Better Late Than Never!


This is probably going to be very different compared to all my other views because this comes after at least 6 months of release of the music alone. Having seen the movie before I got a chance to let the Rahman-effect grow completely had me shifting favorites, and of course the song that I didn’t really like moved up to a higher level. I’m just going to go with the order that I have on my pod.

Jashn-e-bahara is simply the most amazing song of ARR’s I’ve heard in a while. I’ve probably listened to it bazillion times by now and I love….simply adore this song. Classic as it should be given the context of the movie, yet new sounding. How does he do it? I know that this is supposed to have a singer with a lighter voice, but I still feel that that he could have a deeper sounding one. And I loved the video of the song. Hrithik didn’t look too weird with the ‘stache, just wondering if it was a real one though. Having Hrithik Roshan and ARR in one movie was the ultimate for me. The most annoying lip-syncing that goes on isn’t in this song and I really appreciated it. Beautiful. Just incredibly stupendous. The instrumental version is just as beautiful. Normally I don’t really have the patience for most instrumental numbers but this one I can listen to again, and again, and then some more.

In Lamhon Ki Daman was another beautiful song. I like the ups and downs that ARR takes the listener through. Sonu Nigam does great justice to the song, as usual, couldn’t have asked for a better singer. Madhushree however, even for the little bitty part that she sings, sounds surprisingly old. The song was also shot beautifully. A little Hindi-filmi in some areas, but with a couple who look as good as the pair on screen, I guess that could be overlooked. I wondered why only Rai does any lip-syncing but not Roshan. Nothing simple about this one, great flute work, as usual, I suspect by Naveen.

Mann Mohana is probably my favorite out of the songs in this movie. I don’t think the whole song was used in the movie unless it was edited out. I like the way that it moves from utter despair to contentment and even holds a little sensuality toward the end. Sort of follows the story line, atleast for the character Rai plays. It’s been a while since I’ve heard a devotional number since Pal Pal Hai Bhari – and before that Oh! Paalanhaare. All Gowarikar movies, looks like he likes some amount of divinity in his movies. Wait! But the best part of the song is yet to be mentioned. Bela Shende’s voice is flawless. Clear as a bell and young sounding. Between the voice, the flute interludes and divine music (both because of the devotional element and because ARR’s music is divine) and the awesome lyrics the song ends with, this can’t help to tie for the first place in my rankings for this movie’s music. The way Hrithik looks in the last two lines – lovestruck, awestruck – take your pick, is just the icing on the cake. Never cared for Rai’s acting, never will. She annoys the heck out of me during this song.

Azeem-O-Shah-Shahenshah is a good, solid piece. ARR flexes his drum muscles, wonder if Sivamani worked on this. I loved it when I first listened. Very large scale sounding, perfect for the “Mogul” of all Mughals. Very desi video, dancing in circles and all that. Some of the stuff that Hindi movie clichés are made up of. One of ARR’s immediately likable pieces. Reminded me of Oruvan Oruvan's opening

Khwaja Mere Khwaja- This song took several listenings and sheer will to reach the position of being liked. It’s not possible to have a movie about the most well-known and remembered Muslim emperors of India and not have a Muslim devotional number as well. I liked certain parts of the song and I still don’t like some parts of the song. There are some inconsistencies in the accent and pronunciation, that I think I’ve learnt to expect when ARR sings in Hindi. But more than the pronunciation, I don’t like the opening too much but it was picturised well with the twins, but the extreme nasal sounding singing in the interludes that ARR does, does not appeal to me. Otherwise, I love the interlude at 3:45 to 4:00, except for when I watch the video. It looks like a mass PT session on the ground. These guys looked like they had clay pots on their heads and the emperor gets hit by a very artificially computerized light and then he twirls around. I’m guessing it’s some form of dance that gets done when spiritually charged? Whatever said and done, you have to admit that Hrithik is a very graceful twirler. The beginning of the instrumental version is beautiful, and is reminiscent of Pyara Sa Gaon from Zubeidaa.

I’m still working on Ada, and the more news that I hear about it, I think I understand why I had the initial reaction to it. Maybe the flight I take next week will give me enough time to fall in love with this album as I did with Jodha Akbar.