Simply Astounding
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Rarely, if ever, does the Western world catch a glimpse into the beauty and
majesty of such a dynamic city as Mumbai. Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire"
hits the ground running. This is a breathless, exciting story, heartbreaking
and exhilarating at the same time.
Simon Beautoy’s script, based on Vikas Swarup’s novel, “Q&A,” touches on the
life of Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), an impoverished orphan raised in the slums of
Mumbai, who unexpectedly reaches the Rs. 20 Million question on India’s version
of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. Accused of cheating, he defends himself
against the authorities by narrating his life on the streets - a sequence of
mesmerizing tales which hold the key to all his right answers.
The film stars newcomer Dev Patel and model turned actress Freida Pinto along
with Anil Kapoor and Irfan Khan. A.R Rahman provides the music and boy it is
sensational.
Rahman lifts off with O…Saya, a song that is, much like the rest of the
soundtrack, an electrifying detonation of sound and style. Filled with some
riveting electronic tones, Rahman ups the tempo with a breath-taking drumming
performance that features throughout the backdrops of this flashy and rhythmic
track. Also featuring international biggie M.I.A this song takes the cake.
Ringa Ringa brings a slight touch of familiarity to his Indian listeners, the
track bears resemblance to the early 90s cult-classic “Choli Ke Peeche”. Rahman
infuses the number with a sultry blend of old and new elements, couples it with
an alluring melody, and ultimately creates a unique sound that is both
traditional and progressive simultaneously. Alka Yagnik's vocals and Raqib
Alam’s lyrics culminate the musical trinity of the track with class.
Next up is the absolutely gorgeous Dreams On Fire, and just like all the other
pieces of Slumdog Millionaire, Rahman has provided a steady blend of east and
west – a phenomenon that gives the music its universal textures and borderless
emotions. Blaaze and Wendy Parr provide awe inspiring lyrics and Suzanne
D’Mello's vocals grab your heart's cockles.
Jai Ho is an out-and-out dance track and passes with flying colors thanks to
the breezy melodic riffs and trans-genre feel in the arrangements, enabling the
song to take you wherever you want it to! Sukhwinder Singh and Tanvi Shah
provide some awesome vocals backed by Gulzar's lyrics.
Riots marks the beginning of a series of powerful and vigorous thematic pieces
by Rahman. While the piece is fairly short, it packs a mighty punch.
Mausam & Escape is the best thematic instrumental on the lot! Rahman simply
shows off as programmer. He synthesizes a mesmerizingly wicked aura of sound
that explodes all over you! The enticing guitars, the heart-pounding bass
lines, thrilling sitar plucks, the soul-thumping synths and the haunting
orchestral strings bring out the goose bumps.
Liquid Dance has Rahman’s orchestral strings that give the piece a hauntingly
unique signature. Apart from using some very cool new sounds and effects,
Rahman once again blends east and west.
Latika’s Theme is the instrumental of the very soulful “Dreams On Fire.”
However, Rahman realizes that the beauty of the original song lies within the
melodic power and vocal gentleness. Ultimately, it is the sweetest of musical
fragrances.
Millionaire is perhaps the one and only track that sounds conventional in its
production and overall treatment. It is another fast-tempo background piece
filled with thumps of bass and panning synths.
In Gangsta Blues Rahman lays the cement with a Techno-esque hip-hop rhythm,
while also adding some Jazz elements, including some Blues organ sounds. Blaaze
struts his stuff with a relaxed reggae ‘n’ rap rendition alongside Tanvi Shah
and the end result of which is pure entertainment!
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE’S music is a brilliant landscape of cultural textures,
global sounds, and cross-genre transformations. You would be a complete idiot
to give this album a miss!
