Music Review: Love Aaj Kal (Hindi)
Composer(s): Pritam Chakraborty
Listen to the songs online here: JioSaavn
It would be an understatement to say Pritam is going through a curious phase, for the composer's great music has been attached to not-so-great films off late — Jagga Jasoos, Jab Harry Met Sejal, Kalank, The Sky Is Pink, and now Love Aaj Kal, a 2020 spiritual sequel to the 2009 original from director Imtiaz Ali. The Love Aaj Kal from a decade ago had a chartbusting score by Pritam himself, jam-packed with bullet-proof hits like Dooriyan, Twist, Chor Bazari, and Aahun Aahun.
The newer version is bigger and better, with Pritam once again in fine mettle, showcasing his flair for crafting extremely hummable melodic pieces that're textured as much as they're beautiful. With its subtle tabla flourishes and propelled along by Darshan Raval's breezy rendition, Mehrama offers a lovely throwback to Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani's Tu Jaane Na, even as Arijit Singh, in his characteristic fashion, turns up the charm in Shayad (and its wispy reprise variant) and Rahogi Meri, the latter of which gets an ethereal sarangi-laden makeover, with Shilpa Rao joining hands alongside Arijit to make it all the more delectable.
The hip-hop bhajan Parameshwara and the folky Dhak Dhak (reminiscent of Pritam's tunes from Jagga Jasoos) couldn't have been more far removed from the largely harmonious tone of the soundtrack — the effect is jarring, almost like jolting the listener out of any dream-like haze they might have fallen into — but carry enough spunk to enliven the proceedings in Raftaar and Nikhita Gandhi's peppy vocals. Haan Main Galat is no exception, but as an entirely new song built around the pungi refrain from Twist — which, in turn, was lifted from Hemant Kumar's Man Dole Mera Tan Dole (Nagin) — it works well as an explosive dance cut packed with thumping beats and groovy synths before escalating into a bursting drop.
Twist isn't the only track to get the rework treatment. There's also Yeh Dooriyan, a sweet acoustic melody that sticks faithfully to the original, including a fabulous Mohit Chauhan who hits all the right notes with this heartfelt singing. But everything comes together incredibly well in the album's cornerstone Aur Tanha. Stacked with sparse rhythms and soaring choruses, the song is a gorgeous collision of lush orchestral opulence, intense guitar strums and hauntingly despondent vocals from K.K. (Can he sing more please?) Pritam concocts a rich, kaleidoscopic album that's as mellifluous as it is varied and bursting with melody. Setting aside the failure of the film, I can only hope the music goes on to have a life of its own.
Listen to the songs online here: JioSaavn
It would be an understatement to say Pritam is going through a curious phase, for the composer's great music has been attached to not-so-great films off late — Jagga Jasoos, Jab Harry Met Sejal, Kalank, The Sky Is Pink, and now Love Aaj Kal, a 2020 spiritual sequel to the 2009 original from director Imtiaz Ali. The Love Aaj Kal from a decade ago had a chartbusting score by Pritam himself, jam-packed with bullet-proof hits like Dooriyan, Twist, Chor Bazari, and Aahun Aahun.
The newer version is bigger and better, with Pritam once again in fine mettle, showcasing his flair for crafting extremely hummable melodic pieces that're textured as much as they're beautiful. With its subtle tabla flourishes and propelled along by Darshan Raval's breezy rendition, Mehrama offers a lovely throwback to Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani's Tu Jaane Na, even as Arijit Singh, in his characteristic fashion, turns up the charm in Shayad (and its wispy reprise variant) and Rahogi Meri, the latter of which gets an ethereal sarangi-laden makeover, with Shilpa Rao joining hands alongside Arijit to make it all the more delectable.
The hip-hop bhajan Parameshwara and the folky Dhak Dhak (reminiscent of Pritam's tunes from Jagga Jasoos) couldn't have been more far removed from the largely harmonious tone of the soundtrack — the effect is jarring, almost like jolting the listener out of any dream-like haze they might have fallen into — but carry enough spunk to enliven the proceedings in Raftaar and Nikhita Gandhi's peppy vocals. Haan Main Galat is no exception, but as an entirely new song built around the pungi refrain from Twist — which, in turn, was lifted from Hemant Kumar's Man Dole Mera Tan Dole (Nagin) — it works well as an explosive dance cut packed with thumping beats and groovy synths before escalating into a bursting drop.
Twist isn't the only track to get the rework treatment. There's also Yeh Dooriyan, a sweet acoustic melody that sticks faithfully to the original, including a fabulous Mohit Chauhan who hits all the right notes with this heartfelt singing. But everything comes together incredibly well in the album's cornerstone Aur Tanha. Stacked with sparse rhythms and soaring choruses, the song is a gorgeous collision of lush orchestral opulence, intense guitar strums and hauntingly despondent vocals from K.K. (Can he sing more please?) Pritam concocts a rich, kaleidoscopic album that's as mellifluous as it is varied and bursting with melody. Setting aside the failure of the film, I can only hope the music goes on to have a life of its own.
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