‘Laapataa Ladies’, Kiran Rao’s second directorial feature after ‘Dhobi Ghat’ (2011), has been screened at several film festivals across the world. Those who have not had a chance to see the film at any of the festivals have been able to gather some idea about the film through its trailer and other promotional material. The film is set in a village in rural India (given the dialect used in the film, one assumes it is Uttar Pradesh) and takes us through the journey of a newly married man whose wife seems to have been swapped with another woman.
Given the fact the film is a social satire based in rural India, one expects the music of the film to be earthy with some comedic elements to it as well. The four-song album is put together by Ram Sampath who has had a very successful collaboration with Aamir Khan Productions on films like ‘Peepli Live’ (2011), ‘Delhi Belly’ (2012), ‘Talaash: The Answer Lies Within’ (2012) and the television show ‘Satyamev Jayate’ (2012 – 14). While two songs (“Sajni” and “Beda Paar”) have been written by Prashant Pandey, one song each has been penned by Divyanidhi Sharma (“Doubtwa”) and Swanand Kirkire (“Dheeme Dheeme”). The album opens with “Doubtwa”, snatches of which one heard in the trailer. It is an upbeat, energetic track sung with verve by Sukhwinder Singh. Going by the lyrics, the song describes the thoughts running through the minds of the characters who are trying to gather some information about the identity of the woman who has come into their lives in place of the new bride and wondering if she could be a threat to them. “Yeh sutli waala bomb, maachis ki priyatam, arey shaq hai humko kar degi tabaah…”, the smart-alec writing by Divyanidhi Sharma, undoubtedly, is one the highlights of the song. The tune, composed by Ram Sampath, is catchy and the song benefits well from Sukhwinder’s energetic rendition. The music pieces contribute greatly towards adding some groove to the song. After a fun and boisterous track like “Doubtwa”, one gets to hear a soothing melody in the form of “Sajni”. The romantic melody, sung by Arijit Singh, has a calming effect on one’s senses. The song, laced with string instruments, has a country-vibe to it which works well for the setting for the film. Arijit sounds very different from his usual self and does a great job, as always, behind the mic. The tune is hummable and gets on one’s lips instantly. The song is just 2 minutes and 50 seconds long and one wishes it was a little longer. Next arrives “Dheeme Dheeme”, the best track on the album. Between Ram’s composition, Swanand Kirkire’s lyrics and Shreya Ghoshal’s, it is tough to say which the most appealing aspect of the song is. Every element in the song, including the musical arrangements by Ram and Arabinda Neog, works beautifully towards making it memorable. “Rut yeh anokhi si aayi sajaniya, baadal ki doli mein lo baithi re boondaniyan…” the lyrics written by Swanand deserve special mention. String instruments (played by Kailash Patra) can be heard throughout the song and the track ends with a nicely played musical piece on a string instrument. At 4 minutes and 28 seconds, this is much longer than the other tracks on the album (all of which are less than 3 minutes long) and one does not mind that at all. After two slightly intense songs, the album gets back into a lighter space with “Beda Paar”, sung by Sona Mohapatra. While it is a decent composition with some interesting turns, the track primarily stands out because of the way it has been arranged (Ram Sampath, John Paul and Navin Vinayak). One expects some of the musical pieces to be heard in isolation in the film. With visuals, this song should make a stronger impact. Ram Sampath creates a very interesting album for Kiran Rao’s ‘Laapataa Ladies’. The songs are in sync with the theme and setting of the film and work well as standalone audio tracks as well. With a few days left for the theatrical release of the film, the songs should play an important part creating awareness around this slightly offbeat film.