Satyagraha: Music Review

Music Composers: Salim-Sulaiman, Aadesh Srivatava, Indian Ocean

Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Kareena, Kapoor, Ajay Devgan, Arjun Rampal

I honestly had no idea about Satyagraha till its music release. Its a pleasant surprise to see that this movie has such a huge star cast for a movie which such a meaningful .  I'm also pretty excited to know that this is  another creation  from the Salim-Sulaiman duo, as well as the other talented composers. Since this is a modern political thriller, my expectations are low about the quality of the music. Expect many many situtational numbers.

The first song on the soundtrack, is the title track, Satyagraha, a twist on the traditional song, "Raghupati Raghav Rajaram".  We can hear various stylistic approaches. At first we hear rock and then the song simmers down into a mellow melody. In the back is a touch of electronica, over the classical singing. Our artists, Rajiv Sundaersan, Shweta Pandit, and Shivam Pathak sound as if they are singing three different songs. This song is interesting approach to a traditional song , but it seems scattered in its initiation . 3.5/5

It seems these days all music composers are concerned with is producing some kind of techno/electronic music. This second song Aiyo Ji falls into this craze. Sharda Pandit gracefully croons this number all the way through, and Salim Merchant comes in at intervals to say "Aiyo Ji Aiyo Ji".  The beat overpowers this song, as well as Salim Mechant's parts. A calmer beat would have been a better alternative. 3/5

Salim-Sulaiman steps aside for a little bit, and lets composer Aadesh Srivatava take over for Raske Bhare Tore Naina. This song saves the Satyagraha with gifted singers, Shafqat Amanat Ali and Arpita. With the delicate vocals and restrained rhythm this song is exactly the beautiful refinement the other two songs were lacking. Complete with pianos and Indian instrumentals, Shafqat Amanat Ali's voice is truly exceptional.  With gorgeous classical intrusion from Arpita in unison with the instrumentals, this song is just perfect. 5/5

Janta Rocks, let's say unexpected, in Satyagraha. While the other songs are somber and serious in quality, this one is strangely upbeat. The Meet Brothers and Keerthi Sangathia team up for this odd number which stretches for an unbearable seven and half minutes. Weird. 2/5

Composed by Indian Ocean, Hum Bole The, is our rally song in our political thriller. Its hard rock, with one of the most interesting guitar arrangements I have heard this year in Bollywood. The singers Rahul Ram, Amit Kalam, and Himanshu sound justly angry and bitter. This song will go well with the political unrest that will be featured in Satyagraha, but it may tend to annoy the listener if listened without the backdrop of the movie. 3/5

Aiyo Ji (Remix) takes the whole techo beat further, and makes it little better. It doesn't really change the outcome of the mediocre quality of the song. Raske Bhare Tore Naina (House Mix) introduces in a techno element as well, taking away from the restrained quality of the first song. The moaning in the beginning doesn't help the case either. 2/5

In the end Satyagraha doesn't really find its footing off screen The music has the potential to work well along with the film, and it is not definitely up to the Salim-Sulaiman par anyone is used to.  The songs escape into the techno realm too often and don't leave a lasting impression.

My Picks: Rakse Bhare Tore Naina, Satyagraha

Follow me on Twitter @bollybegum for more updates

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