In 2000, the trio of Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa had composed the peppy dance number ‘Bumbro’ for Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Mission Kashmir (2000). The song was inspired by a Kashmiri folk wedding song ‘Bumbro’ [pronounced as Bumbaroh]. Nineteen years later, composer Vishal Mishra has created his version of the folk song for the film, Notebook, produced by Salman Khan. ‘Bumro’ was released today today.
While Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy had used the song for a wedding sequence, in Notebook it is used in a vastly different setting — Kabir (Zaheer Iqbal) entertaining school kids.
Notebook is about Kabir who comes to a desolate Kashmiri school to teach. The seven little students have been left behind, along with memories of the last teacher who taught there. This teacher, named Firdaus (Pranutan Bahl), is the unknown person Kabir falls in love with.
The Notebook version is penned by Kaushal Kishore, while singer Vibha Saraf is credited for additional Kashmiri lyrics. The lines by Saraf are original, and not part of the folk song — ‘Vyesiye vyesiye wal was bonn, Dal Saeras gasav vanya’. Saraf’s lyrics translate to ‘Friend come down now, let’s go for a Dal ride’. Kashmiri speakers would be the best judge of Saraf’s lines, but Kishore’s Hindi lyrics don’t really cast any spell on you.
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s ‘Bumbro’ was a dance track too, but the music still had the folk flavour. Mishra’s ‘Bumro’ is largely a pop track with only a little folksy touch to it that only comes through the music playing over the ‘Bumro’ line and the Kashmiri words. Kamaal Khan’s singing can be best described as elementary. It’s a fun number, nonetheless.
The Mission Kashmir track had a strong visual appeal with Preity Zinta, Hrithik Roshan and the other dancers pulling off fine dance moves. Zaheer Iqbal emulates some of those steps and the choreography is more suited to amuse the kids. The song is shot aesthetically, glorifying the beauty of Dal Lake. The contemporary pop score will charm pop lovers.
Watch both the songs below: