Year 2009 has opened up magnanimously for maestro A R Rahman and expectations
are humongous as the stage is all set for his first major Bollywood musical
release- DELHI-6. It brings out another colossal combination for UTV, director
Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and lyricist Prasoon Joshi, the team that created
history with the critically acclaimed RANG DE BASANTI.
DELHI-6 holds another major significance in Bollywood as Rahman experiments out
with ‘Continuum Fingerboard’ (a three dimensional music controller device) for
the first time in many of his compositions for a contemporary Hindi film. Once
again, the challenges are big and the feel is innovative as varied genres,
styles and talents concoct again to create another hullabaloo of success. Does
DELHI-6 have the sufficient fire to match up the high standards of RANG DE
BASANTI and the internationally acclaimed SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE? Will DELHI-6 be
adding up as another proud entry in the long listing of A R Rahman's successive
grand successes? Let's get started with the tracks that deserve to be analyzed
with full exactitude...!
After serenading out some tantalizing soft-rock ballads, Mohit Chauhan streams
out in typical ''filmi'' overtones with wavering vocal modulations in
''ched-chad'' solo track ''Masakalli''. Prasoon Joshi's mischievously flowing
wordings (''Zara pankh jhatak, gayi dhool atak aur lachak machak ke door
bhatak...) about lovable bird (''Masakalli'') has that poetical ire (''Ghar
tera saloni, badal ki colony, Dikhlade thenga in sabko jo udna na jaane...'')
that epitomizes naivety, impishness in that gullible ''child-like'' character.
A R Rahman's music tries to be edgy rather than syrupy in those modulating
instrumental connotations that strikes rhythmical chemistry with Mohit's cheeky
vocals. ''Masakalli'' is going to be raised up in volumes as well as in
chartbusting listing for its rustic rawness and innovative feel and probably be
catching fast for its massy appeal. Mohit Chauhan notches up his first major
solo hit of this year with ''Masakalli'' and that
also brings laurels to the poetical prowess of Prasoon Joshi. Chartbuster!!!
A R Rahman, a name synonymous to wide range of experimentation makes the most
purist attempt at Indian classical music of our times in meticulously composed
''Bhor Bhaye''. This classically pristine number brings the most intellectual
singing aspect of Shreya Ghoshal, where she almost gets tutelage as well as
consistent backing of puritans like Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan in its
traditionalist rendition.
Amitabh Bachchan's poetical exuberance in softer notes have the austerity and
grace that epitomizes the ''emotional quotient'' (EQ) of the flick in concise
but impressive ''Noor''.
The divine intervention of spiritualism comes in the form of ''Aarti (Tumre
Bhavan Mein)'', a modestly pleasant ''bhajan'' in the voices of Rekha
Bharadwaj, Kishori Gowariker, Shraddha Pandit and Sujata Majumdar. It can be
termed as simplistically softer version of emotionally enriched ''O
Palanhaare'' (LAGAAN) with traditional religious verses emoted out with
serenity of pious sentiments.
Rekha Bharadwaj's folksy nasal twang leads the female bandwagon of traditional
''ladies-sangeet'' where typical ''Delhi-waala'' pre-marriage celebrations
takes routes of ''disco-beat'' lounges in ''Genda Phool''. It charters the
traditionalism of festivity where the pairing of Shraddha Pandit and Sujata
Majumdar forms effective choir singers in this sluggish ''dhin-chak'' beats
arrangement soundtrack.
There was ''dreams-unlimited'' euphoric feel in the subtle orchestrations in
''Tu Bin Bataye'' (RANG DE BASANTI) that captured the unveiled mysticism of
undying romance in it. This nostalgia of tender emotions regenerates back in
similar sounding sappy composition ''Dil Mera Giraftan'' with better sounding
techno-generated sound effects that brings gifted vocals of Ash King along with
back-up support of Chinmaye to the fore. Rahman's makes it a remarkable
conglomerate of varied instrumentals (flute, keyboards, violin and piano) that
are mellifluously interwoven in those tender beats and rhythmical beat flows.
Ash King proves to be the ''find'' of the album for his sonorously porous
vocals permeates subtly in those feather-touch lingering orchestral displays.
Soulful!!!
Murky, mischievous and Machiavellian! A R Rahman's races out Afro-American
hip-hop blasting beat-culture bombastic splurge in gibberish overtones of
roguish wording in ''Hey Kala Bandar''. It sounds almost sequel to recently
heard ''Shanno Shanno'' (YUVVRAAJ) where youthful spirits gets loud eruption of
''black humor'' in the vocals of Karthik, Naresh, Srinivas and Bony
Chakravarthy. Prasoon Joshi's picks up snazzy one-liners in those Arabic-hip
hop rhythmical beat patterns to make it impulsively bouncy soundtrack.
Somber tonality of supple jazz cum blues musical maneuvers takes over where
Rahman along with Benny Dayal and Tanvi emotes out in lower octaves in
impressive sounding ''Rehna Tu''. It's has that melodramatic situational song
appeal with a strong international musical substance that transcends well from
thumping beats in its prelude to oozing ''jazz'' substances in its concluding
verses. It adds one more attribute in this soft-sentimental moods cadre that
will be likely to be sapped by its potential listeners.
''Delhi-6'', the ''funk-a-licious'' title track forms a mix and match of
''Paathshala'' and ''Roobaro'' (RANG DE BASANTI) with that extra perky ''reggae
ton'' rendition in its racy flows. Blaaze along with Benny Dayal, Vivinenne
Pocha, Tanvi and Claire gets boisterously persuasive in symbolizing out the
''Delhi'' yuppie feel. Vivinenne and Claire lyrics try to be equivocal in its
wishy-washy flows with infectious hip-hop cum reggae getting up straight into
senses.
It's was divine bliss to hear something as pious as ''Piya Haji Ali'' (FIZA)
and ''Khwaja Mere Khwaja'' (JODHA AKBAR) and again A R Rahman scores pure gold
as he continues to be generously mellifluous in ''Arziyaan''. Despite some
traditional classical instrumentals and composition there are added
synchronized arrangements (preferably with support of ''Continuum
Fingerboard'') that permeates well in its rhythmic flows. This holy musical
piece comes in traditional ''qawalli'' form with Javed Ali and Kailash Kher
excelling out with another gem of wordings by wordsmith Prasoon Joshi. Despite
its longer duration (8.42), there is an ambience of divinity in the air as
sounds of harmonium, tabla and sitar collages well in its well synchronized
rigorous claps. Rhythm-divine!!!
DELHI-6 turns to be another globe-trotter for A R Rahman and the album surely
heads for another big victory at the stands. It maintains the high-standards of
RANG DE BASANTI and scores better in terms of versatility and upbeat musical
substance. Mohit Chauhan's ''Masakalli'' leads the show with sure-shot
chartbuster while tracks like ''Arziyan'', ''Dil Mera Giraftan'', ''Rehna Tu'',
''Hey Kala Bandar'', ''Genda Phool'' and ''Delhi-6'' will be catching up fast
with three listeners. After the global success of SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, the
celebrations continues for all ''Rahmaniacs'' with DELHI-6 and things look
brighter as flick get set for its big D-Day in coming weekends.
Rating - 4/5
http://www.glamsham.com/music/reviews/20-delhi-6-music-review-010903.asp
