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 The man behind critically acclaimed soundtracks like Aamir and Dev.D, and the award-winning “Iktara” from the sleeper hit Wake Up S!d, Amit Trivedi is back once again after his last Udaan, which released in stores just weeks ago, with yet another album that has skyrocketing expectations, because of one simple reason – it brings Trivedi in his first collaboration with Javed Akhtar (which seems like a feat in itself) – and though one tends to miss Trivedi’s regular, Amitabh Bhattacharya, curiosity level tends to rise tenfold anyway.
This being Anil Kapoor’s second production after Gandhi, my Father, a critically acclaimed, commercially undermined, practically songless film, some people might not expect a lot from Aisha’s soundtrack but for those who have seen the theatrical trailer and have heard (and watched) the title song, “Suno Aisha” in its promos, the mindset of potential listeners of the soundtrack becomes expectantly positive. Add to it Trivedi’s repute and Akhtar’s genius and it becomes tempting for potential listeners already. So, do they get what is expected out of the album? The well-promoted bumper opener evidently says so! “Suno Aisha” starts off the fun which doesn’t stop till the end of the album, with the ‘Trivedi’ (who also doubles up as one of the singers for the song) trademark stamp all over it! With enough hype already being created around the movie and this song, I don’t need to tell you if the song is good or bad – you know it already! Akhtar’s lyrics define the character traits of the movie’s title character very well, but what tops the lyrics and makes a heady concoction are the music and the melody. The prelude, though odd enough, has the power to hook you from the very start, but this one takes a millisecond to addict you to it. The bagpipes, the faint piano in the background, the beats, the supporting vocals by Nakash Aziz and Ash King, and final half-a-minute to a minute (which brings the song to a whole new addiction level altogether) gives us a power-packed, commercially vibrant yet immensely ‘Trivedi’-ish track that will be lapped up by the masses, and will be yet another delight in the kitty of his fans. Are you tired of the overdose of Bhangra and Punjabi ‘wannabe’ tracks in the Hindi Film Industry? Well, you never need to be tired again, as the powerfully full-throated vocalist – Tochi Raina – who made an impact with Dev.D’s “Pardesi” and later in the male unreleased version of “Iktara” from the movie Wake Up S!d (which many people preferred more than the original, thereby earning more demand and radio airplay), he returns to wow his fans with another vocal collaboration with Trivedi, who surprises us yet again with a distinct, yet completely different, Punjabi-Bhangra number in “Gal Mitthi Mitthi” , which, yet again, impacts us right from the start of the tune itself. Though the first few seconds in the prelude will make the listeners feels some déjà vu, all of that is gone when you begin to groove to the beat – and literally, you wonder where was Trivedi all these days when Pritam was churning one Bhangra number after another! The contemporary Bhangra beat is used only when necessary, otherwise, it’s all an amalgamation of the most awesome beats, with a powerful bass. Lyrics of the song are completely Punjabi, as compared to some songs which forget to use Punjabi in the stanzas and go back to Hindi. All I can say for this song is – turn up the volume, feel the bass and rock to the beat! Tochi and Trivedi deliver yet another mind-blowing hit!
With a film like Aisha, which centers on a female protagonist, there has to be at least one song featuring female vocals, but here, to our relief, there’s three, one of which we’re reviewing in this paragraph. With accordion and flamenco guitar strums, you kind of know where the song is heading, but once the powerful beat (with the kick in the beat being the most hooking) takes over, you know Trivedi has surprised you once again with “Behke Behke” ! Anushka Manchanda has done a fantastic job with the vocals and has hit it in the nail, with the whole underlying Spanish feel gelling well with her vocals. Neuman Pinto supports Manchanda well with the pseudo-Spanish-like vocals, changing later to the rap. The lyrics are playful, and Akhtar well complements the subtle playfulness in the song! A truly enjoyable number while it lasts, this one deserves to be aggressively promoted with “Suno Aisha”. And if this one has good visuals supporting it in the theatrical inclusion, this song would be having all the merits to rise on the top by then. Yet another song with female vocals, “Lehrein” starts off with melancholy-filled violins, and once the rock beat takes over, you know it’s soft rock! Javed Akhtar’s lyrics are simplistic but have a very complex underline to it. And, just like the 2009 chartbuster “Yeh Dooriyan” from the superhit Love Aaj Kal, this one too follows the route of not giving an overdose of melodrama and showing sadness and pain subtly. Anusha Mani (who seems to have become a favorite of Trivedi, just like Tochi) has given her all. Who knew that the “Lazy Lamhe” girl would one day be able to effortlessly give her vocals a completely restrained emotional touch? Well, now we do! This one’s another instantly likeable (maybe relatable) song, that doesn’t go to extremes to depict sadness! Thumbs up to this one too, but just like “Shaam”, this one too takes it’s own time to grow on you. Anushka Manchanda returns in the album with pop rock “By The Way” (and an enjoyable one at that). Earlier this year Manchanda featured in yet another pop rock track “10 on 10” from Pyaar Impossible, and though comparisons cannot be made between the two, listeners of pop rock will surely be reminded of Kelly Clarkson and her hit single (“My Life Would Suck Without You” from the album All I Ever Wanted), though this too would just be a passing phase! Featured in the theatrical trailer, this track might already have gained a certain amount of fans already, which is a good thing in itself! This one has all the potential to hit it to the top of the charts if aggressively promoted and considering it contains good visuals.
The “Bombay Bounce Dhol Mix” of “Gal Mitthi” is enjoyable, as it replaces the beats with a lot of the Dhol beat. It will be a good addition to the clubs, but the original is so powerful already that it didn’t need a remix in the first place. Nevertheless, it’s fun while it lasts. The remix which actually makes an impact here is the “Bombay Bounce Lounge Mix of Lehrein”, which completely changes the feel with the way it’s produced and mixed, thereby giving a distinctly haunting feel to it, adding the right amount of melancholy to the album. The fact that this remix doesn’t tamper with the soul is commendable, but what really impresses me is their effort to make a standout version of the original! Recommended. Dev.D set Trivedi’s standards so high that now each of his albums are passed under the scanner. And while his consecutive albums – Admissions Open and Udaan haven’t been given much patronage like the classic that was given a perfect 10 by team PlanetBollywood, this one is the only album that can take the takkar with Dev.D, as the man Trivedi continues to impress with this being the most addictive album. While his previous Udaan being a completely offbeat album, this one, despite being offbeat, has that mass appeal that will grab the attention of listeners and fans alike! Go and buy the soundtrack RIGHT AWAY, else you’re missing out on something majorly addictive!
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“Shaam” brings the much needed class and thehraav to the album. Nikhil D’Souza, accompanied by Trivedi himself and Neuman Pinto, soothe your souls with the way they sing, and the song itself is lazy, with relaxing guitar strums, and minimal beats. Lyrics by Javed Akhtar totally fit the theme of the song. The choruses are enjoyable and hummable. Though this song gives one a déjà vu of one of the “Dev-Chanda Themes”, and “Dil Mein Jaagi”, both featured in Dev.D, one must not compare this composition to his previous ones, as the swing beat can be adopted by anybody, and in my opinion, it’s good to see Trivedi attempting to experiment with this type of rhythm, which is barely exploited in Hindi music. Give it a few listens, and you’ll surely end up loving it. It’s a perfect companion for your iPod, especially when you’re on a lazy stroll, or even relaxing on your sofa. And once you like the song, you’ll surely end up humming the choruses, if not the song. This is typical Trivedi genius, as with this he shows us all that with even with the most simplest elements, and with a little bit of mixing, the song can be what it sounds like now! An excellent track!
After the almost unknown Admissions Open, this album is the only second one to contain remixes – and here there are two by DJ Lloyd and Discreet, who seem to have become popular of late.