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.
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