‘Gunjan Saxena The Kargil Girl’, produced by Dharma Productions and Fox Star Studios, arrives on a streaming platform on August 12. The soundtrack has released on August 3. That gives the music company very little time to promote the six songs the album has. Releasing the songs/album on a short notice seems to be a trend most producers, who are releasing their films on streaming platforms, are following and strangely, do not seem to have a problem with. Since the film traces the journey of a young woman who goes on to become an Indian Air Force officer, one expects the album to have songs encompassing various moods and themes in the film including one’s love for the country. All the songs have been composed by Amit Trivedi and written by Kausar Munir.
“Bharat Ki Beti”, as the title suggests, is a song talks about the valour of a brave young woman who lives for her country. From the perspective of a third person, the track talks about Gunjan’s love for her country and what makes her an inspiring figure. Arijit’s vocal texture adds to the warmth in the song. The free-flowing tune is endearing and Kausar Munir writes some simple but effective lines that linger in your mind long after you have finished listening to the song. The crescendo offered by the choral vocals heard at 3:23 end the song on a high.
“Khudi Ko Kar Buland Itna….”, Allama Iqbal’s immortal lines are heard towards the beginning of “Asmaan Di Pari” and they help in setting the tone for the portions that follow next. What also follows next is an orchestral setup that seems overtly familiar. The song leaves you with a sense of déjà vu after you finish listening to it. The tune, rhythmic pattern and the arrangements remind of you several other songs composed by Amit. Listen to “Sayaani” from ‘Padman’ and you will understand what one is trying to say here.
The prelude section itself gives one an indication about “Dori Tutt Gaiyaan” about being a sombre number. Rekha Bhardwaj uplifts the song considerably with her subliminal rendition. In fact, had it not for her rendition, this track would have hardly made an impression. The tune is strictly average and the lyrics are ordinary. The song would, perhaps, make a better impression with visuals.
One sees traces of the sound which Amit put together for ‘Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana’ in “Dhoom Dhadaka”. On also sees a Karan Johar influence here as the track is a little more commercial (Sukhwinder Singh’s presence adds to that). Going by the lyrics, the song would probably arrive at a juncture in the film in which Gunjan Saxena family is celebrating an achievement of her.
Just like “Asmaan Di Pari”, “Rekha O Rekha” reminds one of a down songs composed by Amit for different films in the past. The orchestral arrangements and the compositional structure reminds one of some of his songs like “Sweetheart” (‘Kedarnath’), among others. In fact, it belongs to the same ‘musical family’ as “Asmaan Di Pari”. Two different songs derived from a similar sonic structure – that is quite disappointing. Kauar Munir’s words impart a forced sense of irreverent banter to the song.
The last song on the album is the best it has to offer. “Mann Ki Dori” is a sweet, romantic number that hits the right notes musically. Lyrically, though, it leaves a lot to be desired. Kausar Munir takes a lot of creative liberty while writing lines like “pagal gaya re” which do not make the desired impact. Also, a word like “moree” seems out of place when one takes into account the kind of language that has been used to decorate the tune with. Armaan Malik’s smooth rendition is the highlight of the song.
‘Gunjan Saxena The Kargil Girl’ is one of the weakest albums by Amit Trivedi in the recent times. A couple of years back, the composer went through this phase in which he was churning out one derivative track after another. During that time, most of his songs sounded like some of the tracks he had already composed in the past. He bounced back with superlative albums with ‘Fitoor’ which boasted of an original sound. One hopes to see that happening again soon.
Rating: 2/5