Mangal Pandey - An epochal opening!. Review on Mangal Pandey - The Rising Songs

When A R Rahman is roped in for a project, there is media hype all around and when the star cast contains Aamir Khan, the media has got 24x7 work to do!!! It is not everyday that Aamir Khan decides to act, and it is not for everybody that Rahman composes his music for. Amidst a lot of fanfare, the audio launch of the biggest extravaganza of the year Mangal Pandey took place in Delhi. People have been speculating everything possible, from the audio to the star cast from the time the project was launched.

One thing is clear when you listen to Rahman's music. You wouldn't appreciate the music first time, but as the music grows on you, you realise you are transported to something ethereal. Yes! Mangal Pandey impresses big time. Rahman had a tough task on hand. He had to compose for a periodical movie which had to have a commercial tinge for the masses, and the music has to merge with the storyline. Thats no easy job and Rahman essays his music beautifully that obviously is so different from the other compositions.

I just did not want to listen to the mp3s of the songs from the pirated version which is so easily available. I purchased the original audio cd from the nearest vendor(after having gone to him once before to find out the launch date) and couldn't wait to listen to Rahman, who I was sure would have got something different.

The cd opens with a kind of a folklore by Kailash Kher reverberating with Mangala Mangala...Mangala Mangala ..O. Rahman has captured this song in three different versions - Normal, Agni and Atma. Each is clearly distinguishable from the other and Atma is beautifully etched with an elegy sort of composition. This looks like a song that would fit dramatically in the climax of the movie with its emotional elements. Kailash Kher is second time lucky to be in Rahman's favour after the huge hit yuhin chala in Swades. I would really like to see how his songs come up with other music composers. But, he has done a brilliant job lending his voice to this beautiful composition. The song opens up with a dhanana...dhanana.. lift, slowly taking the listener to the beats and then, the Mangala Mangala.... pitch strikes instant cord.

The second song Main Vari Vari kicks off with beautiful usage of the tabla and the sarangi, hummed from a low pitch by Kavitha Krishnamurthy, which then paces nicely to the wafting use of the sarangi. The intermittent hummings really catches your ear. Reena Bharadwaj lends her voice in the end, where the voice of Kavitha Krishnamurthy and Reena Bharadwaj merges similar to what was achieved in the title track of Dil Se composition(Anuradha Sriram and Anupama strike a similar note there!!)

The Holi Re is fast paced, starting off on a terrific pitch. Aamir sings in this song, but it is more of dialogue delivery, but then that too is handled beautifully with the help of good instrumental. It is never easy to synchronise the dialogues with the pace of the music! Udit Narayan and Madhushree are easily noticeable in the song. Srinivas and Chinmayee too are a part of this song, but are visible more towards the end.

The Rasiya song rises seductively from the depths. I somehow felt that this song had a similar tune to one of Rahman's earlier compositions. Rahman has not used a lavish instrumental for this song and limited to a bare minimum. It is more of a melody that fits in with the other period songs. Richa Sharma and Bonnie Chakraborty are a part of this song.

Takey Takey jingles beautifully to Sukhwinder Singh's voice. The fast paced song has Kailash Kher and Kartich Das Baul supporting Sukhwinder Singh. It wasn't very catchy the first time, but then builds on you later!!

Al Maddath Maula, an Islami composition reminds us of Piya Haji Ali of Fiza, but at the same time, it is different in its style. Rahman's Maula oo.. in the background makes great hearing.

In totality, Rahman has come up with tunes, that as usual, might not impress you the first time, but as you listen to it, you would long to listen repeatedly. It was frustrating to see people like Ismail Darbar and Bharadwaj(South Indian musical composer) comment that they are better than Rahman. All they have to do is take this cd and listen to the songs. They would realise how different Rahman is when compared to the other stereotyped music composers. Rahman has always been in a different league, experimenting with new things in almost every composition, transporting the listener to a different world. This album is bound to top the charts in a few days, and is sure to build up a nationalistic fervour amidst the people.

All in all, Rahman's music stands out in this yet another different musical!!

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