Dhollywood hits the right notes with multilingual songs

Know what

Mango Tango

, You & I, Le Le Meri Jaan or

Modern Mahila

have in common? These Hindi/English tracks have been added to D-Town’s latest playlist — proving that music really knows no language barrier. In the changing landscape of experimental Dhollywood, with content turning urban and contemporary, predictably music plays a significant role in striking a connect with the target audience. To ensure that Gujarati film music travels far and wide (and beyond national borders), multi-lingual songs are emerging as the new flavour of D-Town. Hindi numbers, English rap songs, or a catchy English title track —

Dhollywood

musicians seem to be hitting all the right notes to make their music heard.

Contemporary lingo, multi-lingual lyrics
The film’s music has to complement its subject, which in turn has led to introduction of multi-lingual songs with contemporary lingo. Gujarati musicians are looking to creating songs that today’s audience can easily relate to. “Our films have changed and so has our audience,” says music composer

Nishith Mehta

. He adds, “If the films are urban, the music has to match the mood of the film. Our target audience speaks Gujarati laced with Hindi and English. And that’s pretty much what our film songs are replicating, so that our listeners can relate to them. While songs are being written in Gujarati as well, having a mix of Hindi-English songs gives the film a wider audience.”
At a time when Dhollywood is open to experimentation, musicians are also not shying from going that extra mile to create something interesting. From party numbers to Hindi rap to upbeat promotional songs, composers want their music to do the talking. “Film music has a shelf life of its own and can stay with the audience even after the film’s erased out of theatres. A film’s music might become a huge success even if the film doesn’t work at the ticket-window, so it makes sense to invest in our songs,” says filmmaker

Ishaan Randheria

. Composer Maulik Mehta says, “Non-Gujaratis might not watch a Gujarati film, but they might listen to the songs as they are now available online.” Having Hindi and English lyrics create a larger fan base, feel filmmakers and musicians alike. Navraj Hans, who has sung a rap section for a song from Suryansh, says, “Gujarati is an easy language, so singing in Gujarati was never an issue. As my song was a party number, it made sense to give it this kind of treatment.”
The demand of the story is taken into account when such Hindi-English songs are composed. Says Ishaan, “We incorporate a Hindi or an English song only if the story demands so. If a film tells an urban story, having songs with contemporary music and lyrics are necessary.”

Music propels films’ popularity
At a time when Dhollywood is pulling out all stops make its presence felt on a national platform, music is an important aspect for promotions. Filmmaker Saurin Chaudhari says, “If you have a Hindi song, big music labels agree to sign a deal with us and even play it across national entertainment television channels and other digital music platforms. This helps our films get a wider reach. Today, the audience for Gujarati movies is not limited to only Gujaratis, even non-Gujaratis also watch our films. If there is a Hindi song in the film, it gives stronger sense of connect.”
So, be it to create a wider reach or turning experimental, multilingual songs in Gujarati films are a hit.

—With inputs from Shruti.Jambhekar@timesgroup.com