Category: What’s trending

Would you like to know about the trending topics across India and world? Apart from bringing what’s trending in fashion and lifestyle, our what’s trending segment celebrates uniqueness. We bring everything the audiences need to know about what’s happening online, all in one place.

3 face highlighters available in India that you must try

A new makeup essential in your vanity kit is a highlighter. A highlighter basically makes your skin glow just like it does under candle light without the obvious noticeable impact of shiny sparkly shimmer. It is an amazing product to emphasise your best facial features and draw attention away from the ones you aren’t very happy about. Here are three face highlighters in India that you can choose from.

Before you buy a highlighter make sure you choose the right highlighter type according to the amount of glow you want on your skin. Please refrain from over-applying the highlighter as that just burns the light on your face and makes it look very shiny. Here’s a tutorial by Reiva Cruze to help you learn how to apply a highlighter properly.

A liquid highlighter works best for full coverage. You can also mix it with a moisturiser and apply it all over your face. Liquid highlighters add dimension to your face and prevent dullness and are a great product for dry skin.
If you’re looking to highlight your cheekbones, brow lines, chin and the bridge of your nose for that daily, dewy look, Benefit Cosmetics’ High Beam should be your go-to product. This liquid highlighter is perfect to use after you’ve put your foundation on. It blends with the skin and does not get absorbed into pores. Moreover, it does not clump up and lasts for a good 6-8 hours. The only two problems with this product are its packaging and price. It’s packaged just like a nail polish which can sometimes result in a messy over-application and it’s priced high at INR 2,990. You can buy this product online here www.elitify.com

A more affordable option is Colorbar’s Radiant Glow Illuminator pen. Its tip is in the form of a brush that is not the most suitable option for applying a highlighter so we suggest you get some product on your finger tips to avoid slathering too much of it on to your face. This product is very good for special occasions and parties because of its champagne colour like sheen finish. Just pat the product on to the skin, do not rub it in as it just vanishes. You may buy the product at any ColorBar store for INR 525 or order it online here at www.nykaa.com

Powder Highlighters are our personal favourites. They are easily available, inexpensive and amazing to use at home. Powder highlighters are best for everyday use as they give just the right amount of glow that’s ideal for daytime. You can just use a brush and dab it all over your face or use it on specific areas to highlight them. These are very good for under-eye application as they make your eyes stand out too.
Bobbi Brown’s Pink Quartz Shimmer Brick is a very good powder highlighter for both day and night time. It offers five different shades in the form of a compact brick which you can either use individually or together. The different shades can be used alternatively as eye shadow and blush too. This highlighter is perfect for oily and combination skin as it does not cake up and lasts for very long. Please do not drop the compact on the floor because once it breaks, all the shades get mixed up and it becomes very difficult to use. This product is easily available at all Bobbi Brown stores.

If you would like us to try out any other products for you please let us know, we would be happy to try it out and review it.

February 13, 2015
Aamir Khan talked about the #AIBRoast & this is how the internet reacted!

‘Freedom of speech’ – Aren’t we all a little tired of all and sundry spouting this oft-repeated phrase in support of the AIB Roast? Yes, a bunch of stand-up comedians along with a few Bollywood A-listers changed the way Indians feel about stand-up comedy – Well, in a mixed kinda way! However, things got a little serious when AIB took the video down and our very own ‘PK’ (Aamir Khan) gave his opinion on the video and how it affected him!

Let’s take a look on how people on social media reacted to Aamir Khan’s views on the AIB roast!

(In case you’ve missed that interview – Here’s the link to the video by @officialfilmsofindia – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5inR5GLCUHc)

1. Yes, we do remember ‘Delhi Belly’ was produced by Aamir Khan, no two guesses about the post below by this gentleman!

2. Talking about ‘Delhi Belly’ yet again.

3. These ‘Delhi Belly’ references just won’t stop.

4. Here’s another one!

5. And that moment when you realise there’s only one common strand between ‘Delhi Belly’ and ‘PK’!

6. We guess we’re in for some ‘PK’ references now!

7. Ouch!!!

8. Ouch again!

9. Talk about hypocrisy.

10. And here it comes again… ‘Freedom of expression’.

11. And another one!

12. Here’s a piece of advice for ‘PK’ from our very own Aam Aadmi!

13. And this.

14. And this.

15. Hitting the nail on the head!

Image Courtesy: All pictures sourced from Facebook & Twitter

February 11, 2015
This is how the internet is reacting to the #AAPSweep

In a near-complete-sweep, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today made history by recording a landslide victory, securing 67 of the 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly Elections. This is how the internet reacted to the #AAPSweep

As always, Amul added its pinch of sugar to the victory

Look at our favourite cartoon characters proving an important point

Hitting the nail on the head

Humble appeal, maybe?

For all those people who were not very happy with the results

Not the exact walk in the park like BJP imagined

And some old school pun

Motto of the day

How can we leave our very own ‘Yo Yo’ behind?

Changing the social fabric of the society

And this

Just posing a subtle question

Also, this

All pictures sourced from twitter.

February 10, 2015
App of the week: Crossy Road

Get your hands on the most addictive game doing the rounds right now, Crossy Road. Released only two months ago, it has already been anointed as one of the most unputdownable by gaming junkies. With an adorable chicken as the mascot, swiping safely across roads full of moving traffic, rivers with floating logs and crocodiles was never so much fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRrTGhccsTI

If you thought the ever-famous game of 2013 ‘Flappy Bird’ was addictive, try ‘Crossy Road’. It has been compared time and again to the classic 80’s arcade game ‘Frogger’, only more exciting and challenging.

Inspired by the joke ‘Why did the chicken cross the road?’ Crossy Road requires you to be extremely agile and alert and you can’t linger anywhere for too long. But what seals the deal is the social component. You’re basically competing against your Game Center leaderboard friends in terms of distance covered.

Enabling its players to choose from a wide array of characters including Bunnies, Cats, Monsters, Unicorns and many more, the game unfolds different levels as you play along collecting coins.

The game is available for download on Apple and Android platforms.

February 10, 2015
Sick of love songs already? Here’s your playlist for the ‘week of love’

Valentine’s Day is less than a week away and it is hard to escape love melodies playing almost everywhere. If you are on the other side of the romance team this year then we have the perfect compilation of songs for you! Here’s your playlist for this week

1)    ‘Love Stinks’ – J. Geils Band, 1980

J Geils Band’s ‘Love Stinks’ was the most popular anti-love anthem of the 80s and still manages to make it to the top of our anti-love playlist. The song about unrequited love is rumoured to have been inspired by lead singer Peter Wolf’s ill-fated marriage to Faye Dunaway, which ended in divorce in 1979.

“I’ve been through diamonds, I’ve been through minks, I’ve been through it all, love stinks”

2)    ‘I Hate Myself for Loving You’ – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, 1988

A rock anthem about self-loathing ‘I Hate Myself for Loving You’ was also a very popular anti-love song in the late 80s and even won a Grammy award. If you are a Valentine-hater yourself then be sure to add this song to your 14^th February playlist.

“I hate myself for loving you, can’t break free from the things that you do, I wanna walk but I run back to you, that’s why I hate myself for loving you”

3)    ‘50 Ways to Leave Your Lover’ – Paul Simon, 1975

Make a new plan, just get yourself free, hop on the bus are some ideas suggested by Paul Simon to leave your lover. If you were left with a broken heart this year then take a cue from this song and move on. Sure,, he did not suggest fifty ways of leaving your lover but something is always better than nothing.

“You just slip out the back, Jack, make a new plan, Stan, you don’t need to be Coy, Roy, just get yourself free, hop on the bus, Gus, you don’t need to discuss much, just drop off the key, Lee, and get yourself free”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=298nld4Yfds

4)    ‘I Hate Everything About You’ – Three Days Grace, 2003

Three Days Grace wrote this song about loving someone they hate so much and it went on to become a super hit. The love-hate relationships depicted in this song, ironically, touched the hearts of many and we still hear it playing in some of our favourite eating/drinking places.

“Every time we lie awake, after every hit we take, every feeling that I get, but I haven’t missed you yet, only when I stop to think about it, I hate everything about you, why do I love you?”

5)    ‘Hate (I Really Don’t Like You)’ – Plain White T’s, 2006

‘Hate (I Really Don’t Like You)’ by Plain White T’s taught the world that ‘hate’ is a very strong word but you can get by just fine by telling them that you really, really, really, really don’t like them.

“Hate is a strong word, but I really, really, really don’t like you, now that it’s over, I don’t even know what I liked about you.”

February 10, 2015
10 places you should definitely not be found coochie cooing at this Valentine’s Day!

If you don’t have a private space to canoodle this Valentine’s Day, please do everyone a favour and avoid doing it at all! Nobody is interested in witnessing your PDA… seriously! And if you really have to make a big, ostentatious display of your love, kindly avoid the following places. They aren’t meant to be spots to celebrate affection. If you want to spend some ‘quality’ time, go to a quality place! Thank you very much.

1. Parks/Monuments – Ah! The clichéd target! Couples, couples everywhere… not a single foothold to play! Sorry Coleridge, but parks are truly NO LONGER places for little kids or pet lovers to revel in. And dear couples, while you’re at it, please spare our historical monuments from the declarations of your undying love.

2. Metro stations/ Inside the metro – Another ultra-shady place for the ‘siamese twins’ kinda couples who can never get their hands off each other! Train stations and even inside the train are big no-nos for PDA as the whole friggin’ world can see and secretly judge you!

3. Parking lots – We bet each one of us has had that ‘parking lot’ moment. Parking lots may sound fine once in your lifetime but on Valentine’s Day, we beg you – Do not follow the masses. Be a little creative.

4. Cinema halls – We get it… you think it’s dark and no one really gets to know much. But that’s not entirely true! The little kids around you or the bored aunty next you can totally tell what you’re up to. And if your idea of spending the day of romance is replete with clichés like watching ’50 Shades of Grey’ together, please, PLEASE rent a DVD and excuse us the torture.

5. Autos – Talking about 50 Shades, unless you want the ‘auto waley bhaiya’ to witness your version of the movie, we’d say avoid the mush in these humble vehicles of public use!

6. Back of the car when your friend is driving you around – That’s plain desperate. And sick! And unbelievably down-market. Gah!

7. The ‘gali’ outside someone’s house – We’re not in school now, are we? Sitting on the neighbour’s bike and indulging in those ‘sweet nothings’ is just passé. If that’s your idea of making her feel oh-so-special, we have bad news for you! Even if she stays in the same locality as you – Still no!

8. Lifts in the malls – Seriously?! Okay… if you must… as long as there’s no one else in the lift with you both. Also, make sure there are no hidden cameras around. And the most crucial part should be making sure that you’re done before you arrive on your floor lest the lift doors open in front of 10 people!

9. Fitting rooms – That’s daring! Unless you’re the highly intrepid sorts, please avoid yourself and others the obvious embarrassment. If both of you do manage to sneak out of the fitting rooms unnoticed, give yourself a pat on the back.

10.Public restrooms – Eeeeuwwwww! You’re just gross!

Image Source: All images sourced from Giphy.com

February 10, 2015
Can’t wait for India to meet Pakistan in the battlefield this Sunday? This ad understands exactly how each one of us feels!

It all started in the year ’92 when two neighbours – or let’s just call them arch nemesis (in the world of cricket) stepped into the ODI World Cup on opposite sides. Since then, the ‘Blue’ team has given the ‘Green’ one…well… enough sleepless nights – 5 times in a row!!!

The most-awaited match between India and Pakistan is going to be Legen-wait-for-it-dary! Taking place on the 15^th of February 2015 at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide – Australia, the 6^th battle between the Green and the Blue team will surely keep Cricket fans all around the world glued to their screens. Lucky are those who would actually witness the game that’s known to make record-breaking history year after year! Sadly our favourite Sachin Tendulkar will not be seen on the field this time, but even that one fact can dampen our excitement only so much! Take a look at this video by Star Sports that perfectly captures the emotions of every Cricket fanatic in the country!

February 9, 2015
How would you like to add humour to your life? Learn from these sign boards!
If you are having a dull day at work, here’s something that might just crack you up. That’s right, these extremely witty yet funny sign boards from around the world are sure to make you smile right this moment. Take a look.
1. Some people just don’t get the point, do they?
  Source
2. Seriously, when was the last time ‘water’ made you forget all your sorrows?
  Source
3. We bet this guy finally had to look for another place to take a dump!
  Source
4. False advertising, it really exists!!
  Source
5. This guy surely knows how to deal with idiots! (The bad-ass way)
  Source
6. Ooops! Damn, I wasn’t supposed to read that!
  Source
7. Can somebody explain to us the meaning behind the third symbol? And is that a levitating baby?
  Source
8. Karma b*tch! Enough said!
  Source
9. Well, we do have a few rebels in the house it seems!
  Source
10. It’s your future, make sure it doesn’t have any ‘short’-comings!
  Source
11. Danny! You’re da man!
  Source
12. That little fishy understands us! Totally!
  Source
13. God doesn’t hate anyone! But yes, cute people are always easy on the eyes!
  Source
14. Birthday suits! Ahem! We’d really like to see what this person has to offer!
  Source
15. All right all right! We get it! Here, take 4 dollars and gimme the best you’ve got.
  Source
16. If only our lives could be like this damn vending machine!
  Source
17. We’d really like to know where this particular lift is installed.
  Source
18. This is NOT a sign board but it’s surely the best thing we’ve seen today! Guess this shit really has hit the fan!
  
  Source
February 6, 2015
Valentine’s Day gift ideas for him

The popular perception is that Valentine’s Day is tough on a man. On the contrary, if you’re the kind of woman who doesn’t believe in clichés and loves to make her man feel special, you know that the day of love is way trickier for you. The reason is simple! Picking a V-day gift for a man is a mind-boggling game at a time when all the shops are decked in different shades of pink and red. But help is at hand… Here’s a list of Valentine’s Day gift ideas for him that will help you with your conundrum.

Is your man the dapper variety? Well, then we suggest you pick a pair of shoes, a Henley shirt or cuffed jeans. If you’re not sure about the sizes then go for fashion accessories like sunglasses, cufflinks or a tie.

If your budget allows you to buy something extravagant, turn to watches. Most men wear watches on a daily basis. Plus, a watch will remind him of you every day… or shall we say, every minute?! You can also buy him a wallet or a new bag for his laptop.

Technology is to men like fashion is to women, so get your man the latest gadget if he doesn’t have it already like the new iPad. If he does, then maybe look for an upgraded version of his favorite gadget for instance, an iPhone 6 from a 5S. If you’re not looking at spending so much money then get him the right add-ons for his gadgets like a wireless mouse, an external hard drive or maybe a power bank.

For the fitness freaks out there, you may purchase portable resistance bands, wireless Bluetooth earphones, armbands or wristbands for running.

If your Valentine is a travel enthusiast, you would want invest in a good travel or shaving kit along with the right toiletries. Since men don’t really appreciate the cutesy printed kits, we suggest you go for one in black or a dark blue. Add a nice shaving gel, an aftershave lotion, a deodorant roll-on or maybe a beard smoothening lotion if your guy likes to sport a stubble.

If none of these Valentine’s Day gift ideas for him sounds appealing to you then go for traditional treats like chocolate-covered strawberries, a pack of his favourite dark chocolates, a bottle of his preferred wine or better still, take charge and take him out for a sweet candlelit dinner.

Looking for a Valentine’s Day gift for her? Click here to get a list of ideas to get you started

February 6, 2015
App of the week: Glympse

Waiting for your friends at a restaurant? Send them a ‘Glympse’ to let them know that you’ve reached or just request a ‘Glympse’ from somebody who is always running late! ‘Glympse’ makes life easy by letting its users share their location in real time with the people they trust. It also lets you create groups with friends and family to make planning your get-togethers easy. Here’s everything you need to know about this app.

Download ‘Glympse’ on your smartphone and allow it to access your location. Click on ‘Send Glympse’ to let your friends and family know where you are. Unlike other location-sharing apps, ‘Glympse’ lets your friends track your location for a chosen period of time starting from a second to four hours. So say you’re picking up a friend from a bus station and she sends you a ‘Glympse’, you can track where the bus is and pick her up just when she is about to get off.

The best feature of this app is that you can share your location by means of other social media apps like Twitter, Facebook, Whatsapp and more. So the recipient of the ‘Glympse’ doesn’t necessarily need the same app on his or her phone to track where you are. It also lets you know if your friends viewed your ‘Glympse’ or when they are tracking you.

You can download this app through the following links;

Google play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.glympse.android.glympse&hl=en

Apple app store: https://itunes.apple.com/in/app/glympse-share-gps-location/id330316698?mt=8

Windows phones: http://www.windowsphone.com/en-in/store/app/glympse/ec418e52-b788-e011-986b-78e7d1fa76f8

February 3, 2015
Learn how to store, open & serve a bottle of Chandon with Rohan Jelkie – Brand ambassador, Moet Hennessy India

Meet Rohan Jelkie, the brand ambassador of Moet Hennessy India who tells us how to store, open and serve a fine bottle of Chandon, the latest addition to the Moet Hennessy family. The guru of spirits ups our knowledge of wines and how they must be consumed over a period of time. Take a look.

February 2, 2015
Valentine’s Day is so much fun when you’re single!
Wondering what to do on the so called ‘day of love’? The answer should be – Nothing! That’s right, stay home and enjoy that friggin’ Saturday in bed doing nothing at all. Or better yet, no matter what plan your other friends have with their respective loved ones, here’s what all you can do to have some fun while flaunting your “single” status. Take a look.
1. Call up your friends with special plans and ask them why they celebrate Valentine’s?
Chances are your friend who has been planning to make this day oh-so-special with his/her special someone has no clue about the history behind Valentine’s Day! And in a situation like this, perhaps you could engage yourself with their answers and maybe write a funny blog about it? (Who knows it might just go viral and make you famous).
1. Do a horror movie marathon!
There’s nothing better than to go against all clichés on this day. Rent a few horror movies and watch them all back to back, like a boss! Trust us, this way you’d save a lot of money and you won’t have to drag your a** out of bed all day! Our suggestion – Start with the ‘Insidious’ movies (if you haven’t seen them already).
1. Alcohol!
Who says day drinking is bad? Or day-to-the-evening-till-the-night drinking is bad either? Here’s what you gotta do… call up a few of your fun friends (who are single to be precise) and grab a bottle of your favourite sweet poison and… we don’t need to spell the rest out, do we?! PS – do not forget to b*tch about your other friends who are currently out on stupid dates. Stupid!
1. Cry about not having a date this year either. (NOT)
If that makes it 5 years in a row, you’re awesome! Buying presents, planning something special, getting hectic… guess what? You just saved yourself from all that trouble all these years while your committed friends were going through that insanity over this super-hyped day. Therefore, do not! We repeat Do NOT feel bad about not having a ‘special someone’ just because it’s Valentine’s Day!
1. Gift yourself something stupid and funny
Fine, you are allowed to be a little (a tiny bit) dramatic if nothing works. Go out or just go online and shop for something for yourself. Pampering yourself is your prerogative that no one else can compete with. At the end of the day, it’s you who knows exactly what would make you happy.
1. Concoct schemes about all the things you could do to your friends with special plans
Time to get a little nasty! How about some fun at the expense of your friends who have been annoying the cr*p outta you over this day since forever? Devise a wicked little scheme to play a harmless prank on your annoying couple friends. Though make sure that you don’t go overboard and end up ruining their most-awaited date!
1. Spend time with those who actually love you unconditionally– Your family!
As we all know, Valentine’s Day is not just about spending it with your better half. How about you spend some quality time with your folks, take them out and pamper them. Treat this day as just another occasion to express your love for them. It will be a great gesture from your side, especially for your parents! There is no better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with the people who really care about you.

Image source: All images sourced from Giphy.com
February 2, 2015
Mark the dates for these Hollywood movies releasing this February

This February is going to be epic! Why? Because the much-awaited ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ releases a day before Valentine’s Day! What’s more… there is an exciting line-up of Hollywood movies like ‘Jupiter Ascending’, ‘Blackhat’, ‘Focus’, ‘The Lazarus Effect’ and ‘The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ hitting screens near you! Take a quick look at what they are all about!

Jupiter Ascending – 6^th February

Releasing on 6^th February is the sci-fi flick ‘Jupiter Ascending’. Starring Hollywood hotties Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum, the movie focusses on the adventurous journey of Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) from being a mere janitor to playing a part that involves going beyond the planet Earth to fulfill her destiny. Well that’s something interestingly unusual!

Fifty Shades of Grey – 13^th February

13^th February will be marked as the day when the most anticipated movie of 2015 – ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ hits the cinema. Based on E. L. James’ best-selling novel of the same name, the American romantic drama stars Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson. Dear Fifty Shades, thanks for making our Valentine’s Day interesting for once.

Blackhat – 27^th February

On 27^th February we shall see the legendary ‘Thor’ in a whole new avatar! That’s right, Chris Hemsworth-starrer ‘Blackhat’ is set within the world of global cybercrime where an American/Chinese joint anti-cyber theft task force races to root out a Southeast Asian hacker.

Focus – 27^th February

Releasing on the same day is ‘Focus’. The American romantic comedy-drama stars Will Smith and Margot Robbie as marvellous grifts who get romantically involved only to fall apart later. Things go awry when they meet again after three years realising that they are on the opposite sides in the same scam! What happens next? Find out on the 27^th!

The Lazarus Effect – 27^th February

Finally a spooky flick in February! ‘The Lazarus Effect’ is another movie hitting the screens on the same day. Starring Olivia Wilde, Evan Peters and Sarah Bolger; the movie’s interesting plot revolves around a group of medical professionals who have found a way to bring the dead back with a serum named ‘Lazarus’. However, the story takes a turn when one of the professionals dies in an accident and is brought back with the help of the same serum used on a human for the first time! Not so scary, isn’t it? What happens to her, though, might just give you goosebumps!

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – 27^th February

The sequel to the British comedy-drama is finally here! ‘The Second best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ features the same ensemble cast as the first movie adding Richard Gere to the bandwagon. Personally, we’d recommend everyone to watch this one since it’s rare to find cheerful humour perfectly mixed with touching emotions in a totally cute movie!

If you’d like to know about the Bollywood movies that are releasing this February please click here.

January 30, 2015
Bollywood movies set to entertain you this February

‘Shamitabh’, ‘Badlapur’, ‘The Messenger of God’ and ‘Roy’ are all set to entertain you throughout the month of February. Here’s a roundup of the four Bollywood flicks and their premiere dates.

Shamitabh – 6^th February

Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Dhanush and debutante Akshara Hassan, ‘Shamitabh’ will hit the cinemas on 6^th Febraury. This movie revolves around the lives of two artists, a mute actor (played by Dhanush) and an alcoholic (played by Amitabh Bachchan). Bachchan lends his voice to the mute actor and turns him into a superstar. Catch the movie on 6^th February to find out what happens next.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzJfGRrHlxY

Roy – 13^th February

Bringing double roles back this year is the movie ‘Roy’, starring Jacqueline Fernandez with actors Ranbir Kapoor and Arjun Rampal. A thriller with a love triangle, the movie features Ranbir Kapoor as a conman, Arjun Rampal as a film director and Jacqueline Fernandez in two roles – one of an art enthusiast and the other of a movie director. Watch this one to witness the comeback of double roles in Indian cinema or simply to enjoy the chart-topping, super catchy song, ‘Chitiyan Kalaiyan’.

The Messenger of God – 13^th February

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s infamous ‘The Messenger of God’ will hit the screens on 13^th February. Singh will portray the role of Guru ji (a spiritual teacher) with a large number of followers who has resolved to eradicate issues like drug abuse and gender-related issues from the social fabric of the country.

Badlapur – 20^th February

The action-thriller ‘Badlapur,’ starring Varun Dhawan and Nawazuddin Siddique in lead roles, is slated for release on 20^th February. Varun Dhawan plays the role of Raghav a.k.a. Raghu looking to take revenge from the man who killed his wife and son in front of him while trying to rob his house 15 years ago.

If you’d like to know about the Hollywood movies that are releasing this February please click here.

January 30, 2015
Amit Trivedi on redefining Bollywood film music and composing the soundtrack for ‘Bombay Velvet’

Music composer Amit Trivedi’s score for Anurag Kashyap’s Dev D in 2009 set a new trend as far as Bollywood film music was concerned. The composer delivered an eclectic mix of numbers which incorporated varied genres of music ranging from brass-band sounds of ‘Tauba Tera Jalwa’ to rock with ‘Nayan Tarse’, a first for any Hindi film.

Amit Trivedi: While I was making the music of ‘Dev D’ in 2007, I’d listen to the radio every night to understand what worked. My biggest fear was the difference between my compositions and the type of music people liked back then. There was absolutely no connection in the hit Bollywood scores and my music, which was when I decided to leave everything to God and see how it goes.

Trivedi’s gamble paid off and he bagged the National Film Award for Best Music Direction that year. The modern day Devdas’ narrative was strung together with tunes which were relevant for the times.

Amit Trivedi: I thought let me do a sound track or a score based on how someone with a broken heart would react today. He won’t obviously indulge in ‘Madira’ or ‘Pan’. There are other stronger substances available now. Keeping that in mind, I wanted to make the music trippier, edgier, more laid back and grungier, which comes from the story itself.

While Trivedi made everyone sit up and take notice with his tracks for ‘Dev D’, the film which marked his debut in Bollywood was Rajkumar Gupta’s ‘Aamir’ in 2008. Soon Trivedi was also roped in by Vikramaditya Motwane to compose the soundtrack for ‘Udaan’. The composer considers himself lucky to have started his career with films which had some of the best scripts and also gave him the opportunity to experiment.

Amit Trivedi: For someone who had just started his career, getting to read scripts like ‘Udaan’ and ‘Aamir’, was very overwhelming. We all know what works in Hindi films; the romantic ballads, item songs, dance numbers or disco numbers and these two films had none of these elements, that’s what excited me the most.

From the rock anthem ‘Dilli Dilli’ in ‘No One Killed Jessica’ to the kitschy burlesque dance number ‘Dreamum Wakeup’ in the movie ‘Aiyya’ or for that matter the playful love song ‘Pareshan’ from ‘Isahqzaade’, Trivedi’s versatility has been his biggest strength. The composer also does not shy away from using new genres like ‘dubstep’ in Bollywood film music.

Amit Trivedi: While working on ‘Ishaqzaade’ Habib Sir (Habib Fasial) wanted me to compose music for one of his promos that had a lot of pace in terms of the visuals. I had to create a tempo which would fit the parameters of that pace so I decided to break the composition down into half. Breaking the music down into two parts sparked the idea of including dubstep. When I pitched the idea of dubstep for the promo to both Habib Faisal and Aditya Chopra, they had no idea about that genre. I was insistent and instead of denying, they asked me to compose a song for the movie.

His songs for Vikramaditya Motwane’s period film ‘Lootera’ garnered him the bouquets as well as the brickbats. Allegedly the film’s theme music was uncannily similar to that of Hollywood film ‘One Day’. But that did not take away from the overall reception of his songs.

And we leave you with Trivedi’s thoughts on his upcoming project with director Anurag Kashyap, ‘Bombay Velvet’, yet again a period film for which he will be experimenting with Jazz music.

Amit Trivedi: The most exciting thing right now is ‘Bombay Velvet’, because for the first time probably I am trying to do Hindi jazz. The film is set in the fifties and the sixties and it is about life in Bombay in that era. At that time jazz was very active and there were a lot of jazz clubs. It was very exciting for me to jump into that territory, to do jazz from back then. It was a big challenge to bring that style of music to fit in the Bombay culture and environment while keeping things contemporary. The movie stars Ranbir and Anushka, so the music had to be able to speak a contemporary language.

January 29, 2015