The Hindu : Theme songs add colour to campaign

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 26, 2003

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Theme songs add colour to campaign

By Sujay Mehdudia

Smriti Z. Irani, the good old Tulsi of "Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhie Bahu Thee" fame, campaigning along with Union Minister of State Vijay Goel in favour of the Chandni Chowk BJP candidate, Dharamveer Sharma, on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI NOV. 25 . It is not just the latest Bollywood chart-busters that are adding colour and entertainment to the electoral campaign in the run-up to the Delhi Assembly elections. The "theme songs'' of mega soap operas on various television channels have also become hot favourites, adding vigour to the campaign.

So "Parivartan Lehar Top 10'' is the title of the cassette circulated by the Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party to its contesting candidates to be played on loudspeakers and moving vehicles. All hot numbers have been included in this album compiled by various artistes for the BJP election campaign. Then there are jingles based on theme songs of tele-serials like "Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki'' and "Saas Bhi Kabhie Bahu Thi'', which are favourites with both the parties. And not to miss out the "Dhola Re Dhola'' song from the superhit Bollywood film "Devdas'' which talks about the Delhi BJP chief, Madan Lal Khurana, becoming Chief Minister and pointing to the failure of the Sheila Dikshit Government. In addition, Punjabi pop hits of singers like Hans Raj Hans, Jassi and Sukhbir have been used in a big way.

The introduction of the Parivartan Top 10 is straight from the theme song of B.R. Chopra's tele-serial "Mahabharat'' which talks about Mr. Khurana riding the victory Rath and taking Delhi by storm. Interestingly, missing from the Top 10 hit album is the mention of the "Vikas Purush'' Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and the "Loh Purush'' Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, or his talk of "Suraaj''. Also missing are the achievements of the BJP-led Central Government and the entire focus is on Dikshit versus Khurana debate.

Then there is "Main Nikla Gadi Le Ke'' from "Gadar— Ek Prem Katha'' that has been turned into "Sheila, Maken, Walia Ko Dilli Se Bhagana Hai, Khuranaji Ko Lana Hai.'' Also, there is "Maula Kabhie Mujhe Chodna Kabhie Nahin'', the catchy number sung by the Amitabh-Adnan Sami duo, which talks about the people of Delhi saying "Kabhie Nahin'' to things like development, access to Chief Minister, availability of water and power and it ends with asking the people "Congress ko Lana Hai?'' to which they reply "Kabhie Nahin''.

However, what takes the cake is the theme song of mega-serials, which have been turned into jingles. The opening song "Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki'' turns into "Kahani Kharab Nai Meter Ki'' pointing to the fast running electricity meters which have resulted in excess power bills. The "Saas Bhi Kabhie Bahu Thi'' theme song which begins with "Congress Government Baith Ke Soti Rahi, Dengue Bimari Failati Rahi'' and ends with "Delli Bhi Kabhie Swasth Thi''. Then there is Lord Yama talking about how people are dying without his permission and his assistant Chitragupt telling him that Delhi Government had taken control of his powers and people were dying of dengue.

The Congress musical bonanza is also no less attractive. But it contains discussions of interactive nature that talk about the achievements of the Sheila Dikshit Government including flyovers, Metro Rail, less pollution and privatisation of power. For instance, "Saas Bhi Kabhie Bahu Thi'' turns into "Dilli Ki Janata Yeh Kahti Hai, Congress Is Dil Mein Basti Hai'' and ends with "Sonia Ki Takaat Ko Barhana Hai, Congres Ko Jitana Hai, Kyon Ki Congress Har Dil Mein Basti Hai''.

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