Monday 27 October 2008

Hindi film music: Yuvvraaj: Rahman returns


Anil Kapoor and Salman Khan in a pre-release still from the film

Yuvvraaj
Music by A.R. Rahman
Lyrics by Gulzar

Flashback blah blah blah
Director Subhash Ghai has always had the knack to obtaining exceptional music for his movies. For almost two decades, he worked wonders with Laxmikant-Pyarelal, notably Karz (1980) and Ram Lakhan (1989). In 1997, Nadeem-Shravan deviated from their usual style to create some unique music for Pardes. It was in 1999 that Ghai got AR Rahman to work on a rocking score for Taal.
Rahman then worked with Ghai on Kisna (2005), he couldn’t work on the entire album due to other commitments so Ismail Darbar (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas) composed the other songs of the album.
As the trailers reveal, Yuvvraaj has a Taal-like feel in its visuals, but the music is a clever contrast to Taal's music.


A.R.Rahman


Gulzar

The album
Main hoon yuvvraaj is a dialogue-piece by Salman Khan mixed with Beethoven’s fifth, a prelude to Tu meri dost hain, a melodious song by Benny Dayal, Shreya Ghoshal and AR Rahman. Shano may take time getting used to; its languid pace is something different from other party-based songs. Tu muskura has a soothing calm in its flow, while Mastam mastam expresses a joyous celebration, one of the creative peaks of the album, Sonu Nigam is at his best here.
Zindagi by Srinivas has a ruminating tone to it. Dil Ka Rishta is a brother-bonding kind of song, with innovatively used English lyrics. Manmohini morey is strictly classical song, the one song in the album that may take some patience to listen to.
The Shano remix is a tolerable listen, under three minutes, it is over before you know it, a Rahman album doesn’t require a remix, unless AR himself does the honours. Overall, the album makes for a very satisfying listen.

For an attentive listening experience, shut yourself in a dark room with the music system, close your eyes and press the play button. It works every time.
In the process you identify what you like and don't like listening to, and why...

Wednesday 15 October 2008

celebration

Everything is a celebration,and everything is alive...

Monday 13 October 2008

Movie Review: Kidnap: Trashy, fleshy indulgence



Stylish kidnapper kidnaps billionaire's bikini daughter and the rest as they say, is misery...

Sanjay Gadhvi's two Dhoom movies were empty, dreadful and stylish, but more importantly for the director- successful. So he is here with Kidnap, another mindless crap with some sane touch in the end.

Imran Khan is adequate as the stylish, unreal vengeful kidnapper, Minissha Lamba is wasted in a forced body show - too much cleavage and navel and shoulder and hips and bust...voyeurists may indulge their senses here...Sanjay Dutt does well, as a tired, arrogant father, Vidya Malvade is decent.

Imran Khan took an untrodden path with this role - a contrast from his cute good boy image of his first movie, but the director lets him down. Let your brain rest while you take in this flesh filled trash.

Movie watch: 1920: cheap thrills


The lead couple, played by Adah Sharma and Rajesh Duggal, pose for a 'before the ghost came' family picture

Vikram Bhatt gets the location right (gloomy Yorkshire, England), the make up guy creates some scary scars on the hapless heroine, but the rest of the film staggers through rip-off's from hollywood horror flicks.

The trademark Vikram is there - dracula kisses ( man nibbling at woman's neck and nibbling and nibbling...), over the top acting and a dramatic 'believe it or not'climax. Don't expect to be scared and you will neither be disappointed nor satisfied - some place in between...

Last word: Shuba Mudgal's lively renderation of Bichua is great art at work...

Wednesday 8 October 2008

the cave

But there is always hope, you are alive and life is full of possibilities....

Saturday 4 October 2008

emptiness

Nothing stays, a chaotic whirl is the present.