Mumbai: Bollywood has always loved mixing sounds from around the world. Over the decades composers and filmmakers have borrowed melodies rhythms and instruments from the Arab world and Persia to add an exotic edge or a raw folk punch to songs. The outcome is a series of tracks that are catchy immediately and a bit mysterious due to their Arabic flavour. Below we spotlight eight tracks that made that fusion sing and explain what makes each one special.
FA9LA, Dhurandhar
The new entry FA9LA from the spy thriller Dhurandhar brings a raw Middle Eastern rap energy into a high voltage Bollywood number. The track’s rhythmic bite and regional vocal style helped it go viral and gave actor Akshaye Khanna a show stealing moment on screen. FA9LA is evidence that modern Arabic and Gulf rap can transform the attitude of a song and make it immediately popular in the world.
Jamal Kudu, Animal
Jamal Kudu revived an old Persian style chant and made it a viral dance moment thanks to a powerful on screen performance. The song borrows Middle Eastern folk motifs and rhythmic patterns that create a trance like atmosphere. Used as an entry anthem Jamal Kudu demonstrates how a single ethnic hook can can set the atmosphere of a whole scene and be imprinted in the memory of pop culture..
Kaho Na Kaho, Murder
Kaho Na Kaho is a classic example of cross cultural adaptation. The melody is heavily inspired by an Egyptian Arabic pop song and was given new life in Hindi with a sensual arrangement. The outcome was significant in shaping the early 2000s Bollywood sound in which global influences were introduced into mainstream romantic music.
Dilbar, Satyameva Jayate
Dilbar fused Arabic instrumentation with a contemporary pop beat and a hook that refused to leave your head. The belly dance moves used in the visual representation of the song added greater Middle Eastern taste and made it an element of the dance floor. Later Arabic language remixes and versions extended the life of the track across regions and playlists.
Afghan Jalebi, Phantom
Afghan Jalebi mixes rhythmic Middle Eastern percussion with party friendly arrangements. The instrumentation evokes desert festivals and fast moving celebration tunes which made the song a popular choice for dance sequences. It is a good example of how Arabic components could be utilized to produce raw undiluted entertainment energy.
Mashallah, Ek Tha Tiger
Mashallah combines sweeping romantic lines with desert like instrumentation and Arabic style vocal inflections. The song uses these textures to give the romance a grandeur and a sense of faraway mystery that fit the film’s globe trotting visuals.
Dil Cheez Tujhe Dedi, Airlift
This romantic track uses gentle Arabic instrumentation to create warmth and longing. The slight touch of Arabic scales in the set makes the song have an emotional shade that rests well between Hindi melody and Middle Eastern sound.
Mayya Mayya, Guru
Mayya Mayya is unique as A R Rahman did train an Egyptian singer to sing the song and the melody is written in a very evidently Middle Eastern way. Its chanting chorus and rhythmic swings make it one of the most authentic fusions on this list and a memorable moment in modern film music.
Why these songs work
Arabic scales and rhythms bring unusual intervals and syncopations to Bollywood arrangements. Those elements not only sound fresh to Indian ears, but also provide a powerful visual context to filmmakers to design choreography costumes and set design. When used thoughtfully the result can be haunting romantic or purely celebratory depending on the scene.
Most of these songs are versions of older songs or are inspired by older tunes. When composers borrow from another musical tradition the best results happen when that influence is treated with care and respect. Songs like Mayya Mayya and authentic remixes show how collaboration with native artists can create something both original and respectful.
Vintage musical influences to contemporary rap hybrid The Arabic musical influence on Bollywood has provided Indian film music with some of its most memorable hooks. Be it a heartfelt chorus or an ear-banging entry number these songs bring two musical worlds together to create tunes that remain with us even after the credits are over.
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