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Music losing its midas touch for films or a case of marketing gone wrong?
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What won the Best Song at two top awards last year was the title track of Hamari Adhuri Kahani. Arijit Singh is his element with Mohit Suri, trying to recreate the magic of Aashiqui 2. Unfortunately, despite the keen ear for music, Mohit couldn't redo the success of Aashiqui 2. It is a reality that the industry is changing and content scores over every other department. But industry observers point out that in Bollywood, movies are a package of good stories, memorable dialogues, and songs that stay on everyone's lips till the next wedding season. Baar Baar Dekho's Nachde Ne Saare might be on the playlist at the next shaadi you attend, but the film is already forgotten. If we take, Baar Baar Dekho as an instance, we might wonder why despite such lovely music, the film didn't work. An exhibitor explains, "The film was bad and the music was only for a certain crowd. Kala Chashma was a rage but do you remember all songs of the film. A lot of how music is perceived depends on they are marketed in tandem with the film. We are going gravely wrong with music marketing."
There is a trend of dubsmashes on popular songs but is it really helping the film. Yes, the song is gaining recognition but the movie isn't. So even though people remember Kala Chashma or Beat pe Booty (A Flying Jatt) which were two of last month's most popular songs it hasn't translated into success for the film.
A know-it-all veteran tells us, "Just like corporates and MNCs don't understand the fabric of our movie making, they don't understand the value of music in a film. Music has to be massy. I am not saying there isn't any scope for niche music. But a large part of the industry must cater to the sensibilities of the general public. Only a producer who has a keen ear and understanding of music can be able to promote the film accordingly."
The problem also lies in the fact that only one specific song does well in a film, the makers harp on it excessively, in turn ignoring the rest of them. Sample the Tiger Shroff-Shraddha Kapoor starrer hit flick Baaghi. A lion share of the credit goes to director Sabbir Khan who is a hands-on director, producer Sajid Nadiadwala as well as the music banner. Yes, the music was fresh, the pairing was electric and of the 5 songs in the soundtrack, three of them are still playing on radios. Sabbir had once told us, "A good album is a mix of great music, great singing, and good intentions." We are making hit songs but they aren't helping our films because we are losing sight of music and movies for the sake of longevity.
It is time to turn over a new leaf.
