’Spiderman 2’: Sonudtrack by ’’Strings’’

A composition by the Pakistani band Strings will feature on the soundtrack of the upcoming Hollywood film "Spiderman 2".




"Earlier this year, Sony Pictures got in touch with us and said they wanted to include one of our Urdu songs," band member Faisal Kapadia told IANS.




"This happened when we had just signed a deal for an album with Sony Music in India, which is the official licensee of Columbia Records that released the earlier soundtrack of 'Spiderman'. So things worked out well."




The new album, called "Dhaani", was released in India where Strings already has a fan following.




Strings has grown from the 'college kids' image of a music group in 1990 to a leading, mature band. But this is not an overnight transformation or success story.




Their 13-year journey in the music world boasts of several milestones. Hit singles like "Sar Ki Yeh Pahaar" and "Duur" not only created commercial history but also set standards for the pop/rock industry in general.




"Sony Pictures is using our latest song, 'Najanay Kyun' from our album 'Dhaani'. This song will be used both in the soundtrack and the movie ('Spiderman 2') in one of the scenes. We are also shooting a music video which will have clips from the movie," said Kapadia, who was here with his partner Bilal for a six-city tour of India.




The film's soundtrack will be released worldwide July 7.




Apart from South Asia, Kapadia and Bilal have also earned a name in Britain, North America and the Middle East.




"'Dhaani' is our title song," says Kapadia. "It means light green colour, which symbolises freshness as we believe the album has a very fresh sound," Bilal added.




Sony Music managing director Shridhar Subramaniam said: "We are very proud and pleased to release the latest Strings offering -- 'Dhaani'. I personally am a great fan of the band and their music. Their sound is refreshing and unique. The band has a very strong and loyal fan base and we are committed to expand that by aggressively promoting them in India.




"Spiderman is truly a global phenomenon, which has also struck a chord with the Indian ma**es.




"We're convinced adding a local language song increases the scale of the project by taking it to a new and larger audience.




"Strings was a natural choice. Not only are they extremely talented, but it seemed the 'Na Jaane Kyun' lyrics had been written for 'Spiderman'."




Columbia TriStar Films marketing manager Harshvardhan Gangurde said: "We at Columbia TriStar have devised a marketing plan for 'Spiderman 2' keeping in mind the superhero's global image that transcends religion, language, age and nationality.




"That was also the reason for our decision to dub the film in three Indian languages -- Urdu, Tamil and Telugu."




"Spiderman is a name familiar to the Indian ma**es, and what better way to reach out to the ma**es than a Urdu song? Seeing Strings' current popularity, they seemed to be the best choice," he said.




"We are happy to be a**ociated with our sister company Sony Music and Strings, and hope this a**ociation gives Spidey the big leap."




One aspect that sets the new album apart from the band's earlier four is its foot-tapping music.




The album is being described as a journey that takes one from ethnic Indian sounds to the world of funk, jazz and rock -- the eclectic blend being another Strings signature