Muskurane

"Muskurane"

Cover of the song, featuring actors Rajkummar Rao and Patralekha
Soundtrack single by Arijit Singh from the album CityLights
Released 1 May 2014 (Music Video)
2 May 2014 (Single)
Format CD single, Legal digital download
Genre Filmi
Length 5:34
Label Sony Music India
Writer Rashmi Singh
Producer Mukesh Bhatt
CityLights track listing
  1. "Muskurane (Romantic)"
  2. "Muskurane (Unplugged)"
  3. "Soney Do"
  4. "Ek Charraiya"
  5. "Ek Charraiya (Unplugged)"
  6. "Darbadar"
  7. "Citylights (Title Song)"

Music video
"Muskurane" on YouTube

"Muskurane" (English: Smile) is a romantic Hindi song from the 2014 Bollywood film, CityLights. Composed by Jeet Ganguly, the song is sung by Arijit Singh, with lyrics penned by Rashmi Singh. The music video of the track features actors Rajkummar Rao, Patralekha and Arijit Singh.[1]

Background

The song was composed by Jeet Ganguly with lyrics written by Rashmi Singh. The song was the last composed track from the album.[2] The producer of the song Mukesh Bhatt wanted an 'easy to hum but with depth' melodic song. It was, Ganguly's wife Chandrani who found the composition 'fantastic' while Ganguly was strumming his guitar. Immediately, he called Bhatt and played the 'mukhda' to him which he liked instantly. The following day, Ganguly composed the 'antara' of the song and played it to Bhatt and director of the film Hansal Mehta, which they loved on hearing.[3]

Rashmi Singh wrote the opening lines of the song in a few hours. According to Ganguly "Citylights is not a teenage love story, it's about a couple whose love has depth and character. Rashmi's lyrics are simple, heartfelt and conversational". The song was recorded at Phatbox Studio, Mumbai, at night. The song was recorded in two to three hours.[4]

The song is a guitar-based song which fuse a Bengali folk idiom with modern music in a Sufism touch.[5] Piano was dominantly used in composition of the song with additional use of Violin in the first antara and Esraj in the second antara.[6]

Release and success

The song was released in Indian Television show Beintehaa which airs on Colors TV, before releasing it on any music channel.[7] It was released on 2 May 2014. The video of the song was officially released on the same day through the YouTube channel of Sony Music India.[8] The full song was also released as a single, the same day.[9]

During the released days, the song was positioned in many charts, and was one of the most downloaded songs during that time.[10]

Chart performance

The song debuted at position 6 in iTunes India Chart Top 100,[11] fell to position 16 in the second week,[12] and jumped to position 3, in its third week in the chart.[13] On 3 June 2014 the song was ranked in the position 2 which is the highest achieved by the song in the chart.[14] The song also debuted at position 3, in Mauritian iTunes top 100 before falling to position 15.[15]

The song entered 91.9 Friends FM Bollywood Top 20 at position 8.[16] On 19 July 2014 the song was placed in the position 14,[17] while on 2 August 2014 the song was ranked in the position 11,[18] which retained the position for further a week.[19] Upon release, the song had a direct entry at position 12 in The Times of India Mirchi Top 20 Chart,[20] moved up a position in the following week.[21] On 27 June 2014 the song was positioned 8 in the chart, and it was the peak position of the song in the chart.[22]

Chart (2014) Peak
position		 Ref.
91.9 Friends FM Bollywood Top 20 8 [16]
iTunes India Charts 2 [14]
iTunes Mauritian Charts 3 [15]
The Times of India Mirchi Top 20 Chart 8 [22]

Critical reception

The song received positive response from the critics.

Rajiv Vijayakar from Bollywood Hungama praised Singh's rendition in the song for bringing the right haunting tenor and right emotion in the song.[5] Priya Adivarekar reviewing from Indian Express complimented vocals in the song and further stated "The melody is soothing and Rashmi's poetic lyrics perfectly suit the brilliantly-composed romantic track".[23] Joginder Tuteja reviewing for Rediff.com described the song as "lyrical and poetic with a lot of fluidity".[24]

Prateek Sur from Bollywoodlife.com praised Singh's 'velvety' voice, Ganguly's 'lilting' composition and the 'simple yet meaningful' lyrics by Rashmi and believed the song is the "perfect opening for any album".[25] Rafat from Glamsham found the "fresh melody, crisp background arrangements, effective lyrics and Singh's amazing vocals" as some reasons which makes an instant connect with the song and listeners.[26] Bodrul Chaudhury from Bolly Spice considered the song as one of the top highlights in the album, and praised Singh's vocal with that of Ganguly's composition.[27]

Unplugged Version

An unplugged version of the song was included in the soundtrack, composed and written by Jeet Ganguly and Rashmi Singh respectively. The song is sung by Mohammad Irfan Ali.[28] The song was released along with other tracks in the soundtrack of the album on 9 May 2014.[29]

Background

Director of the film, Hansal Mehta wanted to incorporate two versions of the song. The romantic version being sung by Arijit Singh, the composer of the song Jeet Ganguly picked Mohammad Irfan Ali to sing the unplugged version.[3] The song was recorded at Phatbox Studio, Mumbai. The song was recorded in two to three hours.[4]

The lyrics of the song was slightly changed, when compared to the original song. Piano and Violin were used in the composition unlike the version rendered by Singh which used Esraj in the second antara.[6]

Critical reception

The song received mixed response from critics, though many of them praised the vocals by Mohammad Irfan Ali.

Rafat from Glamsham stated the song is "more emphasis on vocals and is as delightful as Arijit Singh's version and makes for a good repeat hear".[26] Joginder Tuteja reviewing for Rediff.com felt the version is "equally enjoyable" as of the original.[24] Prateek Sur from Bollywoodlife.com praised Irfan's 'mellifluous' voice and found the song "equally beautiful".[25]

Rajiv Vijayakar from Bollywood Hungama felt this version lacks the 'vital small nuances' in the vocals which make the crucial difference compared to the romantic version of the song,[5] though Priya Adivarekar reviewing from Indian Express felt the version of the song is "also good".[23] Bodrul Chaudhury from Bolly Spice found this version "to be a little too bland" for his liking.[27]

Live performances

Arijit Singh performed the song "Muskurane" in many of his concerts.

On 29 November 2014, Singh performed the song in The Times of India presented "NOBO – Atif Aslam & Arijit Singh Live in Concert" held in Gurgaon.[30] Singh also performed the song live during his "Tum Hi Ho Live Concert" on 9 August 2014 at the San Jose State University Event Center and on 10 August at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.[31]

Accolades

Year Award Category Nominee Result Ref
2014 Stardust Awards Best Male Playback Singer Arijit Singh Nominated [32]
Best Lyricist Rashmi Singh
BIG Star Entertainment Awards Most Entertaining Singer (Male) Arijit Singh [33]
2015 10th Renault Star Guild Awards Best lyricist Rashmi Singh [34]
21st Annual Life OK Screen Awards Best Male Playback Singer Arijit Singh Won [35]
Best Lyricist Rashmi Singh Nominated [36]
60th Britannia Filmfare Awards Best Lyricist Rashmi Singh Won [37]
Global Indian Music Academy Awards Best Male Playback Singer Arijit Singh [38]
7th Mirchi Music Awards Song of the Year Jeet Gannguli Nominated [39]
Music Composer of the Year
Male Vocalist of the Year Arijit Singh
Lyricist of the Year Rashmi Singh
Upcoming Lyricist of the Year Won [40]
Song of the Year (Listener's Choice) Jeet Gannguli
IIFA Awards Best Male Playback Singer Arijit Singh Pending [41]
Best Lyricist Rashmi Singh

References

  1. ↑ "City Lights' New Song 'Muskurane' Feat. Rajkumar Rao, Patralekha". Koimoi. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  2. ↑ Ria Lawrence (29 August 2014). "Jeet Gannguli: Music has no barriers of region or language". The Times of India. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Roshmila Bhattacharya (24 July 2014). "Muskurane Ki Wajah: Eternal melody at midnight". The Times of India. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Roshmila Bhattacharya (24 July 2014). "Muskurane ki: Eternal melody at midnight". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Rajiv Vijayakar (22 May 2014). "Citylights Critic Music Review". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "This album gives you 'Muskurane Ki Wajah' (Citylights – Music Review)". Musical Sameeksha. 11 May 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  7. ↑ "Arijit Singh's marvel "Muskurane" makes its debut on Beintehaa". The Times of India. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  8. ↑ "Muskurane – Arijit Singh – Citylights – RajKummar Rao". YouTube. 1 May 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  9. ↑ "Muskurane (Romantic) song details". iTunes Store. 9 May 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  10. ↑ "From folk to classical, it's multi-genre music for Citylights". Seema Sinha. 29 May 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  11. ↑ "India iTunes Top 100 Songs". iTunes Store. 6 May 2014. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  12. ↑ "India iTunes Top 100 Songs". iTunes Store. 13 May 2014. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  13. ↑ "India iTunes Top 100 Songs". iTunes Store. 20 May 2014. Archived from the original on 20 May 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "India iTunes Top 100 Songs". iTunes Store. 3 June 2014. Archived from the original on 3 June 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Stats for Arijit Singh & Jeet Gannguli – Muskurane (From "Citylights") [Romantic] in the iTunes top 100". iTunes Archive. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "91.9 Friends FM 21 June 2014 Twitter status update". Twitter. 21 June 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  17. ↑ "91.9 Friends FM 19 July 2014 Twitter status update". Twitter. 19 July 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  18. ↑ "91.9 Friends FM 02 August 2014 Twitter status update". Twitter. 2 August 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  19. ↑ "91.9 Friends FM 16 August 2014 Twitter status update". Twitter. 16 August 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  20. ↑ "Mirchi Top 20 Week Ending 23 May 2014". The Times of India. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  21. ↑ "Mirchi Top 20 Week Ending 30 May 2014". The Times of India. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 "Mirchi Top 20 Week Ending 27 June 2014". The Times of India. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Priya Adivarekar (30 May 2014). "CityLights music review: Hear it for 'Muskarane' at least". The Indian Express. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Joginder Tuteja (17 May 2014). "Review: The Citylights album is pleasing". Rediff.com. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Prateek Surr (15 May 2014). "CityLights music review: Arijit Singh and Mohammad Irfan score well in Jeet Gannguli's best album after Aashiqui 2!". Bollywoodlife.com. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Rafat (17 May 2014). "Music Review : Citylights". Glamsham. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Bodrul Chaudhury (23 May 2014). "Citylights Music Review". Bolly Spice. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  28. ↑ "Banjaara comes home". Anuj Kumar. 6 August 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  29. ↑ "Citylights (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". iTunes Store. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  30. ↑ Piyali Dasgupta (2 December 2014). "Arijit Singh, Atif Aslam perform in Gurgaon". The Times of India. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  31. ↑ Reena Rathore (15 August 2014). "Arijit Singh Mesmerizes Fans in 'Tum Hi Ho' Concerts". India-West. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  32. ↑ "Stardust Awards 2014 nominations". Stardust. 7 December 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  33. ↑ "BIG STAR Entertainment Awards 2014 Nominations". Pinkvilla. 10 December 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  34. ↑ PinkVilla (7 January 2015). "Star Guild Awards 2015 nominations". That Girl Daily. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  35. ↑ Bollywood Hungama (14 January 2015). "Winners of 21st Annual Life OK Screen Awards". Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  36. ↑ "21st Annual Life OK Screen Awards nominations". The Indian Express. 7 January 2015. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  37. ↑ "60th Britannia Filmfare Awards 2014: Complete list of winners". The Times of India. 1 February 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  38. ↑ GiMA. "Film Music Nominees: GiMA 2015". Archived from the original on 5 February 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  39. ↑ Mirchi Music Awards (13 February 2015). "Nominations – 7th Mirchi Music Awards". Archived from the original on 13 February 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  40. ↑ Bella Jaisinghani (27 February 2015). "From Sufi to pop, Mirchi night had it all". The Times of India. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  41. ↑ http://iifa.com/highlight/iifa-2015-nominations-announced-2-states-leads-the-nominations-with-9-nods-followed-by-haider-with/

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