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~A.R. Rahman
Oh yes indeed, there certainly does happen to be a very justified reason for all the euphoria Hindi music fans are experiencing—two words: Rahman. Blue.
Okay, okay! Arrey yaar, don’t have a panic attack! I won’t leave you hanging mid-air with just those two words. I’ll take you through my listening experience for all 7 tracks! As Rahman himself suggests, “Drown into the music of Blue.” As you wish…
FYI, Resul Pookutty is the sound designer for Blue. Thought I’d throw that information out there!
It’s no secret. We’ve all heard news buzz about actress and pop singer Kylie Minogue singing for Rahman in Blue. Yup, the name of the track is Chiggy Wiggy and the very talented Sonu Nigam also joins her for the musical joyride. The female to-too-too-too-too-too's are rather contagious and upbeat, and Kylie’s vocals are really refreshing to listen to. The beats are catchy, heck, this entire song is catchy, and the big surprise is when Sonu comes in 2.14 into the song shouting “Gore!!!” and the song fuses Punjabi beats and lyrics with Kylie’s western rendition. Grab someone and sing, “I wanna chiggy wiggy with you!” It’s nice how Abbas Tyrewala paid attention to using alliteration—so many “k” and “kh” sounds: Khaatoon, Khidmat, Kaatil, Khilaadi, Kaatilanaa. One of my favorite stanzas is, “But I don’t’ need a shining star, And I don’t want to be rescued, No neither frog, nor charming princes, Nor my summers barbecued…I wanna chiggy-wiggy with you boy!” Sonu’s “oye’s” and the stretched out “rabba” at the end will make you smile. Welcome back, Sonu! Hope to hear more of you regularly.
Shreya Ghoshal. This girl has been surprising us all with her amazing versatility as a singer (just take a look at the two extremes—Bhor Bhaye/Delhi-6; Latoo/Ghajini). It’s nice to hear her modulate her voice for a more chilled-back effect in Aaj Dil Gustakh Hai. Mayur Puri’s lyrics are rather average though (“aaj din gustaakh hai, paaniyo pe aag hai, dhadkan bhi betaab hai”), and the song does take repeat listens to get into. Sukhwinder Singh doesn’t really shine much in this song…honestly, Rahman could have easily taken Hariharan or Suresh Wadekar and it would still have had the same effect. Okay, okay, not trying to be mean or anything! There are plenty of people credited with backing vocals: Benny Dayal, Hentry Kuruvilla and Shi Millhouse, Raven Millhouse. Sanjeev Thomas does a nice job with playing the guitar. The piano also stands out in the song.
Stresed out lately? Chhodd naa yaar. Fiqr not, Fiqrana is here! The song starts off initially reminding me of Kaise Mujhe from Ghajini. Vijay Prakash (Manmohini, Jai Ho, Paal Paal Hai Bhari) takes the mic for this song. The stanza going “Jeet-te hai adh adh adh ke hum” brings back mild memories of a crossover of Hum Honge Kaamiyaab and Illayaraja’s Chal Chalein Title Track. Lyrics are by Ajit Arora, who also wrote lyrics for Singh Is Kinng and dialogues for Om Shanti Om, and honestly, it’s cool to hear a phrase like “khaamaa khaa,” but that's just about the only phrase that stands out in the lyrics. There are lots of electronic sounds used, and Shreya doesn’t have much to offer in this track, unfortunately.
Awesome! Rashid Ali (Kabhi Kabhi Aditi, Kahin Toh Hogi Woh, Ishq Ada Hai, Naadhir Thinna) is back in Bhoola Tujhe. Kavita Baliga, a teacher at Rahman’s music school, is also credited with “Yeri Voice.” It’s nice to hear Rashid’s soulful voice, and even the questioning tone of Abbas Tyrewala’s lyrics are beautiful...The song starts off with mesmerizing strings (Chennai Strings Orchestra) and then the guitar (Sanjeev Thomas) comes in followed by the trumpet (Kishore Sodha). Tension continues to build up with drums joining in at 1.54 into the song. But, honestly speaking, the lyrics and Rashid’s style of singing doesn’t really mesh well with the music…or, perhaps that is the point…to indicate a sense of internal tension going on…
Oh. My. God! Blue Theme is one BIG party!! People went crazy with Jai Ho—make ‘em listen to this. So much is going on in this song…not just in terms of instruments but even singers. We have two lyricists (Sukhwinder Singh for the Punjabi portion and Raqueeb Alam for the Hindi portion) and we also have SIX singers: Blaaze, Raqueeb Alam, Sonu Kakkar, Jaspreet Singh, Neha Kakkar and Dilshad. Just try not to dance when this song is blasting through your speakers—you just can’t resist! I have to draw special attention to lyricist Raqueeb Alam (Jiya Se Jiya/Connections; Ringa Ringa/Slumdog Millionaire; Ishq Ada & Meherbaan/Ada)—he manages to write lyrics to a fun-filled song but he doesn’t sacrifice poetry and imagery--“bekhauff nigaahein,” “rangeen sharaare,” “bearish ke taarein,” “bedaagh vafaayein,” “saagar ke dil mei jitney khazaane, dil ke saagar mei, utne afsaane.” Wow!
You know, even if I didn’t know Rehnuma is for Blue, the first image that would have come to mind after listening to this song IS water! That’s one of the amazing qualities of Rahman’s music—they really do conjure up images and memories. Listen to Himalayas from Connections and bingo, that’s exactly what you’ll imagine. Listen to Rehnuma, and, yes, that’s right, you imagine the under-water world. Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal come together for this song, and Abbas Tyrewala pens down lyrics once again--the only two lines that really grabbed my attention are "leher si yeh baahein" and "zulfo ki qaid mubaarak tujhe ho"...and, that's about it. The way Sonu and Shreya stretch each word and seem in no hurry has a relaxing effect. And, if it wasn’t already obvious by now, Sonu does a damn good job with loud vocals!
After the Blue Theme, Yaar Mila Tha has got to be my favorite track from Blue. It’s one of the strongest compositions—no wonder Rahman chooses two very gifted singers—Madhushree and Udit Narayan—for this song. Ujjayinee Roy, Shi Millhouse, and Raven Millhouse are credited with backing vocals. Abbas Tyrewala really excels in providing fun “roothaa-roothi” “chhedd-chaad” lyrics. Just take a look at these lines:
Raah takti thi toh khafaa ho gayi thi tu yaa bewafaa?
Ke panghat pe ghoonghat ke binaa,
Jaa baithi kaise tu woh bhi mere binaa?!
Ussi panghat pe jaahaan jhat se pehli baar thaami thi maine teri kalaayi, harjaayi!
Jaahan dhoop se hum bache the, jaahaan nache the apne kadam,
Aur besharam, woh kalayi,
Tu thamaa ke aayi,
Haathon mein naa jaane kis khotte ke, kis potte ke, mere hote se par sote se!
Par tu ne hi toh usse bhejaa naa?
Ke meraa pyaar piyaa ko de jaanaa.
When I heard Udit Narayan sing the word "khote" I couldn't help but giggle. The song is just so sweet and playful naa yaar! The electronic shehnaai sound is really fun to listen to and so are the “taa teenaa teen teen teenaa” chorus vocals. The percussion arrangements are perfect. Both Madhushree and Udit Narayan really get into the song, which is nice since these days most singers sing without any feel.
Rahman himself says he wanted to have “fun” with Blue and doesn’t want to get “typecast.” Yes, Blue does have some fun compositions such as the Blue Theme, Chiggy Wiggy and Yaar Milaa Thaa. And, composition-wise, the rest of the songs are also enjoyable to listen to…however, lyrics, for the most part, are a HUGE disappointment, and there isn’t consistency in terms of quality throughout the OST. While some songs grab your attention immediately, songs like Aaj Dil Gustaakh Hai will take a very long time to grow on you, and even then, it feels as if you’re forcing yourself to feel excited about some of the songs. All that said and done, it can’t be denied that it is really wonderful to have another Rahman OST to listen to, and there certainly is something for every listener in Blue, so you really DO have to give this OST a listen.
Gosh, I can’t believe you’re still sitting at your computer. Music is meant to be listened to, it is meant to be experienced. And, no review can compensate for that (Gasp! That wasn’t very politically correct, was it?). So, do yourself a huge favor by going through the “Rahman experience” on your own…that’s right y’all—grab the Blue CD and drive ‘em music blues far, far away!!
[Slight Side Note: Party time for Rahmaniacs--The music of Shekhar Kapurs’s Passage is also out and the music composer is none other than The Rahman. So do be sure to give that a listen as well!]
Baazi (1995) earned him a name. Lagaan (2000) set him a standard. Swades (2004) made him a versatile director (having tried out three genres – historic fiction, action thriller, and social drama). And Jodhaa Akbar (2008) finally made him a name to reckon with. He is none other than the passionate Ashutosh Gowariker whose next film What’s Your Raashee? Kimball Ravenswood, a satirical take on marriages and astrology) has created tremendous buzz ever since it was announced and that could be for many reasons – the second-time pairing of Harman Baweja and Priyanka Chopra after their half-decent, half-disastrous sci-fi epic Love Story 2050 (2008), Ashutosh’s first-time venture into a romantic comedy, Priyanka Chopra’s twelve distinct characters, and of course, the MUSIC. (which is an adaptation of Madhu Rye’s novel
The music is in the news because of the apparent end of the musical collaboration of Gowariker and A. R. Rahman with the former trying out something new with relatively unknown and newcomer Sohail Sen (son of Sameer Sen who himself was part of the 'Dilip Sen-Sameer Sen' fame). With expectations reaching an all-new high with the innovative marketing UTV Motion Pictures has tried out, considering the promos and the posters, Sohail Sen creates a curiosity level among people, with their minds churning out questions like: “Will Sohail Sen be able to make music for Ashutosh Gowariker?”, “Will Ashutosh Gowariker’s music succeed without A. R. Rahman?” and “Will the expectations generated from the buzz be met?”
But worry not, as Ashutosh Gowariker, Sohail Sen and Javed Akhtar have collaborated together to bring us a world-class thirteen-track musical extravaganza that turns out to be far different from the usual bubblegum fare the Bollywood composers have churned out in the recent past. Sohail Sen has given us a winner in the form of What’s Your Raashee?, with each of the first twelve songs being dedicated to a particular star-sign, personifying it by capturing the mood of the star-sign-associated person through his fantastic music and Javed Akhtar’s cleverly written lyrics, thus making this album Gowariker’s biggest musical outing of his career.
The quality shows from the very start with the song "What’s Your Raashee? (Pal Pal Dil Jisko Dhoonde)" (made for Aries), an out-and-out jazz song that starts off with the saxophone, an effect that sways you off your feet. Never before in Bollywood has Jazz music been dished out in such an international manner and given such an international feel. Alternatively made the title song of the film, this goes about depicting the problem the protagonist (Yogesh, played by Harman Baweja) has trying to find his dream girl. In fact, the chants of ‘What’s Your Raashee?’ take the song to another high, and you would be singing it aloud sometime after the second hear. Just when we think that the swing beat would continue, the song’s tempo heightens for a while to give variety. Sohail Sen comes behind the mic to give us a smashing solo, which will linger in your mind for a long time to come. This one not only makes for a pleasant hear, but also gives a grand opening to the album, whilst enhancing expectations for the tracks to come.
The expectations are fortunately met with the next track, which has a romantic outing. This one, titled "Jao Naa" (made for Aquarius), has been the most publicized track in the whole album so far. The track has been lapped up well, and it shows – the strums of the guitar attract you from the off, followed by Sohail Sen’s delightful singing for what turns out to be a powerhouse track that will be on your playlist and the radio charts in the days to come. Tarannum Malik vocally backs up Sohail Sen, but though Sen dominates her voice, it leaves a distinct, dreamy feel on the listener. The video (seen on TV and online nowadays) doesn’t harm its prospects at all – in fact, it leaves an even better mark, making the viewer smile. A must listen, and a beautiful number at that!
Just when you expect the feeling of romance to continue, Sohail Sen gives us a classy up-tempo track that gives us a rather R&B / hip-hop styled dance number – a style you’ve never heard of in any soundtrack of Ashutosh Gowariker’s previous films (“Yunhi Chala Chal” from Swades (2004) was more philosophical). Called "Aaja Lehrate" (made for Gemini), this one takes its time to grow on you, and once it does, you get into the groove as well. Shaan is his usual best and Bhavya Pandit provides the firebrand vocals that are required for the track. If there’s a disappointment, it’s is the abrupt and unusual ending when it switches to a club vibe.
Romance is back with "Bikhri Bikhri" (made for Cancer), but this time with a distinct Indian touch and intense feel to it. Yet again, Sohail Sen runs away with the accolades as the composer-come-singer pulls out another winner! The ‘antara’ portions of Marianne D’Cruz (and Sohail Sen, whose ‘antara’ is on reverb in the background, giving the song an entirely dreamy touch) only enhance the overall impact the song has upon the listener, who might already be floored with the exquisite Rahman-esque touch and the trademark poetic lyrics by Javed Akhtar. Though it is as romantic in nature as the first two tracks, this one is high on the emotional quotient and has a hint of sadness to it. Expect music connoisseurs and romantic music lovers to lap this up with excitement.
Expect the unexpected with "Maanunga Maanunga" (made for Libra) for basically two reasons – Ashutosh Gowariker turning singer with this track (yes you read it here first!), and the hilarious lyrics by Javed Akhtar who brilliantly depicts a ‘Libran control freak’ (one of Priyanka Chopra’s twelve characters) that requires Yogesh (Harman) to do anything she tells him to. The arrangements, a combination of orchestration and electronic beats, don’t disappoint and gel well with the whole ‘uptight’ atmosphere. Ashutosh Gowariker has hidden his singing talent for a long time and here he successfully expresses the uptight, nervous nature of Harman’s character, opposite to Pamela Jain’s soft, high-pitched vocals. Though it won’t acquire top billing, this one surely doesn’t deserve the skip that listeners make when they find an average number.
The romance numbers of the 1990s return in a soft-rock avatar with "Sau Janam" (made for Pisces), a melodious number featuring Sujata Bhattacharya (popularly known as Madhushree to the world today) and Udit Narayan. Both singers give their all to this song and remind us of the many duets Narayan was involved in (mainly with Alka Yagnik). Music lovers will surely associate this song with quite a few oldies including “Akele Hain Toh Kyaa Gham Hai” from the Aamir-Juhi starrer Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) and “Rehna Hai Dil Mein” from Indra Kumar’s Mann (1999). But the underlying beauty of this song is that whilst reminding us of various songs from the past decade, it doesn’t sound re-hashed or copied, and rather underlines the ‘the good old times’ successfully. Another melodious outing that continues the smooth sail of listening to the album, this one requires the repeat value and patience to make this song a desirable hear to the listener.
What happens when 'old' meets 'new'? What happens when hip-hop beats meet retro synth? What happens when an urban number reminds you of the 1950s? The answer is "Aa Le Chal" (made for Scorpio) which, to begin with, sounds like a typical hip hop number but later brings out a fresh cocktail of the sounds of today mixed with the sounds of yesteryears. Asleesha Gowariker (sister of Ashutosh Gowariker) comes behind the mic to give an Alisha-esque feeling to the song. One cannot help but feel for Harman Baweja’s character as he utters his dialogues in this track about a scorpion (Priyanka’s character) who is a hopeless romantic and wants Harman to do all kinds of things (like writing her name in the sky, to which a non-flustered Harman replies, ‘Aasmaan pe… tera naam? Alright’ which brings a reaction from the listener in the form of a smile). This one though, turns out to be more of a situational track that would look good on screen, provided the video has been well thought-out. But considering Ashutosh Gowariker’s passion and dedication to make a film, I think it should work out really well. Overall, a pleasant hear.
Jut when we thought about Alka Yagnik in the earlier song Sau Janam, she makes a trademark entry into "Pyaari Pyaari" (made for Virgo). As she starts singing in the first stanza, one realizes that though there have been many award-winning singers in the recent past, Alka Yagnik’s place can never be taken – she has created a certain space for herself, just like veteran singers such as Asha Bhonsle and Lata Mangeshkar. But I’m pleased to see the choice of songs she has been singing in the recent past, testifying as well as justifying the fact that she has become quite selective on what she wants to sing (she has been doing almost all of her previous songs under the compositions of A. R. Rahman, e.g. “Tu Muskura” from Yuvvraaj (2008), and “Ringa Ringa” from Slumdog Millionaire) (2008)– and that’s really good news. Sohail Sen’s voice is very restrained here, and it works for this beautiful piece of work, which has just the right orchestral arrangements to make for a memorable outing. This has to be the most impactful track after Bikhri Bikhri, and one that will strike gold for the avid music listener as well as Sen! I am left speechless after hearing this, just as I was for Bikhri Bikhri.
Starting off ordinarily with the accordion, "Su Chhe" (made for Taurus) turns out to be a contemporary Gujju track with some Gujarati lyrics peppered here and there, but with a subtle difference (the difference being the absence of the irritating and over used “Hey-Jee-Ray” scream). The start doesn’t sound promising, but as Bela Shende starts singing, you suddenly change your mind and decide that the tune is hummable and the music pleasant. Pleasant since it builds on an already enjoyable soundtrack. Give it a listen because you won’t find the typical tried-and-tested formula of making Gujarati styled tracks in Bollywood – instead, you’ll find something different, upbeat, and modern. A simple and nice addition to the soundtrack, though nothing earth shattering.
The accordion continues in the next track but this time coupled with the harmonium, to create an old world feel yet again for "Salone Kya" (made for Sagittarius). The lyrics, whilst situational, provide something really fresh. Sen uses all his skill to create a different atmosphere for each track, which in turn reflect the feelings and the personality of each star sign and the associated character that Priyanka Chopra plays. Arrangements and mixing stand out in this song, with vocals by Tarannum Malik who sounds like a strange mixture of Alka Yagnik and Shreya Ghoshal, but nevertheless, performs really well alongside Sohail Sen (good as usual). The song will have it’s fair share of admirers looking for something new but also detractors, for not matching the best that the album has to offer. Another unique song, this one should also score on screen.
Amazingly we have had 10 songs already and each one has registered an impact in its own unique manner, one wonders what the remaining tracks will offer? The next one "Dhadkan Dhadkan" (made for Leo), captures Leo’s intensity with a fantastic array of energetic arrangements! Starting with a pad that fades away, the sudden orchestral arrangements light up a track that shines throughout and such an impact was last heard in “Dil Ka Rishta” from A. R. Rahman’s Yuvvraaj (2008). The duo of Tarannum Malik and Sohail Sen return after Jao Naa and Salone Kya to give a totally different feel to this song. The inspiration is such that you end up picturing the song onstage or in some auditorium. Whilst situational in nature, it continues the successful run of the album on it’s closing tracks.
The piano returns alongside traditional instruments for the penultimate track"Koi Jaane Na" (made for Capricorn). Rajab Ali Bharti’s semi classical style really ups the song a notch or two. Sohail Sen’s backing reverb-based crooning to the title takes the song to an all-time-high. Bela Shende amply supports him with her saccharine-sweet vocals that compliment this all Indian feeling song with its distinct emotional touch. Lyrics by Javed saab are philosophical and at times heart-wrenching, expect this to bring a tear to your eye. One of the few 'reflective' songs on the album, this can't be missed!
The album ends with an icing on the whole cake with the second part of What’s Your Raashee?, titled "Chehre Jo Dekhe Hain", an exquisite medley of the twelve tracks gone by in the album. This turns out to the song in which Priyanka is supposed to appear in all her twelve avatars simultaneously in just one song; the very song Priyanka was told to have to dance for 12 hours in one stretch, without a break! Sohail Sen croons the lyrics of Javed Akhtar, which hint at a few things e.g. that the time has come to choose his girl. This song will be a blast when seen in the pre-climax and climax portions. It's as pleasant as the first part of the title track, though its definitely more upbeat and lively due to scenario presented. People will have their own preferences but I think I prefer the first part due to it’s smooth, slow and lazy feel. But you will have to listen to find out which one you prefer!
Ashutosh Gowariker, Sohail Sen and Javed Akhtar give us one of the classiest, grandest and most eclectic musical extravaganzas to come in a long time (along with Dev.D which released earlier this year). Overall, What’s Your Raashee? , being a relatively smaller film of Ashutosh Gowariker compared to his previous three epic movies, musically springs out one of the biggest surprises this summer. This one is a must buy, not only because it pack in a variety of sounds (ethnic as well as urban – each one sounding unique and different from the other), but also because of the logical placement of the tracks (linked to each star sign), which allows us to visualize the way things go in the movie, making us expect something more out of it. This being Harman’s first film with a top soundtrack (with the music of Love Story 2050 (2008) being strictly decent, and Victory (2008) below par), Harman should be proud. And so should Ashutosh Gowariker, with his new musical protégé – Sohail Sen. With such a sparkling debut soundtrack, he is here to stay for sure!
REVIEWER'S TIP: Requires attentive, relaxed and patient hearing; strictly for the connoisseurs of music.