Iesus Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm.
I was trembling from head to toe. And the nip in the air was not to blame.
''God, please forgive me,'' I said, in a voice which was a little too loud.
Suddenly, I heard footsteps. I turned behind slowly and the sight that met my eyes made me throw my hands in the air and scream hysterically like a melodramatic Amarr Upadhyay, ''Bhooooooooot ...''
''Oh my gosh, my poor little soul, why are you getting scared?''?
The scary lady in white who resembled one of the C-grade heroines in Ramsay flicks, who go around carrying candles on windy nights, approached me. However, she seemed more familiar when she came closer.
(blowing kisses in the air, looks at me and recoils her head as if she has seen a ghost herself) ''Aah my poor baby, you seem to have been through a lot ...''
And then I realised that the lady was not a Ramsay heroine ... she was our very own (er ... not my very own, thank you very much) Simi!
Simi Garewal pouted and stroked my hair, ''What happened, child, why are you asking God for forgiveness?''
I glared at her audacity to interview me like one of her talk-show guests and ask me her ooh-aah enquiries. I replied, ''Kyunki maine paap kiya hai ...''
Hot News: When Ekta (or is it Ektaaa) Kapoor heard this sentence, she decided to register it as the title of her next shampoo, er, soap. The only difference is that she decided to spell it as 'Kyunki ... maiine paapp kiiyaa hai'!
On hearing my blunt answer, Simi shuddered and whispered as if she was letting me in on a national secret, ''Oooooh mazaak mat karo, bachche paap thodi karte hain ...''
My blood curdled. ''Mein bachcha nahin hoon ... after all, I do not drink Pepsi! And although the movie 'Paap' may not be for kids, the album is not censored, you know!''
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Paap marks Pooja Bhatt's directorial debut, and coupled with Ek Hasina Thi, is one of the movies to watch out for in the forthcoming one or two months.
Usually, films in Bollywood rarely live up to their names. Jhankaar (Junk haar?) Beats was no junk, Darna Mana Hai had one wondering whether the title should have been Hasna Mana Hai and Boom ought to have a 'b' at the end of its title. Paap, though, is a rare exception. The sinful title is coupled with sinful music to dish out the best album since Jhankaar Beats and Saathiya!
Wonder what our politicians feel about it, but Paap features Anu Malik in collaborating with musicians from across the LoC (and I am not referring to J.P.Dutta's latest flick!). The Pakistani rock band Junoon is roped in for a number, while the Late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's grandson makes a couple of appearances.
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# 1. Intezaar marks the renaissance of Anuradha Paudwal. I don't know why, but contrary to popular opinion, I always used to find Paudwal as irritating as the servants and drivers in Sooraj Barbaad Kiya flicks (and how can I forget parrots ?!). Which is why Intezaar was a pleasant surprise.
Sublime, melodious and enchanting. This number is reminiscent of Asoka with a haunting aura around it. The chorus at the beginning reflects pain, and Anuradha's vocals then take over. An amazingly steady pitch, a well-structured tune and some great lyrics contribute to a gem of a number. Sheer paradise!
Rating: 10/10.
# 2. Mann Ki Lagan is another amazing composition, a wonderful fusion of the tabla and the harmonium, with a dash of guitaring. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's rendition of this classical Sufi-like number is simply brilliant, with his pitch being low for the better half of the song and then effortlessly going on a much higher pitch.
Rating: 10/10.
# 3. Garaj Baras is one of the rare Hindi rock numbers, with Junoon in fine form. Just like their other numbers, this one too has a rustic, raw and energetic feel to it. The guitaring is fantastic and the vocals are quite appropriate as well.
Rating: 9.5/10.
# 4. Laal (Alaap) is more like a theme piece and the manner in which this piece has been composed is commendable. A lot of nervous energy in the song comes forth and I love the way the instruments merge with each other.
Rating: 9/10.
# 5. Sun E Mere Dil puts a halt to the ecstacy. Anuradha and Udit Narayan sing well, but this song is like an Ekta Kapoor soap - doesn't seem to end! I liked the tune and instrumentations in the song, though.
Rating: 7/10.
The album also features eleven instrumentals, out of which I highly recommend:
Intezaar Interlude
and * Zindapal (in order of preference)
It will be a paap to miss this album! The only suggestion will be to ensure that Simi Garewal is not around when you go to ask for forgiveness ...
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Do you know that it's a paap if one does not comment ?!
