3 Idiots   Producer: Vidhu Vinod Chopra Director: Rajkumar Hirani Starring: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, R Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Boman Irani, Mona Singh, Parikshit Sahani, Javed Jaffrey Music: Shantanu Moitra Lyrics: Swanand Kirkire Singers: Sonu Nigam, Shaan, Swanand Kirkire, Shantanu Moitra, Suraj Jaggan, Sharman Joshi Audio On: T-Series    Number of Songs: 7 Album Released on: 09 November 2009 Reviewed by: Atta Khan  - Rating: 7.0 / 10   Let us know what you think about this review Movie Review

The music itself is delivered by the underrated Shantanu Moitra, a gifted composer who has been the firm choice for Vidhu Vinod Chopra ever since Moitra produced the exceptional, career defining and widely acclaimed soundtrack for Parineeta (2005). Lyricist Swanand Kirkire has been partnering Moitra for most of his career and has proved a stalwart companion. But “3 Idiots” presents a unique challenge for them in that the music is likely to feature more as situational / background amidst the laughter and comedy scenes….can they make a telling impact to add value to the movie?

Track 1, “Aal Izz Well” is undoubtedly a background tune to the zany theme of the movie with its fun-n-frolicking attitude! Moitra lights up the atmosphere of “3 Idiots” with a mixture of bells, whistles, dhol damaka and good humoured banter that will support the visuals on screen. Sonu Nigam’s jolly vocals are superb and dominate proceedings although he is supported in the background by Shaan and Swanand Kirkire (don’t be surprised listeners, this isn’t the first time Moitra has made use of the lyricist's vocal talents!). Lyrics by Swanand Kirkire are just as freaky as the music but that’s the whole point of the song! Overall as a stand alone track it’s disappointing but on screen it should work well.

Wow Track 2 lights up the bulbs in your mind and gets you itching for the dance floor and then some! “Zoobi Doobi” brings together one of the finest singing duets in Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal amidst a catchy, upbeat but old fashioned jazz tune created by Moitra that will remind his fans of the amazing “Kaisi Paheli Zindagaani” from Parineeta! As a result expect plenty of real sounds from instruments like the drums, trumpet, piano, strings etc. The singing is simply wonderful here with each singer complimenting the other perfectly like two white doves, listen out for their laid back accent and the superb manner in which they overlap each other’s chorus line “Zoobi doobi zoobi doobi pum para, zoobi doobi param pum, zoobi doobi zoobi doobi nache kyun pagal stupid man”. Lyrics are humorous, fresh and fit the bill. This is a song that won’t appeal to the masses but those with a discerning ear will appreciate it immensely and fans of Shantanu will lap it up instantly! Alas, if only it was longer....but let’s hope Aamir and Kareena can create the magic on screen as well.

The soundtrack takes a serious turn with the sound of a bewitching flute greeting you to Track 3, “Behti Hawa Sa Tha Woh”. To put this into perspective you have to appreciate its purpose in the movie; to reminisce, portray and unravel the feelings of some guys (R Madhavan, Sharman Joshi) in search of a close friend who is no longer with them (Aamir Khan). Moitra keeps the music solemn and soothing with a melodious string instrument at the core…add some touching lyrics and you have a sound foundation for another fine background track. But who will utter the all-important vocals? Very few singers could have sung this as sincerely or as eloquently as Shaan but he does Moitra proud and makes it even more attractive on the ears. This is an enjoyable track but probably a little too short and situational to make a lasting impression. It's like a hummable story in a song!

Track 4 follows the same pattern as the previous track albeit we have a more upbeat and carefree distraction here with the youthful but provocative “Give Me Some Sunshine” . Guitar strumming is the order of the day but Moitra is much better than your average guitar strummer! He adds some fabulous sounds to the melting pot including an overlapping electric guitar, percussion, keyboard, harmonica, chorus clapping and god knows how many other niche instruments to round off this tune. There’s some verses from the story mixed in as well which breaks up the music but adds impact to the on screen antics. The mixture of English and Hindi lyrics by Swanand Kirkire works a treat for once, it just sounds so classy! The final ingredient here is the singing by a rising star in Suraj Jaggan. Wow, how he lights this track with some zestful singing. He is supported by actor Sharman Joshi who makes it sound even more real. Another track for the movie, this one should also trigger everyone of you grown ups to reminisce of your youth …“Give me some sunshine, give me some rain, give me another chance, I wanna grow up once again”. After listening to this, who wouldn't want to?

The final original track (5) “Jaane Nahin Denge” starts with some amazingly soft vocals by Sonu Nigam indicating a sombre, albeit short end to the soundtrack. But a few seconds in and you realise it’s anything but soft as the track transcends into an inferno of emotions with Sonu breaking the shackles from his voice into an amazing spur of power, anger and rage! Moitra supports this eruption with an orchestral volcano of his own consisting of dhols, cello, and a backing chorus. And then suddenly the anger is soothed again with the start of a new stanza until the next chorus lines…The effect is superb and conveys the emotions of the scene well! Alas dear listener, this is another situational track but Sonu fans will enjoy it for sure since his vocals are rarely stretched in this fashion. Lyrics are another highlight and Swanand Kirkire proves his metal again. Moitra shows his own versatility in the composition here and whilst no classic, it will surely sound awesome on screen.

Tracks 6 and 7 are “Zoobi Doobi Remix” and “Aal Izz Well Remix” respectively. Both are remixed well by DJ Amyth and Darshan. But the original compositions are still the best!

Without doubt Moitra's soundtrack succeeds in adding immense value to the movie in terms of atmosphere and background support. It is fresh, authentic and real. But you have to say it also disappoints as a stand-alone soundtrack apart from a couple of songs (particularly “Zoobi Doobi” and "Give Me Some Sunshine"). To be fair to Shantanu, the scope was always going to be limited with such a theme as the one presented in “3 Idiots”, let’s not forget the movie is an all out entertainer / laugh riot with a strong emphasis on friendship, humour and adventure so it was never going to be remembered for its music. Most of the songs aren’t even given a chance with shortened lengths thus limiting their potential for a lasting impression. Also ask yourself why there are only 5 original compositions here? Consequently, the soundtrack can and should only really be judged after seeing the movie. In fact the music portrays a serious undertone to the movie hitherto unknown to many fans. That's how intertwined it is with Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s story of the “3 Idiots". There's clearly more to the movie than meets the eye and the same can definitely be said for the music.