Is AR Rahman the same composer he once was? Remember the time when he was churning out hit after hit? Nowadays he does no more than one or two albums a year in Bollywood. Is it because he focuses more on quality than quantity? His lone release last year was Guru, which had its bright spots but was hardly anything earth-shattering. His fans waited an entire year for something like Guru?
Whether it be simple people on the streets or other music directors of Bollywood, most people will agree to the fact that AR Rahman is the best and will be the best. No contest… …So this is why whenever he releases a new album, we hold our breath and hope that it will be something reminiscent of what he dished out in the mid to late 90s. Coming to Jodha Akbar, saying the expectations are high is a gross understatement. This is expected to be amongst the biggest releases this year and hence the music is expected to be nothing short of extraordinary. Does it live up to its mammoth expectations? Read on for the answer……………………….. - *Azeem O Shaan Shahenshah* - The opening song is quite situational but will sound great on screen or even when played in the background. AR Rahman's beats are excellent and the singing by *Mohammed Aslam* and *Bony Chakravarthy* gets the job done nicely. A song that would even make King Akbar proud! *GOOD!* - *Jashn e Bahaara* - And here we have the not only the best song of the album, but a song that will most likely be amongst the best of 2008! The song is based on pure melody, something you don't get in music these days. *Javed Ali *sings the song so well you will even forget *Sonu Nigam*! *DEFINITE HIT!* - *Khwaja Mere Khwaja *- This song sung by AR Rahman is an all-out qawaali. It will be hard to appreciate this song if you aren't a fan of this genre of music. What makes this qawaali stand out from others is *AR Rahman*'s singing. One wishes we could hear more of him. *GOOD* * * - *In Lamhon Ke Daaman Mein* - *Sonu Nigam* makes his entry along with *Madhushree* in this duet. Like many of Rahman's songs, this one too grows on you after repeated listening. The high point of the song is Madhushree who sounds like a great new talent and the low point is the singing by the chorus (which is way too loud). It is not a great song, but I get the feeling it will look good on screen. *NOT BAD/OKAY* - *Mann Mohanaa* - *Bela Shande* sings the final song of the album, which has a classical touch to it. This song will appeal to certain audiences. Didn't appeal to me. *SKIP* *7 OUT OF 10*…….Aside from a couple songs, this soundtrack isn't anything extraordinary but it does do justice to the type of movie Jodha Akbar is. Azeem O Shaan is a good theme song, AR Rahman's singing makes Khwaja Mere Khwaja a nice listen; and Jashn e Bahaara is the big winner. http://www.bollynewz.com/review/music-review-jodha-akbar/ -- regards, Vithur A.R.RAHMAN - MY BREATH & LIFE FORCE
