East and West Combine To Create Stunning Music For WEST IS WEST
By FNN | March 31, 2011, 5:25pm IST
New Delhi March 28, 2010: The music of ‘West is West’, the long anticipated sequel to the blockbuster ‘East is East’ was launched today in Delhi by the film lead Om Puri (BAFTA nominated) and Ila Arun. From the same creative team that brought us East is East, produced by Leslee Udwin (BAFTA and multi-award winner) and written by Ayub Khan-Din (Nominated BAFTA Carl Foreman Award and twice winner of Laurence Olivier Award), the film stars Om Puri, Linda Bassett, Ila Arun, Jimi Mistry, Vijay Raaz and introduces Aqib Khan.
WEST IS WEST will open in cinemas across India in Apr or May 2011, distribution by 52 Weeks Entertainment Inc- The film is holding a strong ground in the UK, is amongst the top 100 films on the UK box office even after more than a month of its release (Feb 25th).
Released on Saga Music the trio Shankar-Eshaan-Loy have composed original pieces of incredibly emotive music including songs Kaala Doria, ‘ Mere Sayaan’ and Numaishaan Mohobbataan for ‘West is West’, creating the perfect backdrop for the film that will have audiences laughing, crying and cheering in their seats. Two tracks feature the haunting voice of Sufi Pakistani artist Saeen Zahoor (winner of the BBC World Music Award), besides lending his own hauntingly beautiful Sufi music to the film ('Aik Alif' and 'Toomba'), fans of Zahoor can see him in the film, as he performs the tracks in his truly inimitable style. The film also has music of classic 70s British icons Nana Mouskouri, Donovan, and Mungo Jerry, along with some superbly scored original music by UK based Rob Lane.
The musical score beautifully captures the retro-inspired grooves of 70s with tracks like ‘Alright Alright’, Nana Mouskouri’s classic ‘Over and Over’ and Donovan’s‘ Mellow Yellow’, which sit perfectly alongside the classic Bollywood hits of the time ‘Piya Tu Ab To Aaja’ and ‘O Meri Maina’. Supporting the eclectic mix of classic 70s eastern and western tracks is a stunning original score that perfectly creates the drama, emotion and colour of the film, with tracks including ‘Rooftop Chase’, Arriving in Pakistan and ‘The Final Farewell’ amongst others.
Commenting on their involvement with the film, the trio Shankar- Eshaan-Loy said: We were delighted to be involved with the movie - East is East was a landmark film, and to be involved with the sequel is very exciting. Creating a score that reflects the emotions in a film is very different from writing songs, and West is West has given us the opportunity to also move away from traditional Bollywood music to much more earthy and Sufi-inspired sounds. 

Producer of the film, Leslee Udwin comments: â€I wanted a soundtrack that would make the audience smile and want to dance in the aisles with the uplifting energetic thrill of Sufi music, that would take them back in time and do justice to the 70s, whether they were British or Asian and that successfully mirrored the emotions of what is not only an entertaining, but also a deeply moving film. I am so proud of the soundtrack and of the brilliant composers Rob Lane and Shankar Ehsaan Loy, and having Saeen Zahoor enhance and enrich the film with his spirituality, extraordinary voice and charismatic presence has been an added bonus. I have long been a personal fan of the the life-enhancing musical hits of the iconic Shankar Ehsaan Loy trio and so to actually have worked with them on this film I love so much - me satwe asman mehu!â€
Says Suneil Wadhwa, 52 Week Entertainment Inc, “The music is the soul of the film. It’s the perfect combination of the west meeting the east with some classic retro, sufi and pop sound which will be loved by the audience, it has something for everyone. The Sufi sound of the film is the strong Asian flavour that binds the whole film and its story together.â€
West is West, same family, different country, a lot more baggage. Set 5 years on from EAST IS EAST, the sequel takes the Khan family on a journey from Salford, England to rural Pakistan. West is West is as much the coming of age story of 13-year-old Sajid as of his father, 60-year-old George (‘Ghengis’) Khan. George, in a last attempt to make a good son of him and teach him to value roots and traditions, decides to pack Sajid off to his first wife and family in the Punjab, whom he had abandoned 30 years earlier. In the process the tables are turned on George when he comes face to face with his own transgressions, and realizes that it is he himself who has much to learn.
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