| SONY BMG RELEASE SOUNDTRACK TO
KARAN JOHAR’S NEW FILM, ‘KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA’
Sony BMG (India) on 12th June released the long awaited
soundtrack to top India director Karan Johar’s forthcoming
film Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (Never Say Goodbye).
The glamorous launch,
set against a backdrop of the Manhattan skyline was
attended by Karan Johar and the lead star of the film,
Shah Rukh Khan, who at the age of 40 still holds the
undisputed title of the King of Bollywood.
Record giant Sony BMG
(India) have successfully released soundtracks to all
of Karan’s films, and with over 20 million units (albums)
sold to date simply from Johar’s films, it is a clear
indication of the successful partnership between the
film and its music. The latest offering, ‘Kabhi Alvida
Naa Kehna’ shows that often a soundtrack is as closely
guarded a secret as plot lines and scripts. In fact,
the UK launch was the first reveal of the soundtrack,
with guests also experiencing the cinematic magic that
Johar is acclaimed for, with the first screening of
the fantastic dance sequences from the film.
Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna,
Johar’s first directorial role for five years, is the
story of two complex relationships, marriage, disappointment
and ultimately betrayal. Set in New York, the story
revolves around the relationship between Dev (Shahrukh
Khan), and Maya (Rani Mukerji). They are both married
to different people. Dev is married to Priya (Preity
Zinta) and Maya is married to Rishi (Abhishek Bachchan).
However, when Dev and Maya meet, the holes in their
respective marriages become more apparent, as they realise
that they are perfect for each other. They both begin
to seriously question the validity of their married
lives and the implications of pursuing a different destiny.
The Indian film industry
(Bollywood), is the largest producer of films across
the world, releasing over 125 films per year, with a
potential revenue of $ 1 billion. However, alongside
the film itself, the supporting Bollywood music industry
represents a massive revenue generator for the film
industry, with soundtracks to films representing 10%
of the film’s total potential income. In some cases
soundtracks are known to make or break a Bollywood film.
Shridhar Subramaniam,
managing director of Sony BMG said of the album: “Sony
BMG have released the albums for each of Karan’s films,
and the amazing sales that these soundtracks command
globally have broken all industry records. Karan has
set his own benchmark with sales of the soundtrack to
his first film selling over 8 million units worldwide,
and being placed in the Top 5 all time biggest selling
albums in the world. I have no doubt that Kabhi Alvida
Naa Kehna will follow in its footsteps.”
The soundtrack features
a total of seven tracks and an exclusive audio visual
trailer of the film, with lyrics by the highly esteemed
poet Javed Akhtar along with lilting melodies from Shankar
Eshaan Loy, the team that created the hugely successful
soundtrack to Karan’s Box Office smash Kal Ho Naa Ho.
Johar adds: “Many people
view the music and dance in Bollywood films as purely
incidental. I believe that the music is integral to
the film, and for me is a developed very closely within
the framework and structure of the film. The team that
have worked on the lyrics and music understand the characters
that they are writing for and I believe have really
captured their personalities and emotions perfectly.”
No Bollywood film would
be complete without breath-taking dance sequences that
perfectly complement the soundtrack and storyline. Leading
choreographer Farah Khan has again played a critical
role with Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, and Shah Rukh Khan
who for years has been put through his paces by the
‘mistress of dance’, shows off the dance skills that
have definitely contributed to his place at the top
of the Bollywood ladder.
Khan comments: “I love
the fact that Karan and Farah always stretch my dance
skills, and create scenes that are so vibrant and colourful
in all the films we have worked on together. The mood
of Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna is very different…more sensitive
in some scenes and yet much more exuberant in others.
The soundtrack and the dances will take you on a parallel
roller coaster to that of the film and the characters
themselves. I hope that our global audience - both Asian
and mainstream enjoy the soundtrack as much as we do!”
The soundtrack to ‘Kabhi
Alvida Naa Kehna’
goes on general release across the UK on Monday 12th
June.
The soundtrack is available on CD and cassette
and is distributed by Nuff Music in the UK
and Normal Records in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
Article provided by Media Moguls
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