#23 Delhi-6: Top 100 Bollywood Albums

Music: AR Rahman

Lyrics: Prasoon Joshi

Label: T-series

Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra

Irrespective of how his movies turned out, director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra has consistently maintained great quality in his soundtracks. The 2009 film was the second, and final time (yet) the director worked with AR Rahman. The composer's work here was an amazing display of diversity – ranging from adaptations of traditional folk and classical compositions, to pop and hip hop – presumably in keeping with the cosmopolitan nature of the city the movie was set in. Rahman and lyricist Prasoon Joshi also created wonderful tributes to the city of Delhi itself. The song Rehna Tu had AR Rahman play a Carnatic-flavoured coda on the continuum fingerboard; the first time that instrument was used in film music.

Best Song of Delhi-6: Though I never got the picturisation of the song that juxtaposed Delhi and New York visuals in an abstract dream sequence, Dil Gira Dafatan packs enough magic just as an aural experience. Singer Ash King made his playback debut with this song, and his Western-inspired singing style blended superbly with the haunting Celtic-flavoured orchestration. Also adding to the charm was Chinmayi's cameo.

1. Arziyaan (Singers: Javed Ali, Kailash Kher)
2. Masakali (Singer: Mohit Chauhan)
3. Dilli-6 (Singers: Blaze, Benny Dayal, Vivienne Pocha, Claire)
4. Rehna Tu (Singers: AR Rahman, Benny Dayal, Tanvi Shah)
5. Hey Kala Bandar (Singers: Karthik, Srinivas, Bony Chakraborty, Naresh Iyer)
6. Dil Gira Dafatan (Singers: Ash King, Chinmayee Sripada)
7. Genda Phool (Singers: Rekha Bhardwaj, Sujata Majumdar, Shraddha Pandit, VN Mahathi)
8. Tumre Bhavan Mein (Singers: Rekha Bhardwaj, Kishori Gowarikar, Sujata Majumdar, Shraddha Pandit)
9. Bhor Bhaye (Singers: Shreya Ghosal, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali | Lyrics: Traditional)
10. Noor (Recited by: Amitabh Bachchan)

Listen to the entire album of Delhi-6 here:

(With contributions by Praveen VR, co-founder of musicaloud.com)

#24 WOH KAUN THI: TOP 100 BOLLYWOOD ALBUMS