Hrithik Roshan aka Vijay Dinanath Chauhan |
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Dharma Productions have a brand value for providing some elegant and class music in their movies, their last venture 'We Are Family' was ordinary in all aspects which also raised questions about their regular musicians Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. This time, for a cult classic remake, Agneepath, they choose National Award winning musical duo of Ajay-Atul, who recently produced a good score in 'Singham' alongside some good tunes in 'My Friend Pinto'. If one looks at the past record of the composer duo, they have not lived upto the expectations in the various cameos before 'Singham' but this time with 'Chikini Chameli' being promoted aggressively (it was released digitally a week prior to the official music release) and Katrina Kaif making her fans go wild and bizarre, immense hype and expectations have been built around the soundtrack, so does the Marathi Jodi delivers? Well, let's check out in the six beautiful compositions which are written by immensely talented Amitabh Bhattacharya (lyricist).
Katrina Kaif aka Chikini Chameli |
Gehre Paani Ki Machli Hoon Raja, Ghaat Ghaat Dariya Mein Ghoomi Hoon Main,
Teri Nazro Ki Lehro se, Haar Ke Aaj Doobi Hoon Main!
The soundtrack takes a complete U-Turn with "O Saiyyan" with minimum/soft arrangements where Roop Kumar Rathod casts a magical spell on the listeners with his voice alongside some quality Sitar and Tabla Jugalbandi in the interlude. It certainly demands full attention and few hearings to settle down but once it does it will be hard to resist. It defines the state of mind of a girl (Priyanka Chopra) after falling in love and Amitabh Bhattacharya as usual is effervescent with his lyrics. An impactful composition!
"Gun Gun Guna" has a Rahman touch right from the start. Listen carefully how it starts in the first 30 seconds with layers of instruments adding on after each line, real quality stuff from the composers. It's easy on ears with a hummable tune and becomes highly addictive in just few hearings. Sunidhi Chauhan perfectly brings on the fun/positive mood which has an Amitabh Bhattacharya stamp all over it. The conversational lyrics are the highlight of the composition which makes one think and throws light on how to live life to the fullest. Hear some pretentious instrumental from 2.28 to 2.52 with Udit Narayan doing a small cameo at the end which even raises the bar an inch higher. Sing along Gun Gun Guna Ye Gaana Re!
Sukhwinder Singh, Krishna Beura and Anand Raj Anand, three artists known for their high pitched octave notes, brings forward a qawwali, "Shah Ka Rutba" that will surely be the highlight of the movie and will make up for a grand visual extravaganza. It's more on the lines of 'Azeem-O-Shaan-Shehanshah' from 'Jodha Akbar' and the starting arrangements refreshes the memory of the epic composition 'Yaari Hai Imaan Mera' from 'Zanjeer' back in 1973. I loved the way Krishna Beura (voice behind 'Soniyo' from Raaz 2 and 'Main Jaha Rahoon' from Namastey London) vocals are used in tandem with Sukhwinder Singh. Anand Raj Anand enters the scene after three minutes when the song picks up some pace and it’s a musical treat for listeners to hear these three artists together in a single composition. Amitabh Bhattacharya does real well for some Urdu/sufi lyrics that make this number a winner all the way!
Sonu Nigam is still the master and he proves it yet again in "Abhi Mujhe Mein Kahin", a six minute composition where the musical arrangements are more or less same as in ''O Saiyyan'' but the result is even better this time and certainly will strike an instant chord with the music enthusiasts resulting in a high 'repeat' value. The instrumental Jugalbandi of Sitar, Piano and Violin in both the interludes create a peaceful ambiance where vocals and lyrics dominate the proceedings. While one waits to see it rise in popularity in days to come, one can be sure that this is one song that has in it to enjoy a long shelf life. Ajay-Atul: You are Beauty!
With immense expectations, one lands on the last track, "Deva Shree Ganesha", a devotional forte that belongs to the composer duo of Ajay-Atul. It starts with some usual enchants, Nagada sounds and enters Ajay Gogavale (earlier gave backing vocals in 'Saathiya/Badmaash Dil' from Singham) with his graceful voice and the result is an elegant composition which is creative, devotional and may be used for a climax sequence in the movie. The last one minute is opulent and has the power to provide an adrenaline rush with the Aarti enchants. Majestic!
Sanjay Dutt aka Kancha |
Ajay-Atul delivers a terrific soundtrack for Dharma productions and will soon join the elite class of musicians in Bollywood. The soundtrack encompass a wide array of themes, ranging from dance, romance, qawwali to devotional and the extensive use of instruments gives the soundtrack tremendous scale and impact. Amitabh Bhattacharya lyrics are a class apart and elevates an ordinary tune to great levels. The choice of singers, especially in 'Shah Ka Rutba' will be applauded for sure. To conclude, all six tracks are must hear and pure musical masterpieces! Strongly Recommended!
I rate it 4 out of 5