When I hear the word ‘Melody’ names like Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan, Sonu Nigaam and Shaan come to mind. Since my childhood, I have grown up listening to his soulful compositions created by the best Bollywood music directors. They had a romantic appeal to them, which used to strike an instant chord in the mind of the listener. The lasting impact those songs left behind was something that cannot be described in words.

Nowadays, Bollywood songs have undergone a metamorphosis compared to those of the early and mid 90s. Melodious compositions have now been replaced by numbers of raunchy elements and abysmal rapping which is quite alright because change is necessary, even in music; and the young generation connects very well, but the question that arises is ‘Does that mean a slow release of the melodious Bollywood songs?’

Well, the current scenario in Bollywood movie songs just represents that. There is a dearth of melodious music in movies. Although it would be completely unfair to mention his instant departure because a movie like Aashiqui 2 reminds of the fact that melodious songs still rule the hearts of romantics; he had captured the hearts of the young audience with his immensely romantic songs. Indian music as a whole has a different status in world music and has even captured the mind of the global audience. (Not forgetting the songs composed by AR Rahman for Slumdog Millionaire which won the Golden Globe for Best Original Score, the BAFTA Award for Best Film Score and the Grammy Awards.)

Movies have become much more commercial now and directors have become cautious about return on investment. In fact, the steady rise in box office takings has put every director in the rat race to get into ‘X’ crores clubs, either by hook or by crook, and to achieve those dream box office taking numbers, they are leaving no stone unturned, even if it means including upbeat music featuring the latest rap sensation. As a result of this, the value of melodious songs is decreasing day by day and they are getting lost in the glitz and glamor of songs with aggressive lyrics and western rhythms. But after each high tide, there is a low tide and those days are not far away when we will hear the melodious songs again.