Oct 19, 2013 07:37 PM
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Sanjay Leela Bhansali is a man who always believes in making opulent films where the music plays an integral part. As a director, he carries the songs to the next level through grandiose picturisation. He donned the role of the composer himself in his last outing Guzaarish after trying Monty Sharma in Saawariya and Ismail Darbar in his previous films.
Guzaarish was a novel attempt and the songs were in sync with the dark mood of the film. Bhansali once again puts on the hat of the composer in his latest film 'Ram Leela' featuring the promising Ranveer Singh and the talented Deepika Padukone. The film looks like an intense love saga and naturally the expectations from the music too are high, considering the genre and the track record of Bhansali. The lyrics are penned by Siddarth-Garima.So lets check how this album eventually fares.
The soundtrack kicks off with the Bhoomi Trivedi sung track "Ram Chaahe leela". This Siddarth-Garima written number is a fusion track and it's quite surprising to hear a fusion number beginning a Bhansali soundtrack. Bhoomi Trivedi makes a very fine impression with a confident rendition and it is actually nice to see such an experimentation from Bhansali and one can be sure of a fitting depiction on the screen. A good, unexpected beginning to the album.
My Rating:3/5
Shail Hada handles the mike for the second song "Lahu Munh Lag Gaya". It's the background music which impresses more in this number than the tune, which is middling at best.One can definitely feel a trace of Bhansali's previous film songs at some points, but it's nowhere close to his previous works. Shail Hada is quite average, but some part of the blame must rest on Bhansali's shoulders as it's a very average tune. But, one can never underestimate Bhansali as he can make the song work by his grand sets and brilliant picturisation,
My Rating:2/5
Next up is "Ang Laga De" sung by Aditi Paul and Shail Hada. Now this is one song which is synonymous with the Bhansali school of music. The melody quotient in the song is high and it's always good to hear a melodious song. The background music is kept simple and the focus is more on the vocal cords of Aditi who does a commendable job.Some mantras are well integrated into the song and Shail Hada does a supporting role to Aditi; but this is Aditi's song all the way and she delivers. One of the better songs heard till now.
My Rating:3.5/5
Shail Hada returns again with "Poore Chand", an intense love song. The melody never flows seamlessly in the song, which can be held against the composer. It seems like Bhansali has reposed a lot of faith in Shail as this is his third song in the album already. But, one just wishes that another singer with a softer voice texture had sung this song. But, it needs to be seen how it is integrated into the film as it has a very situational appeal. The soundtrack feels like a roller coaster ride till now.
My Rating:2/5
The name Shreya Ghoshal gladdens one's heart as one can be very sure that it's going to be a good number. It must be remembered that Shreya got her first break in Bhansali's Devdas and she won numerous awards for her terrific numbers in that movie.The track in question now is "Nagada Sang Dhol Baaje". A conch begins the song and dhols and drums take over from there. This one instantly reminds of Dhol Baaje of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Shreya is in top form here and it's a treat to listen to her flawless rendition. Bhansali creates an immensely hummable tune and it's good to listen to a pure Indian instrumentation which is rare in these days of catchy western beats. The video of the song is already out and Deepika is seen dancing like never before. Well, this one is a sure shot chartbuster and will aid immensely in the promotion of the film. Add it to your Shreya Ghoshal favourite playlist.
My Rating:4/5
The next song is "Lal Ishq" sung by the Tum hi ho singer Arijit Singh. Bhansali begins the song with the ringing of temple bells and the music and the calm tune draws the listener slowly to its world. It's a markedly different song for Arijit and he makes a very fine effort in this classical number and is sure to draw a lot of praise.Sanjay caresses each note and shows his strong music roots. The lyrics are particularly noteworthy and makes it a very good addition to this album.Though this is not a song which one can find in the chartbuster list, this one is a lambi race ka ghoda and will be on the playlist of melodious music afficionados for some time atleast.
My Rating:4/5
Veteran singer Udit Narayan's son Aditya Narayan handles the next song "Ishquan Dhisquan" . The previous two songs had set the perfect ambience for the album and this songs destroys all that and takes the quality of the soundtrack a few notches lower. It's quite clear that sanjay is out of his comfort zone and the music, tune or the singing hardly impress. It required a much better orchestration and Sanjay delivers a very dated song and Aditya sounds very ordinary and devoid of any energy or exuberance. A below average track.
My Rating:1/5
Up next is "Man Mor Bani Thanghat Kare" sung by Aditi Paul and Osman Mir. A track with a lot of Gujarati folk influence, this is a situational song and it must be pointed out that the film is a romance drama set in Gujarat and hence this track. Osman Mir makes a good impression with his rustic rendition which perfectly suits this track and Aditi lends him able support. Bhansali handles the folk genre well and creates an appropriate mood for the song and the end result is absorbing.
My Rating:3/5
Shreya Ghoshal returns again to croon "Dhoop", the penultimate song of the album. Bhansali returns to his comfort zone in music and creates a very safe track. Highly reminiscent of some of his previous songs of other movies, he entrusts Shreya to do the rest of the job and she is as dependable as always and her sweet voice carries this above average song a few notches higher. The background is the usual Bhansali fare and the larger credit should go to Shreya for making the song a touch better than it actually is with her soulful rendition.
My Rating:3/5
Finally, the song heavily doing the rounds on television "Tatthad Tatthad" appears in the soundtrack. It has a similar beginning as the title track of Boss, but quickly changes tracks. Aditya Narayan returns again and is markedly better here than his previous outing. It's a boisterous celebration track and Bhansali makes sure that it's an enjoyable fare by keeping the tempo high throughout. Aditya's singing closely resembles his illustrious father 's voice some of the times which in itself is a big compliment. This one is a chartbuster material song which will quiclky exit once the film ends its run.
My Rating:3/5
It would not be wrong to say that a lot more was expected from the music of Ram Leela. Though the album is fully loaded with 10 tracks, the songs which actually leave a good impression are not too high. Nagada Sang Dhol Baaje is the best song of the album, followed closely by Lal Ishq and Ang Laga De. Ram Chaahe Leela is an experimental fusion track which will do well and Tatthad Tatthad is already popular. Poore Chand looked promising, but disappointed. Ishquan Dhisquan is the worst of the lot and would need excellent picturisation to work on screen. But the fact remains that there are varied genres on offer here which would appeal to a wider audience, though one just wishes that SLB was more consistent in his tune making. Right from his first film Khamoshi to Guzaarish, Bhansali has ensured very good music for his films with atleast 3-4 stand out tracks in each album.That's where he fails here as there are not many songs with high popularity potential and he has to make up for the inconsistency with his usual opulence on screen. There is neither the melancholy of Guzaarish or the grandness of Devdas, nor the sweetness of Saawariya or Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam in the music of Ram Leela, but it is still a good album and better than the cacophony of some recent songs. But, it's not wrong to say that more brilliance was expected out of this musical!
Overall Rating: 3.5
