Music Review :: Aiyyaa

We bring to you the music review of Rani Mukerji’s ‘comeback’ flick – Aiyyaa – music by Amit Trivedi.

It’s the season of women-centric films. Starting with Heroine, we have English Vinglish, Ishkq in Paris & of course, Aiyyaa coming up in the next few weeks. By far in 2012, music director Amit Trivedi has helmed 3 albums – namely Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu, Ishaqzaade & English Vinglish. He has managed to leave a significant mark on the audience with each of these albums. Not much is known about Aiyyaa except that it revolves around a Maharashtrian chick who has the hots for well-smelling South Indian men.

Aiyyaa!

With a plot so eccentric, isn’t it fair to expect an equally eccentric soundtrack? Especially, since the movie is supposed to have three item songs!

ITEM SONG 1 :: DREAMUM WAKEUPUM

Amit takes eccentricity & raunchiness to an entirely new level with the opening track Dreamum Wakeupum. I dare you, dear readers, to name a song which has released in recent times that is as charming, raunchy, elegantly crass, unapologetically vulgar yet highly appealing as this WITHOUT being a conventional item track.

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“Dreamum wakeupum critical conditionum,
earthum quakepum hil dool sab shake upum,
Face to faceum dharti putram,
Top to baseum kama sutram,
Thighsum thunderum downum underum,
Sizeum matterum thinkum wonderum,
Jumpingum, pumpingum, Throbbingum, thumpingum,
Wune runde mune naale.”

Touted as a tribute (read: spoof) to South Indian songs, this track beautifully replicates the in-your-face nuances of a commercially entertaining South Indian track. Sung by Soumya Rao, she seems to be the perfect choice for Rani Mukerji. The drawback of the track is the flak it will receive from the naysayers who are unable to identify with the humor and intent with which the track was composed. An amazing start to the album!

ITEM SONG 2 :: SAVA DOLLAR

From South India, we now move to my own Maharashtra with Sava Dollar – a Lavani track sung by Sunidhi Chauhan. Let’s cut to the chase – interesting track, amazing arrangements (especially the Marathi chorus), addictive after a few hears.

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The drawback, according to me, is the choice of the singer. Sunidhi Chauhan sounds way too commercial for this track. She sounds her usual self with slight improvisations. Someone like Shalmali Kholgade would’ve probably added a new dimension to this track.

“Heroine mujhe bana dena, sawa dollar chadhaungi badle mein.”

ITEM SONG 3 :: AGA BAI

Yay! One of my new favorites Shalmali Kholgade is heard, along with Monali Thakur, in Aga Bai. Starting off on a deceptive Carnatic note with the sounds of a woman inhaling & exhaling, it turns out to be a techno fusion track with pumping beats. Rani Mukerji’s character Meenaxi seems to be one desperate woman since after Dreamum, this song too talks about her attraction towards men. Arrangement-wise this is undoubtedly one of the funkiest tracks from the album. Also, repeated borderline-orgasmic chants of “Aiiyyaaa! Aiyyyaaaaaa” are heard throughout the track. Compared to its predecessors, this one is slightly lackluster yet grows on you with repeated hearings.

The album takes a 180 degree turn with the simple-yet-confusing Mahek Bhi. The inclusion of this track at this juncture is highly jarring for many reasons:

a) After a barrage of uber-commercial songs, this lullaby-esque track breaks the listener’s dhinchak groove.

b) It remains an instrumental track for the first 1.45 mins, only after which does Shreya Ghoshal come into the picture. A bit disconcerting, I tell you.

c) The amazingly slow pace of this track almost put me to sleep.

Now, I urge you, to hear the song again. Why? Now, you will be prepared to hear it with the patience it deserves. The track is simple, yet poetic. Shreya Ghoshal sounds like a doll and Amit Trivedi beautifully echoes certain lines along with her. A special mention to the sound of what seemed to be the shenai.

The soul behind Gangs Of Wasseypur’s music, Sneha Khanwalkar is heard in What To Do (a.k.a. Ijjat Papad). Co-sung (as well as written) by Amitabh Bhattacharya, this has an Amit Trivedi stamp all over it. It is as quirky as it comes. It is also as raunchy as Dreamum (if not more!). C’mon, what else can you make out of:

“I am a pussy Cat manchali !! Aiyyaa, Doggy Billo ki Hun main Khalbali ,
Hai Khuli dekh …Meri… Gali … Miiiiyyyaaauuuu!“

Or even:

“Aai ne Bola Not to Do, Aaye Sharam What to do,
kuch kuch i do myself, baki sab Kuch u do.”

At one point in time, you hear a string of “ah, ahh, ahhhs” which can either mean 2 things:

a) The obvious sexual reference.
b) A person pathetic at doing riyaaz.

Leave all your inhibitions and prudishness at home before hearing this track. If you want cheap thrills, you have come to the right place.

Next up is Wakda. For those who don’t know, Wakda means crooked. ‘Go Wakda’ also happens to be the tagline of this movie. Yet another innuendo ?!?! I don’t know what to think any longer. Sung by Amit Trivedi himself, this one is obviously a situational track depicted during the union of the protagonists. Unlike the previous tracks (even Mahek Bhi), this one just fizzles out.

Melody-wise, the album is just above average. Innovation-wise, it scores full marks from me. Amit Trivedi dares to be experimental when his contemporaries are staying safe by sticking to tried-and-tested methods. Also, lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya deserves a special mention for incorporating shocking and questionable wordings to the songs. Buy this album ONLY for their combined efforts.