Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Shankar Jaikishan: Aashiq (1962/1978)

The music of Aashiq is a lot better without the visual of the movie. It doesn't happen very often that a soundtrack over shadows a film that I haven't even seen, but I can't stand watching the clips. The problem is that the camera work is so bad. But I don't get it. Jaywant Pathare was the cinematographer for Aashiq. But he was the assistant camera man to Raj Kapoor for Aag, Barsaat and Awaara (Raj Kapoor's most beautiful films) so he has no excuse. He even won a Filmfare award 4 years later for Anupama for best cinematography. But Aashiq looks like it was shot by an amateur film maker with low angle and ugly compositions. Ok sorry, I am a cinema student so I have to complain a little and I know I am talking a lot about the cinematography, but it really takes away from the soundtrack.


So basically I am suggesting to listen to the songs before you watch the clips or just close your eyes, no really!

Ok, well the two main characters in the film are a singer (Raj Kapoor) and a dancer (Padmini) may I add the best baratanatyam dancer on the screen ever (close tie with Vijanthimala). Anyway, the music in the film isn't simply to entertain but must compliment the characters individual talents. Shankar Jaikishan did it pretty well. You have "Jhanan Jhanjhanake Apni Payal" for the dancer and "Tum Jo Hamare Meet Na Hote" for the singer. Lovely songs.


My personal favorites are, the sweet "Lo Aai Milan Ki Raat", the fun "Yeh To Kaho Kaun Ho Tum" and "Tum Aaj Mere Sang Hanslo".



I would also like to mention that Aashiq is from the same period as Ujala (1959) and Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai (1960) and resembles both albums but is a little more drama and less folk.



Tracks:

Side 1
1. Mukesh: Main Aashiq Hoon Baharon Ka
2. Lata mangeshkar: Lo Aai Milan Ki Raat
3. Mukesh & Chorus: Yeh To Kaho Kaun Ho Tum
4. Lata Mangeshkar & Mukesh: Mehtab Tera Chehra



Side 2
5. Lata Mangeshkar & Mukesh: O Shama Mujhe Phoonk De
6. Mukesh: Tum Aaj Mere Sang Hanslo
7. Lata Mangeshkar: Jhanan Jhanjhanake Apni Payal
8. Mukesh: Tum Jo Hamare Meet Na Hote

Lyrics: Shailendra & Hasrat Jaipuri

Stella_1's score: 3.5/5

Get the music now: Shankar Jaikishan Aashiq

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Love the songs but hate the movie though I cant say its because of the bad camera-work (camera angles and image compositions need to hit me over the head before I even notice their exisetence!). In Hindi movies though, I find that songs and their picturisation dont match very often - either the song or the picturisation tends to disappoint! Thanks for a great soundtrack...

Anonymous said...

Oooh - I love this soundtrack - have the vinyl and the VHS!

You have eagle eyes. With regards to the clips, the film wasn't made like this. That youtube posting seems to be from a vertically streched source with the top and bottom chopped off. So the camera work isn't bad as the clips show. The movie is very good and defo worth a watch ... and to reiterate those clips are not a good representation of the original film.

Anonymous said...

Close my eyes? With Padmini in the clips? No way.

Best bharatanatyam dancer ever...yes, and that's only part of it. :)

I did wonder why the bottom seemed to be chopped off too much in some of the dancing - the stretched YouTube explanation seems right.

The soundtrack is very nice. I like Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai more, but that is one of my favorites.

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