2004 Newsmakers in film music

Music India OnLine: "

2. AADESH SHRIVASTAVA

Aadesh Shrivastava suddenly hit a high with the unusual score of Dev, laced with folk (‘Rang deeni...’), classical (‘Tujh sang baadhi dor...’) and other variegated numbers (‘Allah hoo...’, ‘Jab nahin aaye the...’). It remains to be seen whether his qualitative upswing continues.

6. HIMESH RESHAMMIYA
The only youngster in the top echelons who concentrated on compositions rather than packaging scored winners like Run, Taarzan, Dil Maange More!!! and Aitraaz.

10. KUNAL GANJAWALA
Perhaps it is just as well that Anu Malik’s ‘Bheege honth tere...’ scored over the Pakistani/Bangladeshi/whatever numbers incorporated in Murder, because it made Kunal Ganjawala a household name, consolidating him as one of the front-line singers. Kunal’s other hits this year included ‘Nahin hona...’ (Run) and ‘Salaame’ (Dhoom).

12. MADAN MOHAN
In a year replete with musical and cinematic nostalgia, Madan Mohan’s ‘engineered (pun intended) return’ in Veer-Zaara may not have been another Pakeezah but scored enough to emerge as one of the year’s more successful scores. The intrinsic melody struck a chord amidst a jungle of techno sounds.

13. NAUSHAD
The grand old man of film music expected to make a comeback of sorts this year with the now-delayed Taj Mahal - A Legend Of Love. What arrived instead was the colorized classic Mughal-E-Azam. Slowly but with relentless steadiness, the film edged over its co-releases, and as in 1961, music became one of the most powerful box-office magnets of the film as the timeless quality of ‘Pyar kiya to darna kya...’, ‘Mohe panghat pe...’, ’Teri mehfil mein qismat...’ and other hits once again held sway over the masses - and the classes.

14. PRASOON JOSHI
He spends the bulk of the time writing ad jingles and hooks, but he scored a triple whammy by reinstating the dignity of film lyrics with almost missionary zeal with Hum Tum, Phir Milenge and even Rok Sako To Rok Lo.

15. PRITAM
The composer created the only cult song of the year other than ‘Bheege honth tere...’ - ‘Dhoom machaale dhoom...’ in Dhoom. Even more impressively, in this all-popular score, this iconic song was heard in two equally hi-voltage versions, a Hindi version by Sunidhi Chauhan and the English version by Tata Young. Like the other cult song, it’s popularity spanned a spectrum from pubs to rickshaws.

16. ROOPKUMAR RATHOD
Inarguably one of the best singers around, Roopkumar Rathod daringly stepped into film music direction with Woh Tera Naam Tha and followed it up with the even more evolved Madhoshi. Both the scores failed to woo the masses after the films’ poor performances and the woeful marketing of the music. But Rathod’s effortless expertise in this new field earned him two assignments with one of our most musical banners - Vishesh Entertainment.

19. SANDESH SHANDILYA
His music is fresh, and easy on the ears - a worthy amalgam of substance and youthfulness. He took an excellent start with Chameli but the failure of Uff! Kya Jaadoo Mohabbat Hai put paid to some sparkling compositions. With Socha Na Tha he continues his distinct leitmotif.

20. SHAMEER TANDON
A young music company head honcho scores an outright winner in his debut film as composer, with a song each by Lata and Asha as part of the attractive package deal! Page 3 is one of the better scores of the year, with a stress on quality lyrics and the memorable use of one time top singers like Suresh Wadkar and Amit Kumar.

21. SHREYA GHOSAL
The singer was woefully bereft of good as well as popular songs, except for sporadic numbers like ‘Mujhe tumse mohabbat hai...’ (Tumsa Nahin Dekha) and ‘Soona soona...’ (Krishna Cottage). With this (lack of) track-record after a dazzling 2002 and 2003, 2005 will be a professionally decisive year for the young sensation.

23. SUNIDHI CHAUHAN
After a grandslam beginning to the year with Chameli Sunidhi went from one vocal high to another with ‘Chal hutt...’(Shaadi Ka Laddoo) and the title-tracks of Uuf! Kya Jaadoo Mohabbat Hai... and Dhoom. The hits just kept coming with a range from crooning romantic numbers to hot item songs.

24. TATA YOUNG
The Thai prodigy who has taken on the West made strides into India with a hit pop track (‘Sexy naughty bitchy...)for the elite and the English title-song of Dhoom for everyone. Now let us watch whether she gets - and accepts - more filmi adventures.

25. UDIT NARAYAN
The evergreen long-distance champ continued to sing and achieved a feat of sorts this year by opening a vocal account for Amitabh Bachchan in Deewaar- Let’s Bring The Heroes Home even as he continued to sing for stars from the ‘80s to the latest new faces on the block in Rok Sako To Rok Lo and Chand Sa Roshan Chehera.

"