Birthday Special: Sonam Kapoor Ahuja and the delight of her iconic melodies

Can music truly make a film work This is a question the stalwarts of yore would have a detailed answer of We donrsquot see too many movies with too many good songs today with the obnoxious obsession with remixing or butchering classics that shaped childhoods One actor who always manages to find one gem in the soundtrack of her films is Sonam KapoorKapoor turns 36 today on June 9 She has been in the industry for 14 years In these 14 years her films have succeeded and sank but what remained intact was one haunting melody in almost all of them Here are some of themMashaAllah Saawariya 2007Sanjay Leela Bhansalirsquos interpretation of lsquoWhite Nightsrsquo met with a tepid response The love story felt a little charmless if not entirely cold What stood out was the music by Monty Sharma making a sure footed impression as a composer The filmrsquos soundtrack needs patience and care and one such track is MashaAllah filmed on the leads debuting Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor The boy cannot get over the gorgeousness of the girl and hence the lyrics It elegantly captures the shyness of the girl and the flirtatious nature of the boy Too bad the audience shied away from the filmMassakali Delhi 6 2009Of course we do remember the forgettable remixed version that angered fans and the original composer But letrsquos talk about the OG Massakali A R Rahman set the tone of the female character just right with this pulsating number that still remains a contagious charming track It has montages of Sonam dancing with a white pigeon on her head someone that represents peace and harmony And the song is exactly the opposite filled with energy and thunder What a beautiful ironyGal Meethi Meethi Bol Aisha 2010Amit Trivedi knows how to use restrain in numbers that can easily go overthetop In lsquoAisharsquo this wedding number begins when the film is almost over and all the conflicts and confusions are resolved Everyone wants to dance but since they all belong to filthy rich families barring Amrita Puri and her husband they have to show ease and composure Trivedi doesnrsquot only stay true to his style of composing but also to the nuances of the actors hersquos composing for GeniusRabba Main Toh Mausam 2011One can always rely on Pritam to make certain films memorable only for their music Pankaj Kapurrsquos lsquoMausamrsquo is one of them This melody is about a boy gazing at this new girl who has arrived in his village He even follows her to her house and hides when he fears she has seen him She has and she smiles We know a love saga will follow soon We smile with the leads not as much for their love for each other as much for Pritamrsquos numberThe Title Track Raanjhanaa 2013Rahman was at his haunting best in this Aanand L Rairsquos romantic drama about an obsessed obnoxious lover Dhanush unleashed his wild unabashed side as Kundan who didnrsquot think twice before slitting his wrist for a woman who just wouldnrsquot reciprocate his passion and obsession This song plays out when hersquos completely fallen for Zoya the very woman in question Shot lusciously across the streets and hustles of Varanasi Rahmanrsquos track gives this romance an evocative moodJeete Hain Chal Neerja 2016If the panic in an aircraft that puts its passengers in palpable fear and dread isnrsquot enough to make you claustrophobic this song that appears during the climax will take care It plays after Neerja Bhanotrsquos funeral It plays after Shabana Azmirsquos moving speech about loss This remains Sonam Kapoorrsquos most important performance And this is a deeply touching song that can leave you moist eyedAlso Read Sonam Kapoors missing Mumbai but cannot diss her new home at London