Theme songs trending in Durga Puja

Kolkata, Oct 6: First there were theme pujas and now come the theme songs to attract more visitors to Durga Puja pandals in the city, which is on the throes of being immersed in the five-day long festivities.

Top composers, singers and DJs of Bengali film industry have recorded custom-made Puja music for various organizers in the city this year.

The trend for theme songs in Durga Puja started in 2011 and even West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has penned the theme song for a well-known community puja, Suruchi Sangha like last year.

Her song this year 'Prithibi Ektai Desh' (the world is one country) talks about universal brotherhood, harmony and peace.

The music for the song is composed by composer Jeet Ganguly and has been sung by playback singer Palak Muchhal.

The video has been directed by cine director Kaushik Ganguly with creative inputs by Churni Ganguly.

Suruchi Sangha patroniser state Youth and Sports Minister Aroop Biswas said "Last year also Mamata Banerjee had composed the theme song for our club Suruchi Sangha. The song was huge hit. This year too we have got a huge response."

"Theme songs add value to a particular Durga Puja.There is a huge competition among all organisers. So in order to excel you have to do something better and bigger. That's where the idea of theme songs for Durga Puja came up," Biswas said.

Jeet said he felt honoured to compose the music of the theme song penned by Banerjee. "The song has the theme of universal brotherhood, peace and secularism and I think people will be able to connect with it." He had composed the music for the theme song for the club last year too.

Theme songs have been recorded by other big organisers of Durga Puja like Chetla Agragami, Bosepukur-Talbaga, Sreebhumi Sporting Club, Tollygunge Udyan Club and Selimpur Naskarpara.

Organisers of some of the pujas have themselves lent their voices to their respective theme songs. Most of the puja organisers will play their theme songs on loudspeakers for the visitors to hear.

PTI