Music Review : Kahaani


Director : Sujoy Ghosh
Music : Vishal-Shekhar
Lyrics : Vishal Dadlani, Sandeep Srivastava, Clinton Cerejo and Anvita Dutt
Starring : Vidya Balan, Parambrata Chattopadhyay and Nawazuddin Siddiqui

After the box-office and critical success of films like PARINEETA, NO ONE KILLED JESSICA and now the blockbuster, THE DIRTY PICTURE, the market of women-centric flicks is fast turning out to be a bankable genre. Vidya Balan, a name synonymous to these author-backed women-centric flicks in Bollywood reappears again as the main lead in Sujoy Ghosh directed KAHAANI. It brings an aura of contemporary and classic Bengali cultural feel, with a commercially uncharacteristic feel in its musical segment. After delivering out a series of successful musical albums (THE DIRTY PICTURE, RA.ONE, TEES MAAR KHAN and ANJAANA ANJAANI) in last few years, composer duo Vishal-Shekhar experiment with Indian classical musical genre with a blend of hard-rock cum contemporary western music in its entire audio listing. If one goes by the track-records, Vishal-Shekhar's music for all Sujoy Ghosh flicks (JHANKAAR BEATS, HOME DELIVERY and ALADIN) has been laudable with almost no traces of mediocrity in it and this time too one expects a quality product from them. Will they make it this time...

Grueling, intriguing and descriptive, the kaleidoscopic view of buzzing and impulsive Kolkata city gets a 70's bombastic musical upsurge with booming and coarse voices coming out aggressively in throws of bombastically orchestral feel in thematically conceived ''Aami Shotti Bolchi''. After delivering out two rip-roaring tracks (''Darling'' (7 KHOON MAAF) and ''Hai yeh Maaya'' (DON 2)), loud-throated Usha Uthup, fires on all cylinders to delivers out another ferociously narrative track that talks about the lifestyle, whims and fancies of Kolkata city. Like Amit Trivedi's thematically composed ''Dilli'' (NO ONE KILLED JESSICA), this song excruciates out the aggrieved mindset of the protagonist trapped in the whirlpool of unpredictable happenings. Vishal-Shekhar's composition has a blend of 'death-rock' and R.D Burman's style of musical feel and permeates well into the blood-curdling situational feel. For its intrinsically Bengali lyrical touches and 70's daunting feel, the soundtrack can well be conceived as a powerful contrivance as the evocative background score.

Catching fast with the unexplored genre of Indian classical musical 'fusion' feel, the next soundtrack, ''Piya Tu Kahe Rootha Re'', a melancholically profound track brings more substance and pathos in the musical credits of the flick. Distressed, volatile and vociferously strenuous, Javed Bashir's classically synchronized vocals glorify the depressed state of mind with a feel of despair and separation. The track belongs to the genre of Indi-Rock bands (AGNEE, THE INDIAN OCEAN), where there is loads of emphasis on the Indian classical attributes embroiled with strong feel of hard-rock. Vishal-Shekhar's music is poignantly radiant and ignites out the 'fire-within' emotion with blazing distorted guitar riffs clubbed with percussions running loud in the backdrop. Like Monty Sharma's remarkably composed ''Kaare Kaare Badra'' (MIRCH), this soundtrack too is a purist's listening delight and another razor-sharp sounding situational track that should be doing all the needful in the demanding situations of the flick. Impressive!!!

KAHAANI gets a monologue of heart-warming expressions, a melodiously conceived offering comes all the way with fine blend of meticulously played orchestral, penetrative wordings, and above all extraordinarily rendered vocals in wonderfully composed ''Kahaani''. KK's soul-stirring voice in varying tones narrates it all; a brilliant form of singing that gets a great support of Vishal Dadlani's well versed lyrics (''Kabhi aankhon se kar ke ishaara, Kabhi baahon ka de ke sahara, Mera inn raahon se hai rishta koi, Anjaana sa purana qissa koi, Inse jo poochho toh kehengi yeh meri Kahaani...''), narrating out the tearful and heartfelt sentiments of the protagonist. The additional soulful choral impacts of Vishal's voice evocates an extra poignant feel that stays till the last beat of the track. This time Vishal-Shekhar unravel the popular genre of soft-rock ballad, a fort well embarked by Pritam, with a strong thematically inclined feel, conceptualized well with all the desired musical elements. ''Kahaani (female)'', a relatively slow and somber version by honey-coated voiced Shreya Ghoshal, is equally mesmerizing, both in rendition and soothing decorum. It carries out the similar emblematic feel of KAHAANI with a 'woman-centric' vocalizations and similar lyrical setting that impresses to the core. Vishal-Shekhar deserve appreciation for being competitive, consistent and prolific in bringing the finest of the entire musical team and making this an engrossing cum narrative title track. Brilliant!!!

Rightfully speaking, Indian classical 'fusion' music is the flavor of the album and composer-duo justify in being skillfully spirited in delivering the finest in this genre again in meticulously composed ''Tore Bina''. This comes out as classically refined ''viraah'' (song of separation) number where words gesticulate and voice emote out the desolated sentimental feel with perfection. Sukhwinder Singh's folksy throaty vocals gleams out in loud gushes of hard-rock appeal, a song about excruciation for real -love, sung delightfully in classically refined 'alaaps' and voice modulations. Vishal -Shekhar's finesse in catapulting a typical Indi-rock 'fusion' feel deserves full-marks and so do Anvita Dutt's well-expressed wordings. So far, it's been a really delightful journey of 'raga' meeting 'rock' in most improvised manner, a well-suited cinematic depiction on big screen is all desired to make this a required situational musical statement for this socially relevant saga. Rocking!!!

''Ekla Chalo Re'', a masterpiece poetic excellence by renowned Rabindranath Tagore by legendary Amitabh Bachchan is like 'baap' of all surprises. It's really great to hear this great celluloid legend lending out his voice for this author-backed, woman-centric flick in a motivational song that has been hailed for decades in almost every format of theatrical depiction. For a wider multiplex and overseas audiences, Vishal-Shekhar add bountiful of 'Gospel' stylized chorals where English lyrics (''Open the mind walk alone, We are not afraid, Walk alone...'') translate out the inspirational feel of the verses in most lucid way, similar soul-enchanting feel felt that was felt in ''Tu Mohabbat Hai'' (JHANKAR BEATS), a track that brought the composers in commercial limelight. In 2005, Sonu Nigam rendered this inspirational track in BOSE-THE FORGOTTEN HERO, a song that was also motivational force for Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's struggle for freedom. Big B's deep-throated engaging baritone sings out Bengali lyrics with equal ease and adds a desired substance situational feel for the protagonist and for flick's smooth narration. Motivational!!!

KAHAANI is an impressive musical ''kahaani'' by experienced campaigners Vishal -Shekhar, which not only rekindles the interest for Indian classical music but also delivers the finest from the modern-day contemporaries. For its intrinsically quality musical display, it will surely be alluring large sect of niche listeners and is likely to be a catalyzing factor in the narration of the film. From the start to the end, Vishal-Shekhar have maintained a desired equilibrium of emotions, whether it's theme-oriented ''Aami Shotti Bolchi'', ''Kahaani'' (both versions), classically refined ''Piya tu Kahe Rootha Re'', ''Tore Bina'' or Big B's rendered immortal track ''Ekla Chalo Re'', music narrates it all with reliable cushioning of eloquent lyrics writing and effective singing as its strong supports. As compared to last few successful commercial Bollywood albums, it lacks the pep-fizz of flashy remixes and buzz of garish item-numbers but bring backs the substance and soul in the music, two most desired ingredients that makes good music great.

Rating: 3.5/5