Musically yours…

Too much is riding on Saawariya, and thus the music of the film has a huge task to accomplish, to be the very first favourite element of the film. Given that background, and the fact that Sanjay Leela Bhansali is making a musical after five years, does definitely add to the expectations.

And when the opening guitar of the title track plays, Saawariya as an album hits you exactly the way the first rains hit you on a sultry summer afternoon. From the very first beat, till the very end this song holds instant appeal, and stays with you. For all the Indian Idol and the likes, this song may soon be the next one to be rendered very often by the participants. It has been ages since Kishore Kumar’s yodeling made its exit from our songs, but this song brings back the era, as newcomer Shail sings with aplomb. The most alluring element of the song is the fact by the time the listener is completely smitten by it; it ends, and creates the longing for it. A complete winner, and a show stealer the album couldn’t have begun on a better note, and rightly so.

The album that follows is a mix of varied musical styles, and though one can’t really decipher all the resemblances, the entire album, in some way or the other gives a sense of pleasant déjà vu, while several melodies of the yesteryears meld and fuse and then blend into the music of Saawariya, though this time the resemblances are only pleasant and not plagiaristic.

Yoon Shabnami is another track with an instant but long lasting appeal. The highlight of the song is the first interlude, when the fast violin, fuses into the sitar, and then suddenly when the qawwali begins. The transition is beautiful, and Shail’s voice, is again soothing. Richa Sharma proves her prowess as a singer in Daras bina. While this isn’t exactly the song for the ears attuned to the melodies (?) of Himesh and the likes, it is one of the musically richest songs of the album. With the alaaps, and the musical notes which will remind one of Devdas and the master’s attention to detail, and visual resplendence, this song is sure going to be a visual treat, and the connoisseurs of art will throng the theatres again and again for the same. Amongst the choreographers listed, if Shiamak Davar choreographs this one, it will be an unusual fusion version of modern art. Jaan-e-Jaan, with its undercurrent of pain, will take time to grow, but will definitely be remembered for long, in the years to come. The song to me brings back the memories of Do pal from Veer Zaara, and is painfully soothing.

One wonders, as one wanders through the musical web of Saawariya whether the album will have any commercial viability and then there is Alka Yagnik crooning Chhabeela which by the sound of it seems like the courtesan’s song, while she is catcalling to her lover. A few seconds with the O-o-o-o, and one will figure out that this is Rani’s song in the film. I think this song should be out soon, for all commercial purposes, and the video does seem promising. Also, the description of the guy in the song, suits Salman more, from whatever of his look has been revealed. So basically it seems like a crowd puller.

The reprised version of the title track, which marks the end of an unforgettable musical compilation, is again a feel good number, though I personally prefer the original. This one may actually be the song which plays with the visuals which are out on TV currently (in the hotel while he tries to woo her), while the original version may play when the hero is prancing his way to glory in the white towel.

Amongst the other songs, Shreya Ghoshal’s Sawar Gayi has striking resemblances with Silsila yeh chahat ka from Devdas, right from the opening sounds of the clouds, to the general sentiment that echoes in both the songs. The lyrics fall more on the cute side for this one, and Sameer has brought out the girl’s sentiments beautifully. This one will again take time to grow. Her other song, Thode Badmaash again falls on the cute side, and resembles Bairi Piya from Devdas. Composed by Bhansali himself, this is another of the short songs in the film, which end very soon, and make you long for more. These two songs pretty much create an aura of innocence to the romance, as it grows, just like it does, in the first half of Devdas.

I have been a tad disappointed by Kunal Ganjawala, and both his songs, Masha-Allah and Pari, will perhaps take the longest time to grow on me. Also, the tune for the former seems a little forced and fitted into the composition, but I am more than sure that the visual counterparts of the song will fill in for the punch in the songs, which seem to be lacking, at least in the first couple of hearings.

Shaan’s Jab se tere naina is yet another gem in the album. One thing special about this song, and a couple of other numbers is the feel of devotion which one gets as the songs play, then be it the alaaps, or the renditions of Allah, which bring in pleasant memories of the Muslim socials which haven’t been made for a while now. I don’t know if this is the correct way of putting it but these songs; seem to be soaked in the Bhakti ras and this is precisely what separates the songs, and the romance of Saawariya from the run of the mill songs which are replete with the metaphors of beauty and love, but somehow look half-baked in comparison. Saawariya seems to take love on a divine platform, and this is exactly the area where it will score, especially when pitted against a commercial potboiler like Om Shanti Om.

Debutant music director Monty does complete justice to both his ancestral connections with Laxmikant Pyarelal and to his maiden work, Devdas (he composed the background music for the same, and also for Black). But the surprise packet of the album is definitely lyricist Sameer, who has proved that he can do justice art, when given the chance. The guest lyricists, Nusrat Badr and Sandeep Nath also keep pace with Sameer, with one song each.

And finally a word on the genius of Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who makes me take my adoration, admiration and adulation for him on a completely different level, every time he creates something. Musically he has done full justice to the fact that his previous film was song less, and now one just waits with bated breath, as the symphony of Saawariya gets painted on the screen and the hues and shades of the colours fill in as the visual complements for the melodies.

From its variety to its freshness, Saawariya probably has everything that takes to make a great album. On a candid note, after Devdas (2002) and Veer Zaara (2004) this is one complete album, and thanks to the financial backing and the marketing muscle that will be put into place to promote the album and the film, the audiences who have been enslaved by mediocre content, will be subjected to what can be rightly defined as good quality content.