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Essence of Red in Bollywood's Music

Comments  Comments [ 0 ]    By Shreya S. | 30 March 2017 | 9:30am



Prevalently known as the colour of love, passion and blood, red has effortlessly stood out as a significant companion in our everyday lives. Traditionally, Indians believe that this specific colour bring luck, purity and bliss, as they use it widely for their customs and attires. Perhaps, this explains the prominent use of the colour in the world of Bollywood, as it defines the human sentiments and culture at diverse levels. Over time, we have stumbled upon movies from various genres that have experimented with this shade; be it in the story, music or cinematography. By research and brainstorming though, we at BollyCurry have been able to find a few tracks which have proficiently used colour red to bring a meaning to the verse, or paint the backdrop of a song sequence.

Over the years, Bollywood has employed several talented lyricists who have penned influential verses that have melted our hearts and left behind a strong impact. They have found a certain style in approaching the genres of movies and writing the lyrics for a track that complements the scene. The addition of colours like red (laal) to the stanzas tends to enhance situations where the colour is displayed in the scene. For instance, the song "Laal Dupatta" from Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004) has Priyanka Chopra donning a red traditional apparel, complete with a laal dupatta, pretending to be shy of her lover, a situation aptly described in said song. The words not only show the traditional significance of red in Indian outfits, but also represents the tender and cautious love portrayed with the colour. Another track that fits the bill is Arijit Singh's "Laal Ishq" from Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013). This intense but soothing melody leaves us in tears as we watch the much-in-love couple (Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone) get brutally separated and how their desire to meet again results in murders and bloodshed on both sides of the families. The written lyrics befit the concept with so much ease and perfection, that it surprises us on how the colour can link love to the presence of blood and death. Moving on to another one of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's films, Bajirao Mastani (2015), a classical melody "Mohe Rang Do Laal" sung by Shreya Ghoshal, forms the backdrop of Padukone, who stands with her hands immersed in the colour red. The lyrics express her desire to be filled with the colour of love, passion and devotion for a man whom she considers as her almighty. However, "Rang Laal" from the 2016 movie, Force 2, takes a different approach and uses red as a bold colour that fights against social norms and injustice. In this song, two people pledge to take action using the force to avenge massacre that has occurred and this sentiment is underlined in the verses of this unconventional track.

The traditional and cultural aspects of red in India have influenced the usage of the colour for countless cinematic song effects. We move forward to list a few tracks that fall under this category. In the movie Devdas (2002), based on Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay's Bengali novel, the timeless song "Dola Re Dola" has its leading ladies, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Madhuri Dixit Nene, who play rivals in love, celebrate Durga pooja. The duo, along with the other dancers, wear red and white attires complete with sindooralta and red bangles to highlight the Bengali culture, while the red curtains and gulaal thrown in the air form the environment that enhanced the ambience of the song. In the song "Nagada Sang Dhol" from Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-leela (2013), we can't help but applaud Bhansali for making use of a rich coloured setting, paired with energetic dance moves, to accompany Shreya Ghoshal's powerful vocals. In the song "Tu Chale" from the Hindi version of I (2015), we get a glimpse of different colours in various sequences. In one stunning sequence, the couple is seen in red outfits, walking along the wooden paths surrounding the red fields which can only be considered as a visual treat. Moving towards the closure of this list, we cannot skip out the incredibly upbeat track "Ik Junoon (Paint it Red)" from the much loved travel film, Zingadi Na Milegi Dobara (2011). What makes this song unique is that the song was filmed in Spain, and it depicted the Spanish culture through the recreation of the La Tomatina Festival. Hrithik Roshan, Katrina Kaif, Abhay Deol, Farhan Akhtar and Kalki Koechlin are seen enjoying the festival and are immersed in the colour of tomatoes from head to toe, and it looks like little effort was taken to have the whole scenario captured in red.

Colours have always played an integral part in portraying a story on silver screen. Throughout the years, Bollywood has managed to convey the various faces of red in the most obvious situations, or at a progressive level. While there are many uses of red, we're not complaining. We encourage other directors to make use of this hue. BollyCurry desires to know your favourites from this list of songs that conceptualize the vibrant colour of red. Do share your views in the comments section below!


Writer: Siona M.
Editors: Meghna S. and Mohini N.
Graphics: Parii K.

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