There is a very good reason why I have titled this post A.R.Rahman's
Yuvvraaj……because considering Subhash Ghai's track record of late, (the
seeped-in-cliches "Black and White" and the-lesser-said-the-better "Kisna"
)the odds are that "Yuvvraaj" will be another Ghai film which will flatter
to deceive…..and that should not come in the way of the fact that A.R.Rahman
has given us yet another masterpiece of a soundtrack, one that(dare I say
it?) might be his best yet.
The last time Subhash Ghai and Rahman worked together was the ill-fated
Kisna, where Rahman contributed two tracks and a few instrumentals before he
dropped out in favour of other assignments. Before that, they had famously
collaborated in "Taal" 10 years ago, resulting in the creation of a
watershed soundtrack which is still considered to be a landmark in the
history of Bollywood music. The onus was, thus firmly on the maestro ever
since it was reported that he would work on "Yuvvraaj". Like "Taal", this
too had been billed as a grand musical.
Rahman does not disappoint. The album starts off with "Main Yuvvraaj" which
is basically Salman Khan introducing his character, as the familiar strains
of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony play on. The next song, the one which we have
been listening to in the promos, is "Tu Meri Dost Hain" marks the beginning
of the fun……Rahman creates a simple yet immensely powerful melody, one based
on a steady Western Classical Orchestra sound. On this template, Rahman
brings on the refreshing Benny Dayal(Pappu Can't Dance and Nazrein Churaana
from Jaane Tu..) Shreya Ghoshal(and himself for good measure) to weave pure
magic on a track which will have you hitting the replay button again and
again. A note on Gulzar's lyrics: The old stalwart delights again… sample
this
"Awaaz ka dariya hoon, behta hoon main neeli
raaton mein….
Main jaagta rehta hoon, neend bhari jheel si
aankhon mein…"
Rahman's prodigious skill with Western Classical music is on parade for much
of this soundtrack, including the next song "Tu Muskura Le" which, in the
spirit of reunions, has Alka Yagnik hitting the high notes ever-so-sweetly
again. This is again a keyboard-based track, albeit one in which Rahman
doesn't quite let his hair down. However, the track has an amazingly
haunting quality, and as with so many Rahman songs, gets better with every
subsequent listen. We then merrily segue along to "Mastam Mastam" which is
characteristic of the recent Rahman(Guru etc.) subtle melody combined with
earthy sounds and a general sense of joie de vivre. The highly innovative
and thematic nature of the lyrics as well as that of the song is a standout
feature.
The same "thematic" concerns continue with "Manmohini Morey" which combines
classical Hindustani vocals set to a simple techno arrangement with the
signature Grand Orchestra violins and cellos of the film keeping company. I
suspect that these songs will be all the more impressive, when they shall be
seen and not just heard. Rahman decides to have a bit of fun with "Shano
Shano" which is a very unsual disco track, one which may seem lightweight in
comparison to the melodious riches strewn around the rest of the album, but
a highly infectious track nonetheless.
Next up is "Zindagi" which is a typical Rahman-soft track, featuring
Srinivas(remember the soulful "Kaisi Hai Yeh Rut" from DCH?) whose
honest-to-God vocals lend a delightfully fragile edge to the track. Finally,
Rahman signs off in style, with the nearly eight-minute long "Dil Ka Rishta"
which has as many as nine singers, including Sonu Nigam, Roop Kumar Rathod,
rapper Blaaze and Rahman himself. I strongly suspect this will be the final
scene of the film, as the melody has that operatic sense of climax about it.
There is no doubt in my mind that for sheer brilliance, variety and
originality, this is the best Bollywood soundtrack of this decade. Ghai has
smartly emphasized the Rahman-Gulzar combo in the initial teasers of the
film.
<http://passionforcinema.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/yuvraaj_still_11.jpg>Rahman
had already done more than enough to ensure that his would be the career
that would define the past 15 or so years of Bollywood music, but with
"Yuvvraaj" he just raised the bar higher….. The only question in my mind is,
what will he do next? The man who has already notched up more accolades and
kudos at 40 that most musicians do in a lifetime(including the slightly
cheesy epithet "Mozart of Madras" given by TIME magazine) has only himself
to beat……
Finally, a word about the film itself: "Yuvvraaj" seems very much to be from
the classic Ghai stable, with all the allure of grandeur, and his
characteristially "epic" storytelling. The film stars Salman Khan, Anil
Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and Zayed Khan, among which Katrina is a cello player
and the rest are singers.(From the teasers, it's Kapoor's character which
intrigues me the most, and I suspect a solid performance from the veteran
will go a long way if the film is to work….) I sincerely hope that the film
is good, because I'm going to watch it first day first show anyway, just to
watch Rahman's gems unfold on the large screen, where perhaps they might
sparkle brighter still.
http://passionforcinema.com/the-master-at-work-arrahmans-yuvvraaj/
--
regards,
Vithur
ARR in my Heart;
His Music in my Blood;
