Music enthusiasts cannot stop raving about the edgy "Chitta Ve" song from "Udta Punjab," which is already topping charts. What may add to the excitement is that the music rights to this Amit Trivedi-composed album have been sold at a massive Rs. 18 crore to T-series.
This is the biggest music deal to have ever been struck in Bollywood, an insider told Mid-Day. "The last time we heard of a record-setting contract was for 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo,' which is a crore less than this one. The 'Udta Punjab' album has new age Punjabi vibe to it and the makers hope to strike a chord with music lovers," the source added.
The reason why "PRDP" music rights were sold at a high rate was because its lead star Salman Khan was reuniting with director Sooraj Barjatya after two decades. They have together delivered blockbusters, which are more remembered for their songs than storylines or performances. For instance, "Didi tera devar deewana" "Dil deewana bin sajna ke maane na" and "Joote do paise lo" are some of the many chartbusters that are hummed even today.
In other news, "Udta Punjab," which opens in theatres on June 17, dissects the drug racket in Punjab. Shahid Kapoor's rockstar stint as Tommy Singh is exceptional. He looks every bit in character and is all set to deliver yet another memorable performance. Kareena Kapoor Khan plays a doctor, Alia Bhatt a Bihari migrant and Diljit Dosanjh a police official.
The general excitement around the film is immense and the trailer has already crossed 10 million views on YouTube. Although that's hardly a yardstick to measure success, times are different now.
