What is Salt Bridge, and why does it have seven tracks in the list of nominees competing in the Original Song category for the 88th Academy Awards that will be held in February 2016?
Salt Bridge premiered at the All Lights India International Film Festival in Kochi in November this year. The cross-cultural romance between an Indian man and an Australian woman stars Rajeev Khandelwal, Chelsie Preston and Usha Jadhav, and is directed by Abhijit Deonath. Salt Bridge has seven songs that are listed as Aankhon Me Samaye Dil, Bachpana Thaa, Kanpne Lage Tum, Kyaa Bataaun Tujhe, Le Jaaye Jo Door Tumse, Na Jaane Kitni Door, Sookha Hi Rang Daalo.
This video clip gives a glimpse into the making of one of the songs.
Malayalam movie Jalam, starring Priyanka Nair and directed by M Padmakumar, has also submitted four songs. The film depicts the challenges an impoverished widow faces in trying to raise her child. The tracks are Bhoomiyilenghanumundo, Koodu Vaykkan, Pakalppaathi Chaari, Yaathra Manoradhamerum.
The video for the romantic ballad Koodu Vaykkan, composed by Ouseppachan and sung by Shaktisree (who also sang Nenjikulle for the Tamil movie Kadal), narrates the couple’s journey from their village to the city.
Also on the list is a song from Dukhtar, which was Pakistan’s official entry for the Foreign Language Film category in 2015. The film failed to receive a nomination, but the song Ya Rehem Maula Maula is back in the list of nominees for the 2016 Oscars. It won’t be long before the song appears in a Hindi film.
Case in point: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s Zaroori Tha from a private album, Back 2 Love, was added to Hamari Adhuri Kahani (2015), which gave it more air play.
These songs are part of the 74 original tracks that are eligible for nomination. The list will be whittled down to five nominees, and will be announced in mid-January.