After the ‘Jodhaa Akbar’ review, I got called on to do a review of Subhash Ghai’s new movie BLACK & WHITE .. Live on air on BBC ASIAN NETWORK RADIO for a show called LOVE BOLLYWOOD on 2nd Feb’ 08 morning 9:30 – 10am.
The show can be heard at this link. for a week till Friday the 8th Feb. On the right is the link to Saturday’s show with Padmini Kolhapure. That’s the one. To listen to my review, jump forward 1 1/2 hours & then let it play for 30mins.
This movie is another attempt by Subhash Ghai to get back in the limelight as one of the best Directors in Bollywood. The man who once made massive super hits like Karz, Hero, Ram Lakhan, Saudagar, Pardes, Khalnayak, Taal, etc.. lost it in his last few films like Kisna & Yaadein.. But one thing I believe he never lost is his taste of music. If we completely ignore the movies he has produced and had horrible music.. and take into account only the movies he has Directed.. you will have to agree to the fact that he goes the extra mile to get the right music for his films. This is true even for BLACK & WHITE.
The only difference this time is that he did not use a full fledged famous music director like he always did [Rehman, Laxmikant Pyarelal, Nadeem-Shravan, Anu Malik] but got a brilliant singer to take this project on as his first Music Directorial venture. Sukhvinder Singh proves that he is not just good in the live recording room but can do it equally well in the recording monitor room. Although the man has got help from Salim-Suleman in arranging the music & DJ A-Myth doing the remixes… he still does a commendable job in the compositions. Obviously, he is on the mic on most of the songs.
1 & 4 – Main Chala & Main Chali is a song with some excellent vocals and lyrics. It doesn’t quiet suit well as the first track of the album but does let the listener know that there is not going to be too much action on this album. A fantastic job by Ibraheem Ashk on the lyrics with talking about finding happiness and direction in life as one goes along. Although the music is very simple, it makes a good track for a calm morning track to give one inspiration for the day ahead. There is good use of Bagpipe, Santoor, Sitar, Violin orchestra, etc. to give it that relaxing element. Mr. Singh & Shreya Ghoshal do a respectable job in their respective songs but fail to one glued. This song requires in-depth listening. It is a difficult song to keep one interested. You have to make a special effort to find the best parts of the song and like it rather than developing a natural liking for it. I wanted to skip of it & maybe come back to it if I dint find anything better in the album.
2 – Peer Manava has Shradha Pandit sounding like a kid but suits Sukhvinder perfectly. These are the kind of songs his voice is meant for. It has very authentic Punjabi lyrics about celebrating friendship and companionship with the feel of a wedding mehndi song. The music is very foot tapping with a well programmed beat in a Dholki pattern and Dafli style. Its instrumentation is authentic as well with use of flute, tumbi and ghatam samples. This song is a must for all Asian wedding functions and definitely brings up the happy times in the album. Looking forward to seeing the celebration on the screen for this one.
7 – The Peer Manava Remix by Dj A-Myth [former DJ Amit] doesn’t do much for the song. The song which is already a fun dance tune now just has a more of a synthetic club beat with english chorus vocals. The bassline and strong claps can get this song to work in the clubs for some time.
3 – Jogi Aaya is one of my favourites on this album. Nothing to rave about but it has Sadhna Sargam sounding like a Lata Mangeshkar copy. I wonder if this naturally comes to her. But the reason I like this song is for it’s lyrics and music. The lyrics are more mystical and sufiana than ‘main chala’. Song about love probably shot with this as the background score for a love scene. The singing performance and music is more classically precise with the right harmonies. There is a good blend of Tabla, Sitaar, Mridangam, Aqua Harps, Violins etc. with a modern hard beat. The overall performance is in Hindustani classical music but has an excellent mix of Karnatic alaaps inbetween. Very impressive and well executed. This song is catchier and more noticiable than all other tracks on the album.
8 – Jogi Aaya Remix by A-Myth is an Electro/Progressive house mix. When you listen to it you wonder.. why would they want to do that with a beautiful classical composition… Evidently, people love messing around. The choruses are absolutely rubbish, Sadhna’s voice has been synthesised a little too much… but .. there is a big BUT here… I originally dint like the idea of this mix, but then I played it at one of my event’s in a club & it worked.. The bass synth and beats add an extra charm to the song which definitely works in a club and sound decent. Overall, not a bad remix effort.
5 – Haq Allah is a sufi/mystical/”piya Haji Ali” type song. It has lot of elements of the Rehmaan style of composition & music. It is very situational and I am guessing it will be an ‘unfolding thriller’ scene.. A rare & constracting but a great combo on the vocal with Sukhvinder & Hans Raj Hans. There is some excellent use of percussions of different kinds. I wonder who has performed them.. I am guessing Taufiq Qureshi!! I love the start with fluet & vocal chants & dholak coming in later. Some good vocal harmonies with deep devotional lyrics. My 2nd favourite after Jogi Aaya.
10 – Haq Allah 2 is a very short climax scene song. I am imagining rotating camera shots with the girl running into the arms of her lover kind of a scene. It’s very energetic with Islamic, Hindu & Sikh religious chats. It makes a good track for religious harmony and world peace. Would be a definite hit with a young audience in India. It is very well placed in the album as the last track. It finishes the album on a high & positive note.
6 – Yeh Hindustan Hai is a track I would skip straight off. I would rather suggest dont even listen to it once. Cause if you do.. you might get trapped in the patriotic feel of it & forget the fact that the music is very ordinary.. so is the composition.. The lyrics and old dated and seem inspired.. the choruses are boring.. The vocals are simple and plain but deep since it is Udit Narayan. The instruments used seem to have been used to impress rather than add any meaning to the song. A song good for primary school Republic day parades.. that’s it !!
9 – Yeh Hindustan Hai 2 does not have much with the music. You dont need music when you have Jagjit’s voice on the mic. But still there is simple acoustic guitars, daff beat with a Spanish dub feel. Jagjit seems to have been used to try & uplift a boring song. Frankly.. it doesn’t do much even with Jagjit in there. It’s still boring and dry. I dont get it why did Jagjit agree to do this song. I am going to completely ignore that he ever did a song like this.. just stick to his other awwwwsome tracks..
Subhash Ghai always manages to get the best out of his composers.. I would agree with that once again considering it is Sukvinder’s first time. Din’t have lot of expectations.. so this seems to be a decent album with a fair effort. None of the songs are very impressive, & there are a few bad ones. I would thus give it a 5.5/10. But since I am happy with Sukhvinder’s first main stream effort as a Music Director.. I will give it a 6.5/10.. For Subhash Ghai.. I am now looking forward to his next one with Rehman.. “Yuvraaj” might be the next “Taal”…
!!!
!!!
