There is one good reason why one expects ‘Satyameva Jayate’ to have good music. The film has been jointly produced by Bhushan Kumar and Nikkhil Advani. While Kumar is the head honcho of T-Series, a music label, the films that Advani has directed (and even the ones he has produced like ‘Airlift’) have proved that the filmmaker has a good ear for music. Interestingly, director Milap Zaveri’s first film ‘Jaane Kahaan Se Aayi Hai’ (as a director) was also co-produced by Advani and had a bunch of hummable songs by Sajid-Wajid.
The Nadeem-Shravan composed “Dilbar” (‘Sirf Tum’) gets a groovy spin courtesy Tanishk Bagchi who is turning out to be the go-to-man for doing remixes. The original, too, had an upbeat rhythm but was essentially a song seeped in romance. Tanishk ups the oomph factor and adds several elements that makes this song fresh and not just a rehash of an old song. Vocalists Neha Kakkar and Dhvani Bhanushali get equally important part to sing. While Neha, who has been heard in several such songs, is good, Dhvani’s husky voice adds a certain oomph to the song.
The pluralisation of Hindi and Urdu words that are not supposed to be used in plural (‘dooriyan’, ‘majbooriyan’, ‘baarishein’) has become quite common and while one is not sure whether it is a good trend or not, the way Kumaar has used “paaniyon” in “Paaniyon Sa” is quite nice. A quintessential romantic number which Rochak Kohli has composed keeping T-Series/Bhushan Kumar’s sensibilities in mind, this one makes an impression in the very first hearing. The hook-line (“sang tere paaniyon sa…”) is very catchy and gets on your lips in no time.
A pleasant shehnai piece, played by Omkar Dhumal, marks the arrival of “Tere Jaisa”, a soft romantic ballad. Arko, who writes the lyrics and pitches in as the female vocalist, resorts to some familiar tropes but the track makes for a good hear and manages to engage you throughout its duration. What is interesting is the way Tulsi Kumar sings this song; her voice sounds very different from the way it usually does.
Though it is derived from a traditional/devotional song, Sajid-Wajid make sure that they leave their stamp over “Tajdar-E-Haram”. The song has been interpreted differently by different musicians across the globe. Sajid-Wajid’s has quite a Bollywood-ish feel to it and one is not complaining. The composition is quite powerful and the intensity in it is accentuated by Wajid’s robust voice. The lyrics (Danish Sabri)are good. One expects the song to be played at a crucial juncture in the film.
The music of ‘Satyameva Jayate’ is actually better than what one expected it to be. The album is consistently engaging and does not offer a single dull moment. Each of the four songs has been composed by a different composer and each composer (or duo) brings a distinctive flavour to the album.