I Love Desi 4: Loosies

The fourth and final segment of the India 2010 retrospective, Loosies, covers the miscellaneous left-overs. The section could also be called Love Is In The Air because most of the numbers have a romantic undercurrent. But "Chalo Re Doli Uthao Kahar" is hardly a lovers' ballad, and these are not all stand-out anthems. Rather, they're just some fun ones to cap the series. Enjoy, and goodbye July!



"Accident Ho Gaya" (from Coolie)

Without noticing, I picked up a bunch of soundtracks for films starring longtime megastar Amitabh Bachchan. The actor doesn't really have a Western equivalent in terms of ubiquity and longevity. Put it this way: the man is on everything from insurance ad billboards to award-winning films.

Coolie became famous even before its release because of a serious on-set accident that Bachchan suffered. That said, the writing team of Laxmikant-Anand turn out a fairly neat soundtrack. There are some pretty cool accordion and electric guitar leads on "Lambuji Lambuji," but "Accident Ho Gaya" gets the pick for capturing the over-the-top qualities of Bollywood: receiving flower wreaths from birds, dancing atop train cars, rolling around in a street filled with limes... the usual.

Admittedly the other half of the disc is melodramatic, but there are enough acoustic guitar accompaniments to lend an accessible feel.

As an aside, in late April Bachchan announced on his blog that he had contracted a form of Hepatitis from a blood transfusion required after the aforementioned accident. If anything is more surprising than this revelation, it's the fact that the guy has been blogging almost everyday since April 2008. He's 67 and stays on his grizzly!



"Chalo Re Doli Uthao Kahar" (from Jaani Dushman)

The incomparable Mohammed Rafi on this somber joint from the climax to the horror thriller Jaani Dushman. His rather sincere take seems a bit ridiculous in the context of a film where a Walgreen's Wolfman kills brides-to-be, but also brings a welcome sense of levity to Reena Roy's final parade as a single woman. Will she be axed? Or will the good guys save her? Watch and find out!



"Kya Gazab Karte Ho Jee" (from Love Story)

Two tales of teen lust from two different composers. The first is another R.D. Burman joint: a lightly syncopated guitar and a coy Asha Bhosle are about as close you'll get to doo wop in Bollywood. But the pairing is appropriately youthful and seductive--a perfect match for Aruna Irani seducing the virginal Kumar Gaurav rocking the MJ jacket