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Music Review
Rang De Basanti - A six on ten
Spinner, IndiaGlitz  [Sunday, December 11, 2005]

Rang De Basanti (RDB) is certainly not Rehman's best work - not by a
long stretch, but Rehman has only himself to blame, what with the high
standards he sets for everyone -and that includes himself.

But the album sure opens brilliantly! After ages one's got to savour 
something from the Sikhs' holy prayer, the venerated Japji Sahab,  in
a Hindi film. Harshdeep Kaur's 1 minute 26 second rendition of Ik
Onkar is truly an apt opener for the musical album of Rang De Basanti.
 Even if you don't  understand the meaning of the  prayer, listen to
it with your eyes shut and your heart open, and you will find serene
peace!

But the title track, Rang De Basanti, while competent, still leaves
you wanting something more.  Because one always expects marvellous
stuff from Rehman for title tracks - remember Roja, for instance? RDB
track has a fairly hummable composition, and the music arrangement is
tight as ever, though a bit  too synthetic.  And the overall feel of
the bhangra-based song is quite earthy. But somehow,  Chitra's very
thin and near nasal voice just doesn't belong on this song alongside
Daler's rasping, earthy and powerful voice, and  that's the only
slight letdown.

The best combination of music and lyrics is the hummable and well
written Paathshala, sung quite well by Naresh Iyer and Mohammed Aslam.
Prasoon Joshi excels in the fun lyrics that could well be the idiom of
the College youth of today, and that's a high point of the song. The
most popular song of RGB, to my mind, is bound to be Paathshala.

But Khalbali by Rehman, Aslam and Nacim sounds like an average youth
anthem. A very average melody; nothing great overall.

Which brings us to another good track on RDB - Lata Mangeshkar and
Rehman's Luka Chuppi. Even at her age, the melodious nightingale
continues to serve music lovers with her melodious voice. The way she
emotes the sweet simple love and anxiety of a mother in Luka Chuppi is
quite remarkable. Well written too. Rehman has given the song a
simple, slow melody which, coupled with Lata's plaintive vocals, 
serves to heighten the simple, unconditional love of a mother.

Actually the real hero of RDB is the poet in India's top ad film
maker, Prasoon Joshi. What variety, and what a vast canvas of emotions
captured through different songs on just one album! 

Lyrically the best songs are  Paathshala, with its  funny, clever,
urban Hinglish poetry that serves as the lyrics, and the tense,
brooding ballad of rebellion, Khoon Chala. Just as the blood creeps
forward in the poem, the song grows upon you with every line, and
Rehman aptly dresses the ballad with unobtrusive, subtle music, so
that even though Mohit Chauhan's voice lacks the power you would think
was needed for the outcry of a tortured soul, it does achieve a
brooding kind of grimness of purpose which is more matter-of-fact than
overtly dramatic. I'd still love to hear this one in Kunal Ganjawala's
voice.

In fact, Prasoon's brooding ballad, Khoon Chala evokes memories of the
kind of  poetry Dushyant Kumar used to write-like:
Dastakon Ka Ab Kiwaadon Par Asar Hoga Zaroor -
Har Hatheli Khoon Se Tar,
Aur Zyaada Beqaraar!

And in the same vein is  the song Lalkar, which features Aamir Khan
and Chorus. Aamir is competent as ever, and this track's  obviously a
very situational song, and should definitely be a  high point of the
film. One  awaits the visual treatment it has received at the hands of
the accomplished  director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra.

So, six out of ten. And the six are: Ik Onkar, Paathshala, Rang De
Basanti, Khoon Chala, Luka Chuppi and Lalkaar. That's Rehman, and
that's still a First Class!

Rating: ***






Regards,

Shah Navas







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