Anupam- The Dreamer

You may have different tastes in music- some love very old Bollywood songs, some love patriotic songs, some like the sad songs of the 1970s and 1980s era, some like the 1990s Bollywood songs filmed at exotic locations in India and abroad, some like the new-age 2000s music with a break from the 1990s songs, some like the funky and loud songs of this millennium, and some like to “see” rather than to hear the songs because lyrically these songs are bland. Whichever category you belong to, but no particular category can match the aura of the Indi-pop genre that flourished in Indian sub-continent in 1990s, particularly in India and Pakistan.

The Indi-pop genre had virtually everything that a person needed for wholesome entertainment. The soulful and meaningful lyrics. The melody, oh you cannot get enough of it. The story behind each song- each song was like an independent movie in itself. The young, suave, handsome and beautiful actors, with unmatchable charm, elegance and simplicity. The singers who sometimes doubled as actors also- Sonu Nigam, Falguni Pathak, Baba Sehgal, Mohit Chauhan, Alisha Chinai, Lucky Ali, Shaan, KK. The new “desi” Indian bands with fusion music- blend of classical Indian and the foreign rock- the likes of Indian Ocean, Aryans, Silk Route, Bombay Vikings, Colonial Cousins, A Band of Boys, Viva etc. The screenplay was just fantastic with an amazing storyline. And the energy and vigour of the youth at full display.

Each pop song was like the freedom to break away from the established norms and traditions and cultivate its own new path. The young singers were unabashedly expressive of their ambitions and desires. It was like the 1990s LPG reforms that opened up the Indian economy also opened up the minds of the Indian artists in particular and public in general. The enhanced contact with the western world brought many new things in the Indian pop scenario- like the emergence of rock bands, extensive use of guitar, drums and violin alongwith tabla, sitar, sarangi, shehanai etc. I just loved the fusion of these musical instruments. Sometimes, Indian artists and singers also collaborated with the foreign artists to create fusion music and vice-versa. You may have seen the song “Black or White”, where the legendary Michael Jackson collaborated with an Odishi singer for a dance sequence.

This 1990s era also saw many collaborations with the artists from across the border like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan sahib, Nazia Hassan (called “Queen of South Asian pop”), Adnan Sami and later Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Ali Zafar etc. They collaborated with the legends in Indian music industry like AR Rahman, to create excellent music for the audience. Coupled with the aura of the legends like Ustad Zakir Hussain, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan who took the Indian music to the global audience, this time was indeed a golden period for the vibrant and growing India, with its eyes and dreams into the future.

I particular remember the time when these pop songs were a delight to watch and listen on the TVs, back in 1990s and early 2000s. You couldn’t help not falling in love with the story of the song. They would choose an amazing story to tell, like the romanticism of a young couple in the woods, in a college (purani jeans aur guitar….), or on the beach (Deewana tera…..), or in a coffee shop (Dekha hai teri aakhon ko..), or a concert, or a road trip (ye hawa kehti hai kya….), or the turmoils of a heartbreak, or chilling out on a vacation with friends. And every song was unique in itself. The artists that featured in the songs were dashing, handsome and beautiful. It was like the dawn of an era of young, wild and raw energy. Some supermodels like Milind Soman, Arjun Rampal, Bipasha Basu, John Abraham, marked their debut in these songs and blew the TV screens with their onscreen presence. Also, the live concerts and shows were a new thing in India that was gaining popularity. Back then, people were glued to the TV sets on the New Year eves or visited the local shows where these celebrity singers charmed the audience with their power-packed songs. I miss the time when such music and shows were a delight to watch, as the means of entertainment during that time were limited. Back then, the internet and mobiles didn’t ruin the fun of such things as the entertainment was not available on your fingertips. You had to wait for a particular show on the TV at a particular time to enjoy those songs. Or buy a cassette/ rent a CD to listen to them. The limited availability of the means of entertainment heightened the experience gained through them. Now, there is a flood of the means of entertainment in the present times, so the popularity that such songs commanded in the past has become somewhat diminished now.

This is not to say that some songs made in today’s times aren’t that good. Infact, some songs and budding singers are very good and they are creating new genre of music. Yet, the charm of the pop songs is matched only by a few artists. The art has become more about money now. The song may or may not be good, but it should make money. The priorities have shifted, so do the artists and their songs. I sincerely hope that some artists keep creating melodious songs which ring the same charm and elegance and romanticism of the 1990s pop era. Because such songs get imprinted in your memory for forever and take us back to the memory lane of the Golden era of yesteryears….♫♪♫♪♫♫