Yash Chopra’s upcoming flick, Jab Tak Hai Jaan marks the beginning of the end in the truest sense.
This will be his last directorial venture. Believe me, I am not speculating. The stalwart himself has officially announced his retirement. What marks Jab Tab Hai Jaan (JTHJ) apart from his previous movies is the union of 4 prolific geniuses under one roof – Yash Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan, Gulzar & A.R. Rahman. Can our expectations from the soundtrack go any higher?
After an agonizing wait, the first song promo was revealed – Challa, sung by Rabbi Shergill. For those who do not remember, Rabbi is the same guy behind the highly popular Bulla Ki Jaana from a few years ago.
Remember the addictive guitar interlude in the official theatrical trailer of JTHJ? Challa is basically an extension of that.
“Challa Ki Labda Phiren”
Isn’t that poetic? Challa, in general sense, refers to a mad lover i.e. a premi. The phrase in itself means ‘What is the lover searching for?’
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I’ll be honest. Just like Mr. Rahman’s recent tracks, this one appears to be an average hear at first. If you’re facing the same issue, my advice would be to listen to it on loop while absorbing each and every word.
“Challa ki labda phiren, yaaron ka ghar keyra, lokan to puchda phire,
Challa hasda phiren, challa raunda phiren, challa gali gali rulda phiren,
Challe tu sabda, challe tera koi nahin, challa gali gali rulda phiren,
Challa Ki Labda Phiren.”
If these lyrics don’t make you swoon, the singing will. Initially, Rabbi seemed like a questionable choice to me for this track (considering he is the playback singer for Shah Rukh Khan). After a while, I realized that only someone of the likes of Rabbi, Kailash Kher or Mr. Rahman himself would do this song complete justice. Challa NEEDS the voice of a Sufi singer with Punjabi undertones and Rabbi fits the bill perfectly. I can’t stop praising Rabbi in my mind. The man croons the highest notes & alters his pitch with utmost ease making his playback seem like an overflowing river of melody. Full points to him! Though, I hope to hear a rendition of Challa by A.R. Rahman himself someday.
With respect to the music, A.R. Rahman does what he generally excels at – simple melody with minimal instruments and tons of passion. He succeeds at making something so simple sound so amazing. Yes, at times, a sense of déjà vu does exist but keeping the overall product in mind, all is forgiven.
If you thought that the mass hysteria surrounding JTHJ couldn’t get any bigger, Challa will undoubtedly take the nation by storm and will become THE song of the year. Atleast, that is what I predict.
Stay tuned to www.highonscore.com for Jab Tak Hai Jaan’s music review.
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Follow Shresht Poddar on Twitter @shreshtpoddar
