http://www.nowrunning.com/musicreviews/musicReview.asp?id=2988 'Bose - The Forgotten Hero' music is Intensely Patriotic Dr. P. V. Vaidyanathan Mar 30 Produced by: Sahara One Motion Pictures Directed by: Shyam Benegal Music: A.R.Rahman Lyrics: Javed Akthar Films on national leaders and on India's freedom struggle have always got a special place in the audience's hearts, and it will be good to see how Bose: The Forgotten Hero unfolds. A.R.Rahman has composed music for all types and all genres of films, but his speciality seems to be the patriotic ones. One has only to think back to the last decade or so, and realise that Rehman, more than anyone else, has been involved with patriotic films and albums. Vande Mataram, Roja, The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Lagaan and Swades are just a few of his proud presentations. And now on to Bose, which is an intensively patriotic album, and has a total of 18 numbers, of which 7 are songs and the remaining 11 are various pieces of music called themes. Azaadi is the first number in this album, sung by A. R. Rehman and Western Choir, Chennai. Like most of the other songs in the album, it's a song, which is used to unite the force and inspire confidence and courage into their minds and bodies. The background reverberates to the cries of Jai Hind, Jai Hind. ''Kal Thak Mein tanha tha, par ab hai saath mere lakhon ki dhadkan'', says the patriotic lyrics. It's a battle cry song by the INA, for freedom and Rehman has infused enough strength into the song, in his typical voice, which we heard last in Swades. Kadam Kadam is the next song, which again is the marching song of the INA. Vijay Prakash and Mumbai Film Choir sing this song, the lyrics of which say push the armymen to fearlessly march forward, and disregard their own lives, for the country's sake, sing this song. Delhi is your ultimate aim, says the song, and is set in a format suitable for a marching army. Kadam Kadam eventually became a famous marching song, and is used even now by the armed forces. Ekla Chalo, by Sonu Nigam and Nachiketa Chakravarthy, stars with the Bengali words, Ekla chalo (walk alone), and Sonu Nigam's voice echoes these words in Hindi. The background music is soft and soothing. The lyrics are beautiful and reinforce the feelings that this life is for the country, and even if one dies in the service of the nation, it's no big deal. Sonu uses his mellifluous voice to great effect, to bring out the flavour and sweetness of Bengal, from where Bose hails. Hum Dilli Dilli Jayenge is the next on the list, sung by Mumbai Film Choir. Here too, the background music uses drums, to create the effect of a song sung while marching towards freedom. Hum Dilli Dilli Jayenge was also a cry of the INA in those days. The words speak of the army's full faith in Subash Chandra Bose, and the ever willingness to lay down their lives, at his behest, as the army marches towards the capital, Delhi. Desh Ki Mitti by Sonu Nigam and Anuradha Sriram is a slow melodious number, about the greatness and flavour of the soil of the country, perhaps sung by Subash Chandra Bose, when he is elsewhere. Music is essentially on violins and tabla. The entire song describes the various seasons, the geography, and the other unique aspects of life in India. The song is semi-classical, and Anuradha croons in the background. This is one of those songs like Pankaj Udhas's Chitti Aayi Hai, which will move many an Indian (especially the NRI's) to tears. Zikr, by A. R. Rehman, Rafi, Rakesh and Shankar Ali, is in the format of a Muslim prayer to the mighty Allah, slow and lilting. The song has a tune that touches your heart, and is accompanied by loud drums. The lyrics in Urdu are beautiful, and are a pleasure to hear. As the song alternates between a fast and slow pace, the listener is enthralled. Ghoomparani is the next song, sung by Sanpa Mukherjee and Satyanarayana Mishra. Here too, like the earlier song Ekla Chalo, the song has a liberal sprinkling of Bengali words. The song is slow and is almost in the form of a lullaby. The accompaniments on the flute are beautiful, as the male voice sings in the background. This is followed by an instrumental piece called Durga Pooja. The entire second half of the album is devoted to a variety of themes called Netaji's theme 1 and 2, Afghanistan theme 1 and 2, Hitler's theme, Emilie theme and U boat theme. These are short instrumental pieces, which perhaps are employed in the film, depending on the stage and situation of the film. There is also an orchestral version of the earlier number Kadam Kadam Barhayeja and Desh ki Mitti. The album ends with an orchestra version of the Indian National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana. The entire album is created for a patriotic, period film, and is totally different from the regular film albums that one hears nowadays. It is always a difficult task to write songs that can cause one's patriotism to surge and flow. To his credit, it must be said that Rahman has succeeded in this, and is ably aided by some wonderful lyrics by Javed Saab. As usual, Rahman has used some original compositions to enhance the value of original songs and words used by the Indian National Army, way back in the 40s. A good album, but one that may not get popular acclaim, but will definitely appeal to a niche audience. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Has someone you know been affected by illness or disease? 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