Madras Cafe: Music Review

Music Director: Shantanu Moitra

Starring: John Abraham & Nargis Fakri 

Since Madras Cafe is set in the backdrop of the Sri Lankan Civil War of 1990, we expect the music to be serious in nature, but for it to have no heavy romantic element is shocking. The director, Shoojit Sircar, has some real intentions of making this a hard hitting movie, which is why half of  Madras Cafe' songs are instrumentals..

Papon begins Madras Cafe with the mellow number Sun Le Re. His raw vocals are perfect for the soundtrack and subtle enough for the background instrumentals. This song is highly spiritual in nature, and slightly Sufi-like, as Papon reaches out to god to listen to him.  3/5

Ajnabi is sung by Zeb, of Pakistani's famous woman duo Zeb and Haniya. Like the prior song, this one is fresh with fresh emotions, but a tad more mellow, almost like the unplugged version of a song. The flute like instrumentals are a pleasant surprise, along with Zeb's "Da Da Na Na". This song is very unique, and not like any other song made in recent times. Excellent.  5/5

Papon is featured yet again in Madras Cafe in the song Khud Se. With a steady piano menu, Papon's voice reflects off itself like a mirror, similar to a self-duet. Khud Se keeps with the theme of the other songs, but is a little more rich in melody. He hits high notes, as the melody climbs higher and higher. 3.5/5

Sun Le Re (Reprise) is another take on the previous version. The reprise is not at all as subtle as the first time. The instrumentals are hard rock, complete with drums and guitar, exactly the polar opposite of the original. The soundtrack needed something this gritty to bring it back to life. Better than the first version. 3.5/5

After these four, there comes a string of instrumentals. The first one is Madras Cafe Theme. Its a lingering doom instrumental. The sound of ominous danger creeps through at first, but towards the middle it gets a little faster, bringing in angry flute and violin instrumentals.

Conspiracy features the singer Monali Thakur, but she doesn't really sing. Her voice echoes in the background of this song that sounds similar to the theme before it.

Entry to Jafna follows with theme, staying constant with the stringent tones from Madras Cafe's other instrumentals for its minute duration.

The Title Theme, has the to be the best instrumental  in the soundtrack bearing the worst name. This one has the highest quality instrumentals and is actually listenable. Compared to the hostility the other instrumentals have, this one grows more tense as the song goes on, until the instrumentals sound as if they have been broken.

In the end, Madras Cafe is filled with just a little too many instrumental theme music, and doesn't shine enough light on the vocalists. This soundtrack doesn't boast too much, but its good songs are of the highest quality.

My Picks: Ajnabi, Khud Se, Sun Le Re (Reprise)

What do you think?!

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Rabba Main Kya Karoon: Music Review

Music Director: Salim-Sulaiman

Starring: Arshad Warsi and Akash Chopra

Salim-Sulaiman are a fabulous duo, creating many famous soundtracks. Its pleasantly surprising to see them come forward for a seemingly small film like Rabba Main Kya Karoon starring newcomer Akash Sharma and Akash Warsi. We expect to see a lot of exciting songs since it revolves around a Dehli wedding.

Khulla Sand kicks off Rabba Main Kya Karoon  in addictive Punjabi number that morphs into something more techno. Salim Merchant's bubbly vocals enhance this delicious rhythm. The only downside to this song are the brief English interludes. This one could be classified as the just the right Punjabi explosion. 4.5/5

We see Benny Dayal paired with our new popular female vocalist, Monali Thakur in Muh Meetha Kara De. This song is along the lines of Race 2's Lat Lag Gaye, but more so a pop techno hybrid. Thakur barely gets a piece of this song, its Dayal for a majority. Its pretty good, but doesn't have that much of distinguishing factor in the sea of songs. 3.5/5

The third song is the title song Rabba Main Kya Karoon. This song is sung by a trio of Raj Pandit, Vidhi Sharma, and Benny Dayal. Its very soft and rhythmic featuring light guitar and tabla. Its almost qawaaliesque in instrumentals, like the harmonium at pieces, but doesn't break into a full qawaali. Vidhi Sharma's vocals are refreshing and add a nice twist to the song. This song is truly a pleasant surprise for such a commercial looking album. 4/5

Our main star, Akash Chopra, displays his vocals in Dua. This is another good surprise. Its a sad song that materializes into deep rock number. A good effort by Chopra, but his vocals get a little bit too intense at pieces. His raw vocals, however are something to admire. I would really want to see a lot more from this singer in the future. 3.5/5

While they celebrate I'll just be staring 
awkwardly at you, shirtless

What is any soundtrack without of Punjabi Prince, Labh Janjua. Bari Barsi is most definitely our Punjabi wedding song for Rabba Main Kya Karoon. It is pumped with just the right components of thrill and dazzle of any wedding Punjabi song. It is not really anything we haven't seen from Janjua, and almost sounds like a leftover from Band Baaja Baraat. 3/5

Well, a song like Brandy carries some expectations, especially when "shots" are yelled in the beginning. Sung by Satyadev Singh and Akash Chopra, this is Rabba Main Kya Karoon's club number. It sounds really irritatingly mocking at parts. 2/5

Overall, Rabba Main Kya Karoon is a sturdy soundtrack loaded with lots of addictive beats. It has its flaws, and just one below average song.

My Picks: Rabba Main Kya Karoon, Khulla Sand, Muh Meetha Kara De, Dua

What did you think?
BollywoodBegum

Look Out for My Other Reviews:
Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai Dobara: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/once-upon-time-in-mumbai-dobara-music.html
Bajatey Raho: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/bajatey-raho-music-review.html
Luv U Soniyo: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/luv-u-soniyo-music-review.html
Chennai Express:http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/chennai-express-music-review.html

Nasha: Music Review

"Ma, I'm Scared"

Music Directors: Siddarth Haldipur & Sangeet Haldipur

Starring: Poonam Pandey and Shivam

Nasha, though not a widely known movie, has been causing waves throughout India with its scandalous posters. We shouldn't expect any less than scandalous from a movie by the director of erotic thriller Jism. Nasha boasts a story quite similar to Ek Choti Si Love Story, where a younger man, Shivam, falls in love with an older woman, Poonam Pandey. Both the actor and actress in Nasha are newcomers, so a fantastic soundtrack might do some good for the movie. Don't be fooled by the pictures, this soundtrack is very sophisticated. 

The Nasha soundtrack is off to an excellent start with the mellow Tera Nasha crooned by Anirudh. His vocals are are flawless when paired with the light guitar instrumental.  This slow, succulent number stretches beyond six minutes, which makes it seem like its going on forever. Six minutes is a little long, but the song is very good. 4.5/5

The second song on the soundtrack is Laila by Monali Thakur. We have heard many songs titled Laila in the past, but one slightly sets itself apart from the others. This smooth cabaret style number is somewhere along the lines of Raat from Hate Story or Muskaanien Jhooti from Talaash. This song does have a little hook to it and flows seductively from Thakur's mouth. 4/5

From its title Besharam should be a song we should expect from a movie called Nasha. Besharam is a playful  duet with the pairing of Shaan and Anusha Mani. Anusha deeper voice balances out Shaan's smooth vocals. This light-hearted romantic songs is complete with harmonica, piano, and whistling, comparable to Gangster's Lamha Lamha.  4/5

Because small wine glasses aren't cool

The Goti Song is totally out of place. It begins with "This is the Goti Song" and continues along that line. It is as if someone is talking. I have no idea where this would go in a movie like Nasha. Its funny, but irritating. The singers Akshay Deodhar, Prakriti Kakkar, and Sukriti Kakkar stretch their vocals, but that is not enough to save this song. 1/5

Laila (Unplugged) features the male voice of Sangeet-Siddarth, the music directors. With just a simple strumming of the guitar, the music composers create something quite different. It is almost good as the original and sounds drastically different song. 3.5/5

We have Nasha (The Addictive Mix), by Sangeet Halidpur, one of the music directors. It brings a slight techno twist  to the original, and Haldipur's voice careens with the rhythm perfectly. This is a remix of the first song, Tera Nasha. This one also sounds unrecognizable from the original  If you ignore the first couple seconds of the song, this is a great alternative version. 4.5/5

The Nasha songs are really good for a movie starring  newbie actress Poonam Pandey and Shivam. Our Haldipur duo does an excellent job of creating a melodious soundtrack. These songs are a pleasant surprise and also have a value off of the screen. One of the best soundtrack of 2013 so far. Get Intoxicated!

My Picks: Nasha (The Addictive Mix), Tera Nasha, Besharam, Laila, Laila (Unplugged)

What did you think about this soundtrack?

BollywoodBegum

Check Out My Other Reviews:
Once Upon A Time in Mumbai Dobara: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/once-upon-time-in-mumbai-dobara-music.html
Bajatey Raho: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/bajatey-raho-music-review.html
Luv U Soniyo: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/luv-u-soniyo-music-review.html
Chennai Express:http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/chennai-express-music-review.html
D-Day: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/06/d-day-music-review.html
Boyss Toh Boyss Hai:http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/boyss-toh-boyss-hai-music-review.html

Ramaiya Vastavaiya: Music Review

Music Director: Sachin-Jigar

Starring: Shruti Hassan, Girish Kumar, & Sonu Sood

Chocolate Horses

Shruti Hassan is back in Bollywood with Prabhu Deva's Ramaiya Vastavaiya, and newcomer Girish Kumar. The composers for this album are duo Sachin-Jigar. They worked with other composers like Pritam and AR Rahman  for soundtracks, like Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya and Ekk Deewana Tha. Ramaiya Vastavaiya boasts a variety of numbers, not all memorable.

Our first track Jeene Laga Hoon starts Ramaiya Vastavaiya off just right. Atif Aslam's soft and syrupy voice intertwines well with the magical instrumentals. Shreya Ghoshal's voice plays off his voice and the melody perfectly. This is a beautiful romantic duet with all the elements in the all the right places. Don't miss this one. It will have you addicted. 5/5

Mika Singh and Monali Thakur sing the dance number Hip Hop Pummy. The Punjabi hip-hop style number falls along the same lines of every Punjabi number that has been brought to us in recent times. It's not a bad song, its just not memorable or addictive. 3/5

Shreya and Atif team up again for Bairiya. This is a slower romantic duet than Jeene Laga Hoon. Shreya is more of the dominant voice on this soundtrack, and Atif's voice doesn't seem to fit the slow, romantic quality that is necessary. The instrumentals are of superior quality, but this song doesn't have any worthwhile hook and ends up sounding too long for it's four minute duration. 3/5

Peecha Chhute picks up the pace a little. The beat immediately catches the listeners ear, and then Mohit Chauhan's voice pulls us further in. This fun, frothy number will hook you immediately. It has catchy short interludes of a chorus "Rama Rama Re" that are sliced well into the song. 5/5

 "I hate you like I love you"

Shreya and Atif return for the third time in Ramaiya Vastavaiya  for Rang Jo Lagyo. This song builds beautifully, and features Atif's voice in a falsetto. At times, there seems to be a little strain on the vocals, but the light instrumentals and meaningful lyrics compensate for it. Atif goes solo for the first three and a half minutes and the Shreya takes over momentarily. They are a beautiful duo as usual. 4/5

We have a second dance number, Jadoo Ki Jhappi, that brings us back to the movie's original South Indian roots. This one has instantaneous South Indian flair and features the artists, Neha Kakkar and Mika Singh. Jadoo Ki Jhappi (Part 2) is almost the same except it has Mika Singh solo. Neither one is better than each other. This song is for the item song fanatic and no one else. 3/5

On the whole, Ramaiya Vastavaiya is not a bad album. Most of the songs are just okay, but when the songs are good they are fabulous. Snag the good ones and leave the rest behind.

My Picks: Peecha Chhute, Jeene Laga Hoon, Rang Jo Lagyo 

Check Out My Other Reviews:

Ghanchakkar, Issaq, Raanjhanaa, Lootera, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Once Upon A Time In Mumbai

Comments Welcome!

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Lootera: Music Review

Music Director: Amit Trivedi

Starring: Ranveer Singh & Sonakshi Sinha

So our creative composer Amit Trivedi has released another soundtrack for the Bollywood drama Lootera. So this being a Bengali period movie, we can expect the film to be laden in beautiful classical numbers, reflecting the fifties. It also has to look believable coming from our young stars, Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha's mouths. The music has simplistic, light melodies so this is not our typical Trivedi outing. However, Lootera's music does leave a couple solid numbers behind.

So we begin with Sawar Loon sung by Monali Thakur. This syrupy sweet song is song in a Shreya-style manner and definitely ties in with the fifties feel. There is both classical Indian fifties and classical American fifties blended well together. It sounds very youthful, especially with the bell tinkling sounds in the background. It will definitely work well with Sinha's age. 4/5

Then there is Ankhahee. The piano in this song's backdrop are extremely beautiful when paired with Amitabh Bhattacharya's controlled, soulful voice. He doesn't hit high notes in the song, and keeps it nice a slow. Intermittently there are interludes of gorgeous instrumentals.4/5

Our traditional Bangla number of Lootera is Monta Re is just lovely. It fits with the soundtrack so well but offers something different. This song can be easily seen behind action with the characters, or by a gathering group of people sitting together. There is a light beat in the background, one of them being bells. 4/5

Next in Lootera we have yet another song from Amitabh Bhattacharya called Shikayaten. This is soft rock song with flutes. I could see this in Three Idiots for some reason. Bhattacharya's voice sounds good in this song, but it just sounds a little strained as he attempts to climb to higher notes. The instrumentals and vocals in this song are certainly not light enough for the kind of mood that the movie has established. This song perhaps could be used when Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha are going through some problem. Not my favorite. 3/5

Amit Trivedi comes into the vocal spotlight in Zinda. This song has a rough, rock edge to it. His voice is slow, but it overtaken by strong dramatic instrumentals. In this Lootera song there  total mismatch between vocals and instrumentals. Stands out from the rest of the album in a bad way. 2/5

Just another awkward walk through the forest

Lastly, we have Shilpa Rao and Amitabh Bhattacharya in Manmarziyan. This is mostly Shilpa song's, but Bhattacharya voice slips in between with a haunting quality. The melody on this is light, complete with the sound of bells (ghungroos) that we have been hearing throughout the soundtrack. This song lets Shilpa's strong, deep vocals shine through. However, the slowness of the song could make the listener loose patience. 3.5/5

Lootera is a pretty good soundtrack, but as said earlier is an unusual outing for Trivedi. Most of it is fifties traditional minimalism and its quite beautiful. I would love to see how this all will play out on screen.

My Picks: Ankahee, Monta Re, Sawar Loon

Remember requests are taken! Send a comment out and tell me which Bollywood soundtrack you want to hear about!

Check out my other music reviews:
Issaq: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/06/bollywood-music-review-issaq_21.html
Ghanchakkar: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/06/bollywood-music-reviewsghanchakkar.html
Raanjhanaa: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/06/bollywood-music-reviews-raanjhanaa.html
Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/06/bollywood-music-review-yeh-jawani-hai.html

Comments Are Always Welcome!

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