Mumbai, Nov 17 (IANS) Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan is humming a new tune in his ready-to-release "Baabul" and says it is a tune from his past that kept playing in his mind. Unfortunately, however, the album was finally released sans the song.

"I just thought I'd use it here because it fitted in so well. I played around with the notes and came up with this song for 'Baabul'. In fact, I recorded the song just a couple of days ago.

"In Ravi Chopra's 'Baghban' I had sung four numbers. In 'Baabul' I've recorded two. Earlier, I had recorded a happy number. But the pensive sombre number which I've just recorded is actually composed by me," said Amitabh, who doesn't seem bitter about the song being left out of the album.

Amitabh still insists he isn't much of a singer.

"What I like is to met up with Aadesh Shrivastava, sit around in his music room and fool around with the notes. In 'Baabul' for the first time I've contributed to a tune. Obviously the orchestral arrangements are Aadesh's. But the theme song 'Kehta hoon babul o mere bitiya' in 'Baabul' is tuned and sung by me.

"Earlier, in 'Baghban' two of the songs - the Holi song and also parts of 'Meri makhna' were mine. But in 'Baabul' the full theme song (written by Sameer) is mine," the Big B told IANS.

Amitabh, who walked the ramp with his "Baabul" co-star Hema Malini at the launch of its music release function, feels that marketing plays a critical role in the success of a film.

"The promotion and marketing of a film is today is as critical as its making. The competition is gruelling. Look at how films have been marketed in recent times.

"For 'Baabul' we wanted to do something novel. So we devised a fashion show along with the designers of the film... not necessarily the clothes Hema and I wore in 'Baabul' but clothes designed by the film's designers. That evening was extremely emotional and heart warming and the turnout was impressive," he said.

• 
• 
•