THE KINGS OF COMMERCIAL INDIAN MUSIC HAVE LIT UP BOLLYWOOD WITH THEIR CLASSICS. HERE’S OUR COUNTDOWN…
by ASJAD NAZIR
DYNAMIC duo Vishal and Shekhar helped to drag commercial Indian music kicking and screaming into the 21st century with blockbuster Bollywood tracks that have become globally popular.
The impressive ability to produce masterful music has not only entertained audiences, but elevated big Indian films to a higher level.
The bank of songs combined with great musicianship has made them a major draw on the live circuit, as illustrated by the blockbuster concerts delivered by the duo earlier this year. Next, they have composed the songs for the big Christmas release Tiger Zinda Hai.
Eastern Eye went through the amazing hit parade of Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani to select their top 40 chart-busters...
40 Punjabi Wedding Song (Hasee Toh Phasee): The major musical highlight of the hit 2014 film was this playful wedding song featuring the vocals of Sunidhi Chauhan and Benny Dayal. It tells you that Punjabi wedding songs are the greatest party anthems, and who can disagree with that? It was another song where they blended a great fun element into the music.
39 Hey Shona (Ta Ra Rum Pum): The big saving grace of this not so believable 2007 drama was this gorgeous romantic number. This song was very much aimed at those deeply in love and they all embraced it with open arms.
38 Golmaal (Title track): The duo composed the soundtrack for the first film in the hit franchise and included the catchy title track. It introduced talented singer Anushka Manchanda to a wider audience. There were also some interesting mixes of the catchy number.
37 Sholon Si (Shabd): The only saving grace of this flop 2005 film was this magnificent duet featuring the vocals of Sunidhi Chauhan and Vishal Dadlani. There is a lovely Latin feel to this Bollywood tune, which makes you want to bust out some spicy salsa moves.
36 My Dil Goes Mmmm (Salaam Namaste): Although the title track was hugely popular, this duet was just a great song couples could relate to. The sexy sounding chorus and interesting structure added to the enjoyment of the uplifting track.
35 Zehnaseeb (Hasee Toh Phasee): The awardwinning love song from the romantic drama featured the vocals of Chinmayi Sripaada and Shekhar Ravjiani. There was a lot of artistry in the neatly constructed number that received wide appreciation and helped turn the movie into a hit.
34 Maa Da Laadla (Dostana): The duo know how to add a fun element into a song and did exactly that with this track, which is essentially about an overbearing
33 Manwa Laage (Happy New Year): The current king and queen of Bollywood, Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal, beautifully light up this love duet from the action comedy. The sweeping romantic number is musically rich and is one that will entertain audiences for generations to come.
32 Tinka Tinka (Karam): The softest number in the power-packed action movie was this Alisha Chinai-delivered gem. The music by the duo was so good that it was later sampled by German music act Schiller for his 2008 album Sehnsucht in the song Mitternacht.
31 Cash (title track): The poorly made action film had this rich title track, which became a rage in clubs all over the world. The explosive dance tune was powered by the dynamite vocals of Sunidhi Chauhan, who also delivered the awesome Mind Blowing Mahiya on the same soundtrack.
30 India Waale (Happy New Year): This party anthem combined an uplifting patriotism with a great dance beat. With Vishal Dadlani, KK, Shankar Mahadevan and Neeti Mohan on vocal duties, this immediately recognisable song has become an anthem with proud Indians all over the world.
29 Meter Down (Taxi 9211): The musical duo helped bring out a different aspect in singer Adnan Sami, who used brilliant vocal acrobatics to make this a unique film song. There was a great western jazz influence in a track that got stuck in your head like sticky chewing gum.
28 Saaki (Musafir): The music producer brought two of Bollywood’s most explosive voices together for this incendiary 2004 item number. Sukhwinder Singh and Sunidhi Chauhan bounced off each other well in the sizzling song, which was the biggest highlight of the movie. Not surprisingly, the pulsating number is still powering on all these years later.
27 Bin Tere (I Hate Luv Storys): This lovely duet loaded with romance was the highlight of the 2010 romantic drama. Powered by the vocals of Shafqat Amanat Ali and Sunidhi Chauhan, the slowburning song has clever changes of pace within the music and gets better with each listen.
26 Wallah Re Wallah (Tees Maar Khan): Vishal Shekhar brilliantly incorporated a heavy qawwali influence into this catchy dance number, which featured a host of top vocal talents. The song pretty much starts in top gear and remains there until the very end. The fact that it was pictured on A-listers Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif lifted it even higher.
25 Ishq Sufiana (The Dirty Picture): The 2011 multi-award winning drama based on the life of Silk Smitha had this sweeping romantic anthem. Both the male and female version of the song by Kamal Khan and Sunidhi Chauhan respectively offered up unlimited love. It is a timeless classic that will be loved for decades to come.
24 Bachna Ae Haseeno (title track): The duo took this classic Bollywood song and repackaged it for modern audiences. The remix contained aspects from the original, including Kishore Kumar’s vocals, and combined wonderfully well with contemporary influences. It became a great promotional tool for the episodic romance.
23 1 2 3 4 Get On The Dance Floor (Chennai Express): The versatile duo added a south Indian film flavour to this Bollywood item number, which was led by the vocals of Vishal Dadlani and Hamsika Iyer. Although Lungi Dance was the breakout song from the film, most agree that this universal track was a much better and more irresistible one.
22 Baby Ko Bass Pasand Hai (Sultan): This catchy ‘guys versus girls’ number was playful and plenty of fun. Vishal Dadlani, Shalmali Kholgade, Ishita and Badshah combined well to inject various influences into a song which was powered by an addictive beat and became popular on dance floors.
21 Bahara (I Hate Luv Storys): The stand-out musical moment in the Bollywood romance was the stunning song delivered by Shreya Ghoshal. The smooth vocals, adorable lyrics and sweeping music by the duo oozed romance from start to finish. There is also a great version sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.
20 Deedar De (Dus): Although title track Dus Bahane became somewhat of an anthem, it was the explosive Deedar De that made a bigger impact. The turbo-charged item number was pumped full of various influences that included a subtle Arabic flavour. The irresistible song got under the skin of those who listened to it and made them want to bust a dance move or three.
19 Chhaliya (Tashan): The big budget film may have had a high-profile star cast and big production house, but by far the best aspect of it was the superb soundtrack. The sparkling collection of songs contained this gem, which gave Kareena Kapoor Khan her sexiest moments on the big screen. The Sunidhi Chauhan-rendered track became huge in clubs and a big anthem.
18 Tu Aashiqui Hai (Jhankaar Beats): The acclaimed 2003 soundtrack for the musical drama was a massive turning point for the duo and established them as a force to be reckoned with in Bollywood. The standout song on the soundtrack was this gospel-inspired number sung by KK, which was loaded with so much feeling.
17 Tu Meri (Bang Bang): Vishal Dadlani is an accomplished singer and lyricist in his own right. He was on vocal and lyrical duties with this 2014 dance track composed by the duo for the action romance. The catchy song fit perfectly with the dance moves delivered by lead stars Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif on the big screen.
16 Dard-e-Disco (Om Shanti Om): Although the song will most be remembered for Shah Rukh Khan showing off his tones abs, that whole scene wouldn’t have worked without a great dance number. Sukhwinder Singh was at his explosive best on the dynamic tune, which burned its way across the airwaves and onto the dance floors. The music was so good we forgave the ropey lyrics.
15 Sajnaji (Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd): The low budget comedy-drama had this giant party anthem which swept across the globe like wildfire when it was released. The freak-out number by Sunidhi Chauhan had Bollywood fans losing control on dance floors, and a decade later it remains popular.
14 Right Here Right Now (Bluffmaster): A sign of Vishal-Shekhar’s musical greatness was them being able to turn a song featuring the very limited vocals of Abhishek Bachchan into a major smash hit. In fact, the 2006 song was so popular there was talk of Abhishek actually doing a fullblown hip-hop album.
13 Jag Ghoomeya (Sultan): The various incarnations of the super-hit song from the 2016 wrestling drama have clocked up well over 100 million views on YouTube. Both the male and female versions featuring the vocals of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Neha Bhasin respectively are loaded with heartfelt emotion.
12 Allah Ke Bande (Waisa Bhi Hota Hai Part II): The only thing most people remember from this forgettable film is this chart-topping song. Apart from being a big hit, the Sufi-inspired track composed by Vishal and Shekhar helped establish singer Kailash Kher with international audiences.
11 Jabra Fan (Fan): Although music was secondary in the 2016 film, this promotional song was a major success. In fact, the track was so popular that it has been viewed over 100 million times and became an anthem for diehard fans. It was also recorded in nine different languages, so everyone could fully appreciate it. The film may have under-performed, but this song featuring singer Nakash Aziz certainly didn’t.
10 Ooh La La Tu Hai Meri Fantasy (The Dirty Picture): The fun duet featuring the vocals of Bappi Lahiri and Shreya Ghoshal captured the 1980s Bollywood vibe perfectly. It had a great contemporary flavour and a cross-generational appeal. The way it was pictured on screen only added to its enjoyment, and not surprisingly it received plenty of accolades.
9 Desi Girl (Dostana): Although Jaane Kyun was a blockbuster track, the big international hit deserves a place in the top 10 because it became an anthem for desi girls around the world. Powered by the vocals of Shankar Mahadevan, Sunidhi Chauhan and Vishal Dadlani, the song had enough energy to power dance floors around the world and continues to be played today.
8 Dildaara (Ra.One): This magnificent composition showed what can happen when a western hit and a Bollywood song come together. The duo brilliantly sampled classic Ben E. King song Stand By Me into this neatly constructed number. Pakistani singer Shafqat Amanat Ali had another standout moment in Bollywood with an epic performance on this track, which offered up something new with each listen.
7 Musu Musu Haasi Deu (Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi): The talented music stars started their journey with this song for the romantic drama in 1999. It turned out to be the best track on the soundtrack and became a huge anthem with the youth. It also turned pop star Shaan into hot property in Bollywood and started his long association with Vishal and Shekhar.
6 Tujhe Bhula Diya (Anjaana Anjaani): They may have made a name for themselves with big dance numbers and fun songs, but the duo have delivered plenty of emotion-filled romantic numbers – and this is perhaps the best one. A great combination of heartfelt lyrics and sweeping music, it’s a tune that connected with everyone who has loved and lost.
5 Radha (Student Of The Year): A movie that introduced us to hot right now stars Alia Bhatt, Sidharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan is also very much remembered for this big party anthem led brilliantly by the vocals of Shreya Ghoshal. The chart-buster remains very popular and it has been viewed more than 100 million times on YouTube alone. As an added bonus, it features the vocals of Vishal and Shekhar too.
4 Chammak Chalo (Ra.One): They not only got Akon to deliver a Bollywood song, but also had him singing desi lyrics near perfectly. The track also featuring the female vocals of Hamsika Iyer burned up the airwaves globally. It was used as a great promotional tool and generated attention internationally. A special mention also goes to the song It’s Criminal, which also featured Akon’s vocals.
3 Deewangi Deewangi (Om Shanti Om): It may have become massively famous for the recordbreaking number of stars seen onscreen, but that would have been meaningless if the song hadn’t been great. Vishal and Shekhar got together top talent on a track that became an international party anthem. Combined with the way it was pictured by director Farah Khan, the song became one of the greatest of all-time and turned the movie into a hit.
2 Nashe Si Chadh Gayi (Befikre): The movie might have bombed at the box office, but that certainly wasn’t the case with this stand-out song with a French flavour. The track had a sexy quality and gave current singing king Arijit Singh another shining moment. It has since gone one to clock up over 325 million views on YouTube, which is more than any other Bollywood song.
1 Sheila Ki Jawani (Tees Maar Khan): The duo has had bigger hits, but this tops Eastern Eye’s list because it became iconic and was a game-changer for them. One of the greatest item numbers in the history of Bollywood was a bubbling ball of energy, which bounced its way across the world and catapulted the duo into the Alist. It was also a stand-out moment for singer Sunidhi Chauhan, who regularly performs the song live, and for Katrina Kaif, who never looked better on screen. The sensational song remains popular on dance floors still today.
Shah Rukh Khan visits the cast of Come Fall in Love The DDLJ Musical during rehearsals in London Danny Kaan 
