The brief for Sachin-Jigar must have been the weirdest of all. Toota Jo Kabhi Tara (A Flying Jatt)Ī fairy tale of a love song – that too something children would enjoy. Well programmed, sung and written, the song blends smoothly with the films narrative while being a kickass number for your road trips. In a year that offered bleak chances for female vocalists to shine, it is Kanika Kapoor’s fearless rendition of ‘Da Da Dasse’ from Amit Trivedi’s Udta Punjab that shone brightest. Bilal’s powerful singing is just the icing on the cake! 16. This is no ordinary number by any measures – be the tense melody or the meticulous arrangement, the song paces up and down catching us unawares. Teri Khair Mangdi (Baar Baar Dekho)Ī situational number with a very strong classical base, ‘Teri Khair Mangdi’ from Baar Baar Dekho is one of the finest of songs of 2016 purely for the Bilal Saeed’s brilliant composition and rendition. Although there’s nothing exemplary about the composition or the lyrics, it is Palak Muchhal’s vocals that adds that necessary layer of magic to this sweet ditty from MS Dhoni: The Untold Story. Kaun Tujhe (MS Dhoni: The Untold Story)Ī leading lady with a halo and a composition that is simple yet dreamy – you got a chartbuster recipe. Shankar Mahadevan and Mame Khan’s voices only elevate the appeal of this hauntingly beautiful track from Mirzya. The lyrics are, without doubt, romantic to the hilt but it is the minimal and atmospheric instrumentation that forms the highlight of ‘Aave Re Hitchki’. The most conventional track in the nuanced, folksy album by Gulzar and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. Shahid Mallya’s earthy voice and minimal traditional background score adds to its sheen as does backing vocals by Shadab Faridi, Suhas Sawant and Arun Kamath. Has Nachle (Udta Punjab)Ī smooth Punjabi folk number put to words by Shelley forms the silver lining of the moody album Amit Trivedi creates for Udta Punjab.
However, what remains is the eminent charm of the composition and Mukherjee’s own lyrics that are even better. While his throw of words isn’t anything to write home about, his Punjabi diction is equally questionable. Dariya (Baar Baar Dekho)Ī song that could easily have found a place in the top 10, if not for the composer Arko Pravo Mukherjee’s decision to use his own voice as playback. The hummable melody and not-so-pedestrian lyrics pass muster too.
One’s got to agree it is his voice that does most of the talking. In such a scenario, Vishal-Shekhar gift us the mellifluous ‘Kehkashan’ in Shekhar Ravjiani’s angelic voice. The leading lady wore the pants and her love interest did all the singing around. Kehkashan (Akira)Īkira saw a role reversal. How I miss a voice like Chithra‘s here! 22. Sanah Moidutty’s rendition is way so passive that we miss out words and syllables completely often. As he renders the numbers with great panache, one wishes he had opted for a different female playback singer. Rahman experiments with sounds as always. However, there is certain magic in A R Rahman’s ‘Tu Hai’ (that also appears as ‘Sindhu Maa’). As for the soundtrack, the background pieces overpowered the lyrical ones. Mohenjo Daro ranks amongst the year’s least fancied films. Trust Shreya to rescue it like a pro! 23. A decent composition it is, the song’s indifferent lyrics do attempt to take away a bit of its charm. In the only memorable thing about the utterly forgettable Rocky Handsome, Shreya’s croons ‘Rehnuma’ in an octave lower than her usual and nails it as always. When Shreya Ghoshal experiments, she does it like a boss. A melodious composition rendered with great feelings, we wish it got more ears than it ended up getting! 24. This less heard number from Happy Bhaag Jayegi has all qawwali and folk flavours that our music directors often stereotype Ali in. While opinions will possibly differ, here is Filmy Sasi’s compilation of the 2016’s top 25 Bollywood songs. A year that clearly wasn’t amongst the best for Bollywood music, there had been a bunch of songs that struck a chord with us. As 2016 comes to an end, the time is now for the mandatory year-end lists.