The industry will never see another Lata, who will fight for the rights of female vocalists or the entire playback industry as a whole. Plots are written to accommodate more male solos than female; female tracks are in fact being dished out to male playback singers. Sunday MiD DAY does a trend soundcheck
The industry will never see another Lata, who will fight for the rights of female vocalists or the entire playback industry as a whole. Plots are written to accommodate more male solos than female; female tracks are in fact being dished out to male playback singers. Sunday MiD DAY does a trend soundcheck
The women just lost their voice.
A quick scan of the songlist printed at the back of flashy CD covers at city music stores can be a lesson in skewed sex ratio that would put Haryana's foeticide brigade to shame. Male tracks and duets outnumber female solos, and that's if the soundtrack includes a female solo at all.
Anushka Manchanda, Rekha Bhardwaj, Sunidhi Chauhan and
Shreya Ghoshal
The latest feminist flavour of the season, Prakash Jha's political saga Raajneeti that has a female character played by Katrina Kaif at its epicentre, has no time to devote to a full-fledged female number although there is one on the music album. Kavita Seth's Mora piya mose bolat naahi appears in a blink-and-miss special appearance on screen.
Rajneeti comes hot on the heels of big budget now-bombed Hrithik Roshan starrer Kites, which has two male solos but nothing for Spanish protagonist Barbara Mori to lip sync to. And Housefull, the all-out commercial money spinner with not one but three hot heroines to boast of, failed to accommodate a single female solo.u00a0
An earlier, although unsuccessful 2010 film, Badmaash Company isu00a0 a classic case in point. Its score stands thus: five male solos. Female solos -- none. And if you though hazel-eyed power punch Kajol was filmmaker Karan Johar's eternal favourite, we are here to tell you, he loves Shah Rukh more. Two male solos, no female solo vocal in My Name Is Khan.
Some of the biggest hits of last year -- 3 Idiots, Wanted and Kaminey -- had more than six songs listed on their albums, none of them -- yes, you guessed it right -- was a female solo.
As the all-female rock band 4 Non Blondes would say: What's going on?u00a0
The music directors are far from ignorant of the change. And singer Shankar Mahadevan of composer trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy is far from happy. "Our films have always been male-centric. It's unfortunate, but it's the hero that matters." The newer lot in the industry is trying to make a change, he says. "We'd love it if more films had female solos because the Hindi playback industry has some great female voices." Agreed Shekhar Ravjiani in an earlier interview, "Plots today make room for more male solos."
Lyricist Sameer who's been at the job of scripting lines that some of the industry's biggest stars have mouthed to music, for over two decades, attributes the trend to the gradual death of women-centric scripts. "Songs are driven by characters, and characters are driven by scripts. But I am hopeful about female solo numbers returning. I for one, enjoy writing them," says the man behind hit numbers like Jab Se Tere Naina from Saawariya.
The community of writers he is pointing a finger at hardly agrees. Niranjan Iyengar who is part of the Dharma Production camp, and has recently authored the dialogues and lyrics for My Name Is Khan, says, "Most of the songs today are not set to sync. They play in the background while the actors go about their scenes. So, I don't believe the trend is an outcome of a bias against the female character."
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Those at the helm of the music industry, like chairman and managing director T-Series Bhushan Kumar, admit to modern scripts offering spare scope for women protagonists to bag a three-minute number to themselves. But he has a marketing gem to skirt the problem. "We can hardly ignore the large female audience that loves romantic tracks in female voices. What we are introducing are female versions of male songs, that we will release only for radio and ringtones."u00a0
We wonder what veteran Meena Kumari would say to that one. Pakeezah (1972), the story of tawaif Sahibjaan, saw her bag five female solos, all sung by Lata Mangeshkar, with no male number in the film. Historical magnum opus Mughal-E-Azam (1960) once again had five female solos and just one male single. Nagin (1976) had eight female, and two male solos.
Today, even a Jab We Met, considered by many as a female-oriented film, has one solo song picturised on Kareena Kapoor. In fact, a song picturised on her pining for love (Aaoge Tum Jab O Sajna) has been sung by a male vocalist.
Sunidhi Chauhan, one of the two most-sought-after female singers in the industry says the last three years prove a dismal female solo track record. "Even the item numbers, if you call them that, have been taken over by the boys. But it's a phase; people like change. We will be back to normal."
Hema Sardesai, the famous voice behind the Awaara Bhawre number from Sapnay (1997) that shot her to fame believes the trend is a direct reflection of the female protagonist's status in the industry. "Where are the female superstars who can put a foot down and demand a song?" New singer on the block, Antara Mitra who has been in the news for singing Bheegi si, bhaagi si from Raajneeti, says they have to make do with singing duets. "I'm a newcomer. I cannot afford to be too choosy," she admits.u00a0
Husky voiced Rekha Bhardwaj of Namak ishq ka fame takes an optimistic stance: "There is work for everyone. I have sung a thumri solo in Veer, and two for Ishqiya. I have solos in Saat Khoon Maaf too."
How many remember the Veer thumri, thanks to dismal promotion, is the question. Love Aaj Kal's male solos Twist and Ajj din chaddhiya are what come to mind, not Thoda thoda pyar aa gaya sung by Sunidhi.
Veteran composer Anandji, one part of composer duo Kalyanji-Anandji known for music of 1970s action potboilers like Don, might be pragmatic enough to say "we should move with the times", but he quickly deconstructs the reasons behind the fading female solo. "Older films included bhajans, romantic songs, and club numbers, so there was scope for women. We had hero-centric films then too, but the story encompassed a home, and female characters like the wife, mother, sister, giving the female solo a fair chance. Women have feelings too, and they must be expressed through a song's music," he says.
New millenium's best solos
Maar daalau00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
Devdas 2002
Sung by Kavita Krishnamurthy
Filmed on Madhuri Dixit
Jadoo hai nasha haiu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
Jism 2003
Sung by Shreya Ghoshal
Filmed on Bipasha Basu
Sajna ve sajnau00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
Chameli 2003
Sung by Sunidhi Chauhan
Filmed on Kareena Kapoor
Piya tora kaisa abhimanu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
Raincoat 2004
Sung by Shubha Mudgal
Filmed on Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Kaisi paheli zindaganiu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
Parineeta 2005
Sung by Sunidhi Chauhan
Filmed on Rekha, Raima Sen and Sanjay Dutt
Namak ishq ka
Omkara 2006
Sung by Rekha Bhardwaj
Filmed on Bipasha Basu, Saif Ali Khan and Vivek Oberoi
Barso reu00a0
Guru 2007
Sung by Shreya Ghoshal
Filmed on Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Yeh ishq haayeu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
Jab We Met 2007u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
Sung by Shreya Ghoshalu00a0u00a0u00a0
Filmed on Kareena Kapoor
Mar jaawaanu00a0u00a0
Fashion 2008
Sung by Shruti Pathak
Filmed on Priyanka Chopra
Mudi mudiu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
Paa 2009u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
Sung by Shilpa Rao
Filmed on Vidya Balan and Abhishek Bachchan
Ladies-only songs to watch out for
Khilli re
From Raavan
By Reena Bhardwaj
Reena Bhardwaj's soothing notes have done full justice to Gulzar's lyrics and AR Rahman's striking score.
Hare kaanch ki chudiyaan
From Milenge Milenge
By Alka Yagnik
The soulful lyrics of this romantic number are enhanced by Alka's dipped-in-honey vocals.u00a0
Cabaret number
From Once Upon A Time In Mumbai
By Sunidhi Chauhan
This is a much talked about number since Sunidhi is singing Pritam's composition which has reportedly been inspired by the famous Helen dance number Piya tu ufffd from Caravan and Duniya mein logon ko from Apna Desh
The handbooku00a0
How to get a break in theu00a0 Hindi playback industry
Some handy tips from Anushka manchanda who started off as part of a girl band that was formed through a reality show, and has been the voicee behind several hit hindi film numbers
>>Make a demo for music directors. Try to include at least three different kinds of songs but keep them to about a minute and a half each.u00a0
>>Get in touch with managers of music directors. If you can give them a live demo, great. So if they are working on a song that suits your voice, they'll remember you.u00a0
>>If you can find a manager, do it. Do your homework and approach someone who will give you sound advice, even if he/she doesn't take you on as a client.u00a0
>>Be patient, but not complacent. Get in touch with advertising and production agencies to get initial work like singing ad jingles. Any experience behind the mic is good for you.u00a0
>>A lot of music directors perform live, and participate in stage shows. They often require female singers. Check with their managers if you can be a part of their gigs.u00a0
>>Work hard and treat every song like it's the last song you'll ever get to sing. Give it everything you've got. Remember: the song is bigger than everything else. So don't be afraid to say if a part is hard for you to sing or if you need guidance from your music director. Experiment behind the mic, with their permission.u00a0
>>This is important: respect your music director and people you work with at the studio. Remember, they create the songs you sing and the technicians make you sound good.
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