phasee

Music: Vishal-Shekhar

ONE of the few albums in terms of a complete experience, HTP had beauties like the on-constant-repeat Zehnaseeb and Ishq Bulaava. Manchala grew on you after the movie released, Shake It Like Shammi brought in a bit of retro, Punjabi Wedding had the perfunctory shaadi waala gaana while Drama Queen had a textbook promotional feel. Kumaar (on Ishq Bulaava only) and Amitabh Bhattacharya (on the rest of the tracks) provided the lyrics for this breezy, fun album. If you smiled through the first listen, you had to be hooked throughout! It really is that good. The tracks still sound as fresh...

2 States

Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

Fresh, peppy and upbeat, just like the film’s lead pair, the OST was an absolute delight. SEL had a start-to-finish winner. Offo, Locha-e-Ulfat, Mast Magan, Iski Uski all became catchphrases, rather than plain songs. K Mohan on Chandaniya needed repeated listens but it caught on. All these singles were top of the mid with Hulla Re being the only exception. Aditi Singh Sharma, Benny Dayal, Chinmayi Sripaada and Arijit Singh all made the songs they sung in the film worth your while. There’s something inherently likeable about this album and it most definitely showed!

Queen

Music: Amit Trivedi and Rupesh Kumar Ram

London Thumakda was an instant charmer and a constant companion through any Bollywood-themed party you attended. Kinare remained a sing-along favourite at most Amit Trivedi gigs, something that became evident at music festivals. O Gujariya had you give Shefali Alvares company as you air-guitared and head-banged your way through the song. RKR’s sole song on the album,  Ranjha, was more vanilla than Amit’s continuously pulsating soundscape, but came as a welcome relief. Also, making headlines was the reworking of a hit song that wasn’t on the OST — Hungama Ho Gaya.

Kick

Music: Himesh Reshammiya, Meet Bros Anjjan and Yo Yo Honey Singh

For every hit song on this album, there was a Version 2, Salman’s version. But Khan or not, each song had its charms — Jumme Ki Raat played at every festive occasion this year. If Hangover took you by the horns and didn’t let go, Yaar Na Miley brought out the Devil in you. Jasmine Sandlas, who has worked with the likes of Bohemia and is a big name  in Punjabi non-film music, made her B-Town debut with the track. Tu Hi Tu was a soother, though not entirely memorable.  There were quite a few remixes and versions for those interested. God knows, I wasn’t...

Ek Villain

Music: Mithoon, Ankit Tiwari

It took the first trailer for Galliyan to create the buzz it did, even before the release. Ankit’s track was a winner from the word go and was on pretty much everyone’s playlist for quite some time. Banjara, Zaroorat and Humdard, all Mithoon compositions, were far more sombre but equally powerful and more in line with the tragic overtone of the film. Awari was Soch The Band’s contribution to the OST, a reworking of their hit track. This OST also marked the debut of leading lady Shraddha Kapoor as a singer. She sang the Unplugged version of Galliyan which was favourably compared with Alia’s singing debut in Highway. Musically sound, this one!

Bang Bang!

Music: Vishal-Shekhar

Tu Meri led from the front, with Vishal Dadlani not just singing, but also providing the song’s lyrics. Meherbaan had two versions. One had Ash King and Shilpa Rao while the other version has Shekhar Ravjiani. While both versions held their own, Shekhar’s was a personal favourite. The ever-dependable Benny Dayal appeared on two tracks — once with Harshdeep Kaur (on the breezy Uff) and then, with Neeti Mohan (on  the title track), a dance track with an infectious beat. By the time this album came out, Vishal-Shekhar, who had had an exceptionally good year, kept excelling at short, but sweet efforts. More power to the two in 2015!

Khoobsurat

Music: Sneha Khanwalkar, Badshah, Amaal Malik

This album pulsates with a quirky, nervous energy throughout. Sneha and Sunidhi Chauhan sounded like they were having fun on Engine Ki Seeti and Baal Khade, and it showed. Preet, sung by newcomer Jasleen Kaur Royal, was by far, one of the more impressive tracks off the OST. Maa Ka Phone, sung by Priya Panchal and Mouli Dave, was manic, but quite catchy. But, it was Badshah on Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai that was the OST’s bright spark. But a last-minute (very pleasant) surprise was Naina, composed by Amaal and sung by Sona Mohapatra. This song’s a beauty!  

Happy Ending

Music: Sachin-Jigar

Need proof that you can get away with pretty much anything with smart puns? Just check in with Sachin-Jigar and their lyricists who got past the beeps-and-blanks department unscathed despite songs like Paaji Tussi Such A Pussy... Cat and G Phaad Ke (loved Divya and Shefali on this track) in their arsenal. Both are mad, mad dance tracks, but it is numbers like Khamma Ghani (Papon and others) and Mileya Mileya (Rekha Bhardwaj, debutante Pria Andrews and composer Jigar Saraiya) that form the OST’s emotional core.  The other tracks are pretty much okay. A great way to end the year!  

2014’s TOP 10 TRACKS

1. Baby Doll - Ragini MMS 2
2. Teri Galliyan - Ek Villain
3. Samjhawan - Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya
4. Manwa Laage - Happy New Year
5. Sunny Sunny - Yaariyan
6. Meherbaan - Bang Bang
7. Patakha Guddi - Highway
8. Tune Maari Entriyaan - Gunday
9. Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai - Khoobsurat
10. London Thumakda - Queen

Music MVPs (Most Valuable People)

1. Yo Yo Honey Singh
2. Meet Bros Anjjan
3. Arijit Singh
4. Benny Dayal
5. Mika Singh
6. Shreya Ghoshal
7. Sunidhi Chauhan
8. Shekhar Ravjiani
9. Ankit Tiwari
10. Shalmali Kholgade

Rookies who rocked

1. Amaal Malik
2. Badshah
3. Kanika Kapoor
4. Jasmine Sandlas
5. Pria Andrews