Dev D
Encyclopedia
Dev.D is a 2009 Indian romance film
released on 6 February 2009. Written and directed by Anurag Kashyap
, the film is a modern day take on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's classic Bengali
novel Devdas
., previously adapted for the screen by P.C. Barua and Bimal Roy and more recently by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Dev.D was embraced by the media, critics and public. The film is set against contemporary Punjab
and Delhi
, where familial ties are negotiated by the traditions of patriarchy
and marriages are reduced to a game of power and “honour“.
) is the son of a rich Punjabi
Businessman. He and Paro (Mahi Gill
) are childhood sweethearts. But Dev, being an insecure narcissist, instead of acknowledging her affection and care, nudges Paro over frivolous things. Dev is sent to London
for higher studies when his father senses how spoilt his son is. But while separated by distance, Paro and Dev's youthful love only blossoms more. Dev arrives in Chandigarh to meet Paro. Their endeavor to make love makes for some dark comic moments. The seeds of suspicion are sown here, which the couple will never be able to weed out for a lifetime. When Dev hears rumours about Paro, he immediately believes them and ditches Paro. What makes them fall apart is mutual suspicion and an essentially male vision of how a woman should conduct herself sexually. Paro turns her back on him when she hears him insult her, and agrees to marry whoever her parents choose. On her wedding day, he realizes that the rumors were false. But his ego doesn't let him accept his mistake, and he lets her marry someone else.
Enter Chanda aka Leni (Kalki Koechlin
). A Delhi schoolgirl of half-European descent, a date with her much older boyfriend lands Leni in an MMS scandal. Her father commits suicide as he feels humiliated by his daughter's reputation. She is disowned by her family. Refusing to live a life of shame and ridicule with her family, she comes back to Delhi where she works as a prostitute at night, while continuing with her studies during the day. She adopts the nickname Chanda for her profession. Her 'foreign' looks mean her services are reserved for the highest paying customers and she finds some dignity and independence in the new way of living. One night a customer is brought to her room in half-conscious state - it turns out to be Dev.
Dev, tormented by Paro’s wedding, has been seeking refuge in alcohol and drugs. He finds some solace with Chanda, but is unable to forget Paro. Once after he calls Paro's husband in the middle of the night, Paro visits him at the cheap lodge where he is staying. She shows her love for Dev by taking care of him, but spurns his attempts at physical intimacy. The meeting ends on a bitter note, after which Paro goes back to her married life and Dev resolves to go back to Chanda, but confronted by the reality of her profession, he abandons her too. It is only months later, after hitting an all-time low in an aimless life, that he gets a wake up call and decides to put his act together. He seeks Chanda once again, and with her help, sets out to start life afresh.
to Anurag Kashyap, who then worked on the script along with Vikramaditya Motwane
, using "news headlines about Generation X
" to give the film its youth feel. It was produced by Ronnie Screwvala
, and shot in various places including Paharganj
in central Delhi
. For the scenes where Dev is high, British director Danny Boyle
suggested the use of a still camera as Kashyap did not have the budget for special effects.
. His version was created as a modern take on the 1917 original classic novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay
. Kashyap decided he wanted to make his own version of Devdas to reflect the original novel but through 2008 mores, with the lead character of Devdas as a debauching, hypocritical sensualist, who is self destructive without knowing he is destroying himself. Talking about the story and his role as Dev, Abhay Deol told Radio Sargam, "The story is very much from the book which I've read in English. I have played the character according to my interpretation of the book. His character was contemporary, he was quite urban in many ways, he's misplaced in the surrounding and has a spoilt, obsessive and addictive personality."
, it was rumoured that United Television (UTV)
had backed out of the director's next project, Dev.D, starring Abhay Deol. But according to sources, UTV had signed Abhay for three projects and the actor had blocked dates from November 2007 to March 2008 for Kashyap's film, as the idea was to wrap up the film in one schedule. When the film hit initial snags and was stalled, it was rumoured that UTV had backed out. At that time, the director denied that UTV had backed out. He explained the delay by saying that he would be able to work on the film once work on the earlier film Hanuman Returns had finished. He said that he was still looking out for his Chandramukhi, and so far had locked in Abhay and newcomer Mahi Gill
., the film was further delayed as he took more time to find an actress suitable for the role of Chandramukhi, which he eventually found with Kalki Koechlin
, who was one of the last girls to be auditioned.
. Raja Sen of Rediff.com gave the film 3.5/5, calling it a 'fantastic visual ride', and ranked it at No 2 in his list of the Best Movies Of 2009. Times of India reviewer Nikhat Kazmi termed the film as a "brilliant breakthrough for Bollywood" and rated it 5/5. Shubhra Gupta of Indian Express praised the performance of Abhay Deol and the movie overall. Hindustan Times
, praised the film for its "slick style and adventurous interpretation that pushes the boundaries of Hindi cinema" and rating it as 3.5/5. Noyon Jyoti Parasara of AOL India
was "completely bowled out by the movie" and stated, "go and watch Dev D and be blown away by a sample of what Anurag Kashyap is capable of as a director. Shahrukh Khan praised Abhay Deol's efforts and said that Abhay is contributing to the new era of indian film industry."
. Released on December 31 under T-Series, he specifically reports that there are two special Punjabi
tracks, one which is raw Punjabi and the other with a street band baaja
flavor to it. He also reports two romantic Haryanvi folk tracks, apart from a hard rock song, world music, an Awadhi number and a song with 1970’s-80’s pop touch to it. The soundtrack received overwhelmingly positive reviews. Critic Joginder Tuteja said, "Chuck the very thought around whether this album will do well commercially or not; it is an exemplary piece of work and that's what that matters most". Ekansh Aatre, critic of Hindustan Times
fame. said "Each part of each song in this album is special & gives a great impact on audience."
The soundtrack has been massively popular in the youth.The song "Emosanal Attyachaar" has become popular amongst the masses and the song's name has become a current catch phrase for many Indian youths.
Romance film
Romance films are love stories that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate involvement of the main characters and the journey that their love takes through courtship or marriage. Romance films make the love story or the search for love the main plot focus...
released on 6 February 2009. Written and directed by Anurag Kashyap
Anurag Kashyap (director)
Anurag Singh Kashyap is an Indian film director and screenwriter. As a director, he is known for Black Friday , a controversial and award-winning Hindi film about the 1993 Bombay bombings, followed by No Smoking , Dev D and Gulaal...
, the film is a modern day take on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's classic Bengali
Bengali novels
Bengali novels occupy a major part of Bengali literature. Though the first Bengali novel was "Karuna O Phulmonir Bibaran", the Bengali novel actually started its journey with Durgeshnondini written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1865...
novel Devdas
Devdas
Devdas is a Bengali Romance novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Essentially, it is a retelling of the Krishna, Radha, and Meera myths, the relationships between its three protagonists - Devdas, Parvati, and Chandramukhi - paralleling the Hindu deities'.-Plot summary:Devdas is a young man from...
., previously adapted for the screen by P.C. Barua and Bimal Roy and more recently by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Dev.D was embraced by the media, critics and public. The film is set against contemporary Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
and Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, where familial ties are negotiated by the traditions of patriarchy
Patriarchy
Patriarchy is a social system in which the role of the male as the primary authority figure is central to social organization, and where fathers hold authority over women, children, and property. It implies the institutions of male rule and privilege, and entails female subordination...
and marriages are reduced to a game of power and “honour“.
Plot
Dev (Abhay DeolAbhay Deol
Abhay Deol is an Indian actor from Mumbai, India. He is an Indian film actor and producer whose family has a long history in the Hindi film industry. Deol has appeared in films such as Dev.D and Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!. He is the nephew of Bollywood actor Dharmendra, and the cousin of Sunny Deol and...
) is the son of a rich Punjabi
Punjabi people
The Punjabi people , ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ), also Panjabi people, are an Indo-Aryan group from South Asia. They are the second largest of the many ethnic groups in South Asia. They originate in the Punjab region, which has been been the location of some of the oldest civilizations in the world including, the...
Businessman. He and Paro (Mahi Gill
Mahi Gill
Mahi Gill is an Indian actress, working in the Bollywood industry. She is best known for her role of Paro in Anurag Kashyap's critically acclaimed Hindi film Dev.D, a modern take on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's Bengali novella Devdas for which she also won the 2010 Filmfare Critics Award for Best...
) are childhood sweethearts. But Dev, being an insecure narcissist, instead of acknowledging her affection and care, nudges Paro over frivolous things. Dev is sent to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for higher studies when his father senses how spoilt his son is. But while separated by distance, Paro and Dev's youthful love only blossoms more. Dev arrives in Chandigarh to meet Paro. Their endeavor to make love makes for some dark comic moments. The seeds of suspicion are sown here, which the couple will never be able to weed out for a lifetime. When Dev hears rumours about Paro, he immediately believes them and ditches Paro. What makes them fall apart is mutual suspicion and an essentially male vision of how a woman should conduct herself sexually. Paro turns her back on him when she hears him insult her, and agrees to marry whoever her parents choose. On her wedding day, he realizes that the rumors were false. But his ego doesn't let him accept his mistake, and he lets her marry someone else.
Enter Chanda aka Leni (Kalki Koechlin
Kalki Koechlin
Kalki Koechlin is an Indian film actress of French descent who debuted in Anurag Kashyap's critically acclaimed 2009 Hindi film Dev.D...
). A Delhi schoolgirl of half-European descent, a date with her much older boyfriend lands Leni in an MMS scandal. Her father commits suicide as he feels humiliated by his daughter's reputation. She is disowned by her family. Refusing to live a life of shame and ridicule with her family, she comes back to Delhi where she works as a prostitute at night, while continuing with her studies during the day. She adopts the nickname Chanda for her profession. Her 'foreign' looks mean her services are reserved for the highest paying customers and she finds some dignity and independence in the new way of living. One night a customer is brought to her room in half-conscious state - it turns out to be Dev.
Dev, tormented by Paro’s wedding, has been seeking refuge in alcohol and drugs. He finds some solace with Chanda, but is unable to forget Paro. Once after he calls Paro's husband in the middle of the night, Paro visits him at the cheap lodge where he is staying. She shows her love for Dev by taking care of him, but spurns his attempts at physical intimacy. The meeting ends on a bitter note, after which Paro goes back to her married life and Dev resolves to go back to Chanda, but confronted by the reality of her profession, he abandons her too. It is only months later, after hitting an all-time low in an aimless life, that he gets a wake up call and decides to put his act together. He seeks Chanda once again, and with her help, sets out to start life afresh.
Cultural references
- Kalki's character is a modern adaptation of Chandramukhi, who was most recently played by Madhuri DixitMadhuri DixitMadhuri Dixit is an Indian film actress who has appeared in Hindi films. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, she established herself as one of Hindi cinema's leading actresses and most accomplished dancers. She appeared in numerous commercially successful films and was recognised for several of...
in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas. In the film, the young Leni is shown to be a fan of Madhuri's, listening to the songs of Chandramukhi. Also when she takes up prostitution as profession, she adopts the name Chandramukhi in short Chanda, in honor of the character. - Chanda's back story in which she gets embroiled in an MMS scandal while in school is a reference to a similar scandal that took place at a leading Delhi school in 2004.
- Later in the film, when Dev is depressed after losing both Paro and Chanda, he is driving his new BMW while heavily drunk. This is a reference to the BMW hit-and-run caseSanjeev NandaSanjeev Nanda is a businessman and the son of Suresh Nanda, an Indian arms dealer, head of the firm Crown Corporation and an ex-naval officer, implicated in a Tehelka expose. He is also the grandson of an ex-Chief of Naval Staff-turned businessman, S. M. Nanda from New Delhi...
in 1999.
Cast
- Abhay DeolAbhay DeolAbhay Deol is an Indian actor from Mumbai, India. He is an Indian film actor and producer whose family has a long history in the Hindi film industry. Deol has appeared in films such as Dev.D and Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!. He is the nephew of Bollywood actor Dharmendra, and the cousin of Sunny Deol and...
as Devendra Singh Dhillon (Dev) - Kalki KoechlinKalki KoechlinKalki Koechlin is an Indian film actress of French descent who debuted in Anurag Kashyap's critically acclaimed 2009 Hindi film Dev.D...
as Leni/Chandramukhi (Chanda) - Mahi GillMahi GillMahi Gill is an Indian actress, working in the Bollywood industry. She is best known for her role of Paro in Anurag Kashyap's critically acclaimed Hindi film Dev.D, a modern take on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's Bengali novella Devdas for which she also won the 2010 Filmfare Critics Award for Best...
as Parminder (Paro) - Dibyendu Bhattacharya as Chunnilal
- Parakh Madan as Rasika
- Asim Sharma as Bhuvan (Paro's Husband)
- Gurkirtan as Sattu (Dev's father)
- Satwant Kaur as Dev's mother
- Binnu Dhillon as Dev's brother
- Kuldeep Sharma as Manager Uncle (Paro's father)
- Sanjay Kumar as Leni's father
- Helen Jones as Leni's mother
- Bimal Barua as the Lawyer
- Aekansh Vats as Junior Dev
- Sasha Shetty as Junior Paro
- Anjum Batra as Sunil
- Surekha Sikri as the angry bus passenger
Production
The original idea of film was suggested by Abhay DeolAbhay Deol
Abhay Deol is an Indian actor from Mumbai, India. He is an Indian film actor and producer whose family has a long history in the Hindi film industry. Deol has appeared in films such as Dev.D and Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!. He is the nephew of Bollywood actor Dharmendra, and the cousin of Sunny Deol and...
to Anurag Kashyap, who then worked on the script along with Vikramaditya Motwane
Vikramaditya Motwane
Vikramaditya Motwane is an Indian film director, and screenwriter of films like Dev.D and Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal...
, using "news headlines about Generation X
Generation X
Generation X, commonly abbreviated to Gen X, is the generation born after the Western post–World War II baby boom ended. While there is no universally agreed upon time frame, the term generally includes people born from the early 1960's through the early 1980's, usually no later than 1981 or...
" to give the film its youth feel. It was produced by Ronnie Screwvala
Ronnie Screwvala
Ronnie Screwvala is an Indian film producer and CEO and founder chairman of which recently partnered with Walt Disney, Fox Searchlight, Sony and Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment production company, expanding its global reach.In September 2008, he was named amongst, Esquires List of the 75...
, and shot in various places including Paharganj
Paharganj
Paharganj is a neighbourhood of Central Delhi, located just west of the New Delhi Railway Station...
in central Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
. For the scenes where Dev is high, British director Danny Boyle
Danny Boyle
Daniel "Danny" Boyle is an English filmmaker and producer. He is best known for his work on films such as Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, 28 Days Later, Sunshine and Trainspotting. For Slumdog Millionaire, Boyle won numerous awards in 2008, including the Academy Award for Best Director...
suggested the use of a still camera as Kashyap did not have the budget for special effects.
Development
Anurag Kashyap did not want another remake of any the 9 previous films versions titled DevdasDevdas (disambiguation)
Devdas is a Bengali novella by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay first published in 1917 and adapted as a film many times.Devdas may also refer to:* Devdas , first film version of the novel...
. His version was created as a modern take on the 1917 original classic novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay
Devdas
Devdas is a Bengali Romance novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Essentially, it is a retelling of the Krishna, Radha, and Meera myths, the relationships between its three protagonists - Devdas, Parvati, and Chandramukhi - paralleling the Hindu deities'.-Plot summary:Devdas is a young man from...
. Kashyap decided he wanted to make his own version of Devdas to reflect the original novel but through 2008 mores, with the lead character of Devdas as a debauching, hypocritical sensualist, who is self destructive without knowing he is destroying himself. Talking about the story and his role as Dev, Abhay Deol told Radio Sargam, "The story is very much from the book which I've read in English. I have played the character according to my interpretation of the book. His character was contemporary, he was quite urban in many ways, he's misplaced in the surrounding and has a spoilt, obsessive and addictive personality."
Initial delays
After the box office disaster of Kashyap's No SmokingNo Smoking (2007 film)
No Smoking's soundtrack was released in September 2007. Lyrics by Gulzar.- External links :* * * * * *...
, it was rumoured that United Television (UTV)
UTV Software Communications
UTV Software Communications Ltd., also known as United Television or UTV, is an Indian media and entertainment company owned by The Walt Disney Company India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company.-History:...
had backed out of the director's next project, Dev.D, starring Abhay Deol. But according to sources, UTV had signed Abhay for three projects and the actor had blocked dates from November 2007 to March 2008 for Kashyap's film, as the idea was to wrap up the film in one schedule. When the film hit initial snags and was stalled, it was rumoured that UTV had backed out. At that time, the director denied that UTV had backed out. He explained the delay by saying that he would be able to work on the film once work on the earlier film Hanuman Returns had finished. He said that he was still looking out for his Chandramukhi, and so far had locked in Abhay and newcomer Mahi Gill
Mahi Gill
Mahi Gill is an Indian actress, working in the Bollywood industry. She is best known for her role of Paro in Anurag Kashyap's critically acclaimed Hindi film Dev.D, a modern take on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's Bengali novella Devdas for which she also won the 2010 Filmfare Critics Award for Best...
., the film was further delayed as he took more time to find an actress suitable for the role of Chandramukhi, which he eventually found with Kalki Koechlin
Kalki Koechlin
Kalki Koechlin is an Indian film actress of French descent who debuted in Anurag Kashyap's critically acclaimed 2009 Hindi film Dev.D...
, who was one of the last girls to be auditioned.
Box office
Dev D had an average opening day collection of Rs 15 million. However the movie picked up in box office soon and recovered its budget of Rs 60 million in a few weeks. The net collection in its first four weeks were nearly Rs 150 million.Critical response
Reviews to the film were mostly positive. The widespread acclaim was chiefly due to the film's fearless visual style, its experimental soundtrack and the innovative narrative structure which included dividing the script into chapters as in the films of Quentin TarantinoQuentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
. Raja Sen of Rediff.com gave the film 3.5/5, calling it a 'fantastic visual ride', and ranked it at No 2 in his list of the Best Movies Of 2009. Times of India reviewer Nikhat Kazmi termed the film as a "brilliant breakthrough for Bollywood" and rated it 5/5. Shubhra Gupta of Indian Express praised the performance of Abhay Deol and the movie overall. Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded in 1924 with roots in the Indian independence movement of the period ....
, praised the film for its "slick style and adventurous interpretation that pushes the boundaries of Hindi cinema" and rating it as 3.5/5. Noyon Jyoti Parasara of AOL India
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
was "completely bowled out by the movie" and stated, "go and watch Dev D and be blown away by a sample of what Anurag Kashyap is capable of as a director. Shahrukh Khan praised Abhay Deol's efforts and said that Abhay is contributing to the new era of indian film industry."
National Film Awards 2009
- Won : National Film Award for Best Music DirectionNational Film Award for Best Music DirectionThe National Film Award for Best Music Direction are given annually. In years 1994, 1995 and 2010, an award for Best Background Score was instituted by the Jury, which was won by Johnson and by Ilaiyaraaja . Ilaiyaraaja and A. R...
: Amit TrivediAmit TrivediAmit Trivedi is an Indian film composer, musician, singer and lyricist, working in Bollywood. After working as a theater and jingle composer and composing for non-film albums, he debuted as a film composer in the 2008 Hindi film Aamir, and shot to fame in the Hindi film music scene with his...
Filmfare Awards 2009
- Won : Best Supporting ActressFilmfare Best Supporting Actress AwardThe Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Awards is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role...
: Kalki KoechlinKalki KoechlinKalki Koechlin is an Indian film actress of French descent who debuted in Anurag Kashyap's critically acclaimed 2009 Hindi film Dev.D... - Won : Critics Award for Best Performance (Female): Mahi GillMahi GillMahi Gill is an Indian actress, working in the Bollywood industry. She is best known for her role of Paro in Anurag Kashyap's critically acclaimed Hindi film Dev.D, a modern take on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's Bengali novella Devdas for which she also won the 2010 Filmfare Critics Award for Best...
- Won : Best Art Direction : Helen Jones, Sukanta Panigrahi
- Won : Best Cinematography : Rajeev RaviRajeev RaviRajeev Ravi is an Indian cinematographer. A 1997 graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India. He first assisted in the Malayalam film, Pranayavarnangal. His first independent work is Chandni Bar...
- Won : Best Background Score : Amit TrivediAmit TrivediAmit Trivedi is an Indian film composer, musician, singer and lyricist, working in Bollywood. After working as a theater and jingle composer and composing for non-film albums, he debuted as a film composer in the 2008 Hindi film Aamir, and shot to fame in the Hindi film music scene with his...
- Won : R D Burman Award for New Musical TalentFilmfare RD Burman Award for New Music TalentThe Filmfare R.D. Burman Award for New Music Talent is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.The award is named after late R.D. Burman...
: Amit TrivediAmit TrivediAmit Trivedi is an Indian film composer, musician, singer and lyricist, working in Bollywood. After working as a theater and jingle composer and composing for non-film albums, he debuted as a film composer in the 2008 Hindi film Aamir, and shot to fame in the Hindi film music scene with his...
Others
- Nominated at 2009 Asia Pacific Screen AwardsAsia Pacific Screen AwardsThe Asia Pacific Screen Awards is an international cultural initiative of the State Government of Queensland, Australia, through Events Queensland, to honour and promote the films, actors, directors, and cultures of Asia-Pacific to a global audience and to realise the objectives of UNESCO to...
at QueenslandQueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... - Dev D premiered at the 2010 Palm Springs International Film FestivalPalm Springs International Film FestivalPalm Springs International Film Festival is a film festival held in Palm Springs, California. It was started in 1989 and is held annually in January...
.
Soundtrack
Dev.D has 18 tracks by artist Amit TrivediAmit Trivedi
Amit Trivedi is an Indian film composer, musician, singer and lyricist, working in Bollywood. After working as a theater and jingle composer and composing for non-film albums, he debuted as a film composer in the 2008 Hindi film Aamir, and shot to fame in the Hindi film music scene with his...
. Released on December 31 under T-Series, he specifically reports that there are two special Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
tracks, one which is raw Punjabi and the other with a street band baaja
Baaja
Baaja , is a 2002 Indian Hindi film directed by Apurba Kishore Bir.- Synopsis :A free and compassionate human spirit is trapped in Shibu, an eleven-year-old boy. In order to guide Shibu's wandering energy on a constructive path, his widow mother sends him to the city from the village, with his...
flavor to it. He also reports two romantic Haryanvi folk tracks, apart from a hard rock song, world music, an Awadhi number and a song with 1970’s-80’s pop touch to it. The soundtrack received overwhelmingly positive reviews. Critic Joginder Tuteja said, "Chuck the very thought around whether this album will do well commercially or not; it is an exemplary piece of work and that's what that matters most". Ekansh Aatre, critic of Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded in 1924 with roots in the Indian independence movement of the period ....
fame. said "Each part of each song in this album is special & gives a great impact on audience."
The soundtrack has been massively popular in the youth.The song "Emosanal Attyachaar" has become popular amongst the masses and the song's name has become a current catch phrase for many Indian youths.