Music Review: Raanjhanaa (Hindi)
Composer(s): A. R. Rahman
Film: Raanjhanaa
A. R. Rahman, fresh from the release of Maryan, is back at it once again with yet another Dhanush starrer, this time in Bollywood. So will Raanjhanaa emerge as the most beloved soundtrack of this year? Undoubtedly. And Rahman's chameleon-like ability to sink his teeth into the nuances of diametrically different soundscapes is a testament to the sheer mastery he brings to the table, blending a potpourri of sounds, all the while embracing an aesthetic that's at once rooted and snazzy.
Bedecked by dholaks and sitar, the frenzied title track captures the exuberance of falling in love, with enthusiastic support from singers Shiraz Uppal and Jaswinder Singh. Shreya Ghoshal's saccharine sweet vocals adorn the endearing folk based Banarasiya (that gorgeous sarangi!), while Piya Milenge is a gorgeous mix of sufi and electro elements that benefits from an impeccable rendition from Sukhwinder Singh. Ay Sakhi rides on a lovely folk base, and by opting for a beautiful percussive mix of ghatam and tabla, the whole song beautifully expresses the playful banter between the girls, with Madhushree, Chinmayi, Vaishali and Aanchal Sethi lending superb vocal purchase.
Nazar Laaye, a soothing and serene ballad sung by Rashid Ali and Neeti Mohan, lends a modern, urban-y twist to the proceedings, and Aise Na Dekho's jazzy orchestration (in addition to the accordions and whistles that play peekaboo) expands on the contemporary sonic territory, working fabulously in Rahman's pitch-perfect vocals. The anthemic Tu Mun Shudi (A. R. Rahman, Rabbi Shergill) can be a tad reminiscent of similar tracks in Rang De Basanti or Yuva, but the arrangements are faultless, neatly incorporating a mishmash techno and desi beats.
Deftly bringing in temple bells, conchs, udukai and other percussion instruments together, The Land of Shiva aptly encapsulates the spiritual aspects of the film's backdrop (Varanasi), even as Javed Ali, Keerthi Sagathia and Pooja Vaidyanath (almost sounding like Alka Yagnik) put up a great show in Tum Tak, a hymnal bhajan-styled romantic melody evocative of Varaha Nadhikarai, characterised by skilful pace changes and a spectacular mix of shehnai, manjira, tabla and dholaks. Raanjhanaa is the best to come from A. R. Rahman in recent years (even Rockstar, Kadal and Maryan pale in comparison). An unmatched musical experience no less!
Film: Raanjhanaa
A. R. Rahman, fresh from the release of Maryan, is back at it once again with yet another Dhanush starrer, this time in Bollywood. So will Raanjhanaa emerge as the most beloved soundtrack of this year? Undoubtedly. And Rahman's chameleon-like ability to sink his teeth into the nuances of diametrically different soundscapes is a testament to the sheer mastery he brings to the table, blending a potpourri of sounds, all the while embracing an aesthetic that's at once rooted and snazzy.
Bedecked by dholaks and sitar, the frenzied title track captures the exuberance of falling in love, with enthusiastic support from singers Shiraz Uppal and Jaswinder Singh. Shreya Ghoshal's saccharine sweet vocals adorn the endearing folk based Banarasiya (that gorgeous sarangi!), while Piya Milenge is a gorgeous mix of sufi and electro elements that benefits from an impeccable rendition from Sukhwinder Singh. Ay Sakhi rides on a lovely folk base, and by opting for a beautiful percussive mix of ghatam and tabla, the whole song beautifully expresses the playful banter between the girls, with Madhushree, Chinmayi, Vaishali and Aanchal Sethi lending superb vocal purchase.
Nazar Laaye, a soothing and serene ballad sung by Rashid Ali and Neeti Mohan, lends a modern, urban-y twist to the proceedings, and Aise Na Dekho's jazzy orchestration (in addition to the accordions and whistles that play peekaboo) expands on the contemporary sonic territory, working fabulously in Rahman's pitch-perfect vocals. The anthemic Tu Mun Shudi (A. R. Rahman, Rabbi Shergill) can be a tad reminiscent of similar tracks in Rang De Basanti or Yuva, but the arrangements are faultless, neatly incorporating a mishmash techno and desi beats.
Deftly bringing in temple bells, conchs, udukai and other percussion instruments together, The Land of Shiva aptly encapsulates the spiritual aspects of the film's backdrop (Varanasi), even as Javed Ali, Keerthi Sagathia and Pooja Vaidyanath (almost sounding like Alka Yagnik) put up a great show in Tum Tak, a hymnal bhajan-styled romantic melody evocative of Varaha Nadhikarai, characterised by skilful pace changes and a spectacular mix of shehnai, manjira, tabla and dholaks. Raanjhanaa is the best to come from A. R. Rahman in recent years (even Rockstar, Kadal and Maryan pale in comparison). An unmatched musical experience no less!
Nice writeup! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Gokul Nath! I do follow your blog Indicritic; you are doing a great job, friend!
DeleteIt's time we read about the music we keep plugged in to. Read how artists like Rahman and Irshad Kamil go about creating their masterpiece tacks.
ReplyDeleteVisit - http://melodybites.blogspot.com/ for more!
Nice post Ravie !! A R Rahman is the man who don't requires any introduction in Indian or in international countries. Ranjhana was yet another beautiful creation of A R Rahman whom everybody loved and liked. For more latest news on A R Rahman or his music release or any other movies music release visit @ http://bhaskar.com/
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