Soaps tune into original notes

Hum Hain Deewane from Madhubala - Ek Ishq Ek Junoon is sung by Arijit Singh (inset).

Surf through different Hindi GECs and chances are that you'll hearBollywood songs being used in daily soaps, whether it is for a romantic scene, or a lovelorn shot. However, some prime time dailies are singing a different tune. They are using an original soundtrack for their shows to strike a better and more musical connect with their audiences.From Bani Ishq Da Kalma, Junoon Aisi Nafrat Toh Kaisa Ishq,Saraswatichandra, Ek Veer Ki Ardaas Veera, Sanskaar Dharohar Apnon Ki, Qubool Hai, Balika Vadhu to Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha Season 2— TV shows are now working hard and creating their own music. Prashant Bhatt, programming head (Fiction) of a Hindi GEC says, "Original compositions bring in a sense of freshness to the show. Whenever people listen to an song in a daily soap, as opposed to a Bollywood song being interjected in the episode, they immediately connect that song to the show. Plus, original songs allow the soapmakers to connect with the viewers with music that's more relevant to the story." Original compositions also have other advantages over film songs, says Prashant as he adds, "An original composition has a good recall value."
Composing an original number is economically more viable in the long run and comes with its own set of benefits, while a Bollywood song can be played in a soap, only after paying copyright dues to the film's producer. Producer Yash Patnaik of Junoon... and Veera says, "When we use a Bollywood number in a show, it costs us between `20,000 and `40,000 per usage and does not give the show its distinct identity. It's just an arrangement and by playing a Bolly tune, the audience is bound to remember the song sequence used in the film and even make comparisons. Our signature tunes are exclusive for a show, there is more repeat value because we have the liberty of using the song(s) whenever we want according to different situations. On a short term it might be expensive as it costs us between ` 6 lakh and `10 lakhs to compose a song, but in the long run, it is more beneficial."
In order to create a melodious soundtrack, showmakers are roping in big Bollywood names to compose/sing. Harshdeep Kaur, who has a number of Bollywood songs to her credit gave her vocals to a TV show for the first time, says, "It is a beautiful composition and I also liked the theme of the show, which is based on a social issue. And the song really suited my voice so I went for it. Fans have a different level of loyalty for their favourite serials. These songs are played daily to them, it is not like a movie song, which comes and goes with the movie. And you become a household name if people like your song." About having big composers compose the tracks for shows, Patnaik says, "Big Bollywood composers have a certain track record. They have to put in more effort to compose a song for a daily soap because they don't have a superstar here mouthing the song. And the song is going to be played in thousands of living rooms on a day-to-day basis."
With more and more daily shows opting for original compositions, audiences can tune into some refreshing new notes for a change.

Show	Song	Composer
Balika Vadhu	Choti Si Umar	Lalit Sen
Sanskaar	Title track	Shankar-Ehsaan Loy
Bani Ishq	Ishq Da Kalma	Harshdeep Kaur
Saraswatichandra	Kuch Na Kahe	Shreya Ghoshal
Veera	Title track	Anand Raj Anand
Madhubala	Hum Hain Deewane	Arijit Singh
Junoon...	Title track	Sharib-Toshi

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