The music of the Marathi film ‘Sairat’ created a wave in the Marathi film industry. One song called “Zingaat”, in particular, managed to reach out to other corners of the country, apart from being a chartbuster in Maharashtra. The film, of course, was a blockbuster. Now that the film has been remade in Hindi as ‘Dhadak’ and co-produced by Karan Johar, one has good expectations from it. Ajay-Atul, who had composed the music for the original film, have been roped in to do score the music for the Hindi adaptation as well. The lyrics have been written by Amitabh Bhattacharya.
The album opens with “Dhadak”, the title track. While I am not sure if it is a recreated version of one of Ajay-Atul’s Marathi hits, it is definitely not a rehashed version of any of the songs from ‘Sairat’. The song has a heavy orchestral sound, something which is a hallmark of Ajay-Atul’s music. The song is extremely soothing and the feathery lyrics written by Amitabh Bhattacharya make an impression instantly. Though a lot of music directors seem to prefer a similar-sounding Palak Muchhal for younger voices over Shreya Ghoshal, the latter proves that her voice sounds as fresh as it did several years ago. Ajay Gogavale is a good singer but his voice sounds too mature for Ishaan.
“Yaad Lagla”, a romantic track from the original gets a new avatar in the form of “Pehli Baar”. Though Ajay had sung the original and he sings this one well too, one feels a younger singer should have been brought in to sing for Ishaan. Leaving that complaint aside, this one is a wonderful song with some excellent orchestral arrangements (just like the original) to boast of. Amitabh Bhattacharya writes some simple and heart-rending lyrics which complement the tune very nicely.
Ajay-Atul have retained the original tune and feel of the original “Zingaat” in the new version. The only prominent difference one can see here are the lyrics which, of course, are in Hindi and not Marathi. Amitabh Bhattacharya writes some fun and catchy lines but given his oeuvre, one would have expected to come up with more imaginative lyrics. Lines like “nain ladaake tujhse man mandir mein jingle bell ho jaaye” could have altered with some better phrases. Despite minor blemishes, the track is as addictive as the original and should be a treat to watch (and listen to) in the film.
An interesting mix of synth-produced sound and sitar strains mark the arrival of “Vaara Re”, a song that talks about love and hope. This is the fourth song in the album which Ajay Gogavale lends his voice to. The impact of the song could be measured by the fact that I could imagine certain visuals while listening to it. Perhaps, it was the slightly breezy and optimistic vibe that the song has, did that to me. From the lyrics, one feels this song will be played at a juncture in the film when the two central characters resolve that they will be together no matter what. The song will definitely help in enhancing the emotional impact of the particular scene it will be played in.
Two songs of ‘Sairat’ have been recreated for ‘Dhadak’. The remaining two compositions are the ones that we did not get to hear in the original film. Keeping comparisons aside, Ajay-Atul have put together a very melodious and engaging soundtrack for the film. This is an album that will age well.