Amit Trivedi is truly one of the most innovative music directors ever, but even the new mavericks have off days. The Ekk Main aur Ekk Tu OST may have divided the fans as it carried more populist sound than the usual Trivedi we are used to, but it was certainly a new sound that you either liked or didn’t. Bouncing back, Trivedi composed the music to Ishaqzaade, which has made headlines everywhere for the exciting leads Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra. With a rustic setting, and a leading man to look out for, the promos certainly got us hooked with the gritty music. Trivedi is always a trendsetter, and after this soundtrack, we are sure to have a dubstep wave soon. I do not like it at all, but leave it to Trivedi to change my mind!
We start with the gentle, Ishaqzaade, which opens with a lovely trumpet melody that immediately gets you hooked. It is such a dreamy song with perfect vocals by Javed Ali, who can convey young love and energy so well. When the tempo picks up, and the usual beats kicks in, you know you are in for a treat. Trivedi reworks the typical romantic number into a fusion of a jazzy breezy tone with rustic elements of the tabla backbeat. The lyrics by Kausar Munir are so cute and capture young love so well. The surprise element is when Shreya Ghosal comes in, hitting the lower notes with such panache, and making sure the bridge sticks with you long after the song has ended. It has to be the fusion of the trumpet alongside all the different guitars that makes this track one that stays with you.
On to a fun number, we have Chokra Jawan, which is another one of those fabulous Trivedi desi songs that gets you dancing so quickly. Sunidhi Chauhan and Vishal Dadlani take the helm in a fabulous jugalbandi and conversational banter between the two. The promo of the song definitely conveys that masti and the mix of gunshots alongside the melody work really well. The brass band sound with the drums is layered throughout the song, which replaces the bass in such a great way. Habib Faisal guests as the lyricist for this song, and they are so conversational and fun. The bridge starts with a drum solo that doesn’t slacken the pace of the song. It just adds to the ingenuity of the song, and Trivedi in creating a desi number that trumps the rest.
One of the absolute favorites on this album is Pareshan, which has been making waves with its promos that show the electric chemistry between Arjun and Parineeti. Shalmali Kholgade has such innocence and verve to her voice in this track. She is such a talent, as she does not lose that gorgeous sound when the song sways into rock mode. It is so interesting to hear a voice that conveys sensuality and innocence but without being so high-pitched and squeaky. Onto the music, the harmonium is just fabulously integrated into the track, especially midway where it replaces the ‘Pareshan’ chorus. Again, Amit Trivedi converges a dramatic rock sound, with the harmonium and desi elements in such a brilliant way. You can hardly find a fault in most of Trivedi’s technical arrangements, but this one is one of his best. The lyrics too may seem repetitive, but they fit with each of the tonal shifts in the song, and it’ll be hard to get that chorus out of your head for a while. It is such a gem! With this, we do get a Pareshan remix that is definitely better than most, because it integrates a haunting flute into the mix. Then the dubstep comes in halfway through the song and it does impress without losing the song in the midst. The remix definitely tries to enhance the best parts of the original song, and does not overdo the trance sounds too much. However, it is up to you, and on your dubstep tolerance! Stick to the original mainly.
Next up is the hilarious Jhalla Wallah, sung by an excellent Shreya Ghosal. The beginning does remind you of ‘Kajra Re’, but any comparison fades when the chorus comes along. The lyrics by Kausar Munir are so inventive and funny. They provide a new spin on the usual romantic number describing her aashiq! The arrangements are fabulous, with the harmonium leading the various interludes and the orchestra is integrated so smoothly here. The song definitely can function as a romantic number, but the tempo is massy enough to be an item song. The song did have a very leisurely tempo that might suit both. So I cannot wait for the promo for this one. The Jhalla Wallah remix is pretty good to except for Neumann Pinto who sounds a tad like an autotuned Justin Bieber. Pinto’s voice is high enough already, but his opening verses and in the chorus does stick with you. If you want a faster tempo for the original song then this is for you. It definitely improves on the original at times and the dubstep beats do return but not in a distracting way.
The album ends on a rollicking note, with Aafaton Ke Parindey, which uses my favourite rocker Suraj Jagan and Divya Kumar. The composition of this song is just so energetic, and electrifying that it immediately emerges a winner that seems to encapsulate the rebellious attitude of the film. Jagan is completely brilliant on this track, displaying his amazing range. He shows off his softer voice during the quieter interludes and going full throttle during the chorus. The overlaying of the dubstep onto the grungy sound works seamlessly here. The ‘hat hat hat’ part often reminds you of Trivedi’s ‘Aali Re’ and that gets you hooked to discovering the intricacies of the song. The dubstep in this song is slowed down and won me over immediately. The lyrics are fiery and the singers use all their aggression for this song and it is one of my absolute faves of the album.
Amit Trivedi has done a brilliant job with this soundtrack and completely hooked us with his subversions of the typical desi, romantic, and item numbers that are included on this soundtrack. None of these songs sounds typical, which sets it apart from its promotional purposes. Amit Trivedi is definitely one of the best composers around and he proves his detractors wrong with this soundtrack that stays true to his style and shows his versatility. It is easily the best soundtrack of this year so far…
