Barfi!   Producer: Ronnie Screwvala, Siddharth Roy Kapoor Director: Anurag Basu Starring: Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Ileana D Cruz, Rupa Ganguly Music: Pritam Lyrics: Swanand Kirkire, Sayeed Quadri, Neelesh Mishra, Ashish Pandit Singers: Mohit Chauhan, Nikhil Paul George, Papon, Arijit Singh, Swanand Kirkire, Rekha Bhardwaj, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shreya Ghoshal, Shafqat Amanat Ali Audio On: Sony Music    Number of Songs: 10 Album Released on: 17 August 2012 Reviewed by: Atta Khan  - Rating: 9.0 / 10 More Reviews and Analysis by PB Critics:     • Review by Ankit Ojha - Rating: 9.0 / 10     • Analysis by Mitesh Saraf - Rating: 9.0 / 10   Let us know what you think about this review Movie Review

“Ala Barfi” is the enthralling title song that is being aired on the trailers and with good reason. It’s a nostalgic background song that gives us an insight into Murphy and his mischievous world and since it’s a background song the music is soft, simple and extremely fun but this isn’t your ordinary Bollywood fair! What makes it special is the originality of the whole package with super charm and repeat value thanks to the addition of some unique touches like the whistling, upbeat chorus, and of course some fab vocals by Mohit Chauhan (who else?!) who is so natural he sounds every bit as happy and playful as the protagonist. The way he uses onomatopoeic vocals (refer to lines 5-8 below where the words imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to) is simply wonderful. And last but not least who can forget the mind boggling lyrics by Swanand Kirkire that tell us the story in a very amusing way:

There’s another version titled “Ala Barfi (Kaju Barfi)” later in the soundtrack. Apart from the obvious switch to a different singer (Swanand Kirkire himself) there’s also subtle changes in the music which makes it a good listen. Put simply this is Pritam like you have never seen him before and what he deliver is the most charming song of 2012!

“Main Kya Karoon” is a delightful love ballad that seems to be intertwined with Murphy’s heart and blood arteries, gushing with feelings of that wonderful state of helplessness whilst happy in love. Pritam’s music is supremely light and breezy thanks to some lazy guitar strings, but again there’s an enchanting feel to the song which makes it stand out from the usual tripe we get to hear for this genre. Notice the introduction of the “pot” effect here to give the song a comic almost classy retro feel of the 60s era. Vocals by Nikhil Paul George have a rough edge to them which makes them sound real and believable - guess Pritam’s added another fine singer to his empire. It’s sweet, it’s charming and it’s adorable thanks also to Ashish Pandit’s simple lines:

“Kyon” could easily be an extension of the previous song but this time the feeling of love is mutual between our protagonists as evoked through a duet by the excellent Papon and Sunidhi Chauhan. Listen closely and the classy arrangements feel like they have been inspired from a classic era but there’s no plagiarism here with Pritam’s use of percussions, acoustic guitar and piano particularly striking. The music just glides along effortlessly like a serene ballet dance. Neelesh Mishra pens some beautiful lines here and should be appreciated. This is another impressive effort that takes a while to grow on you but once it settles down it is very addictive, deeply meaningful and of course, will only enhance its appeal when we see it on screen.

Forget inspiration of a western type, the composer goes all traditional for the reprise version (not sure why this wasn’t the original!) of the mesmerising “Phir Le Aya Dil (Reprise)” . Our protagonist's feelings have changed, there is now fragility, passion and hurt. So the song also follows their mood in the form of a nazam/ghazal which has the strongest instrumentation of any on the album with the tabla and sitar type instrument playing a prominent role alongside a haunting piano. Arijit Singh goes from strength to strength with impressive semi-classical vocals. The poetry by Quadri saab is so romantic it hurts! If you prefer a softer, classier version there’s the original “Phir Le Aya Dil” with equally superb vocals by Rekha Bhardwaj who is completely at home here. Finally we have a sufi version titled “Phir Le Aya Dil (Redux)” with none other than Shafqat Amanat Ali at the helm. Suffice to say he gives a powerful rendition in what is ultimately, Pritam's finest, most soulful song for Barfi. Stunner.

Don't get too emotional because Murphy and his jaan are in a better mood and fancy a bit of fun! So we move to a very upbeat song called “Aashiyan” sung by a lazy sounding Nikhil alongside a sweet Shreya Ghoshal. This is one of the more livelier songs thanks to the use of some fab instruments like the accordion, violin and flute mixed with delicious foot-tapping beats that suit the 1960s period. Kirkire's lines are breezy to say the least but have the all important feel good factor to them. Alas it’s also the shortest song of the album so it leaves you wanting more but at least there's the “Aashiyan (Solo)” to add to your playlist. Nikhil gives you the entire song with his raw vocals especially the infectious line "Dhabe Dhabe Paon Se, Aiye Haule Haule Zindagi...". Go lift your mood with this gem of a song!

The soundtrack ends on a perfect note with another exquisite effort… “Saawali Si Raat” epitomises the ethereal quality of Barfi! It’s like the sweetest lullaby that you want to hug and consume so it rests permanently in your soul. The soft heavenly music conveys Murphy's dreamy mood (with the thoughts of Jhilmil) and touches your heart as Pritam utilises the purest of instruments with effortless skill and panache, leaving you in a beautiful trance. Arijit Singh will blow you away with his haunting rendition that is almost whisper soft yet the effect is deeply significant alongside Kirkire's bewitching lines:

Barfi! is without doubt Pritam’s finest soundtrack to date after Life in a Metro. The music has that magical purity and uniqueness that appeals to every mood and it's ingredients are the hallmarks of a Shantanu Moitra or, dare I say it, Rahman. We all know his strengths in the rock and punjabi remix genre but this album showcases talent and versatility of a different kind so kudos to Basu for pushing him out of his comfort zone and kudos to the lyricists (particularly Kirkire) for their marvellous lines that have inevitably inspired the composer as well. 2012 is Pritam’s year without question and Barfi’s dazzling retro music is the best of the lot, now we await the equally stunning background score with baited breath. Barfi! is Pritam’s coming of age album no less...