Two films, two songs, one tune

Mumbai, Dec 14 (IANS) Pritam has given the music for the hit "Hare Rama" in "Bhool Bhulaiyaa" as well as "Ishq ka kalma" in "Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal", but both sound uncannily similar. But Bhushan Kumar of T Series is unfazed.

Another point of similarity is that both have been sung by Neeraj Sridhar of Bombay Vikings.

"The two songs belong to the same family, otherwise they aren't the same. Even 'Thodasa pyar hua hai' and 'Kuch kuch hota hai' sounded similar. Yes, we did use the same voice, and we're very proud of Neeraj who has overnight become so popular. After 'Hare Rama', he's doing shows non-stop," Kumar told IANS.

However, Pritam has a different story to tell.

"While composing the two songs I never noticed they were similar. It was my wife who pointed out the similarities to me. Then it was too late. Once I realised the two songs sounded similar, I wanted Mika and not Neeraj to sing 'Ishq ka kalma'. But my suggestion was shot down by the music company.

"Never mind. One is a bhajan and the other a love song. Also, both the tunes were used as promotional videos and not in the film. So it doesn't matter."

The "Hare Rama"-"Ishq ka kalma" run-in reminds one of the "Jhumma chumma" and "Tamma tamma" battle when the two numbers from "Hum" and "Thanedaar" respectively in the 1980s fought a high-pitched battle on the charts.

Both "Jhumma chumma", credited to Laxmikant-Pyarelal, and "Tamma tamma", composed by Bappi Lahiri, were borrowed from an African tune.

Pritam claims the "Goal" and "Bhool Bhulaiyaa" tune are original.

"I'm trying to be as original as possible. I'm very proud of my songs in 'Jab We Met', which are all my original numbers except one that Sandesh Shandilya did. I want to do more films where music is integral to the basic format of the narration, and not thrust on as a music video or an item."

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Bhool Bhulaiyaa