[10] The Upcoming Adult Presents: 18 Pretty Bad Films With Pretty Great Soundtracks

Is it easier to compose great music than it is to produce great movies? What a stupid question, I guess I'd say - had I not had so many experiences pointing in the opposite direction. Especially Indian movies often have a hard time convincing me of their cinematic quality - that is, since I've grown from being utterly fascinated by epic melodramas such as Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.

However, it's a widely know fact that Indian movies like to focus on the musical aspect of cinema a lot more than movies from any other country. While the dancing varies from era to era and isn't that trendy today, the music has and will probably always be an important part of the Indian cinema. And this may be the explanation for why I've seen a bunch of Indian movies that were not much fun looking at but a lot of fun listening to.

There are some non-Indian movies too though, that shine with their soundtracks only, but as the amount of these is very little, you will find mostly Indian movies in this list of...

18 pretty great films with pretty great soundtracks, in no particular order.

Don't forget that it's a matter of taste - and mine can be a bit trashy when it comes to Indian movie songs. I'm also not saying that all songs from these soundtracks are that great. But do share your opinion with me!

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW and THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

Emma Watson playing Sam in

THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

playing Susan Sarandon playing Janet in

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

So, what is this post all about? That's a good question.

I think what made me write the above and find the above picture was a vague feeling of "I need to write about a great movie". And I honestly think that The Rocky Horror Picture Show is one of the best movies I've ever seen. As usually, those are the movies I find it hardest to write about (coughDrivecough).

Why do I mention Perks again here, then? Obviously, as those who have seen the movie know, there is a strong connection between the two movies, as the gang from Perks are big fans of Rocky Horror and make a kind of show of the movie. And without Perks, I'd probably never have seen Rocky Horror... or I guess I would, but not that soon.

Another connection between the two are the soundtracks. What lingered with me after both movies were the songs, the melodies that made my heart jump and dance with joy. Bowie's "Heroes", The Smiths's "Asleep", and that one special line; "Don't dream it, be it". 

I often find myself day-dreaming about it, ironically. Although I don't think it's about not-dreaming, but about doing what you want, not what others want - like Janet and Brad, who are probably just what their parents and society wants them to be in the beginning. 

The message therefore also resembles that of Perks in many ways - don't dream it, be it. Be what you want to be. If you want to be a dreamer, be it, if you want to write, write, if you want to be gay, be gay.

So, two paragraphs and I think I've written all there is to write. But perhaps there's nothing more to be written. Perhaps all you can do is to get out (of here) and just watch the movies. 

Kind of "Just do it". (Another of my favourite mottos).

Shabd: To Cherish an Illusion or Not To

India, 2005

Shabd

Directed by Leena Yadav

Written by Leena Yadav, Sutapa Sikdar

★ Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Zayed Khan

         

2005, Northern Germany: a little girl lies on her bed, looking through her collection of fashion magazines and listening to her currently favourite song, Khoya Khoya from the movie Shabd. She has been listening to this song for at least the past four weeks, watching the trailers of the movie in an infinite loop, and she can't get any of this out of her head. How perfect this movie seems to her! If only she had the chance to see it somehow, but it's hard for a little girl in Northern Germany to get her hands on a copy of a newly released Indian movie. Especially one that flopped.

Current Treasure: Kun Faya Kun

If God sent a song to us, then his messenger was A. R. Rahman.

Kun Faya Kun/ Kun Fayakun/ Kun Faaya Kun

CLASSIFICATION: MUSIC

Album: Rockstar (soundtrack)

Composed by A. R. Rahman

Lyrics by Irshad Kamil

Artists: A. R. Rahman, Javed Ali, Mohit Chauhan

Length: 7:53

LISTEN HERE | LYRICS AND TRANSLATION

Dear Allah Rakha Rahman,

already your song Khwaja Mere Khwaja made me feel that you might have seen something that I have not. Not with your eyes, but with your heart. And that you want to show it to as many people as possible, with the help of instruments, voices and music sheets.

Mr. Rahman, I caught a glimpse of this something through all of your songs, even the disco song Fanaa – which is so much more than that – but it was never as clear as in the work/ creation/ gift from heaven you sent to us in 2011. 

The song Kun Faya Kun is, and I feel that I'm understating it, the most beautiful song I have heard in my life, with the exception of The Sound of Silence. 

I can not believe that I found my two favorite songs in the same year, I simply can't. How did this happen, and why? Is it true that 16 is the magic age?

By any means, there has never before been a year where I learnt and saw as much as I did this previous year. 

As I thought about your magic song, and the letter I was going to write about it, I realized that I didn't even know what "Kun Faya Kun" means. I found a wonderful website; rahman360.com, which has the most poetic english translations of your songs, and it said:

Kun Faaya Kun... (refrain): 

„Verily, when He intends a thing, His command is, "Be", and it is!“

You didn't write the lyrics of the song, I know, but it is clear to see, that Kun Faya Kun is a song about the belief in God. As this letter is going to published online, I will not write too much about religion, because this is one of the few subjects I find very private. 

...I am not a muslim, that is for sure, but on the other hand, maybe I am. Because I believe that all religions are the same. And to say it shortly: yes, I do believe in God, even though it is not a person in my eyes.

In an interview, you said that God is everywhere and that you too believe in religious equality. Thank you for speaking my mind. Maybe this is too personal for my readers, but I hope they stay with me and this rather philosophic letter.

A Qawwali is a religious islamic song, and Kun Faya Kun is a Qawwali. Yet it speaks to me on every level, and I can listen to it every day, all the time. However, the most beautiful thing is always, to listen to your favorite song, when you haven't listened to it for a long time.

I don't know why I am writing this to you, if there's one person who knows everything about music, it must be you. 

There also not much more I can write, to be honest, because I know that my words will never measure up to your incredible music, and because all these thoughts are getting mixed up in my head.

In the end, "thank you" is not enough to describe what I feel for your, let's call it song, but it is all I can say. Thank you.