Jaane Tu....ya Jaane

Would it be 'Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak' once again with the arrival of 'Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Naa'?
Music review

This is the first feeling one got the moment the first look of this Aamir Khan production was out. Marking the launch pad of his nephew, Imraan Khan, 'Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Naa' seems to be another innocent love story in the offering sans any unnecessary mush, hence going truly with contemporary times. With pretty girl Genelia D'Souza opposite Imraan in this campus flick and A.R. Rahman as the composer, this Abbas Tyrewala debut directorial venture (he also doubles up as a lyricist here), 'JTYJN', is a promising flick arriving this summer. Does the music hold up to the promise? The answer is - Yes!

First things first - when the best of the best of 2008 would be written down, the number 'Kabhi Kabhi Aditi Zindagi' would definitely find a mention. Crooned by newcomer Rashid Ali who is being introduced by Rahman on Bollywood musical arena, the song is beautiful from the word GO, the moment guitar strings mark the song's beginning.

Rashid's voice is just perfect for an actor who is being launched in a youthful romantic entertainer and the singer utilizes the big platform to the fullest. While Abbas' lyrics go truly with contemporary times, it is a nice change to hear a Rahman composition in a truly mainstream cinema rather than the historical/period/issue based films for which he has been creating music for quite some time now.

In true Rahman style, he gets together a bunch of singers for the track 'Pappu Can't Dance'. Well, this is the track which is supposedly a spoof on Salman Khan's on and off screen image and has been making news in last few days. The song's beginning has a rhythm which has formed a part of the racy proceedings in the first teaser of 'Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Naa' that had kick started the film's promotion a few weeks back.

Anupama, Benny Dayal, Blazee, Tanvi, Darshana, Satish Subramanium and Aslam come together to sing about this character called 'Pappu' who has seen all the riches in his life. Since the day he was born, he roams around in the best of the cars, has a body to die for, boasts of an impeccable style, but alas, can't dance to save his life. Hence the title - 'Pappu Can't Dance'. A fast moving fun song, which has a campus setting to it and also appears in a 'remix version', 'Pappu' is a song which should be fun when watched on the big screen.

It's a new sound at the very beginning of 'Jaane Tu Mera Kya Hai (Aditi)' that hooks you on instantaneously. This very rhythm stays throughout this song which is crooned for the female character of the film, Aditi, by yet another relative newcomer Runa. If the song's haunting tune wasn't enough, the way Runa renders the track makes it one as the sad theme of the song conveys what the protagonist is going through. A number about a girl remembering the times gone by with the boy she loved, 'Jaane Tu' is composed in a style, which is similar to that of 'Zara Zara' ['Rehnna Hai Terre Dil Mein'] and hence can be expected to grow over a period of time.

The song is later heard in a version meant for the film's male protagonist Jai and is titled 'Jaane Tu Meri Kya Hai (Jai)'. This time around the beginning is even more sombre and takes it's own time to reach the stage where Sukhwinder Singh comes around to hold the centre stage. The pensive mood is conveyed well yet again though this time around the version is even more sombre.

Guitar is at play once again in the number 'Nazrein Milaana Nazrein Churaana'. The best song to arrive after 'Kabhi Kabhi Aditi Zindagi', 'Nazrein' deserves to be the next song in line for promotion. Packed with youthful energy, the number has a Rahman stamp all over it and goes in perfectly well with the film's campus mood. In fact just one hearing and you are sure to carry the number along for your next camp fire outing.

Yet again, it's an array of singers - Benny Dayal, Satish Chakravarthy, Naresh Iyer, Darshana, Shwetha, Tanvi, Bhargavi, Anupama - who come together but never once does one feels like trying to find out the singer behind a particular line. A complete team effort which reminds of the number 'Sama Yeh Suhaana' [Goonj] when it comes to it's setting.

The album continues to become better with every passing song, especially so the moment the title song arrives. Surprisingly, instead of 'Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Naa', it is titled 'Tu Bole Main Boloon', which are the opening words of the song. Sung by Rahman himself, the song is a funny take on how this guy and the girl have two different perspectives to everything, even though at the end what they mean is just the same! A bona fide jazz number with soft drums, saxophone and other associated musical instruments in tow, 'Tu Bolev' has an international feel to it in the way it's entire arrangements are done.

After a brilliant 'Kabhi Kabhi Aditi Zindagi', Rashid Ali returns with 'Kahin To Hogi Ho' where he has Vasundara Das for company. Yet another beautiful number which carries an Indi-pop feel to it, this love song has such a serene feel to it that one can't help playing the number on a repeat mode. This is a kind of a soft romantic number that you wish to preserve in your iPod and play it your loved one at the first given opportunity. A brilliant number which makes it two out of two for Rashid Ali!

The soundtrack here is unlike a conventional Bollywood score and instead introduces a style, which goes with the contemporary youthful setting. 'Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Naa' is an album, which deserves to be bought this season. With 'Jannat' being the only album which is registering good sales and no other album from past or present matching it's performance on the stands, 'Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Naa' by A.R. Rahman comes as welcome relief.

In an era of experimental cinema, new genres and talents have surfaced who have made huge impact with their indifferent and immaculate talents. If low-profile films like ANWAR brought Mithoon to limelight then AAMIR promises another impressive musical composer in the form of Amit Trivedi. This unconventional psychological thriller brings another consequential name in the musical fraternity.

Upcoming Amit Trivedi makes a striking introduction to the album by rendering out pious moments of spiritualism in melodious piece of 'Sufi' quawalli dedicated to God Almighty in enchanting 'Ha Raham (Mehfuz)'. After Mithoon's brilliant composition 'Maula Mere Maula' (ANWAR), this melodic piece comes out as another refreshing surprise with some great philosophic wordings like ('Sone chamak mein, Sikko khanak mein, Milta nahi, Milta nahi, Dhool ke zarro, Mein dhunde koi toh, Milta wahi, Milta wahi). Murtuza Qadir's impeccably developed vocals bring out spiritually refined sentiments in air that is well concocted with Amit Trivedi and lyricist Amit voices. It has serene shades from Rehman's beautiful composition 'Piya Haji Ali' (FIZA) that stay on in senses till its last beat. This devout number is presumed to be imposing background score that will certainly be appreciating 'emotional' quotient of the flick. Impressive!!!

Amit Trivedi makes himself full throttle as lead soloist in earthen folksy track 'Chakar Ghumyo', song about trials and tribulations of lost protagonist finding his way out in whirlpool of emotions. It has folksy attributes of Ila Arun's popular Rajasthani folk track 'Ghagra Ghoomiyo Re' in its substance but sounds too loud and recurring in its customary arrangements. Do expects twists and turns in the tale with some haunting noir narration in its background when this run loud in theatres. Amit's lyrics sound unsophisticated and crude in its flows but will be finding its major takers among interior audiences.

If you have liking for daunting tracks like 'Ash Tray' and 'Jab Bhi' (NO SMOKING), then this dark noir stylized rip-roaring and pulsating 'Haara' is going to impress you. Amit Trivedi pelts out an intimidating number that comes with reverberating sounds, instrumentals depicting the distressing state of mind of the demoralized protagonist. It's an out and out situational track that will be making its relevance in its cinematic displays.

'Phas Gaya (Never Mind)', another haunting and pulsating track comes in the voice of another upcoming singer Neuman Pinto with rigorous set of westernized arrangements. It has the nerve-racking situational feel where protagonist gets entrapped. The song has typical western feel composition that could well be experienced in RGV's stylized loud and dark shaded tracks like 'Jo Darr Gaya Woh Marr Gaya' (DARNA MARNA HAI) and recently heard 'Johnny Gaddar' (JOHNNY GADDAR). Neuman's invigorating vocals makes impact in its piercing flows but do expect it to making its sound moves in compelling situations of the film.

Amit Trivedi's second most impressive work comes in the form of delectably poised emotional track 'Ek Lau' that showcases captivating voices of Shilpa Rao and Amitabh. It has soulful rendition that talks about the flare ('lau') of life in beautifully conceptualized Sufi musical works and cultured poetic verses. Shilpa delivers remarkable performance in low octaves with a sanctimonious backdrop of tranquil-feel arrangements. Amitabh's expressively poetic lyrics are epitome of divine serenity as it transforms listeners into ambience of spirituality in its relaxing musical appeal. This poignantly melancholic track holds significance for its quality melodic substance that gets epitomized in its brilliant teamwork displays. Soul-stirring!!!

After couple of enlightening vocal tracks, 'Climax Theme' comes out as the only instrumental number that is beautifully amalgamated with soulful 'alaaps', relaxing 'lounge' impact and significant violin works. Marianne D' Cruz makes resounding impression in outstretched 'alaaps' that emotes out in the form of inspiring 'Gregorian chants' in lingering backdrop of haunting orchestration. The latter part has melancholically paced violin works by Jeetendra Thakur that plays in tandem and adds layers of pathos and serenity into it.

Commercially speaking, AAMIR won't be holding any great surprises for its classy appeal, low promotion and bleak face-value but tracks like 'Ha Raham (Mehfuz)' and 'Ek Lau' will be drawing major attention from class listeners for its remarkable quality display. Even folksy tracks like 'Chakkar Ghumyo' and instrumental 'Climax Theme' will be working well for small sect of listeners. After the successful arrival of new composers like Mithoon, Gourav Dasgupta, Bappa Lahiri and Mithoon, Amit Trivedi along with lyricist Amit holds great promise of becoming notable figure in the marquee.

Rating -3/5

Coldplay - Viva la Vida

When Coldplay sampled Kraftwerk on their third album X&Y, it was a signifier for the British band, telegraphing their classicist good taste while signaling how they favor the eternally hip to the truly adventurous; it was stylish window-dressing for soft arena rock. Hiring Brian Eno to produce the bulk of their fourth album Viva la Vida is another matter entirely. Eno pushes the band, not necessarily to experiment but rather to focus and refine, to not leave their comfort zone but find some tremulous discomfort within it. In his hands, this most staid of bands to shake things up, albeit politely, but such good manners are inherent in Coldplay’s DNA; they remain courteous even when they experiment. With his big-budget production, Eno has a knack for amplifying an artist’s personality, as he allows bands to be just as risky as they want to be — which is quite a lot in the case of U2 or James and even Paul Simon, but not quite so much with Coldplay. And yet this gentle encouragement — he’s almost a kindly uncle giving his nephews permission to rummage through his study — pays great dividends for Coldplay, as it winds up changing the specifics without altering the core. They wind up with the same self-styled grandiosity, they’ve just found a more interesting way to get to the same point.

Gone are Chris Martin’s piano recitals, gone are the washes of meticulously majestic guitar, replaced by orchestrations of sound, sometimes literally consisting of strings but usually a tapestry of synthesizers, percussion, organs, electronics, and guitars that avoid playing riffs. Gone too are simpering schoolboy ballads like “Fix You” and, along with them, the soaring melodies designed to fill arenas. In fact, there are no insistent hooks to be found anywhere on Viva la Vida and there are no clear singles in this collection of insinuatingly ingratiating songs. This reliance on elliptical melodies isn’t off-putting — alienation is alien to Coldplay — and this is where Eno’s guidance pays off, as he helps sculpt Viva la Vida to work as a musical whole, where there are long stretches of instrumentals and where only “Strawberry Swing” — with its light, gently infectious melody and insistent rhythmic pulse — break from the album’s appealingly meditative murk. Whatever iciness there is to the sound of Viva la Vida is warmed by Martin’s voice, but the music is by design an heir to the earnest British art-rock of ’80s Peter Gabriel and U2; arty enough to convey sober intelligence without seeming snobby, the kind of album that deserves to take its title from Frida Kahlo and album art from Eugene Delacroix.

That Delacroix painting depicts the French revolution, so it does fit that Martin tones down his relentless self-obsession — the songs aren’t heavy on lyrics and some are shockingly written in character — which is a development as welcome as the expanded sonic palette. Martin’s refined writing topics may be outpaced by the band’s guided adventure but they’re both indicative that the band is desperate to not just strive for the title of great band — a title they seem to believe that they’re to the manor born — but to actually burrow into the explorative work of creating music. And so the greatest thing Coldplay may have learned from Eno is his work ethic, as they demonstrate a focused concentration throughout this tight album — it’s only 47 minutes yet covers more ground than X&Y and arguably A Rush of Blood to the Head — that turns Viva la Vida into something quietly satisfying.