Meenaxi (soundtrack)
Encyclopedia
Meenaxi is the soundtrack to the 2004
bollywood film Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities
, directed by famous artist M. F. Husain and starring starring Tabu
, Kunal Kapoor
and Raghuvir Yadav. A.R. Rahman is the music director of this film. Rahat Indori
, M. F. Husain, and Sukhwinder Singh
were the lyricists. The music was released on 24 January 2004 creating great controversies regarding the song Noor-Un-Ala which had lyrics directly adapted from the Koran. However, the soundtrack of the movie got high appreciations from the critics. Rahman composed some of his career best songs for this movie.
picks up his lines, one gets the Hyderabadi accent in its full flesh. The beautifully penned lyrics is also by Sukhwinder Singh
. Rang Hai is like a rustic mysterious cry of a woman. Alka Yagnik
is the main vocalist whilst Lebanese
singer Dallinda provide additional vocals. Dhuan Dhuan is a sultry and seductive number sung by the famous Indian singer Asha Bhonsle. Additional vocals is by Kunal and percussions by Rahman's usual assosciate Sivamani
. A. R. Rahman
said about recording of this song at the filmfare: "For one song, we started with no tune and no lyrics either. One afternoon I bumped into Lataji and Ashaji in London. I asked Ashaji if she'd do a song with me the next day. She had to go to Scotland the next day. But she returned in a few days and we finished the track Dhuan Dhuan in four hours in London." Yeh Rishta is a typical melody by Rahman and sung by young singer Reena Bhardwaj
who had already worked with Rahman in a chartbuster song for the Tamil
movie Baba
. This is the only song of the album that was well promoted. It was later reused by Rahman in Tamil
movie Sakkarakatti
as Naan Epodhu with the same singer which then became a chartbuster. It was picturised as Tabu's solo entrance piece in the film. Do Kadam is highly regarded as one of Rahman's best compositions. This song is beautifully sung by Sonu Nigam
with lyrics provided by Rahat Indori. Planetbollywood referred to this song as the best from Sonu Nigam
. The controversial song Noor-Un-Ala-Noor is a Sufi style
song sung by Murtaza Khan and Qadir Khan, together called Khan brothers. Lyrics for the song was by M. F. Hussain which slightly adapted the Koranic verses honourung Allah
to honour the lead character Meenaxi. M. F. Hussain wrote in The Hindu
about this song, "There is a qawwali written by me and sung by classical musicians Ustad Ghulam Mustafa and his son for which Rahman has tuned unusual music. The film opens with this qawwali, the picturisation of which is a major highlight...The qawwali is exultant about the presence of the light and what a light it is! It is a Sufi thought, a thought that keep us going even when there is pitch darkness."
Cyclist's Rhythm and Potter’s Village were instrumental
s composed by A. R. Rahman
with percussions by Sivamani
and flute by Navin Kumar in the former and percussions by Hossam Ramzy
and strings by John Themis in the latter.
. The story plot features three cities - Hyderabad, Jaisalmer
and Prague
. Rahman emerges as a clear winner in giving life to all these 3 cities with his background score. Rahman goes completely into Qawwali rhythms for Hyderabad, a rustic ,earthy, Arabic rhythms for Jaisalmer and a rich lavish strings for Prague and brings out the essence and cultures of all the 3 cities through his enticing scores.
movie Sakkarakatti
. Do Kadam is highly regarded as one of A. R. Rahman
's and Sonu Nigam
's best works.
song was blasphemous. The council was supported by Muslim organisations like the Milli Council, All-India Muslim Council, Raza Academy, Jamiat-ul-Ulema-e-Hind and Jamat-e-Islami. Husain's son stated that the words were a phrase referring to divine beauty that were being sung by the central character played by Tabu
. He said there was no intention to offend. Following the wave of protests the enraged artist pulled off his movie from the theaters.
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
bollywood film Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities
Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities
Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities is a 2004 Hindi film directed by M.F. Husain and starring Tabu, Kunal Kapoor and Raghuvir Yadav. The film centers on Hyderabad novelist Nawab, , who is suffering from writers block. After five years and no stories, Nawab comes across an unconventional muse, Meenaxi...
, directed by famous artist M. F. Husain and starring starring Tabu
Tabu (actress)
Tabu is an Indian film actress. She has mainly acted in Hindi films, though she has also starred in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Bengali language films, as well as one American film...
, Kunal Kapoor
Kunal Kapoor
Kunal Kapoor is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi cinema.-Career:Kapoor began his career as an assistant director on the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Aks. He began his acting career training under theatre legend Barry John. He continued his theatre career with Motley, a theater group run by...
and Raghuvir Yadav. A.R. Rahman is the music director of this film. Rahat Indori
Rahat Indori
Rahat Indori is an eminent Urdu language poet and a bollywood lyricist, prior to this he was a pedagogist of Urdu literature at Indore University.-Early life and education:...
, M. F. Husain, and Sukhwinder Singh
Sukhwinder Singh
Sukhwinder Singh, Born as Sukhi Singh Lubana is an Indian singer best known for working as Bollywood playback artist. Singh is famous for singing "Chaiyya Chaiyya" for which he won the Best Male Playback Award at the 1999 Filmfare Awards. The song, from Mani Ratnam's 1998 film Dil Se, was composed...
were the lyricists. The music was released on 24 January 2004 creating great controversies regarding the song Noor-Un-Ala which had lyrics directly adapted from the Koran. However, the soundtrack of the movie got high appreciations from the critics. Rahman composed some of his career best songs for this movie.
Overview
Going by initial lines of Chinnamma Chilakamma, anybody gets duped that the song would be a typical South Indian peppy number but as Sukhwinder SinghSukhwinder Singh
Sukhwinder Singh, Born as Sukhi Singh Lubana is an Indian singer best known for working as Bollywood playback artist. Singh is famous for singing "Chaiyya Chaiyya" for which he won the Best Male Playback Award at the 1999 Filmfare Awards. The song, from Mani Ratnam's 1998 film Dil Se, was composed...
picks up his lines, one gets the Hyderabadi accent in its full flesh. The beautifully penned lyrics is also by Sukhwinder Singh
Sukhwinder Singh
Sukhwinder Singh, Born as Sukhi Singh Lubana is an Indian singer best known for working as Bollywood playback artist. Singh is famous for singing "Chaiyya Chaiyya" for which he won the Best Male Playback Award at the 1999 Filmfare Awards. The song, from Mani Ratnam's 1998 film Dil Se, was composed...
. Rang Hai is like a rustic mysterious cry of a woman. Alka Yagnik
Alka Yagnik
Alka Yagnik is an Indian singer who is ranked among the best Hindi playback singers of all time. She is a seven-time winner of the Filmfare Best Female Playback Award as well as a two-time recipient of the prestigious National Film Awards...
is the main vocalist whilst Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
singer Dallinda provide additional vocals. Dhuan Dhuan is a sultry and seductive number sung by the famous Indian singer Asha Bhonsle. Additional vocals is by Kunal and percussions by Rahman's usual assosciate Sivamani
Sivamani
Anandan Sivamani , popularly known as Sivamani, is a percussionist based in India. He plays many instruments including drums, Octoban, Darbuka, Udukai, and Kanjira, as well as many more. He performed drumming during the IPL Championships in 2008 & 2010. He is affiliated to the Chennai Super Kings...
. A. R. Rahman
A. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman is an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and philanthropist. Described as the world's most prominent and prolific film composer by Time, his works are notable for integrating eastern classical music with electronic music sounds, world music genres and...
said about recording of this song at the filmfare: "For one song, we started with no tune and no lyrics either. One afternoon I bumped into Lataji and Ashaji in London. I asked Ashaji if she'd do a song with me the next day. She had to go to Scotland the next day. But she returned in a few days and we finished the track Dhuan Dhuan in four hours in London." Yeh Rishta is a typical melody by Rahman and sung by young singer Reena Bhardwaj
Reena Bhardwaj
Reena Bhardwaj is a British Indian singer, songwriter and recording artist best known for her collaborations with AR Rahman and Nitin Sawhney...
who had already worked with Rahman in a chartbuster song for the Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
movie Baba
Baba (2002 film)
Baba is a 2002 Tamil fantasy-action film starring and written by Rajinikanth and directed by Suresh Krishna. The film's cast included Manisha Koirala, Vijayakumar, M. N. Nambiar, Goundamani, Sujatha, Karunas, Ashish Vidyarthi, Amrish Puri, Sayaji Shinde and Riyaz Khan...
. This is the only song of the album that was well promoted. It was later reused by Rahman in Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
movie Sakkarakatti
Sakkarakatti
Sakkarakatti is a 2008 Tamil romance film directed by Kalaprabhu and produced by his father, Kalaipuli S. Dhanu. The film featured debutant Shanthnoo Bhagyaraj, son of veteran actor K. Bhagyaraj, in the lead role while Ishita Sharma and Vedhika also played significant roles. It also featured a...
as Naan Epodhu with the same singer which then became a chartbuster. It was picturised as Tabu's solo entrance piece in the film. Do Kadam is highly regarded as one of Rahman's best compositions. This song is beautifully sung by Sonu Nigam
Sonu Nigam
Sonu Nigam is an Indian playback singer whose songs have been featured in numerous Hindi movies, as well as films in Assamese, Punjabi, Bengali, Marathi and Kannada language. He has also released numerous Indi-pop albums and acted in a few Hindi feature films...
with lyrics provided by Rahat Indori. Planetbollywood referred to this song as the best from Sonu Nigam
Sonu Nigam
Sonu Nigam is an Indian playback singer whose songs have been featured in numerous Hindi movies, as well as films in Assamese, Punjabi, Bengali, Marathi and Kannada language. He has also released numerous Indi-pop albums and acted in a few Hindi feature films...
. The controversial song Noor-Un-Ala-Noor is a Sufi style
Sufi music
Sufi music is the devotional music of the Sufis, inspired by the works of Sufi poets, like Rumi, Hafiz, Bulleh Shah and Khwaja Ghulam Farid.Qawwali is the most well known form of Sufi music, common in India and Pakistan...
song sung by Murtaza Khan and Qadir Khan, together called Khan brothers. Lyrics for the song was by M. F. Hussain which slightly adapted the Koranic verses honourung Allah
Allah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
to honour the lead character Meenaxi. M. F. Hussain wrote in The Hindu
The Hindu
The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
about this song, "There is a qawwali written by me and sung by classical musicians Ustad Ghulam Mustafa and his son for which Rahman has tuned unusual music. The film opens with this qawwali, the picturisation of which is a major highlight...The qawwali is exultant about the presence of the light and what a light it is! It is a Sufi thought, a thought that keep us going even when there is pitch darkness."
Cyclist's Rhythm and Potter’s Village were instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
s composed by A. R. Rahman
A. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman is an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and philanthropist. Described as the world's most prominent and prolific film composer by Time, his works are notable for integrating eastern classical music with electronic music sounds, world music genres and...
with percussions by Sivamani
Sivamani
Anandan Sivamani , popularly known as Sivamani, is a percussionist based in India. He plays many instruments including drums, Octoban, Darbuka, Udukai, and Kanjira, as well as many more. He performed drumming during the IPL Championships in 2008 & 2010. He is affiliated to the Chennai Super Kings...
and flute by Navin Kumar in the former and percussions by Hossam Ramzy
Hossam Ramzy
Hossam Ramzy is an Egyptian percussionist and composer. He has worked with Western artists like Jimmy Page and Robert Plant as well as with Arabic music artists like Rachid Taha and Khaled.-Early life and career:...
and strings by John Themis in the latter.
Tracklisting
| Track # | Song | Singer(s) | Lyrics | Length | Notes |
| 1 | Yeh Rishta | Reena Bhardwaj Reena Bhardwaj Reena Bhardwaj is a British Indian singer, songwriter and recording artist best known for her collaborations with AR Rahman and Nitin Sawhney... |
Rahat Indori | 4:40 | Strings Strings (music) A string is the vibrating element that produces sound in string instruments, such as the guitar, harp, piano, and members of the violin family. Strings are lengths of a flexible material kept under tension so that they may vibrate freely, but controllably. Strings may be "plain"... by John Themis Reused in Sakkarakatti Sakkarakatti Sakkarakatti is a 2008 Tamil romance film directed by Kalaprabhu and produced by his father, Kalaipuli S. Dhanu. The film featured debutant Shanthnoo Bhagyaraj, son of veteran actor K. Bhagyaraj, in the lead role while Ishita Sharma and Vedhika also played significant roles. It also featured a... as Naan Eppodhu |
| 2 | Chinnamma Chilakkamma | Sukhwinder Singh Sukhwinder Singh Sukhwinder Singh, Born as Sukhi Singh Lubana is an Indian singer best known for working as Bollywood playback artist. Singh is famous for singing "Chaiyya Chaiyya" for which he won the Best Male Playback Award at the 1999 Filmfare Awards. The song, from Mani Ratnam's 1998 film Dil Se, was composed... |
Sukhwinder Singh Sukhwinder Singh Sukhwinder Singh, Born as Sukhi Singh Lubana is an Indian singer best known for working as Bollywood playback artist. Singh is famous for singing "Chaiyya Chaiyya" for which he won the Best Male Playback Award at the 1999 Filmfare Awards. The song, from Mani Ratnam's 1998 film Dil Se, was composed... |
5:45 | Reused in Sakkarakatti Sakkarakatti Sakkarakatti is a 2008 Tamil romance film directed by Kalaprabhu and produced by his father, Kalaipuli S. Dhanu. The film featured debutant Shanthnoo Bhagyaraj, son of veteran actor K. Bhagyaraj, in the lead role while Ishita Sharma and Vedhika also played significant roles. It also featured a... as Chinnamma Chilakkamma Partly sung in Telugu Telugu language Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu... |
| 3 | Do Kadam | Sonu Nigam Sonu Nigam Sonu Nigam is an Indian playback singer whose songs have been featured in numerous Hindi movies, as well as films in Assamese, Punjabi, Bengali, Marathi and Kannada language. He has also released numerous Indi-pop albums and acted in a few Hindi feature films... |
Rahat Indori | 5:58 | Strings Strings (music) A string is the vibrating element that produces sound in string instruments, such as the guitar, harp, piano, and members of the violin family. Strings are lengths of a flexible material kept under tension so that they may vibrate freely, but controllably. Strings may be "plain"... by Rashid Ali Rashid Ali (singer) Rashid Ali is a singer, guitarist, musician and composer who first became known for the hit song Kabhi Kabhi Aditi from Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na.-Personal life:... Flute Flute The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening... by Navin Kumar |
| 4 | Dhuan Dhuan | Asha Bhosle Asha Bhosle Asha Bhosle is an Indian singer. She is one of the best-known and most highly-regarded Hindi playback singers in India, although she has a wider repertoire. Bhosle's career started in 1943 and has spanned over six decades. She has done playback singing for over a thousand Bollywood movies... |
Rahat Indori | 5:42 | Additional Vocals by Kunal Percussions by Sivamani Sivamani Anandan Sivamani , popularly known as Sivamani, is a percussionist based in India. He plays many instruments including drums, Octoban, Darbuka, Udukai, and Kanjira, as well as many more. He performed drumming during the IPL Championships in 2008 & 2010. He is affiliated to the Chennai Super Kings... Additional Grooves by James Asher James Asher James Asher is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and record producer, focusing on world music, trance music and New Age music.-Biography:Born in a suburb of London in the early 1950s, Asher began to study the violin at the age of seven... |
| 5 | Rang Hai | Alka Yagnik Alka Yagnik Alka Yagnik is an Indian singer who is ranked among the best Hindi playback singers of all time. She is a seven-time winner of the Filmfare Best Female Playback Award as well as a two-time recipient of the prestigious National Film Awards... |
Rahat Indori | 5:21 | Additional Vocals by Dallinda Percussions by Hossam Ramzy Hossam Ramzy Hossam Ramzy is an Egyptian percussionist and composer. He has worked with Western artists like Jimmy Page and Robert Plant as well as with Arabic music artists like Rachid Taha and Khaled.-Early life and career:... |
| 6 | Noor-Un-Ala-Noor | Murtaza Khan, Qadir Khan | M. F. Husain | 6:55 | |
| 7 | Cyclist's Rhythm | Instrumental Instrumental An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments.... |
- | 3:01 | Percussions by Sivamani Sivamani Anandan Sivamani , popularly known as Sivamani, is a percussionist based in India. He plays many instruments including drums, Octoban, Darbuka, Udukai, and Kanjira, as well as many more. He performed drumming during the IPL Championships in 2008 & 2010. He is affiliated to the Chennai Super Kings... Flute Flute The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening... by Navin Kumar |
| 8 | Potter’s Village | Instrumental Instrumental An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments.... |
- | 2:28 | Percussions by Hossam Ramzy Hossam Ramzy Hossam Ramzy is an Egyptian percussionist and composer. He has worked with Western artists like Jimmy Page and Robert Plant as well as with Arabic music artists like Rachid Taha and Khaled.-Early life and career:... Strings Strings (music) A string is the vibrating element that produces sound in string instruments, such as the guitar, harp, piano, and members of the violin family. Strings are lengths of a flexible material kept under tension so that they may vibrate freely, but controllably. Strings may be "plain"... by John Themis |
Background score
The background score for the film was also composed by A. R. RahmanA. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman is an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and philanthropist. Described as the world's most prominent and prolific film composer by Time, his works are notable for integrating eastern classical music with electronic music sounds, world music genres and...
. The story plot features three cities - Hyderabad, Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer
Jaysalmer , nicknamed "The Golden City", is a town in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital Jaipur. It was once known as Jaisalmer state. The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone, crowned by a fort, which contains the palace and several ornate Jain...
and Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. Rahman emerges as a clear winner in giving life to all these 3 cities with his background score. Rahman goes completely into Qawwali rhythms for Hyderabad, a rustic ,earthy, Arabic rhythms for Jaisalmer and a rich lavish strings for Prague and brings out the essence and cultures of all the 3 cities through his enticing scores.
Reception
The soundtrack for the movie has received positive reviews from critics and fans. Since the film bombed at the box office due to controversies created, the soundtrack too remained unnoticed. But the tracks such as Yeh Rishta and Chinnamma Chillakkamma became chartbusters when they were reused in 2008 TamilTamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
movie Sakkarakatti
Sakkarakatti
Sakkarakatti is a 2008 Tamil romance film directed by Kalaprabhu and produced by his father, Kalaipuli S. Dhanu. The film featured debutant Shanthnoo Bhagyaraj, son of veteran actor K. Bhagyaraj, in the lead role while Ishita Sharma and Vedhika also played significant roles. It also featured a...
. Do Kadam is highly regarded as one of A. R. Rahman
A. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman is an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and philanthropist. Described as the world's most prominent and prolific film composer by Time, his works are notable for integrating eastern classical music with electronic music sounds, world music genres and...
's and Sonu Nigam
Sonu Nigam
Sonu Nigam is an Indian playback singer whose songs have been featured in numerous Hindi movies, as well as films in Assamese, Punjabi, Bengali, Marathi and Kannada language. He has also released numerous Indi-pop albums and acted in a few Hindi feature films...
's best works.
Noor-Un-Ala controversy
The audio was released on 24 january 2004 creating great controversies regarding the song Noor-Un-Ala which had lyrics directly adapted from the Koran. Subsequently the movie was pulled out of movie theatres a day after some Muslim organisations raised objections to the song. The All-India Ulema Council complained that the QawwaliQawwali
Qawwali is a form of Sufi devotional music popular in South Asia, particularly in the Punjab and Sindh regions of Pakistan, Hyderabad, Delhi, and other parts of northern India...
song was blasphemous. The council was supported by Muslim organisations like the Milli Council, All-India Muslim Council, Raza Academy, Jamiat-ul-Ulema-e-Hind and Jamat-e-Islami. Husain's son stated that the words were a phrase referring to divine beauty that were being sung by the central character played by Tabu
Tabu (actress)
Tabu is an Indian film actress. She has mainly acted in Hindi films, though she has also starred in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Bengali language films, as well as one American film...
. He said there was no intention to offend. Following the wave of protests the enraged artist pulled off his movie from the theaters.