Mangal Pandey: music review By Deepak
It doesnt happen often that you pick up a Rahman album that doesnt live up to its hype. Yet this is how Rahmans latest score for Mangal Pandey The Rising (abbreviated as MPTR for rest of this write-up), turns out to be. Before I get into analysis of individual tracks, I must tell you why I didnt have high expectations from this album. If my tally is correct, this is Rahmans 77th album. Of these about 24 have been original Hindi scores (excluding dubs/remakes, give or take two). Of these 24, a good lot have been movies based on period/nationalistic/patriotic themes. Lets count: * 1947 Earth * Zubieda * Lagaan * The Legend of Bhagat Singh * Meenaxi (sort of) * Swades * Kisna (agreed, majority of this was composed by Ismail Durbar) * Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and now MPTR Most of these movies demand a particular kind of music, which is bound to constrain even most talented of composers. Let me take up an exaggerated example to clarify what I mean: if you are making a historical movie documenting life of Bach, you wouldnt use a Chopin sonata for background score. Movies set in 1850-1947, demand that a particular set of instruments be played in a particular style. The patriotic/period tinge demands that folk themes be used (if only for one or two tracks). The net result is that even before the director explains the composer situations that demand songs, our composer has been imprisoned by the movies settings. One can still come up with a refreshing score (Netaji Subhas Chandra is a great example IMO) but not if 7 out of these 9 period movies come out in less than 4 years! With that background, let me take up individual tracks. The album begins with war-cry like Mangal Mangal. Which is repeated twice in the album (Rahman fans are no strangers to track repetitions). Despite this, the album is barely 36 minutes and Yash Raj Music charge you a premium price (considering that most new albums now retail at under 100 Rs!) of Rs. 145 for it! There is very little in this track, and quite honestly Kailash Kher begins to get on your nerves by the time 2 minutes 30 seconds of it finish. Very heavy folk influence. The main melody sounds like something youve definitely heard before but at the end of it you are unable to place it exactly. About Main Vari Vari Ill only say that it sounds like one of those mujara numbers the likes of which can be found littered throughout the Hindi film music oeuvre. The melody is catchy. Nothing novel, though Ill still rate it as one of the more hummable numbers in the album. Holi Re brings back memories of Ghanan Ghanan from Lagaan. The opening dhol in the background is a straight rip from Dauds title number which later changes to dhol / dholak beats from Kadhalar Dhinams Dandiya. Yes Amir Khan gives his voice to this number (besides Udit Narayan, Madhusree, Srinivas, Chinmaye). He is mostly restricted to saying wonderful rhyming words (that too in duplicate!) like chalak chalak, dhalak dhalak, dhamak dhamak, lapak lapak, dhumak dhumak, thirak thirak, matak matak, chanak chanak. Fortunately Udit Narayan takes charge before it becomes unbearable. Mr. Khan does make a comeback again in the middle of the song and says those inane, clichéd things about Radha and Kanha - says not sings. Stylistically, traces of Pal Pal Hai Bhari from Swades and Radha Kaise Na Jale from Lagaan are easily sought. Wonderful fragments of lyrics are to be sought too thodi thodi tu jo nashili hui, patli kamar lachkili hui. Let me say it in just two words utter tosh. Rasiya for some reasons is redolent of Pas Aa Ja Balam Re from Mr. Romeo and Machli Pani Bina from the same movie. Richa Sharma, thanks to her contralto voice, ends up reminding you of Ila Arun; though the former definitely has much broader range. The longest track in the album - a tad too long. Takey Takeys snake-charmer flute opening is identical to one Rahman used in Nayaks Saiyaan. Imagine Kailash Kher and Sukhwinder Singh in one track. No dont. Al Maddath Maulas background instrumentation in the beginning reminded me of Escape from Warriors of Heaven and Earth even though the resemblance is tenuous. The intro definitely reminds you of Zikr from Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Stylistically this is a kawwali but Rahman does treat it differently a little later on. (Kailash Kher can be heard again giving alaap in the background) Mangal Mangal concludes the album. This is a longer, slower, more soulful version. The tempo picks up in the middle and crescendos into a frenzy of Mangal Mangal Mangal Mangal Mangal ho . Yes this is Rahman. Yes his music grows over you over multiple hearings - but for that to happen, I should at least feel like going over the whole CD again. This is one CD my shelf could have done without. Moral of this review spend those 145 Rupees on a pizza. Better still, hold on to them till Rahmans next movie there is only one way he can go after this one! http://deepakg.blogspot.com/2005/07/mangal-pandey-music-review.html "We neglect our cities at our peril. For, in neglecting them, we neglect the nation." -John F. Kennedy This August, Discover the Birth of Your Independence and The Magic of A.R.Rahman's Music in Mangal Pandey - The Rising http://www.risingthefilm.com http://www.mangalpandeythefilm.com Music released: Jul 14, 2005 Movie releases: Aug 12, 2005 Explore, Experience, Enjoy A.R.Rahman - The Man, The Music, The Magic. Only at arrahmanfans - The definitive A.R.Rahman e-community. 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