No One Killed Jessica : No One Can Match Amit

Its unlike the good old days of music when the music directors were able to slip in their signature style in the variety of music they produced. The race to be excellent has made sure that each music director is able to churn out different music for every film. If you go through the hits of 2010, the music directors have not been able to have the “Punjabi theka” or “Heer” of Lakshmikant Pyarelal, the “flanger” on guitar and the break rhythm patterns of RD Burman, the violin and clarinet of OP Nayyar. Yet, there is one music director who has been able to slip in his signature in almost all his songs, right from the beginning. Toutejavascript:void(0)d as the new Rahman – Amit Trivedi.

Amit is a 31 year old music composer with some amazing scores to his credit – the small budget “Aamir” directed by Rajkumar Gupta where “Haan Reham” and “Chakkar Ghumyo” are two songs which got everybody’s attention. His big break came in the form of super-excellent cinema called Dev.D. In fact Anurag Kashyap is so impressed with Amit’s understanding of music that he introduced Amit to Rajkumar and got him to compose the music. Dev. D was a milestone, as the signature style of Amit Trivedi was formed in this film and for that he also won the national award for best music in a feature film. Another cult hit of Amit was a song called ‘Ektaara” from Wake Up Sid. This song in both female and male version was the essence of the film and hence, the song won him many more accolades. His last film Aisha was a super-uber version of Jane Austin’s Emma set in the rich contours of Delhi with a farm house and weekend to Kasauli culture oozing along with shopping for top of the line phoren brand of clothes in stylish malls. Amit’s music of a foot thumping title track and a uber-Punjabi hit “Gal Mithi Mithi Bol” became the sound of the nation. The film didn’t do well for different reasons but the song continues to appear on charts.

Amit’s latest offering and again with Rajkumar Gupta is the super controversial film called “No One Killed Jessica” which is more in the news because of alleged cold war between the lead actresses Rani Mukherjee and Vidya Balan than the storyline. In almost all the songs, you hear Amit’s signature style so prominent at display that after the first two tracks you seem to lose yourself in the album and each track plays independently on your mind.

It starts with a stylish uptempo track “Dilli”. Only Amit can pull off a track which starts with a heavy guitar riff and then the vocals doing D…D….D….D….Dilli…Dilli. Amit’s genius comes in to play where the words penned by an old associate of Amit’s Amitabh Bhattacharya bring the life and times of Delhi. The folkish lyrics which say “Kaad kaleja Dilli” and Amit’s Rock influence on the song gives that “Akkhad” flavor of Dilliwala. Clear distinction in the sound also comes from off beat voices of Tochi Raina, Aditi Sharma. The song not only impresses in the first hearing but it gradually grows on you so much that the only thing that you end up humming is D….D….D….Dilli….Dilli. The headbangers ball should be rocking with this track soon. It is so distinct than the Dilli of Rahman’s Dilli -6 that you wonder if the younger prodigy has looked at Delhi in a different light than Rahman.

The next track is used for Rani Mukherjee who plays a brave journalist in the film. This is her signature track and boy, what a track this one is. Truly earthy, truly simple and truly amazing and fantastic lyrics which define the character in words like “Chal hatt”/ Munh tod de/ halkat/ munhfat/ saali re/ gaali re/ mawali re and such interest arousing lyrics which goes to the extent of Patloon mein junoon hai. The song has a unique rhythm pattern to it and thus while it is very interesting to listen to, it is difficult to sing along. In the movie, Rani Mukherjee’s entry is where the song is used hence, it works with visual. In isolation, the track is interesting because of the weird lyrics rahu ya phir ketu ki hai aadhi gharwali/ temper hai bhayankar etc. In my opinion this is more Amitabh Bhattacharya’s song than Amit’s song.

Track 3 – Aitbaar by sung by Vishal Dadlani is so rockfish that it sounds cacophonic. May be the thread of the film is what is defining this song. While Vishal himself is a great rock singer, this song clearly is not one of his best songs. Nor Amit has been able to do justice to this song.

One of my two favorites from this album is Dua sung by Indian Idol contestant Meenal Jain and a host of other singers like Raman Mahadevan (no relation to Shankar except for that he has sung a couple of songs for Shankar), Joi Baruah and the lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya himself. This song gives me goose bumps. The chord progression and the haunting chorus accentuate the feeling of the song. My personal thinking is that this song is used to show the candle march at Indian Gate. Use of guitars has somehow done more damage to the song than adding to it. It is a short coming with most of the rock songs in the world. Rock music is an expression of self for the musicians and it inherently it is an extends to issues pertaining to the society. Rock exudes pain but at times the instrumentation puts the lyrics on the back seat. This is exactly what happens to this song towards the end.

Second favorite is sung by none other Shilpa Rao. For those who know her or have had the chance to meet her. She is sweet little pretty looking girl but I think something that recording room and the mic does to her where that little girl transforms in to a power house of sorts. The range of her voice is amazing and once again the chords that Amit uses are an apt fit for the song. The song with amazing lyrics is a solitary cry of a woman fighting in the unfair world of men. Amit uses Cello and violin with so much affinity that as a listener I can feel the soul of the song, I can feel the soul of the character on my skin.

Honestly, none of the songs are hum along songs and will find it difficult to get in to the most popular and mass category but the compositions are world class, arrangement is mind blowing and both lyrics and the singing complement each other. This album has the potential to turn in to a collector’s item only if the film works. If the film is able to do 100% justice to the original incident, which I am sure it will, the music will go places with the film. In isolation, on the other hand, the album may not find traction with its listeners. Fans of Amit like me will follow the album all the while and in fact “Dilli” is one of the drive time favorites, how much an average listener will lap it up is a thing that needs to be seen.

Music Review : Yamla Pagla Deewana

Finally the Apne arrive in their own elements. The Deol trio of Daddy Dharmendra, a man we have loved for over 50 years, the original macho man of India silver screen with his two puttars; the simplest and one of the kindest souls, our desi he-man Sunny and the most flamboyant of them all, Bobby. And this time, the Yamla Pagla Deewana is in full action promising a funny crime-caper with Dharamji and Bobby playing the con-artists and apna Sunny paji as the brawny cop.

The music of the film was recently released in a five star hotel where Amitabh Bachchan released the music of the film, and it was such an heartwarming moment to see Jai-Veeru Jodi on stage sharing funny anecdotes and a hearty laugh. So, the music of Yamla Pagla Deewana is finally out and let’s see what does this album has to offer to us.

As expected and planned by all 3 Deols (I am sure the director Samir Karnik must have bulldozed his way here), the title track of the film is the ever-so-popular cult song composed by Lakshmikant-Pyarelal for Dharamji. The song not only became Dharamji’s signature song but also defined the persona behind the super-strong on screen image of Dharamji. The song is aptly re-created/ re-mixed/ re-done with Sonu Niigaam’s voice paying tribute to his idol Mohammad Rafi. The effervescence and joy in his voice in unmistakably present and while this song brings the image of Dharamji’s “now ready to be registered” dance moves, on screen the three “Jatts” are in their element. RDB the band, who have belted out many hit Punjabi songs for Akshay Kumar’s films in the past, have helped re-create the song, a fairly justified attempt. May be, I am being biased for the earthy feeling that the original offered in 1975 watching Dharamji trying to woo his lady love Hemaji.

Next song on the album is a revelation of sorts. Composed by young talented Pakistani singer Nouman Javaid (who incidentally co-write the lyrics of the songs with Rahul Seth). Nouman has had his share of controversies for one of his earlier tracks “O Meri Jaan” in Emran Hashmi – Soha Ali Khan starrer Tum Mile. He was found by the Bhatts in a musical called Jashn – the film that failed to launch the career of Adhyayn Suman. He composed and sung two songs in that film and then him releasing his track O Meri Jaan on youtube before the release of the film got him in to trouble with Pritam and Bhatts. With this beautiful track Charha De Rang, he hopes to get back. The singers are an accomplished singer Ali Pervez Mehdi from Lahore along with Shweta Pandit. The raw flavor of the voice makes the melody a really hum along track. Next in line is the item number with a strange mix of earthy Punjabi and Bhojpuri flavor Tinku Jiya, composed by Anu Malik and belted out by Mamta “Munni Badnam” Sharma and Javed “Kajrare” Ali. Anu Malik once again tries his hand at lyric writing but the song except for the catchy and racy tune has nothing to rave about. However, the picturisation of the song will see it through.

Not many people know this singer called Omer Nadeem but those who are heavily in to Pakistani pop music will remember him as one of the key members of the band “Jal” before the infamous split of Atif Aslam from the band. Omer also collaborated with Mustafa Zahid for his band Sifar where they produced some very good numbers including the cult hit “Toh Phir Aao” (used by the Bhatts again). Omer has always been on the fence waiting for the jackpot. The song Sau Baar is a perfect song for someone like him and Shreya Ghosal’s melifluos voice compliments. A song that will stay for long. Chamki Jawani is a strange tune from Bhojpur and has Mamta Sharma, Daler Mehndi and super talented Master Salim singing a done to death treatment to a traditional tune by Anu Malik. This song sticks out as a sore thumb in the entire album. Anu Malik, we know is a far superior composer to even think of such a run of the mill composition.

Nouman Javaid comes again with an equally strange tune called Son Titariya which has Bhojpuri lyrics meeting a Punjabi dance number and in turn getting confused as to which route to follow. Even the singer Krishna Beura (Chak De India and Raaz fame) could help the song. Though it sounds like a fun song, the heavy instrumentation leaves a lot to be desired. Last official song on the album is written by none other than Dharam paji, and the subject of the song is, no surprise here – The whiskey bottle.

Other songs of the album are different dub versions of Charha De Rang – One of which is sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan with Shweta Pandit & Mahalakshmi Iyer. Two more adlib versions of this song are really killing the beauty of the song and can be done away with. No need for listeners to go through the pain of listening to rehearsals. Like a true Punjabi film, the album ends with a Gurbaani sung by Shahid Mallya.

Over all the album is an interesting listen but the songs will work only if they are accompanied by interesting visuals and what better can be than the 3 Deols in their elements.