Rahman vs Rahman bollywoodmusic by Nikhil Taneja
Raavan Music: A R Rahman Lyrics: Gulzar <http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/ArticleText.aspx?article=05_05_2010_550_002&kword=&mode=1><http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/ArticleText.aspx?article=05_05_2010_550_002&kword=&mode=1><http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/ArticleText.aspx?article=05_05_2010_550_002&kword=&mode=1><http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/ArticleText.aspx?article=05_05_2010_550_002&kword=&mode=1><http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/ArticleText.aspx?article=05_05_2010_550_002&kword=&mode=1><http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/ArticleText.aspx?article=05_05_2010_550_002&kword=&mode=1><http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/ArticleText.aspx?article=05_05_2010_550_002&kword=&mode=1><http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/ArticleText.aspx?article=05_05_2010_550_002&kword=&mode=1> digg <http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/ArticleText.aspx?article=05_05_2010_550_002&kword=&mode=1> If music were to be a religion in India, A R Rahman would undoubtedly be God. In a way, it would be sacrilegious to critique Rahman's music. Especially if you are a die-hard fan. Especially if he's released an album after six months. And especially if he has teamed up with Gulzar and Mani Ratnam, a partnership, that in the past, has given gems like Dil Se, Bombay and Roja. But in the case of Raavan, blasphemy isn't really a choice. Rahman's genius lies in the unpredictability of his struc- tures and the multi-layered depth that he gives a song, each of which unravels in subsequent hearings. Though, on its face, the music of Raavan is distinc- tive it has a `nukad naatak' type theatrical feel to it but on repeated hearing, the new layers you uncover are reminiscent of older Rahman songs you've heard before. Soft and ethereal to begin with, `Behene de' builds in momentum and ends up resembling Dil Se's `Satrangi re'. `Thok de killi', with its frenetic pace and war cry-like theme, is a `Dhakka laga bukka' (Yuva) meets `Chale chalo' (Lagaan) towards the end. `Ranjha ranjha' sounds, in parts, like a better- arranged version of Blue's `Yaar mila tha'. `Khilli re', though thematically very different, is reminiscent of Lagaan's `O paalan hare'. `Beera' stands tall over the other songs, and is one of the best-arranged, and most addictive songs this year, with a melodious chant that you won't be able to stop humming for a while. Buy the album for `Beera', Gulzar's evocative lyrics and for Rahman's inspired use of ethnic Indian instruments, but don't expect a Roja.
