It was a rainy afternoon and I was quite bored. My English teacher walked in and her frog-like, bulging eyes immediately began searching for her favourite student - me. Ah, she smiled. These English teachers always love to smile at me. It is a different thing altogether that teachers of other subjects refuse to tolerate me.
'So class, we will write an essay today, ' she said, beaming at me. The whole class was looking at me, grinning away to glory. In spite of her introductory line being directed to class, she was facing only me.
'The topic of the essay is'My nose'.' The whole class turned towards her, in shock.'Your nose?' we asked in unison.'No, children, my nose as in the writer's nose.'
Each of us took out a calendar. No, it wasn't April the 1st. She seemed to be serious. But, the class wasn't. Everyone began to whisper among themselves how our teacher had finally proved her lunacy. Everyone, apart from a sincere-looking (did we say that looks are deceptive?) chap called Raj Lalwani.
And exactly fifteen minutes later, I had written two pages, filled with paragraphs which began talking about my nose, but ended with talks about Indian cricket, gold mines in India, the US-Iraq war, and even good, old Shah Rukh Khan. And that was the premiere Nikamma Digression product.
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And yeah, I am not joking. Our teacher was actually that wierd. Now, this is not an article on the apalling teaching standards in the country. Why did I mention about the above nosey incident, did you ask? Well, because the nose is used to smell. And breathe. And sing.
And no, I am not talking about the K L Saigal accent which asks whether we have got a close-up snap of ours clicked. What I meant is Kumar Sanu's nasal voice which goes like 'Eeeeennnnnsshk veeeeennnnnnshq pyaaaaaannnnnr vyaaannnnnr.' Gosh, the poor fellow even couldn't pronounce'Ishq' and he ended up stetching it like Utpal Dutt and crooning'Eeeeeee(nnnn)sh(k)'. Yet, inspite of the irritating nasal twang, it can be denied that Kedar Bhattacharya aka Kumar Sanu has indeed sung some memorable numbers. A few of them follow .
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- Baazigar( Baazigar).
K-k-k-k-Kabhi k-k-k-k-kabhi gaane ke liye, naak se gaana padta hai. Aur naak se gaane wale ko Baazigar, er, Kumar Sanu kehte hain. No pathbreaking number this, but the melody of the song is extremely hummable. I love the way the scale of the song flows from high to low. It is also rumoured that this is Karan Johar's favourite song as it features Shah Rukh Khan jumping around in shorts.
- Dil Mera Churaya Kyun(Akele Hum Akele Tum).
A plagiarized song, this one, with not only the music being'inspired' from Last Christmas, but also the lyrics, which were almost a literal translation of the English number. Yet, Sanu sings this song beautifully and what we have is a heart-touching, melodious song. The only negative factor is that Anu Malik sings English lyrics between the verses, and ends up sounding like Anu Malik. Trust me, Anu Malik sounding like Anu Malik is the worst thing that can happen to your ears!
- Aankhon Ki Gusthakiyan(Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam).
The presence of Sallu Lallu and(Tr)Ash does not deter me from loving this composition. Ismail Darbar must take full credit for this track as he has created a beautiful melody, replete with delightful instrumentations. The entire beauty of this lies in its simplicity, be it the music, the vocals or the picturisation.
- Jab Koi Baat Bigad Jaaye(Jurm).
Although I dislike the fact that Kumar Sanu has often tried to imitate the inimitable Kishore Da, here is one song where he did sound like the legend himself, almost. Beautiful lyrics are the prime feature of this song and Sanu's vocals and Rajesh Roshan's music combine to create an exquisite, haunting melody.
- Kuch Na Kaho(1942 - A Love Story).
Trust Pancham to get the best out of Kumar Sanu! My next three choices would prove how three of Kumar Sanu's best songs come from the same album, fittingly composed by the greatest composer to have set foot on this earth.'Kuch Na Kaho' is a slow, lilting melody. Added to Sanu's wonderful rendetion, Burman comes up with some beautiful instrumentations, with pearl drops adding to the effect of the song.
- Ek Ladki Ko Dekha(1942 - A Love Story).
Do not confuse'Ek Ladki Ko Dekha' with Shah Rukh Khan's seismic voice going'Heyheyhey, hehehek ladki ko d-d-dekha toh .ummpf' in Main Hoon Na. What I am talking about is the original composition sung with great gusto by Kumar Sanu. Lyrical richness abounds . Javed Saab's lyrics are sheer poetry. Sanu maintains a superb control over his voice in the long verses and comes up trumps with this number.
- Rimjhim Rimjhim(1942 - A Love Story).
There is something about rain which brings out the best in composers and lyricists. Rain songs are usually incredibly melodious, a glaring exception being the recent'On The Roof, In The Rain, In The Basement, Down The Drain'(lyrics modified by yours truly). The verses are undoubtedly the best feature of this song, with both Kumar Sanu and Kavita Krishnamurthy displaying wonderful vocals while singing the lines from'Baadal ki chaav mein' onwards.
- Tujhe Dekha(Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge).
It is with a heavy heart that I rate this song as the third best, and that just goes to show the quality of the two top-ranked numbers.'Tujhe Dekha' is one of its kind, beautifully composed by Jatin-Lalit. Anand Bakshi's lyrics prove that beauty lies in simplicity. Talking about the vocals, I believe that this song is Kumar Sanu's best, if we consider his singing. It's just that I prefer the two songs listed below as slightly better compositions.
- Ae Kaash Ke Hum(Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa).
Here is the kind of song which would have you hypnotized when it unfolds on screen. Not only is it great for the required situation, but the fact that it features in one of my favourite films is a major plus point! Kumar Sanu sings beautifully, but what elevate the song to an entire different level are Majrooh Sultanpuri's fabulous https://lyrics. The lines are simply perfect for the situation, wherein Sunil wants to hold onto the moment, knowing that it is too good to last forever.
- Tu Mile, Dil Khile(Criminal).
And here is the kind of song which is simply impossible to describe. Sappy to the core, its mush quotient can only be challenged by'Pehla Nasha'. Apart from the amazing composition and beautiful way in which each instrument is used, what stand out are the vocals. Both Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik display fantastic control while singing on an unusually high pitch. The Enigma-like vocals create a haunting effect, and my favourite part of the song is after the English dialogues(which are quite akin to a song by The Police), when Alka Yagnik begins singing. Indeevar's lyrics take the cake as each and every line of this number continues to entrance me, with the sheer poetic brilliance on offer.
Chanda tujhe, dekhne ko nikla karta hai . Ainaa bhi, deedar ko, tarsaa karta hai.
Pyaar kabhi marta nahin, hum tum marte hain . Hote hain woh log amar, pyaar jo karte hain
Sigh! Who needs Harry Potter . this is what you call true magic!
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How about some nosey comments, huh?
