T20 - Shreya Special 2

The Top 10..

10. Jaadhu Hai Nasha (Jism)

On listening to this song, I arrived at the equation Jaadhu + Nasha = Shreya Ghoshal. Wow! What a rendition! It’s a blessing for the Filmfare award to have landed itself at the hands of Ms. Ghoshal. Just like Saansein Madham, she improvises in the 2nd stanza and it’s simply magic. Not everybody has the innate talent to bring out so much warmth and this is where we feel divinity in music. They say, certain things in life needed to be experienced and not analyzed. This song exemplifies the same and I leave it for experience and not elaborate any further.

Favorite Line: Baahon Mein Teri Yun Kho Gaye Hai (2nd stanza)

9. Barso Re (Guru)

Shreya’s long time due for a tie-up with Rahman for a Hindi number got over with Barso Re. This song swept awards at all functions and I would rate it as one of the best songs of 2007. This is the effect a song has when two Music Messiahs – Rahman and Shreya come together. She has really given her ALL and that was evident when she sang ‘Nan Naa Re Nan Naa Re’.

Favorite Line: Nan Naa Re Nan Naa Re

8. Teri Ore (Singh is King)

I wonder if mellifluousness can get any better. No! It can’t get better than this. This song has given me warmth of the highest order. It has got me relieved of distress and made my life look more beautiful and colorful. The hoarsest in Rahat’s voice complemented Shreya’s and she’d added a new dimension to the song. This was one of the few songs to which I can listen for one hour, non-stop.

Favorite line: Teri Ore Teri Ore Hai Rabba……

7. Ishq Hua (Aaja Nachle)

This is the best example of the pathetic nature of Indian Music and films – the dependence of the former on the latter. Due to lack of publicity for this song and the movie’s colossal flop restricted the reach of this song to a wider audience. Undoubtedly, this is one of the best songs Shreya has ever sung and ironically, happens to the most under-rated. The Sonu-Shreya combo brings back memories of some really mellifluous numbers of the past. A wonderful composition backed by a superb rendition.

Favorite Line: Nazron Ko Sambhaalein, To Dil Ka Kya Karein

6. Tere Naina (CC2C)

I fear if this song will fall into the league where Ishq Hua belongs to. This is another song that has the characteristics which Ishq Hua had – bad publicity of the song and the movie’s colossal flop. This song was a real test for Shreya to match up to Shankar and she’s played her part perfectly. The composition is terrific – the speed of the song varies like ‘never-heard-before’. While majority of the faster part is taken care of by Shreya, she makes sure, they are not done at the expense of the lyrics and the diction is just spot on, especially in the second stanza when she sings 4-5 lines continuously.

Favorite Line: Mere Dil Mein Jo Armaan Hai Paaas Aake Zara Dekho Na…

5. Silsila Ye Chaahat (Devdas)

Reason for my liking can be attributed to just one – it was Shreya who sang. In the sense, nobody else could have produced that magic at such a young age especially when she sings ‘O Piya’. I liked the song so much that I wanted to see its video and since I had never seen Devdas, I downloaded the movie just to watch this song. When I did watch, I was moved to see that sync between Ash’s facial beauty and Shreya vocal beauty. A wonderful song and its best enjoyed when listened to, using headphones and not speakers.

Favorite Line: Phir Se Baadhal Ghar Jaa Hey………….O Piya Yeh Diya…..

4. Beiri Piya (Devdas)

The ranking of Silsila and Beiri Piya was a close call but I rank Beiri Piya higher just for two reasons – it won Shreya a national award and it had that amazing ‘ISSSHHH’. This just goes to show Shreya’s self-competition right from her first film. This is one of the best romantic melodies ever composed and for a teenage girl to sing the same alongside a veteran like Udit and win the national award just goes to show her brilliance. The ‘ISSHH’ announces the arrival of a legend-in-the-making, call for silence - make you listen to this melody queen with rapt attention.

Favorite Line: Tu Dhoor…..Paas hi ta ab pass hai tu dhoor….Hey kyun…Ha aaa…

3. Tu Meri Dost Hai (Yuvvraaj)

This is Shreya’s first duet with Benny Dayal, who had delivered some terrific Tamil songs before Dost happened. Shreya makes entry 2.5 minutes into the song with ‘Raat Mein’ and ironically, lightens up the song with a light shake of her divine vocal chords. Her last stanza with Rahman is mind-blowing and one couldn’t have expected for anything better. The line ‘Ek Pari Gujrati Hain’ in the last stanza is just Wow!!! And her rendition is a rendition is something her contemporaries can only enjoy and can’t actually replicate. 

Favorite Line: ‘Jahan Shaam Utarti Hain…’ (The last stanza with Rahman– Wow!)

2. Ek Pal Ke Liye (Ankahee)

This was my most favorite till recently. This song has been giving me goose bumps ever since I first listened to it. I would say, this was one song which made me look up to this doyen to Indian Music. There’s something in this song that makes me listen to it every time I turn on my music system. One thing I confirmed with this song is, Shreya Ghoshal improvises with time and her second stanzas in all songs outsmart her first. This song draws you forward, and the song is best enjoyed when she sings ‘Phir Kya Ho Kya Kabar’. Mind-blowing! I feel bad to rate it second because it deserves a first place 

Winning the T20 cricket World Cup is very tough and to select The Best song of this T20 demanded efforts of the highest order and so much thought 

And the winner is……

1. Kaise Mujhe (Ghajini)

There have been songs when Shreya has sang solo numbers and entertained us so well but this song when she just flashes across our ears for a few seconds and leaves a lasting impact. Terrific! That is the trademark of a legend - quality is independent of quantity. I’ve witnessed a similar impact in songs like Mein Agar Kahoon and Teri Yaadon Mein where she outsmarts Sonu and KK respectively. Now, this is the turn of Benny Dayal to face the music. The way she starts ‘Aaaaaaa…..’ makes one get softer at heart, feel more sympathetic and look at life with a broad-minded perspective. To watch this song on screen, you end up getting your cheeks moist involuntarily – Yeh Shreya ki Jaadhu. 

Those few seconds when you flash across our ears like an angel are my favorite lines.

I pray God to bestow you with good health and happiness. Keep entertaining us and I wish, you sing better songs and I would like Ek Pal Ke Liye and Kaise Mujhe to drop down places next year.

P.S: Being a die-hard fan, I would also like to do some constructive criticism. The song ‘Poovinai’ from the Tamil film Ananda Thaandavam is one of the best melodies composed in recent times and hats off to you for the rendition. But I found something unusual, though you’re appreciated for perfection in Tamil diction even by stalwarts like S.P.B, a few lines in the first stanza looked out of place and I couldn’t understand what the lyrics were. I’m sorry if that was offending but this was just to make sure your reputation doesn’t get affected by even 0.1%.