If I keep writing about the HindiPop songs of the 90s, it is for a good reason. This was a decade of fantastic innovation, when the tremendous talent in India found an outlet and a medium to communicate with the masses, and before the big banner studios started churning out identical clones of catchy item number songs. In late 90s, there came a med-school unshaven resident with a curly mop of hair whose ability to make melodious songs with high flat notes sung in a raspy voice became the signature of that group.
19 years later, Euphoria continues to bring that signature music and voice. Jiya Jaye Na is the latest song from this group. Shot as a song in a 22 minute short film titled Jiya Jaye , it shows the story of a soldier returning to his home after quite a while. As he walks back from the bus to see the woman he loves, the girl next door who had missed him as he went away stationed wherever the army sent him, it appears that all isn't going according to his expectations. The video
doesn't make it clear, but a quick glance thru the film tells the story of Shiv, a Hindu soldier returning to a Muslim girl who then feels that Shiv had alienated them as the rest of the kids they grew up with believe they are fighting against the Indian army for an independent state. For what happens next, watch the movie (but don't sweat it if you cant pull thru a 22 minute story - you can skip big chunks and still get the gist in a minute). The movie ends in a manner of most short films, not the movie end of a traditional Bollywood flick. Royal Stag appears to have sponsored a bunch of short films of which this is one. May be worth checking out some of the others too.Shreya Goshal sings the female part of the duet. The combination of the Shreya's silky voice with Palaash Sen's throaty rasp is fantastic. I couldn't help comparing the song to Maeree, and found that over time, Palaash's voice has mellowed a bit. There's no fear of him turning into Mohit Chauhan, but 20 years have changed the voice a little, hardly as guttural as it used to be.
I think the comparison to maeree is obvious. The rising flat notes of the verse also reminded me of KK's "Abhi Abhi" from Jism2.
The music video on youtube has a shorter version of the song. Listen to the song on Gaana for a slightly longer version of the song.
