One always look forward to the music of films made by Aanand L Rai. While his first two films, ‘Strangers’ (2007) and ‘Thodi Life Thoda Magic’ (2008) had some decent songs, ‘Tanu Weds Manu’ (2011) was one of the best albums of the year it released in. This was also the film with which Aanand truly came on his own as a filmmaker. Apart from the films directed by him, many of the film produced by Aanand, too, boasted of good music. What also admires the fact that he mostly sticks to one composer for a film. For his latest film ‘Tere Ishk Mein’, Aanand reunites with A. R. Rahman. Aanand and Rahman had earlier teamed up on ‘Raanjhanaa’ (2013) and ‘Atrangi Re’ (2021). The songs have been written by Irshad whom Aanand has had a long-standing association since the time he used to make television shows. As far as films are concerned, Aanand has worked with Irshad on ‘Raanjhanaa’, ‘Zero’ (2018), ‘Atrangi Re’ (2021) and ‘Raksha Bandhan’ (2022).
Since the publicity material of ‘Tere Ishk Mein’ has declared it as a film that belongs to the ‘world of Raanjhanaa’, one expects certain thematic similarities not just in the story but also in the soundtrack of the two films. Before you play the songs, one thing that catches your attention is the title. In Hindi cinema, ‘Ishq’ (which translates to ‘love’ in Urdu) is how one finds the word written in film titles. Since there is a nukhta in the word, using the letter ‘q’ in ‘ishq’ seems appropriate while writing it in English. This seems to be one of the rare instances when one sees ‘k’ being used in the word. One assumes numerology to have played a role here. Interestingly, one sees the title track being referred to as ‘Tere Ishq Mein’ on the official album released on T-Series’ YouTube channel.
While listening to the title track of “Tere Ishk Mein”, one wonders if Rahman has composed something of this nature in the last several years. It is an angsty, rock-driven song that offers a glimpse of the kind of emotions Shankar (Dhanush) is going through in the film. The song, in the beginning, comes across as the kind of populist rock-meets-Bollywood song which the likes of Pritam popularized in the mid-2000s. However, as the track moves forward, you realize there is enough of Rahman in it.
Arijit Singh does complete justice to the track as a vocalist. He brings out the pain and anguish, which the character seems to be going through, effectively to the fore. Rahman arranges the track very well and gets his musicians to create the right sonic atmosphere for a song like this with electric guitars, acoustic guitars and bass (Keba Jeremiah) and drums (Gino Banks). “Ishq na koi bhi meri tarah kare, koyla jala ke zubaan pe na dhare, khel tootne ka kamaal hai magar, toot ke mohabbatein kisi se na kare”, the lyrics written by Irshad Kamil serve as the perfect foil to the composition and sound created by Rahman.
For years, one has heard about how many of Rahman’s songs take some time to grow on you. “Usey Kehna”, the second track on the album, is exactly that kind of a song. In the first few hearings, you might struggle to make sense of the song. However, after a few more hearings, you will find it getting entrenched in your heart and mind. This song, steeped in melancholy, is a slow burner that demands some patience from you. If you are willing to give it some time, you will be rewarded with a song that stay with you for a long time.
“Mere shauq bhi toh jaanbaaz hain, hain inhi se mehakni mazaar meri, yahi jaan udhaar meri”, Irshad writes the kind of lines that pierce through your heart and make you feel the kind of emotions the characters are going through. Nitesh Aher’s voice suits the song. He sings very well but one wishes he had pronounced some words with a little more clarity. Jonita Gandhi makes a late entry into the song but registers a solid impression with her rendition. After listening to the part sung by her, you will long for an alternate/female version of the song sung by her as well.
Faheem Abdullah, who got his breakthrough in Hindi cinema with the title track of ‘Saiyaara’ earlier this year, lends his voice to “Aawaara Angaara”. The song is driven by the sound of a dafli, an instrument which Rahman does not use very often. One of the last times when he used this instrument prominently was in ‘Saans’ (‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’, 2012). Though the tune gives you a sense of déjà vu and reminds one of songs like “Mat Jaa Re” from Aanand’s own film (‘Tanu Weds Manu Returns’, 2015) and Rahman’s “Mera Yaar Mila De” (‘Saathiya’, 2002), one cannot deny the fact that is both likeable and accessible.
A qawalli arrives in the form of “Deewaana Deewaana”. As you finish listening to it, you get a feeling that Rahman has paid a tribute to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s iconic qawalli “Saanson Ki Mala”. Originally written by Tufail Hoshiarpuri in the 20th century, “Saanson Ki Mala Se” was given the shape and form of a qawalli when Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan composed a tune around it in the early ‘80s. In the last few decades, many have reworked this qawalli while retaining the original tune composed by Khan. In the late ‘90s, Rahman first collaborated with Nusrat on the track “Gurus of Peace” from the album ‘Vande Mataram’. When ‘Tere Bina’ from ‘Guru’ (2007) came out, Rahman himself acknowledged the fact that it was a tribute to Khan who had inspired him tremendously as a musician.
Comparisons aside, “Deewaana Deewaana” is a highly immersive qawalli which Rahman himself sings with a lot of heart. The qawalli boasts of some good arrangements (Rahman, additional arrangements – Marisakthi). Instruments like tabla (Rahul Prakash), drums (Bishwanth Y R), guitars (Renin Raphael) and bass (Mohammed Shoaib) complement the composition well. “Hadh hoti hai har chaahat ki, bol hamaari hadh kya hai, itna kehde in sajdon ki, teri nazar mein kad kya hai”, the lyrics penned by Irshad are of very high quality.
When you read a song on the album being titled “Tere Zikr Mein”, you expect it to be an alternate version of the title track. However, that is not the case. While the phrase “tere ishk mein” finds a place here, it is a completely different song. Given the sombre tonality of the song and the lyrics written by Irshad, one expects it to arrive at a crucial juncture (perhaps, in the final moments) of the film. Though Shilpa Rao has sung the song, one feels she represents the character played by Dhanush and not Kriti here.
“Jigar Thanda”, perhaps, marks the first collaboration between Rahman and singer Darshan Rawal. In Tamil Nadu, “jigarthanda”, as a word, refers to a cold beverage. Unlike most of the songs on the album, it has a fun, playful vibe to it. Based on the way the song plays out, one expects it to arrive at a point in the film when Shankar falls head over heels in love with Kriti. While the lyrics are fun, Rahman’s tune is not the kind that registers an impact instantly. One expects the song to gain momentum once a lot of people have seen it in the film. The female version of the song, which has been designed like a jazz number, sounds a lot more interesting.
As “Ladki Jaisi” starts, we hear some dialogues voiced by a man. There is some reference to UPSC there. As the song takes off, one hears Sukhwinder Singh singing “ho ladki jaisi ho UPSC, o baanki chhori jo mitaa de, o dhol banaa de ho jaaye phir dum dum dum dum”. Irshad contributes greatly towards making the song come across as fun and quirky. Sukhwinder, as usual, sings with a lot of energy. Though the song is upbeat, it is not the kind that would stay in your mind for long. This is a situational track that whose popularity would be greatly driven by the picturisation and the kind of success the film sees for itself.
In the last few years, one has not seen Rahman and Shankar Mahadevan collaborating very frequently. This is one of the reasons why one is excited to see Shankar credited as the lead/solo vocalist on a song composed by Rahman after a while. “Chhinaware” is a Tamil song that has been written by lead actor Dhanush. Since Dhanush plays a man from Tamil Nadu living in Delhi, having a Tamil song in the film makes sense. It appears to be the kind of song that would be heard at a point in the film when some sort of celebrations are taking place or the character is going through a happy phase in his life. Rahman composes an uplifting song which boasts of good rhythmic arrangements.
After ‘Raanjhanaa’ and ‘Atrangi Re’, the triumvirate of A. R. Rahman, Irshad Kamil and Aanand L. Rai deliver yet another winning album in the form of ‘Tere Ishk Mein’. While most of the songs on the album are the kind that would become more and popular with time and enjoy a long shelf life, there are some (“Jigar Thanda” and “Ladki Jaisi”) that should grow on the audience once they watch the film.