Music Director – A R Rahman
Patience pays! Exactly after a year since Rockstar, here’s Rahman’s new score for a film (except Ek Deewana Tha, which off course, was not new, considering I am listening to Vinnaithandi Varuvaaya songs from past four years).
Honestly, I did not know that music of Jab Tak Hai Jaan is composed by Rahman until I saw the first promo of the film and then searched on the net for the composer and other crew details.
Having experienced this many times, and hence having learnt about the fact that video of a song greatly influences the probability of us liking or disliking a song, the first promo of the film featuring song “Challa” did not disappoint me. I just kept playing the video with my headsets in and not looking at the screen. Gradually I started loving the tune, the punjabi feel of the song and Rabbi’s voice.
For next few days, people kept arguing if “Challa” is good song or bad song, but I was waiting for this particular day. Music of Jab Tak Hai Jaan is released now and I can listen to each and every track in high quality peacefully without having any prejudice in my mind.
Today I heard the second track of the album, and that’s when I took pen and paper, and started off writing this review. Yes, on paper. My laptop’s keyboard is not working, but this indeed feels great! 🙂
Track by track:
1. Challa
Singer – Rabbi Shergill
Rabbi! After ages I am listening to a fresh Rabbi song. I can’t remember listening to him after “Bulla ki Jana“.Thanks AR for the great choice of the singer. This song is made for Rabbi. It suits perfectly to his voice and as it is a punjabi song, Rabbi shows us how it should be sung! The ease with which Rabbi switches between octaves has really impressed me, especially the high pitch part at the end of the song.
The guitar is just superb and my guitar is surely out of its case for the next few days until I learn to play Challa perfectly! Yeah, hell of a brilliant guitar. Both lead and chords. The overall energy of the song reminds me of the Swades track – “Yun hi chala chal“.
This is addictive! For those wondering about the meaning of the song, the word “Challa” here means “the mad one” and here singer refers to himself (as a third person). The starting four lines mean “What do I look for? What do I look for like a mad? Where is my house, I keep asking people“.
2. Heer
Singer – Harshdeep Kaur
Divine, Intense, the one that takes you into an entirely different world! And all credit goes to Harshdeep! If you can’t remember where have you heard this name before, let me help you with this. She has sung the amazing “Katiya Karun” from Rockstar. And you will be surprised to know this, she is the one who has also sung “Ekk Onkaar” from Rang De Basanti! Wow, the sufi singer has really been bestowed with the divine texture of voice! And she is just 25!
The song has a very simple rhythm with minimum use of instruments but yet the impact is greatest. This also is a complete punjabi song. I couldn’t stop myself from reading the meaning of each and every line of the song. So here’s the summary – “the girl is waiting for her lover to take her with him. She tells not to call her as Heer as she has become Sahiban of Mirza and she is waiting for Mirza“.You can read the complete meaning here.
This also triggered the urge in me to read the beautiful “Mirza-Sahiban” story. Please listen to this song taking into consideration the meaning. Nothing like this!
3. Saans
Singers – Shreya ghoshal, Mohit Chauhan
By reading the names of the singers, I had expected some seriously great stuff. But no, I did not like this track much. I could not relate to the lyrics, neither I found the tune of the addictive. Nowhere near to the first two tracks mentioned above.
4. Ishq Shava
Singers – Raghav Mathur, Shilpa Rao
No no no. Again disappointing. Why is this track sounding like the one composed for a song in southern language and then poorly written in Hindi? Just like Ekk Deewana Tha songs. Average lyrics. Although we know Rahman has a tremendous capacity of turning any poorly written song into a superb track with his mindblowing music, but this is just not it!
5. Jiya Re
Singer – Neeti Mohan
I am impressed with the way Neeti Mohan has sung this track. I can see the next big singer in her. But again, this track did not attract me. I have a feeling I may like it in future, but at least not now.
6. Jab Tak Hai Jaan
Singers – Javed Ali, Shakthisree Gopalan
In my opinion, Shakthisree’s voice has not suited this track the best. By now, all my excitement of discovering a new album is over by the row of below Rahman Standard compositions and this track is no exception. Not as great as to be called the title track. (Again, am I making mistake here to expect century in each and every inning?)
7. Jab Tak Hai Jaan (Poem)
Voice – Shahrukh Khan, Written by – Aditya Chopra
Finally, something to cheer the mood! The theme music that plays in between the stanzas of the poem is incredible. Aditya Chopra has done an excellent job in writing this poem and Shahrukh gives justice to it. The only thing I think of, which slightly irritates me, is why does Shahrukh say the word “Jaan” as “JaaN” and not “Jaaaaaan” keeping “n” a little bit silent?
