The latest offering from the Bhatt camp is said to be the most expensive film coming out of this production house, budgeted at a whopping 18 crores. The movie in question, titled Awarapan, is directed by one of the Bhatt’s favourite, Mohit Suri. After giving such hits as Zeher, Kalyug and Woh Lamhe, the young and talented filmmaker is back in the director’s chair and this time he brings together a cast featuring his favourite Emraan Hashmi and Shreya Saran of ‘Shukriya’ fame. What one surely expects from a Bhatt film is great music and when you have Pritam Chakroborty as a music director then expectations are very high regardless of the tactics he exploits in creating a soundtrack. Within the past few years it has been made quite clear that the Bhatts have a soft spot for Pakistani music and it is no different this time around as all four tracks in this soundtrack are originally by Pakistani artists. An interesting point to be noted here is that the original composers are actually aknowledged for their work; shahbash Pritam Saab! So lets not waste any time and dig right into this album.
The single Mahiya was debuted last year by singer Annie and was an instant favourite. However, Suzanne D’Mello has been roped in to do the honours in the film. If we were to compare it to the original, then it surely disappoints. Nevertheless Suzanne gives a fairly nice rendition. The song has be re-composed by Pritam with some hip and peppy beats and re-written with a mix of English and Hindi lyrics by Asif Ali Beig and Sayeed Quadri. A flaw that stands out in the re-created version is that it tries too hard. Annie’s original version had a sense of simplicity in both the composition, delivery and lyrics. This innocence and simplicity is lost with the addition of unnecessary rhythms and beats. To get a taste of the original, Annie is presented in the Mahiya Remix by DJ Suketu. Annie’s sweet and innocent voice makes the song more appealing instantly. The problem with remixes lies in the fact that useless and misplaced musical intruments, beats and rhythms are used to “recreate” the original track. The question is why is there a need to recreate thesedays? Whatever happened to being original or just sticking to the original? FYI remixers: We like the originals!
Maula Maula is a traditional Sufi track originally written by the 12th century poet Baba Farid. Rafaquat Ali Khan takes over the mike to render this spiritual piece. Various numbers of classical intruments from the harmonium to the sitar to the tabla are used in this track and the result is beautiful. Rafaquat’s passionate classical rendition is simply flawless.
Mustafa Zahid makes his entry with Tera Mera Rishta which is originally sung by the talented singer himself and composed by band Roxen in which Mustafa is also a member. Mustafa makes his presence felt and proves to be quite an able singer. Sayeed Quadri’s lyrics are touching. Pritam’s composition is first-rate. DJ Suketu presents the Remix which successfully rips the song apart. Next …
Mustafa delightfully closes the album with the already extremely succesful and popular track Toh Phir Aao, once again originally by the band Roxen. The song follows the same genre as ‘Woh Lamhe’ and ‘Tere Bin’ and is an instant hit. Mustafa’s emotional and soulful rendition is exceptional and leaves a lasting impression on the listener. The singer reminds one of Atif Aslam but with a much more mature voice. Pritam’s composition in this track is best of the soundtrack as are Sayeed Quadri’s passionate lyrics. A winning track! The remix devils are at work again, that too in full force, as this track comes in a Lounge Version and the DJ Suketu Remix; skip both and stick to the original.
The soundtrack of Awarapan stands to be a showcase of some new talented singers and introduces them to a wider range of listeners. After listening to such great tracks as ‘Mahiya’ and ‘Toh Phir Aao’, Annie and Mustafa Zahid are sure to gain a bigger fan following, as they should. The music of Awarapan is definitely worth your time.
