The sound of music lends voice to election campaigns

NEW DELHI: In an election centred on feeling good, how can the sound of music be left behind? As the General Election, 2004 hits its stride, balladeers of both political persuasions are clearing their throats to lend voice to the campaign.
While Bhaappida, aka music director Bhappi Lahiri is Congress'' man, singing paeans for "hamara Soniaji", playback singer Kumar Sanu has already released a tape full of plagiarised Hindi film songs, including his own hit number Ek Ladki (substituted as Atalji) ko dekha, from 1942: A Love Story.
According to Purushottam Vinayak who heads the Brashtachar Virodhi Morcha, (a pro-Congress outfit) the battle has gone into the next level of localised attack. "We are bringing out a tape called BJP Dhol Ka Poll, which was popular during the Assembly poll," he said.
The music is recorded at a studio in Kirti Nagar using local artistes. According to Vinayak, "It costs as little as Rs 15,000 for a cassette, much cheaper than the BJP''s tape."
The songs target Prime Minister Vajpayee''s bachelor status, deputy prime minister Advani''s rath yatra, and former Union minister Dilip Singh Judeo''s moustache. The plagiarised tunes are lifted from again, 1942 : A love Story, and Urmila Matondkar and Akshay Kumar starrer Aflatoon.
A sample of the lyrics set to Aflatoon''s music: "Yeh khabar chhapwado bazaar mein, poster lagwa do deewar mein, yeh BJP wale paagal ho gaye, kursi ke intezaar mein."
Apart from music from Hindi films, dholwalas are also in demand, to accompany candidates on the campaign trail. "They charge anything between Rs 4,000-5,000 per day during the wedding season, right now they are cheaper at Rs 2,500," said a campaign organiser.
As the great Indian tamasha of the General Election winds its way through the country, at least two of the three main Indian obsessions, politics and Hindi films (with the cricket tournament being over), find full vent. After all, what''s life without a theme song.