Segmentation and Positioning in Indian Pop

Even though pop music in India has at least a decade back origin, I would say that 1993-94 was when we Indians woke up to the fact that songs can be made without the need to situate them in movie. Baba Sehagal’s RAP songs (someone said to me RAP stands for Rahein Aap Pareshan :-) ), Alisha's Made In India song and Biddu's Boom Boom song sung by Nazia Hussan (featuring a very young Anupama Verma, yes the same from Big Boss 1 ) were the catalysts along with Daler Mehndi's Bolo Tara Ra.

It was the same time that we middle class Indians were slowly realizing that not English movies have a corrupting influence on character. This was courtesy Jurassic park of Spielberg. This reminds me of an interesting anecdote narrated by one of my friends in college. He was watching Titanic in TV (Of course, all art dilettantes who wanted to appreciate Leonardo do a live portrait of Kate Winslet were hugely disappointed with the censors going snip snip on that scene, and movie was de-toxicated for TV viewing. ). His grandmother came and scolded him something like, "Kya gandi picture dekhte rahte ho?" and then she switches the TV channel to a Hindi movie channel showing Helen dancing in a slit-thigh gown trying to patao Amitabh in Don :-)

So, the realization that "English movies don't have songs and English bands release albums without placing them in movies" and "evolution of desi pop" was almost simultaneous.

As happens in any industry with almost no barrier to entry, there were lot of new entrants with different positioning and segmentation. Following is my attempt to slot them:--

1.) Region

 i.) Punjabi pops Daler Mehndi

 ii.) Altaf Raja targeting UP, Bihar with Subah Pehli Gaadi Se

2.) Location

 i.) College – Yaaro yehi dosti hai by KK; Purani Jeans

 ii.) That Girl Next Door to Your Apartment – Aankhon mein tera by Aryans ( featuring Shahid – if you watch him in that video with Hrishitha Bhatt, it is so difficult to believe that a Jab We Met type restrained // Ishq Vishq type probably the most confident debut in a comic role by any male actor in recent times (Just watch the scene where Satish Shah tries to explain “Birds And Bees” to his precocious son Shahid or his advice to fake Sachin to impress Shenaz something like “haan square cut thoda kum aur apna elbow sidha rakhana ..”) // Kaminey type quirky performance is lurking inside him

3.) Extraordinary feats

 i.) Underwater shooting in Dooba Dooba

 ii.) Breathless song

4.) Gender

i.) Phalguni Pathak's Maine Payal hai chhankayi (featuring Riya Sen and, if you did not notice, Ayesha Takia in one of her first pop songs appearances, after that Complan ad she did with Shahid in her childhood "I am a Complan Girl; I am a Complan Boy")

5.) Age group wise

i.) For kids -- Amitabh’s classic Ek Rahein eeir, ek rahein bir, ek rahein phatte aur ek rahein hum ; Sunidhi Chauhan’s “sunk-without-a-trace” kid pop song Aira Gaira Nathhu Khaira(her first album after she won Meri Awaz Suno on DD)

ii.) Teen school going/college going love -- Shaan's Lovology

iii.) Twenties love (Sonu Nigam’s Ab mujhe raat din from Deewana album (IMHO, his best album)

6.) Based on music genre

i.) Classical – Piya Basanti featuring Nauheed

ii.) Rock – Parikrama

iii.) International type – Seulmont by Alisha

iv.) Remix -- Someone rightly said “R. D. Burman kab tak inke ghar ki roji roti chaleyenge”
Nahin Nahin abhi nahin (featuring Ayesha Takia in a lift..why exactly is she taking a spoon of coffee syrup like medicine in that video .. I never understood..but it worked for me)

7.) Behavioural/ Situational/ Mood segmentation

i.) Madly, Truly, Deeply wala love songs – Dooba dooba rehta huun by Silk Route

ii.) Feeling wala nostalgic love – Maaei Ri from Euphoria featuring Rimi Sen

iii.)Unrequited love – Woh Pyaar Mera featuring Amrita Rao by Alisha

iv.) Junooni pyaar – Apki Dua Hai by K.K.
"Uski Hi Dhun Mein Hoon Mujhe, Tum Deewaana Kaho
Aap Ki Dua Hai Pyaar Hua, Ishq Ka Mein Beemaar Hua"

v.) Hyper-confident, possessive love – “Kaise bhulegi mera naam” from Euphoria (my favourite band)
"Tu hi meri zindagi, tu hi meri har khushi,
Tu hi meri preet hai tu hi hai meri jaan.
Tu hi meri dhoop hai, tu hi meri chaaon hai,
Tu hi mera dard hai, tu hi hai muskaan.
Kaise bhulegi mera naam!!
Sakhiaan teri deti taane mujhe dher sare,
Gharwaale ne tere itna bhala-bura kaha.
Din bhar kaam karoon, raaton ko main dhundhoon tare.
Samjhegi tu to mujhe isilye itna saha.
Kya ho gaya sanam, mila koi naya sanam,
Chaahegi tu aur kisi ko, mane na kyon mera yah man.
Hoga to wahi sanam, kuchh bhi karle jatan, Ek din banegi tu meri dulhan!
Tu hi meri zindagi, tu hi meri bandagi,
Tu hi meri subah hai tu hi hai meri shaam,
Tu hi mera geet hai, tu hi mera meet hai,
Tu hi mera puja hai, tu hi hai mera Raam.
Kaise bhulegi mera naam!!
Kya hua ke agar milna sake hum,
Kya hua ke mere waadon mein na dum
Pyaar to hua na kam, Jeeti tu haarein hain hum
Sun liya maine, sah liya maine,
chheen lunga tujhe abki baar.
Kaayar na hoon main, jhoota na hoon main,
Kamzor na hoon, bas karta tujhe pyaar"

vi.) Egoistic love Kabhi aana meri gully by Euphoria
“Kya karegi tu ghar se nikalke, jaaegi tu kahaan,
Kya dekhegi tu Taj Mahal ko, main na hoon jo wahaan,
Kya nazar aur kya nazaare, kuchh nahin inmein baat,
Nagri-nagri kya dhoondegi, main nahi jo tere saath.
Kabhi aana tu meri gully Tujhe palkon pe rakhoonga ji.
Baat dil ki karoon Hindustani jo hoon,
Jab jee chaahe to aaja na jee.
Kabhi aana tu meri gully-2
Kya karegi tu Kashmir jaake, swarg tera yahaan
Kya baithegi tu Ganga-kinaare, main na hoon jo wahaan.
Kya ye jannat, kya ye teerath, kuchh nahin tere kaam
Ho jaaenge dhaam saare, legi jab mera naa-ha-ha-ha-haam.”

vii.)Sensitive love – “Ab Naa Jaa” song by Euphoria featuring Vidya Balan
“Aankhen band kar loo jo mein dekhu bas tumhe
khwabo mein hi keh sakta hoon apna tumhe
rehne de mera yeh vehm pe hi yakeen naa ja abhi
pyar ki yeh raat hain ab na jaa chotti si ek baat hain ab na jaa
tumhhi se hain meri neend naa bhi ho to kya
tumhi see hain meri battein naa bhi ho to kya
kehne do taaro ko kahani ankahi na jaa abhi”

 viii.)Inspirational – Kya Hai Tera mantra by Euphoria
"Kisne ye jaana hai ye kitna puraana hai, Jaata kahaan ye silsila?
Phir se na aana hai ye kitna suhaana hai Pal ye jo humko hai mila.
Kisne ye jaana hai ye kitna puraana hai, Jaata kahaan ye silsila?
Phir se na aana hai ye kitna suhaana hai Pal ye jo humko hai mila.
Is pal mein aao khud ko jaan lein pehchaan lein hum,
Aao dekhein jeevan ke rang sabhee, Bhoolein na beeti jo thi,
dekhenge hoga jo bhi, Pehle jaane to sahi, kya hai tera mantra?
Hai jeet kya aur haar kya, gham aur khushi ke paar kya,
Hai megh ke aasaar kya, toofaan kya majhdhaar kya,
Hai baadlon ke paar kya, koi aur bhi sansaar kya,
Bas jaan lo hai pyaar kya, hai ye mera mantra!!
Dekho pukaarein tumhe nabh ke sitaarein, Baahein phailaaye aasmaan,
Bahti hawaaein tumhe kahti fizaaein, Dekho thamey na kaaravaan.
Lekar chal yaadein kal ki, karta chal tu waadein kal ke,
Is pal pe tere kadmon ke nishaan, Dekhenge aane waale,
manzil ko pane waale, Poochhenge chalne waale, kya hai tera mantra?"

 ix.)“Boy asking naughty question, Girl giving sensitive answer, boy getting emotional” song Lucky Ali + Kavita Krishnamurthy
"Male:- Gori teri aankhen kahe raat bhar sooyi nahi
chanda dekhe chupke kahi aur taare jaante hain sabhi
ke kisne dil le liya kisko dil de diya yeh dil ka lagana koi jaanta nahi
Gori teri aankhen kahe raat bhar sooyi nahi
Female:- Dil mein teri yaad basi tu samjhe ga nahi
jo hain mere paas hai tera mera kuch nahi
kyun akhiya chupao kyun tujhko satao
dil tod ke tera mein kya pao
bol piya bol piya bol piya bol piya bol piyaaa bol
saajan teri baatein badi ke mein raat bhar sooyi nahi
chanda ne bhi dekha nahi aur taaro ko yeh maloom nahi
ke meine tujhe dil diya tera dil le liya mera tu hi hain bahana kyun manta nahi
saajan teri baatein badi ke mein raat bhar sooyi nahi
Male:-- Aate jaate mausam jaise lagte the sabhi
humne bhi to manga rab se apna bhi koi
Duniya se bachao palko mein chupao
dil jeet ke tera sab ko batao
sun gori sun gori sun gori sunnn sun gori sun gori sunnnnn
Gori teri aankhen kahe jaane anjaane mein kahi
chanda ne bhi dekha nahi aur taaro ne bhi jaana nahi
ke tune mujhe dil diya mera dil de diya mera jeene ka bahana koi aur nahi"

9.) Family relation

i.) Sibling rivalry -- Riya Sen in Jab Saamne tum aa jaate ho by Jagjit Singh and Asha Bhonsle

ii.) Maa -- Euphoria's "Sone de maa" ---Before Kya main Itna Buraa Huun Maan and Lukka Chuppi(from RDB) by Prasoon Joshi , these were some of the best lines written on that atavistic wish which everyone feels after frustrations, struggles of adult life to get back to his childhood, to let someone else care for "aanta, daal ka bhaav", to keep doing what one likes, to just sleep at leisure without the rude alarm clocks waking you up and deadlines to be taken care of, to be simple again, neither to feel pressurized to catch up with workaholics in weekdays nor succumbing to peer pressure of "having to do the in-things" on weekends
"Teri kahaani mein sacchayee jeeti sada,
Tu hi bata maa kya jhootha wo wishwaas tha,
Bikhri kyon maa mere sapna ka sansaar tha,
Lamha-lamha dhokha naya,
Tanha-tanha main thak gaya.
Sone de maa ab na jeena * 4
Sapna jo toota bhi, dekho main roya nahin,
Saaya jo toota bhi, khud ko main bhoola nahin,
Sadiyaan hui tere aanchal mein soya nahi.
Lamha-lamha jeeta jahaan, Tanha-tanha main thak gaya."

10.)Those which defy characterization/ refuse to be slotted

i.) Daku daddy 2008 song featuring Hrishitha Bhatt and Shakti Kapoor

ii.) Aie hip hop hopper tu pyar to kar by Sunidhi 2008