The unconventional theme of the movie means that a somehow distorted music is to be used in the background or lip synced by the actors. Amitabh Bachchan

Although Bharadwaj seldom disappoints, it is the impact of his compositions that is the fulcrum of his expertise. He is better in delivering music in small doses, as he emphasizes on quality. Rozana is the splendid track that emulates that ‘emphasized quality’ mentioned above. Bharadwaj and Varma didn’t look far while choosing the vocalist for this track. Actor Amitabh Bachchan returns as the singer. The genre of the song has been designed to accommodate the theme. Dark, thrilling and mysterious may be too weak to describe the song. Everything is unusual about the track; divergence from the stale romantic lines and sounds heard in Western orchestras. It is conceived around one word: Rozana. Big B renders this track seemingly effortlessly and that’s the beauty of this highly punchy and poignant tune. Big B could easily have himself a dual career in the music industry if he so should wish, as, even at his age, his vocals embody passion, prowess, and power. Going for the musical tri-fecta is newcomer lyricist Munna Dhiman, who’s emotional lyrics are anything but ordinary.

Obsessive, possessive and maturity resonate in the vocals of the singer. The voice is conveying a sense of sadness, sometimes anger and sometimes persuasiveness. The singing is straight from the heart. This is not a gimmick. Format wise, there is none. Boundaries are bound to be crossed. In fact, RGV doesn’t know about this word – boundaries and this is what makes his creativity shine. Yes it shines and it is also appreciated by connoisseurs. Amalgamating lower and higher musical notes with a very much Western approach is rare. Yet it develops into a dark piece with a somber background, which gradually depicts the mood of the singer. Finally it shifts into feel-good music, with soft rock elements added. ‘Rozana’ is perfect and transports listeners to the psychology of the character who is saying so much in so little.

The seductive vocals of Actress Jiah Khan excite the listener to the bare minimum. Amar Mohile designs Take Lite in the form of a strip-tease piece of music and creates a mood of a craving teenager trying to find a way with her desires (What? Yes teenagers do have desires). A pinch of attitude and breathy vocals portray Jiah Khan’s attempt at expressing her emotions and desires. The scope for singing is little. There is more of seduction, feminine vibes and laughter backed by mild techno arrangements, which swing among the high and low notes in the track. The siren sound remains a mystery. Purely situational, Jiah Khan is sure to provoke on audio and on screen with this piece. Watch out!

The soundtrack is complex, psychological and inconsistent. RGV advances in his creativity and delves deeps into the psychology and mind-sets of his characters. Both tracks have been camouflaged. How? Why? The desires of the characters are expressed deeply, sensually and sometimes in some erotic and lust fashion. Yet the lyrics render them unseen due to the tricky arrangements. Flawless ‘Rozana’ and sexy ‘Take Lite’ hide a vast amount of meanings with each breathing, each lines and each progression of the music.

(The album also contains 10 bonus songs from movies of Amitabh Bachchan)

Aryan – The Unbreakable, starring Sohail Khan and Sneha Ullal, is a story about a professional boxer's life.

While critics are drawing parallels between the promos of the movie and the Oscar winning Million Dollar Baby; it is the music of Aryan that is slowly finding favour with the critics and the masses.

The album begins with Jaaneman by Shreya Ghoshal and Sonu Nigam. Undoubtedly the best song on the album, it is a sure winner. Vaguely reminiscent of Odh li chunariya from Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya, this song has a very beautiful melody that is enhanced by some real nice lyrics in Hindi and Punjabi. It is a Jaanam dekh lo type of track which is going to be played on radio and music channels for a long time, irrespective of the fate of the movie.

Ek Look is presented in three different versions -- normal, remix and the dhol mix. One of the first songs from the movie to be telecast, the song has a very catchy rhythm. Even before the controversy between Neha Bhasin and Anand Raj Anand broke out -- the former member of the band Viva sued Anand for not giving her proper credits for the song -- Ek look had started climbing the popularity charts. The bhangra flavoured the song will be popular as a dance number at discos and parties. On radio or television, it faces competition only from other songs on the same album.

Next up is It's beautiful day. Yes, that's the name of the song on the album sleeve, never mind grammar. It also made me cringe to listen to a song in English sung by a Bollywood playback singer with a forced accent (Remember Udit Narayan in Pretti 'Wooman'?). But, the track really surprised me. It's a breezy number -- and the line is actually 'It's a beautiful day' in the song -- with some real good singing by Hamza. His Hindi and English dictions are very good -- no fake accents. Sherya Ghoshal, needless to say, is great too.

Rab ne mere by Kunal Ganjawala and Shreya Ghoshal is again a sweet romantic number which has a very A R Rehman sound. The lyrics are nice and the music is soothing but it is indistinguishable from the various other love songs that come out every week.

Lamha lamha is a sad, brooding song with an obsessive tone to it. The song has shades of Dil de diya hai from Masti by the same music director. Sung by Anand Raaj Anand himself, it is a far superior singing attempt than the forays made by the likes of Himesh Reshmiya and Anu Malik.

Deviating from the romantic songs, Teri te main by Anand Raaj Anand and Pamela Jain truly delivers the punch of the movie. It's a very interesting song with elements of rock and jazz music. Anand shines with his voice, again. His style for this particular song is very different from the other vocals he has given; it reminded me of Rehman's vocals in Rang De Basanti.

Anything that has ace drummer Ranjit Barot in it is always interesting in some way. The Unbreakable theme by Bianca and Ranjit Barot is a very 'Hollywood-ish' musical theme that brings out the raw passion of the movie in those few moments. One can almost imagine montages of tough men battling it out in the boxing ring with the song playing in the background. It is a 'must check it out' piece.

The surprise element of this soundtrack is very high – Anand Raaj Anand has as yet not given a 'breakthrough' score (like Himesh Reshmiya with Tere Naam), the movie does not star a conventional 'big' star and it is projected as a film on 'boxing' and not a love story. There are no high expectations from it, and hence it is not difficult to be impressed by it. Anand has really outdone himself in terms of the music and lyrics of the movie. If the movie is even an average hit at the box office, it will launch Anand's career in a big way.

On the whole it is one of the better albums to come out this year.

You may find traces of Mujhse Shaadi Karoge's Tu Aaja Soniye and Sukhbir's Gal Ban Gayee in Ankhiyon Se Gal Kar Gayi. Barring those unwanted reminders of blasts from the past, this Punjabi pop song is sufficiently rocking. The second version also gets it right.

High on the spectacular success of Rang De Basanti's winner title track, the zesty voice of Daler Mehendi oozes heart-rending passion in Tutitya Ve. It's the Daler touch that makes all the difference to this otherwise average melody. More power to him! Suketu's remix, however, messes with the emotional quotient, with faltering results.

Sukhwinder Singh and Alka Yagnik flirtatiously ponder the thundering and lightening after effects of love in Bijuriya. Reshammiya's colourful, rustic arrangement -- despite the presence of Hinglish lyrics like 'I think of you all the time Banwariya' -- makes for a fetching, foot-tapping score. Ditto for DJ Akbar Sami's bubbly mix. ?

Fickle in its rhythm, uninspiring in tune and humdrum in its lyrics, Tere Liye doesn't live up to the vivacious mood of the soundtrack. The remix springs an incredible surprise though. Sami's magic wand turns the song from hopelessly dreary to pleasantly breezy. In Sache Aashiq, Sukhwinder Singh's trademark verve is for all to hear as he bounces infectiously in Yagnik's equally charming company over the upbeat bhangra number. With so much spirit in its element, it is no surprise that Reshammiya ignores the need to include a remix.

As is the case with most of Reshammiya's popular music, the soundtrack of Shaadi Se Pehle too is lively and catchy.

Singing back the times

Seven singers from across Kerala relived the haunting melodies of yesteryears to a packed, informed audience

MELODIOUS MEMORIES Abu,

It is said that the only reality in music is the state of mind, which it induces in the listener. But then a lot depends on the listener too. Only an informed, sensitive audience experiences the true pleasure and delight of music. For the others it turns into a dreamy reverie occasionally interrupted by the rude applause. It is the audience that keeps a programme alive. And such an informed audience that filled up Mattancherry Town Hall to capacity were treated to Hindi film songs that must have made them nostalgic, many of them homesick.

tribute

`The Living Legends,' as the music event was called, was a tribute to nine legendary singers, Talat Mehmood, Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh, Kishore Kumar, Noor Jehan, Geeta Dutt, Shamshad Begum, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle. The organisers, Sports & Arts Recreation Club (SARC), Kochi, timed this musical extravaganza to coincide with the 75th year of Indian film music. It was also a homage to singer-music director Devadas.

Ali Sadique

The first two songs provided a perfect opening. Mohd. Rafi's soulful `Aaj ki raat mere dilki salami... ' from `Ram Aur Shyam,' perfectly rendered by Azad, set the tone for what was to follow. The organisers had set aside the oft-repeated songs, popular hits and brought back to life songs that had for long remained forgotten. Lata Mangeshkar `Piyaa tose nainaa laage... ' has the S. D. Burman stamp marked all over. A wonderful composition it is rich in orchestration. The whole track lasted a little more than eight minutes with Elizabeth Raju putting her soul into the rendering and Murali Sangeeth, who led a team of professional musicians orchestrating it to near perfection. The nodding of heads all around, whispers of approval culminating in a loud applause showed how much the listeners followed every turn of these songs.

Talat Mehmood is still a rage in Mattancherry. Old timers still remember this singer with a golden voice and his mesmerising performance at this very same venue years back. So it must have been with some trepidation that the Kozhikode-based singer Ghulab Jaan took the stage with Talat's immortal numbers. The first that he sang was `Tasveer banata hu, tasveer naheen banate... ' from the film `Baradari' and was met with loud appreciation. But heads turned in every direction, some of those faces appeared wrinkled in disapproval, immediately when the sitar played out the bit in the beginning of the song `Meri yaad mein tum na... ' (Madhosh). There was no excessive display of emotion, except that a large number in the audience did not find the Talat magic in it. Ghulab did make amends before he took his final bow with the classic `Hum se aayaa naa gayaa... ' from the film `Dekh Kabira Roya.'

Rafi and Kishore

The treat spread out for Mohd. Rafi fans were simply class. `Main kahi kavi na ban ja... ' (Pyar Hi Pyar), `Bhari duniya mein... ' (Do Badan), `Ghar tum bhulana... ' (Yakeen) and the lively `Ye chand se roshan chehara... ' (Kashmir Ki Kali) were rendered by Azad in full-throated ease. It was fantastic to watch the audience sing along with Azad as he swung effortlessly on the key sound `Tha' in word `Tareef' of `Kashmir Ki Kali' number. His duets with Elizabeth, especially `Kithna pyaara waada hai... ' (Caravan) was outstanding.

Elizabeth Raju and Azad paid tribute to some of Bollywood's immortal singers.

The surprise package was Ali Sadique who was chosen to present the Kishore Kumar songs. He stuck to his pluses, did not try to overreach, always creating the mood of the songs. `Ye jo mohabatt hai... ' (Kati Patang) and the evergreen duet `Tere mere Milan ki ye raina... ' (Abhiman) with Elizabeth were excellent.

Something hits you deep inside when Abu sings those haunting Mukesh hits. It is not just the voice, it is Abu's ability to detect the key words, notes in a song and recreate it that makes him so different. `Aa laut ke aaja mere meet... ' (Rani Roopmati) and `Jis gali me tera ghar... ' (Kati Patang) saw Abu at his best.

The pick of the singers was surely Elizabeth. The hardworking and extremely talented girl had nine songs that evening and she did full justice to each one of them. Of this the melodious `O... Sajna... ' (Parekh) and the duet `Kajra mohabatwala... ' (Kismat) with sister Alphonsa stood out. Alphonsa and Ajeesha, who were deputed to sing the songs of Geeta Dutt, Asha, Shamshad Begum and Noor Jahan, did not disappoint.

Kudos to the organisers, who worked hard to get this show going. This must have surely created a renewed interest for the classics. It is by hearing and seeing such musical events, rather than by rules, that taste is formed.

K. PRADEEP

Your opinion of A R Rahman's music notwithstanding, everything he does these days is hailed as a blockbuster. The industry pundits say so and you had better lap that up.

But I guess I am entitled to an independent opinion.

Something does seem to have changed for Rahman with Yuva, the Hindi version of the Mani Ratnam film made in Tamil as Ayutha Ezhuthu. Perhaps it is too early to take heart, but for the first time in ages, we see him withdrawing from his odious staple of massive orchestration and preferring to play around with voices

This is a lean offering -- six tracks, under 30 minutes of listening. Refreshing when you consider how many previous compilations have been fattened with remixes like Thanksgiving turkeys.

Talking of which, let's pick out the turkeys first.

Dol dol has some very annoying rap by Blaaze, the same guy who brought you all that nerve-jangling stuff in Boys. Shahin Badar, the Indo-Arabic songstress from the UK who has performed on Nitin Sawhney and on the trailer of Tomb Raider 2: The Cradle of Life, also performs this track. But she is nearly invisible as her voice is cut into ribbons with some half-hearted mixing.

Dhakka laga bukka, the title track with its refrain of O yuva yuva…is performed by Rahman with lyricist Mehboob and Karthik. Rowdy and streetwise, it is immensely layered and chaotic.

Yuva's star cast -- and we don't mean the actors -- is luminous. Lucky Ali, sounding crisp, performs Khuda hafiz with Karthik and the mellifluous Sunitha Sarathy, a Team Rahman regular. But the track lapses into an incomprehensible jazz piano interlude that is not only pretentious but also completely needless.

Kabhi neem neem, performed by Madhushree, has an interesting percussion arrangement. Rahman keeps ambience down to a minimum, which is just as fair for Madhushree's voice is strong and carries the track on its own steam.

Adnan Sami sparkles with Alka Yagnik on Baadal though the halting beat is distracting. Rahman fans may find Sami too languid for their taste but in an album thickened with sound, his is the expert touch. His vocals are cool and balanced, and you cannot accuse him of trying too hard.

Rahman's bad habits, conspicuously underplayed throughout the rest of the album, resurface in Fanaa, sung by Sarathy and Tanvi. Multi-layered and dense, the last track also has him pitching in with vocals. Frightful. But if you give no care, you can dance your limbs off to this one, though the quavering tempo can be a downer.

The album inlay card devotes ample space to Mehboob's lyrics, which are consistently incoherent. It is hard to see what epiphany inspired any of this babble. The album is clearly Rahman's show, mostly because the rampant, aggressive percussion that usually accompanies his arrangements is underplayed.

A colleague sheepishly admitted, "I bought this for the free CD." Venus, which has released the album, has thrown in a freebie -- a CD of Rahman's big hits.

It's always fun to get what you don't pay for.