Music Review: Kabir Singh (Hindi)
Composer(s): Akhil Sachdeva, Amaal Mallik, Mithoon, Sachet-Parampara, Vishal Mishra
Listen to the songs online here: JioSaavn
A Bollywood adaptation of the problematic Telugu film Arjun Reddy*, the soundtrack, featuring songs from five different composers, ends up sounding so alike to one another, it's hard to figure out which composition belongs to whom. Switch up the credits and the singers, you would barely notice the difference. The tunes themselves follow a typical template (aced by Arijit Singh and K.K. before him), alternating between angst-laden rock pieces and saccharine-sweet melodies, but the host of new voices adds some freshness, especially to Sachet-Parampara's Bekhayali and Vishal Mishra's breezy Pehla Pyaar.
* Forget about consent, the film's misogynistic portrayal of a genius/college bully/skilled surgeon with anger issues and his downward spiral is not only troubling, but also concerning for the way the titular character stakes "ownership" over a girl in the name of love. It glorifies toxic masculinity and uses anger as a tool to justify his abuse of women and people around him.
His is a character that's beyond redemption, no matter the redeemable traits director Sandeep Reddy Vanga imbues him with in an attempt to paint an empathetic picture of an obnoxious swell-head, and in turn manipulate us, the audience, into feeling sorry for him.
The inter-caste conflict that pushes our protagonist down the abyss of addiction comes off as faux-progressiveness, merely a crutch deliberately designed to mask his true regressive feelings, which is to get the girl at any cost.
It's not the depiction of a self-destructive, wayward man that's at issue. Of course, such men do exist. But it presents the viewer with a moral quandry when violence is romanticised and he is shown as a man with a good heart — are we supposed to root for a flawed, unlikeable character? — when it should be a cautionary tale, not someone meant to be idolised, or worth shedding a tear. Reflecting reality is one thing, celebrating it as acceptable, or even laudatory, is quite another.
Listen to the songs online here: JioSaavn
A Bollywood adaptation of the problematic Telugu film Arjun Reddy*, the soundtrack, featuring songs from five different composers, ends up sounding so alike to one another, it's hard to figure out which composition belongs to whom. Switch up the credits and the singers, you would barely notice the difference. The tunes themselves follow a typical template (aced by Arijit Singh and K.K. before him), alternating between angst-laden rock pieces and saccharine-sweet melodies, but the host of new voices adds some freshness, especially to Sachet-Parampara's Bekhayali and Vishal Mishra's breezy Pehla Pyaar.
***
* Forget about consent, the film's misogynistic portrayal of a genius/college bully/skilled surgeon with anger issues and his downward spiral is not only troubling, but also concerning for the way the titular character stakes "ownership" over a girl in the name of love. It glorifies toxic masculinity and uses anger as a tool to justify his abuse of women and people around him.
His is a character that's beyond redemption, no matter the redeemable traits director Sandeep Reddy Vanga imbues him with in an attempt to paint an empathetic picture of an obnoxious swell-head, and in turn manipulate us, the audience, into feeling sorry for him.
The inter-caste conflict that pushes our protagonist down the abyss of addiction comes off as faux-progressiveness, merely a crutch deliberately designed to mask his true regressive feelings, which is to get the girl at any cost.
It's not the depiction of a self-destructive, wayward man that's at issue. Of course, such men do exist. But it presents the viewer with a moral quandry when violence is romanticised and he is shown as a man with a good heart — are we supposed to root for a flawed, unlikeable character? — when it should be a cautionary tale, not someone meant to be idolised, or worth shedding a tear. Reflecting reality is one thing, celebrating it as acceptable, or even laudatory, is quite another.
Comments
Post a Comment