When Karan Johar announced a remake of Agneepath earlier this year, it raised many eyebrows. The son was remaking a movie produced by his father!
Now, it is an undeniable fact that every movie produced or directed by KJo till date boasts of a scintillating musical score. Expectations double, triple probably even quadruple when the movie in question is Agneepath. C’mon ! Karan Johar + Hrithik Roshan + Priyanka Chopra + Sanjay Dutt + Marathi musical duo Ajay-Atul = a movie which cannot be underestimated. Does the music of Agneepath fulfill these expectations?
In a surprising move, the music of Agneepath is composed by Marathi musical duo Ajay-Atul. Now, I’m not belittling nor underestimating them, but a transition from a pattern of sticking to either Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy or at times Vishal-Shekhar and Salim-Sulaiman, it definitely comes as a bit of a surprise for a major movie like this.
The soundtrack consists of 6 original songs. The album opens up with the much-awaited, much-hyped ‘Chikni Chameli’. I’ve said enough about this song already in a separate post which, dear reader, you can access HERE. The song’s a sure-shot chartbuster.
I did a double-flip upon seeing the singer of the next song ‘O Saiyyan’. The reticent Roop Kumar Rathod ! Last I’d heard him was in ‘Piya’ from Tanu Weds Manu.
“Zindagi ne pehni hai muskaan
Karne lagi hai itna karam kyun na jaane
Karvat lene lage hain armaan phir bhi
Hai aankh num kyun na jaane
O Saiyyan”
I didn’t want the song to end. A lyrical beauty set against an orchestral background interspersed with the soothing beats of the table, the song is an aural joy.
Katrina Kaif might be in the news right now with ‘Chikni Chameli’, but one mustn’t forget the presence of Priyanka Chopra. ‘Gun Gun Guna’ is supposedly Priyanka’s sizzling song in the movie. Despite the backing of powerful singers like Sunidhi Chauhan and Udit Narayan, the song fizzles before it can sizzle. Beautiful arrangements aren’t enough to save it. The mediocre tune and colloquial lyrics made me cringe. Figure this, ‘Aasuon ka chooran chaba ke maine dakaar maara re’. I mean, what is this?! Even the usually-dependable Sunidhi Chauhan didn’t impress. And utilizing Udit Narayan for 40 seconds out of a run-time of 4.30 minutes is a crime. Ah well, time to move on.
‘Shah Ka Rutba’ is surely an unusual name for a song. Primarily a qawwali, it is a powerful yet situational song with amazing arrangements. Sung by Sukhwinder Singh, Anand Raaj Anand and Krishna Beura, the song starts out slow and gradually gains momentum resulting in a phenomenal crescendo. The song is a perfect fit to move the plot forward and is one of the reasons I shall watch the movie. Trust me, you need to hear it to understand what I’m saying.
An item song, a haunting melody, a commercial Bollywood track, a qawwali. What’s next ?
Sonu Nigam renders the slow, melodious ‘Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin’. A perfect song to lose yourself in the eyes of your lover, it plays out beautifully. Sonu Nigam has done complete justice and this song deserves a hear especially for him. Funnily, the interludes reminded me of a Ballroom-dance-esque musical setting.
The best is reserved for the last with ‘Deva Shree Ganesha’.
Before continuing, I’d like to inform you that Ajay-Atul are the masterminds behind ‘Shree Ganeshay Dheemahi’ from the movie Viruddh. Now, that devotional song was beyond fantastic. My expectations reached an all-new high prior to listening to this song. And I’m happy to say, I’m not at all disappointed.
‘Deva Shree Ganesha’ is undoubtedly the best song of the album. Phenomenally sung by Ajay Gogavale (of Ajay-Atul), it is unlike other devotional songs with a very-fast pace. Goosebumps arose, I swear. It also incorporates another Ganesha bhajan ‘Ghalin Lotangan Vandin Charan’. I kept playing this song on loop. Next year, during Ganesh Chaturthi, this song will undoubtedly be the backdrop for my Ganesha idol. Ganapati Bappa Morya!
Agneepath is an amalgamation of some brilliant songs like ‘Deva Shree Ganesha’ and ‘Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin’ as well as absolutely mediocre fare like ‘Gun Gun Guna’.
I’m not categorizing ‘Chikni Chameli’ because it is a super-hit irrespective. Special mention for the umpteenth time to the brilliant music arrangements as well as lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya.
Do grab a copy from the nearest store!
RATING: 3.5 OUT OF 5
