Many would seen this 'World Space Satellite Radio' hoarding in the city and also the advertisement being telecast in Vijay TV and NDTV. They have roped in A R Rahman, who is listening to World Space Satellite Radio for the past five years, to promote WSSR. The Ad. has been shot very well in Kerala and ARR looks very dignified in that Ad. He has also composed a signature tune for WSSR. Listen to the signature tune of WSSR composed by ARR (See attached file)
Some might wonder 'What is this World Space Satellite Radio??'. It is a non stop music radio. There won't be any interruptions like Advertisements. They won't be any compering by any 'Kittu Mamas' and 'Susi Mamis'. This is just music, music and non-stop music.
It comes in two packages. One with speakers and another is without speakers. Other than this, both the packages will have a World Space Receiver, Satellite antenna and Head phone. Size of the speaker less package is very handy while the other one is little bit big (I feel it won't be convenient to carry it to different places). The output quality is so good that if you have a proper home system, you can connect this WSSR O/P to it. To me speaker-with package doesn't impress. As it is a 'Satellite' Radio, we can carry this anywhere in the world and enjoy our favorite music.
Totally it has 40 channels like
1. Farishta - Old Hindi song
2. Jhankaar - New Hindi filmi songs and Hindi Pop.
3. Spiritual channels like Art of living, Moksha, Sai Global Harmony
4. Play -a Sports channel
5. KL Radio forTamil viewer, RM Radio for Keralites, Spandana for Telugu, Sparsha for Kannadigars, Tara for Bengalis and Tunak for Punjabi.
6. Western Classical channel and 5 pop channels
7. 4 Rock channels
8. 5 News channels like BBC, CNN
9. 2 Latin Music channels
10. One jazz channels
11. 2 R&B channel
12. NDTV English and Hindi
13. Two Indian classical channel one for Carnatic and another for Hindustani music
and few more....
How much does it cost?? Set with speaker cost Rs 2500 and with out speakers cost Rs 1499. Then we need to purchase one of the three subscription packs - Rs 1000 for 6 months, Rs 1800 for one year, Rs 3250 for two years.
This is available in Spencers Music World, Chennai and in all major Music shops.
Showing posts with label A R Rahman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A R Rahman. Show all posts
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Friday, June 01, 2007
Mangala Mangala
Any album from Aamir-A R Rahman-Javed Akthar team will create a huge expectations among the music lovers. That too after their mammoth success of Lagaan four years back. Also the comparison with Lagaan is inevitable. First of all I like to clarify one thing. Mangal Pandey is not another Lagaan. And it can't be, as the concept behind the two movies are entirely different. Lagaan shows the strength and the zeal of an 'underdog' youth - Bhuvan - who wants to achieve the impossible while Mangal Pandey is a real story about a young Indian who lit the fire for the freedom struggle against the English. It will be far more appropriate to compare it with Bose - The Forgotten Hero. In my opinion, it is not as good as Bose - best of its kind - and it will be difficult for any music director to give a better score for a patriotic movie than Bose. But Mangal Pandey's score which is nothing short of brilliance has its own moment and glory. Now to the songs...
Mangala Mangala - Kailash Kher
This is the signature song of this movie and has become popular even before the release. Well sung by Kailash Kher - disciple of Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. This song is more of a 'chanting' song variety and from the percussion itself we can feel and imagine the parade of the tuskers. A sure hit once the movie releases on 12th August. (Infact today the movie releases in Mayajaal, Ega and in Melody)
Kailash Kher sings the same song in two more versions - Agni and Aatma, with Sukhwinder Singh. Here the lyrics changes. Also the tempo becomes little slow. May be this two versions appear in the climax or when Pandey - walking in the shackles - was taken to the custody. Over all a very good song with good lyrics.
Main Vari Vari - Kavitha Krishnamurthi & Reena Bharadwaj
I thought this brisk song belongs to the qawwali genre. But some of the reviews have categorized this song as a 'Mujra'. I am trying to find the difference between a qawwali and a mujra. I will say this is my second favorite song in this album. A good rhythmic song and Kavitha has sung very well. This song will be classified as one of the best qawwali (or mujra) in the years to come.
Hole re - Udit Narayan, Madhushree, Srinivas, Chinmayi and to our surprise Aamir
This is an ordinary song. Nothing great about this song. Only surprise in this song is Aamir lending his voice. He didn't sing and he has just recited some lines. I am yet to trace Chinmayi's voice in this song. May be with the picturisation, it may sound better. One has to wait for the movie.
Rasiya - Richa Sharma & Bonnie Chakraborty
Really a special song which opens in an unusual manner and Richa's voice is wonderful and it falls under the 'Item Number' song category and we have to see how the director has used this song in the movie. This song is picturised on Amisha Patel and Toby Stephen (Who acted in 'Die Another Day'). I really like this song. Very very unique indeed.
Takey Takey -- Sukhwinder Singh, Kailash Kher, Karthik Das Baul
A good fast number where a lot of children - including Rahman's two daughters Raheema and Khatija - have joined in the chorus. Kailesh and Karthik join in this rhythmic number but it is Sukhwinder all the way. This song deals with Friendship, Love and honesty. A good meaningful song which is sung with a punch by Singh.
Al Maddath Maula - A R Rahman, Kailash Kher, Kadir & Murtaza
Yes this is an another Islamic prayer song and another excellent performance from Rahman as a singer. And this is my favorite and Rahman getting better and better in composing some devotional numbers. The way he chants 'Maula' is scintillating and this song is another feather in ARR's cap. Easily the best song in the album.
Overall a great attempt by the music director and the lyricist. Their effort can be felt in each and every song and it will become more popular with the visuals as most of the songs are situational ones. Also for the first time Rahman has recorded all the song in his newly built studio 'Shafee Studio 5' which he considers as a better studio than his Panchatham Recording - which is considered as the best in Asia. A good album for the hindi music lovers.
Mangala Mangala - Kailash Kher
This is the signature song of this movie and has become popular even before the release. Well sung by Kailash Kher - disciple of Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. This song is more of a 'chanting' song variety and from the percussion itself we can feel and imagine the parade of the tuskers. A sure hit once the movie releases on 12th August. (Infact today the movie releases in Mayajaal, Ega and in Melody)
Kailash Kher sings the same song in two more versions - Agni and Aatma, with Sukhwinder Singh. Here the lyrics changes. Also the tempo becomes little slow. May be this two versions appear in the climax or when Pandey - walking in the shackles - was taken to the custody. Over all a very good song with good lyrics.
Main Vari Vari - Kavitha Krishnamurthi & Reena Bharadwaj
I thought this brisk song belongs to the qawwali genre. But some of the reviews have categorized this song as a 'Mujra'. I am trying to find the difference between a qawwali and a mujra. I will say this is my second favorite song in this album. A good rhythmic song and Kavitha has sung very well. This song will be classified as one of the best qawwali (or mujra) in the years to come.
Hole re - Udit Narayan, Madhushree, Srinivas, Chinmayi and to our surprise Aamir
This is an ordinary song. Nothing great about this song. Only surprise in this song is Aamir lending his voice. He didn't sing and he has just recited some lines. I am yet to trace Chinmayi's voice in this song. May be with the picturisation, it may sound better. One has to wait for the movie.
Rasiya - Richa Sharma & Bonnie Chakraborty
Really a special song which opens in an unusual manner and Richa's voice is wonderful and it falls under the 'Item Number' song category and we have to see how the director has used this song in the movie. This song is picturised on Amisha Patel and Toby Stephen (Who acted in 'Die Another Day'). I really like this song. Very very unique indeed.
Takey Takey -- Sukhwinder Singh, Kailash Kher, Karthik Das Baul
A good fast number where a lot of children - including Rahman's two daughters Raheema and Khatija - have joined in the chorus. Kailesh and Karthik join in this rhythmic number but it is Sukhwinder all the way. This song deals with Friendship, Love and honesty. A good meaningful song which is sung with a punch by Singh.
Al Maddath Maula - A R Rahman, Kailash Kher, Kadir & Murtaza
Yes this is an another Islamic prayer song and another excellent performance from Rahman as a singer. And this is my favorite and Rahman getting better and better in composing some devotional numbers. The way he chants 'Maula' is scintillating and this song is another feather in ARR's cap. Easily the best song in the album.
Overall a great attempt by the music director and the lyricist. Their effort can be felt in each and every song and it will become more popular with the visuals as most of the songs are situational ones. Also for the first time Rahman has recorded all the song in his newly built studio 'Shafee Studio 5' which he considers as a better studio than his Panchatham Recording - which is considered as the best in Asia. A good album for the hindi music lovers.
A R Rahman - The 3rd Dimension Tour
Posted on July 4 2005
A R Rahman, acknowledged as 'Asian Mozart' by British media, is going to perform a series of Live Shows in several countries.
What is so special about these concerts?
This creative genius, who is said to have sold around 200-300 million cassetes in last 13 years - a figure that surpasses the collective sales of Madonna (130 million) and Britney (20 million), has come up with a new idea. This time around, all the audiences in the stadium will be given a 3D glass. Intent of this is to give a more intense and close up experience for the audiences who can watch their favourite musician from a very short distance.
All the money will be used for many good pupose by 'Udayam' and 'Charindaa'. Also Steve Waugh, who is very close to Udayam, will be attending one of the two concerts that is going to be held in Australia (One in Melbourne in 'Australian Open stadium' Rod Laver Arena and another in Sydney).
In additon to this, he is going to perform a special show in the mid of next month for 'Banyan' organisation in which Mani Ratnam and Kamal haasan will participate. Another good news is that he is going to perform a special show for 30 minutes in Karaikal for the children affected by Tsunami.
For more news click
http://www.arrahmanlive.com/index.htm
http://www.charindaa.org/
This is really a nice move from a nice man.
A R Rahman, acknowledged as 'Asian Mozart' by British media, is going to perform a series of Live Shows in several countries.
What is so special about these concerts?
This creative genius, who is said to have sold around 200-300 million cassetes in last 13 years - a figure that surpasses the collective sales of Madonna (130 million) and Britney (20 million), has come up with a new idea. This time around, all the audiences in the stadium will be given a 3D glass. Intent of this is to give a more intense and close up experience for the audiences who can watch their favourite musician from a very short distance.
All the money will be used for many good pupose by 'Udayam' and 'Charindaa'. Also Steve Waugh, who is very close to Udayam, will be attending one of the two concerts that is going to be held in Australia (One in Melbourne in 'Australian Open stadium' Rod Laver Arena and another in Sydney).
In additon to this, he is going to perform a special show in the mid of next month for 'Banyan' organisation in which Mani Ratnam and Kamal haasan will participate. Another good news is that he is going to perform a special show for 30 minutes in Karaikal for the children affected by Tsunami.
For more news click
http://www.arrahmanlive.com/index.htm
http://www.charindaa.org/
This is really a nice move from a nice man.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Rocker is back
It has been nearly a year without 'Isai Puyal' A R Rahman's album in Tamil. His last album is 'New' with S J Suriya, who is going through a crisis now after he had an unwanted row (in fact a scuffle with a lady officer) with the Censor board, and who can forget the Mother song in that album by Unni Krishnan. The same duo has returned with a - what to say - 'a sure hit' album. This album is full of different but peppy tunes and innovative sound arrangements which are created in 'Shafee Studio 5' - Rahman's new studio. This real trend setter has given 6 songs in this album and the most striking aspect of this album is the splendid orchestration with great sound effect.
1. Anbe Aaruyire - A R Rahman
I am not going to review this song as I am sure that this song is going to be the anthem for all youngsters for the next 6-12 months. Good work by the veteran lyricist Vaali. After listening to the lyric one feels that whether it has been written for the hero in this movie or for ARR as some of the rumormonger are saying that he is going to settle in London. A different kind of pun indeed. A pukka song for any good car stereo. Just enjoy this song while driving in ECR road.
2. Mayilirage - Naresh Iyer & Madhushree
This is a melody sung by the debutant Naresh Iyer and Sujatha Trevedi aka Madhushree. Naresh Iyer, picked by Rahman in a music contest where he finished runner up, has done a decent job. He belongs to 'Unni Krishnan-Harish Raghavendra' variety. Good tune with some fresh orchestration. Only minus point in this song is the pronunciation of Madhushree. Overall a beautiful melody. It would have become better with Chitra's or Sujatha's voice.
3. Varugiraai - Hariharan & Chitra
This is a song with some exotic composition. A different kind of pathos which can be realized only through lyrics and from female voice. Hariharan did a good complementary job to Chitra who is magnificent. Another important thing is the lyric of Vaali which conveys a good meaning. Very well written by the 'Flexible' lyricist. It will take some time for the music lovers to enjoy this song but this song will be remembered for long time.
4. Thigu Thigu - Sadhana Sargam & Blazee
Next two songs are typically of SJ Suriya's taste. Here you can see how flexible Vaali is. Last song has some amazing meaning while this one is little bit bawdy. We have to wait and see whether this song escapes from the scissors of censor board. A fare job from Sadhana and a crispy touch from blazze add beauty to this song. A mellifluous number with a different start that too the first 45 sec sounds as though we are hearing this in an old radio set with lot of disturbance.
5. Thazhuviudhu - SPB & Shreya Goshal
Unusual start to this song. We will start to wonder how SPB is able to churn out this kind of number with ease even after so many year. He is one of the best tenor in Indian Music history for sure. In my opinion Shreya Goshal, a find of Ismail Durbar, is the best North Indian to pronounce Tamil. She did a wonderful job mainly in the beginning of the song which is nothing short of tongue twister. Merging of SPB's voice with Shreya's voice at the end of the first interlude shows the skill of ARR. Listen this song in a good stereo system.
6. Maramkothiye - Shankar Mahadevan & Vasundra Das & Blazee & Shalini
This is a fast peppy number aimed at teenagers and Vasundra Das, as usual, does a neat job. Blazee has written and sung the rap portion in this song. An excellent techno number with some mischievous lyrics.
Overall Rahman, returning from hibernation, is back with a bang. A feast for your car stereo mainly that 'Thazhuviudu' song. A real variety after listening to the classy '1857 the Rising'. A good commercial album with some innovative orchestrations and modern sounds. Surely you won't be disappointed. Best among the latest audio releases (as far as I know).
Final Say : Master of modern melody is back. You can feel it from the first listen itself. It is better for the pretenders to make way for the Asian Mozart.
Time to listen : When going for a long drive in a car equipped with good stereo.
PS: Originally posted in my company's intranet blog.
1. Anbe Aaruyire - A R Rahman
I am not going to review this song as I am sure that this song is going to be the anthem for all youngsters for the next 6-12 months. Good work by the veteran lyricist Vaali. After listening to the lyric one feels that whether it has been written for the hero in this movie or for ARR as some of the rumormonger are saying that he is going to settle in London. A different kind of pun indeed. A pukka song for any good car stereo. Just enjoy this song while driving in ECR road.
2. Mayilirage - Naresh Iyer & Madhushree
This is a melody sung by the debutant Naresh Iyer and Sujatha Trevedi aka Madhushree. Naresh Iyer, picked by Rahman in a music contest where he finished runner up, has done a decent job. He belongs to 'Unni Krishnan-Harish Raghavendra' variety. Good tune with some fresh orchestration. Only minus point in this song is the pronunciation of Madhushree. Overall a beautiful melody. It would have become better with Chitra's or Sujatha's voice.
3. Varugiraai - Hariharan & Chitra
This is a song with some exotic composition. A different kind of pathos which can be realized only through lyrics and from female voice. Hariharan did a good complementary job to Chitra who is magnificent. Another important thing is the lyric of Vaali which conveys a good meaning. Very well written by the 'Flexible' lyricist. It will take some time for the music lovers to enjoy this song but this song will be remembered for long time.
4. Thigu Thigu - Sadhana Sargam & Blazee
Next two songs are typically of SJ Suriya's taste. Here you can see how flexible Vaali is. Last song has some amazing meaning while this one is little bit bawdy. We have to wait and see whether this song escapes from the scissors of censor board. A fare job from Sadhana and a crispy touch from blazze add beauty to this song. A mellifluous number with a different start that too the first 45 sec sounds as though we are hearing this in an old radio set with lot of disturbance.
5. Thazhuviudhu - SPB & Shreya Goshal
Unusual start to this song. We will start to wonder how SPB is able to churn out this kind of number with ease even after so many year. He is one of the best tenor in Indian Music history for sure. In my opinion Shreya Goshal, a find of Ismail Durbar, is the best North Indian to pronounce Tamil. She did a wonderful job mainly in the beginning of the song which is nothing short of tongue twister. Merging of SPB's voice with Shreya's voice at the end of the first interlude shows the skill of ARR. Listen this song in a good stereo system.
6. Maramkothiye - Shankar Mahadevan & Vasundra Das & Blazee & Shalini
This is a fast peppy number aimed at teenagers and Vasundra Das, as usual, does a neat job. Blazee has written and sung the rap portion in this song. An excellent techno number with some mischievous lyrics.
Overall Rahman, returning from hibernation, is back with a bang. A feast for your car stereo mainly that 'Thazhuviudu' song. A real variety after listening to the classy '1857 the Rising'. A good commercial album with some innovative orchestrations and modern sounds. Surely you won't be disappointed. Best among the latest audio releases (as far as I know).
Final Say : Master of modern melody is back. You can feel it from the first listen itself. It is better for the pretenders to make way for the Asian Mozart.
Time to listen : When going for a long drive in a car equipped with good stereo.
PS: Originally posted in my company's intranet blog.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Mesmirising Music
Just listening to 'Newyork Nagaram' (around 1000th time) from 'Sillunnu Oru Kaadhal'. A Mellifluous song which gives a 'Savage Garden' feel. Good use of guitar (Nowadays ARR is obsessed with guitar. 'Roo ba Roo', Lukha Chuppi and now Newyork Nagaram). Cute lyrics by veteran Vaali and very well sung by ARR (getting better, with every movie, as a singer). 3 more songs are good. Overall a decent album.
Friday, January 05, 2007
Bose - The Forgotten Hero Music Review
Bose-the forgotten hero, as the name suggests this movie is about Netaji’s life, involves three great film personalities Shyam Benegal, A R Rahman and Javed Akthar. In my opinion two freedom fighters who were very electrifying in there approach towards struggle for freedom were Bhagat Singh and Netaji. Movies on these two personalities have a great chance on creating an impact on the current generation (I feel the approach used by other ‘ahimsa’ greats are little bit impractical now and I don’t think we have that kind of mentality). Two-year back, Music of Legend of Bhagat Singh (LOBS), scored by ARR, directed by Rajkumar Santhoshi and lyric by Sameer, was acclaimed critically and ARR got a very good name from the people of Punjab. For his excellent performance as Bhagat Singh, Ajay Devagan received national award for that year. ARR got filmfare award for his music.
After Roja, Bombay, Vandemataram, 1947 Earth, Lagaan, Swades, LOBS (wait for Aamir Khan’s ‘The Rising’), ARR is the unanimous choice of all great directors when it comes to score for patriotic movies and period movies. A great musician will score for all situations and for all people. They don’t split the people as classes and masses. They give high quality music in a lucid and very understandable form so that even a layman can understand his score. This has been proved by our own KVM, MSV, Raja, R D Burman, Shankar Jaikishan and now by ARR. Now let us what is in store for us from ARR in this album?
This album has 7 songs and 13-theme music.
Aazadi sung by ARR, Western Choir Chennai. Genre: Patriotic Song.
Well sung by ARR. ‘Jaya he’ sung by the choir in the BG adds richness to the song. Brings a good patriotic feel. Depicts the feeling of the people who struggled for the freedom. Has the potential to be the next ‘vandemataram’.
Kadam Kadam sung by Vijay Prakash, Mumbai Film Choir. Genre: March Fast song.
This was the theme song of INA, which portrays their desire to free India from British. The original version of this song itself will be very energetic. ARR as infused some brilliant percussion that elevates this song to next level. One of the best songs in the album.
Ekla Chalo sung by Sonu Nigam, Nachiketa Chakraborty. Genre: Soft Patriotic song.
Song starts with Bengali lyrics by Chakraborty (Ekla Chalo means walk alone. Got this from my Bengali friend) and then Sonu Nigam took charge in Hindi. Very very soothing. A song that grows on you.
Hum Dilli Dilli Jayenge sung by Mumbai Film Choir. Genre: March Fast song.
Another good song. This song shows the INA army men’s belief in Subhash and the importance to protect Delhi.
Desk Ki Mitti sung by Sonu Nigam, Anuradha Sriram Genre: Soft Patriotic song.
I feel this song will be featuring on Netaji. He explains his love towards his motherland. Well sung by Sonu Nigam and is one of the best melody in the last 2 to 3 yrs.
Zikr sung by ARR, Rafi, Rakeeb, Shaukar Ali. Genre: Muslim Prayer.
Just vintage Rahman not just as a composer but also as singer. This is the best song in the album. First it was 'Piya haji ali' in Fiza, next it was 'Noor-Un-Ala-Noor' in Meenaxi and now it is 'Zikr'. Full of energy. Sung with lot of spirituality and vibrant. Hats off to ARR.
Ghoomparani sung by Sapna, Satyanarayan. Genre: Lullaby.
A soft melody sung well by the new singers. Has been composed for the situation and it will grow on you after the release of the film.
Then we have as much as 13 theme music. All have been scored to suit the screenplay.
· Durga Pooja (which is inevitable if the film as Bengal as back drop),
· Theme music on Netaji appears in two different versions,
· Afghanistan Theme music (Best in the theme music category),
· Theme music on Hitler appears twice (Netaji tried to get help from Hitler. But Hitler refuses to help him. Got this from a Shyam Benegal’s interview),
· Two different Emilie (his lady love) themes,
· 2nd song and 5th song appears as an instrumental,
· Two war theme music,
· Finally, the album ends with our national anthem as an instrumental. We can’t and should not review our national anthem.
A R Rahman has tried to bring the Hollywood culture of scoring lot of theme music for a movie and we have to wait whether that culture will work in Indian cinema. He has justified his selection for this prestigious project with some scintillating songs and innovative theme music. In my opinion it is one of the best album from ARR and people who can understand Hindi will enjoy it more. I am yet to see a negative review from any renowned sites.
Pros: ARR Music, Javed Saab’s Hindi lyrics and Sonu Nigam.
Cons: I am yet to find one.
Time to listen: Not with your friends. Listen when you are alone in your house. Better to play in a good stereo system or listen through good headphones.
Final Say: A must buy for ARR fans and Hindi music lovers.
After Roja, Bombay, Vandemataram, 1947 Earth, Lagaan, Swades, LOBS (wait for Aamir Khan’s ‘The Rising’), ARR is the unanimous choice of all great directors when it comes to score for patriotic movies and period movies. A great musician will score for all situations and for all people. They don’t split the people as classes and masses. They give high quality music in a lucid and very understandable form so that even a layman can understand his score. This has been proved by our own KVM, MSV, Raja, R D Burman, Shankar Jaikishan and now by ARR. Now let us what is in store for us from ARR in this album?
This album has 7 songs and 13-theme music.
Aazadi sung by ARR, Western Choir Chennai. Genre: Patriotic Song.
Well sung by ARR. ‘Jaya he’ sung by the choir in the BG adds richness to the song. Brings a good patriotic feel. Depicts the feeling of the people who struggled for the freedom. Has the potential to be the next ‘vandemataram’.
Kadam Kadam sung by Vijay Prakash, Mumbai Film Choir. Genre: March Fast song.
This was the theme song of INA, which portrays their desire to free India from British. The original version of this song itself will be very energetic. ARR as infused some brilliant percussion that elevates this song to next level. One of the best songs in the album.
Ekla Chalo sung by Sonu Nigam, Nachiketa Chakraborty. Genre: Soft Patriotic song.
Song starts with Bengali lyrics by Chakraborty (Ekla Chalo means walk alone. Got this from my Bengali friend) and then Sonu Nigam took charge in Hindi. Very very soothing. A song that grows on you.
Hum Dilli Dilli Jayenge sung by Mumbai Film Choir. Genre: March Fast song.
Another good song. This song shows the INA army men’s belief in Subhash and the importance to protect Delhi.
Desk Ki Mitti sung by Sonu Nigam, Anuradha Sriram Genre: Soft Patriotic song.
I feel this song will be featuring on Netaji. He explains his love towards his motherland. Well sung by Sonu Nigam and is one of the best melody in the last 2 to 3 yrs.
Zikr sung by ARR, Rafi, Rakeeb, Shaukar Ali. Genre: Muslim Prayer.
Just vintage Rahman not just as a composer but also as singer. This is the best song in the album. First it was 'Piya haji ali' in Fiza, next it was 'Noor-Un-Ala-Noor' in Meenaxi and now it is 'Zikr'. Full of energy. Sung with lot of spirituality and vibrant. Hats off to ARR.
Ghoomparani sung by Sapna, Satyanarayan. Genre: Lullaby.
A soft melody sung well by the new singers. Has been composed for the situation and it will grow on you after the release of the film.
Then we have as much as 13 theme music. All have been scored to suit the screenplay.
· Durga Pooja (which is inevitable if the film as Bengal as back drop),
· Theme music on Netaji appears in two different versions,
· Afghanistan Theme music (Best in the theme music category),
· Theme music on Hitler appears twice (Netaji tried to get help from Hitler. But Hitler refuses to help him. Got this from a Shyam Benegal’s interview),
· Two different Emilie (his lady love) themes,
· 2nd song and 5th song appears as an instrumental,
· Two war theme music,
· Finally, the album ends with our national anthem as an instrumental. We can’t and should not review our national anthem.
A R Rahman has tried to bring the Hollywood culture of scoring lot of theme music for a movie and we have to wait whether that culture will work in Indian cinema. He has justified his selection for this prestigious project with some scintillating songs and innovative theme music. In my opinion it is one of the best album from ARR and people who can understand Hindi will enjoy it more. I am yet to see a negative review from any renowned sites.
Pros: ARR Music, Javed Saab’s Hindi lyrics and Sonu Nigam.
Cons: I am yet to find one.
Time to listen: Not with your friends. Listen when you are alone in your house. Better to play in a good stereo system or listen through good headphones.
Final Say: A must buy for ARR fans and Hindi music lovers.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Rang De Basanti - A Movie Review
'This movie is one of the very best in the recent times' - this is my opinion. In this review I am not going to reveal anything about the story or how the director has executed the scenes. This blog is just for showering word of eulogy on the wonderful crew which has given one of the best movies in recent times.
First good thing about this movie is that this is a director's movie and not the actor's movie. This movie doesn't have high decibel villain or aye aye hero. Still it manages to enthrall the audiences in big way. Something that directors like Ramana and Perarasu has to learn. This movie is classical, at the same time an entertaining one.
I will review in the descending order of their performances.
Dialogue writer and Lyricist : Prasoon Joshi. He is impecabble in this movie. Both his lyrics and dialogues are beyond words. Just for his performance itself, one can watch this movie. Whatever you get from other crew members are just bonus. If you can understand Hindi, you will surely enjoy his work. To me, he sets up the tone for this movie.
Director : Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. After seeing this movie, everyone will start to respect this man. Today, most of the directors largely believe in one wrong philosophy about direction. Direction = Great Camera work + Fast Editing + Catchy Music. But it is not the case. These misguided directors can learn a lot from this man who looks to be a good prospect. Infact the story is simple which we can predict easily. But he took the movie to the next level with his direction. Hats off to him
Actors and Actress : Aamir, Madavan, Siddharth, Kunal Kapoor, Sharman Joshi, Atul Kulkarni, Soha Ali Khan, Alice Patten, Waheeda Rahman. Every one in this movie has done a neat job. Aamir, infact is more a supporting role than an out and out hero. For that itself we have to applaud Aamir's guts and non egoist nature for letting others act. He, as an actor, did a wonderful job and came out with full marks as usual. Siddharth is the surprise package in this movie. He can be considered as the hero of this movie. He is very convincing and we wonder whether the same Siddharth acted in the film 'Boys'. Sharman Joshi, depicted like a MTVish boy, is the one who makes the audiences laugh and he is very very lively. Kunal Kapoor and Atul Kulkarni showed immense maturity in acting. Madavan, as guest appearance, did his job very well. Soha Ali khan, as Madavan's romance, is perfect in each and every expressions. Alice Patten, the foreigner, is comfortable with the Hindi pronunciation as well the screen presence. For a change, in Indian Film industry, both of the two young women have acted and didn't do anything silly or unnecessary. Waheeda Rahman, as Madavan's mother has nothing to do other than crying for her son. Every actor has delivered the dialogue with panache and style. This requires a special mention.
Music : A R Rahman. I have to feel sorry for my favorite A R Rahman. Inspite of giving some good music for both songs and BGM, which are very catch and situational, his effort is over shaded by the director, lyricist and by the actors which is a 'blessing in disguise' kind of thing. All his songs are very meaningful, thanks to Prasoon Joshi and BGMs enhances the scene very well. My favorite song is 'Rooba Roo', Title number and Patashala. Infact he got more applause than Aamir when his name appeared on the screen. People really recognize him and his music very well.
Camera work and Editing are brilliant, mainly in the second half. Kamalesh Pandey takes care of Story and Screenplay which is simple and flawless. Finally we have thank UTV and Ronnie Screwvala for producing this majestic movie.
Minus : First you have to wear a powerful microscopic specs to find an hole in this movie. There are two minus points in this movie and both of them we are minuscule. One the first half is little bit slow and in two places the BGMs were little bit loud. Other than these two, I can't find one.
Final Say : Great movie which is not going to leave the theaters and audiences without trace. Surely going to knock the door for many awards for dialogues, direction, performances, music and several others. 'Rang De Basanti' meaning we want to be colorful that is we want to achieve something special - this is the definition given by the director in an interview to NDTV and he has achieved that with the help of a talented crew. At the same time, how he is going to cope up with the pressure, infact expectation, when he releases the next movie. An Himalayan Task
The Hindu say 'It can't get better than this.' I completely agree with this.
First good thing about this movie is that this is a director's movie and not the actor's movie. This movie doesn't have high decibel villain or aye aye hero. Still it manages to enthrall the audiences in big way. Something that directors like Ramana and Perarasu has to learn. This movie is classical, at the same time an entertaining one.
I will review in the descending order of their performances.
Dialogue writer and Lyricist : Prasoon Joshi. He is impecabble in this movie. Both his lyrics and dialogues are beyond words. Just for his performance itself, one can watch this movie. Whatever you get from other crew members are just bonus. If you can understand Hindi, you will surely enjoy his work. To me, he sets up the tone for this movie.
Director : Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. After seeing this movie, everyone will start to respect this man. Today, most of the directors largely believe in one wrong philosophy about direction. Direction = Great Camera work + Fast Editing + Catchy Music. But it is not the case. These misguided directors can learn a lot from this man who looks to be a good prospect. Infact the story is simple which we can predict easily. But he took the movie to the next level with his direction. Hats off to him
Actors and Actress : Aamir, Madavan, Siddharth, Kunal Kapoor, Sharman Joshi, Atul Kulkarni, Soha Ali Khan, Alice Patten, Waheeda Rahman. Every one in this movie has done a neat job. Aamir, infact is more a supporting role than an out and out hero. For that itself we have to applaud Aamir's guts and non egoist nature for letting others act. He, as an actor, did a wonderful job and came out with full marks as usual. Siddharth is the surprise package in this movie. He can be considered as the hero of this movie. He is very convincing and we wonder whether the same Siddharth acted in the film 'Boys'. Sharman Joshi, depicted like a MTVish boy, is the one who makes the audiences laugh and he is very very lively. Kunal Kapoor and Atul Kulkarni showed immense maturity in acting. Madavan, as guest appearance, did his job very well. Soha Ali khan, as Madavan's romance, is perfect in each and every expressions. Alice Patten, the foreigner, is comfortable with the Hindi pronunciation as well the screen presence. For a change, in Indian Film industry, both of the two young women have acted and didn't do anything silly or unnecessary. Waheeda Rahman, as Madavan's mother has nothing to do other than crying for her son. Every actor has delivered the dialogue with panache and style. This requires a special mention.
Music : A R Rahman. I have to feel sorry for my favorite A R Rahman. Inspite of giving some good music for both songs and BGM, which are very catch and situational, his effort is over shaded by the director, lyricist and by the actors which is a 'blessing in disguise' kind of thing. All his songs are very meaningful, thanks to Prasoon Joshi and BGMs enhances the scene very well. My favorite song is 'Rooba Roo', Title number and Patashala. Infact he got more applause than Aamir when his name appeared on the screen. People really recognize him and his music very well.
Camera work and Editing are brilliant, mainly in the second half. Kamalesh Pandey takes care of Story and Screenplay which is simple and flawless. Finally we have thank UTV and Ronnie Screwvala for producing this majestic movie.
Minus : First you have to wear a powerful microscopic specs to find an hole in this movie. There are two minus points in this movie and both of them we are minuscule. One the first half is little bit slow and in two places the BGMs were little bit loud. Other than these two, I can't find one.
Final Say : Great movie which is not going to leave the theaters and audiences without trace. Surely going to knock the door for many awards for dialogues, direction, performances, music and several others. 'Rang De Basanti' meaning we want to be colorful that is we want to achieve something special - this is the definition given by the director in an interview to NDTV and he has achieved that with the help of a talented crew. At the same time, how he is going to cope up with the pressure, infact expectation, when he releases the next movie. An Himalayan Task
The Hindu say 'It can't get better than this.' I completely agree with this.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Guru Music Review
Album from Mani-Rahman combo will definitely stir up music lovers. This one is no exception from that. In one line 'This album is very good which will become great once the movie is released'. This has good lyrics, variety in tunes and different orchestration and most importantly life and feel in them. A special kudos to Gulzar for begetting these kind of lyrics especially for the song 'Jaage hain'. With the media sniffling the story line as Dhirubai Ambani's life, combined with this kind of meaningful songs, certainly the curiosity of the movie goers will be snowballed.
1. Barso Re – Shreya Ghoshal & Uday Mazumdar
Rain song. Will be picturised on Aishwarya Rai. Good catchy song sung very well by the 'always improving' Shreya. I can guaranteedly say that she has given here second hit with Rahman after 'Munbe Vaa' from SOL.
2. Tere Bina – AR Rahman, Chinmayee, Additional Voices – Murtaza, Qadir
Sufi based qawaali song. Best song in the album. Also the theme song of the movie. Nowadays Rahman surprises his fans through his voice regularly. He is improving a lot with every song. Good thing about his voice is that he is able emote very well when he sings. He also picks the correct song which will suit his voice. Days are not far away for the award jury to realize his voice potential.
3. Ek Lo Ek Muft – Bappi Lahiri, Chitra Additional Voices – Tanvi, Saloni, Boney, Jaidev
A peppy 'Bhang' song. A situational number by Bappi Lahiri. Mischievous lyrics by Gulzar. Immediately one can imagine a young Amithab dancing to this song. Let us see whether Small B is able to fill in Amithab's shoes and recreate the Bhang magic of his father???
4. Baazi Laga – Udit Narayan, Madhushree, Swetha, Bhargavee Additional Programming – Pravin Mani
In my opinion this is a weak link in the album. Has a strong 1980's hindi song flavor in it. But the story of the movie spans across decades (1950s to 1990s). So we need to ration our word till the movie is release. Mani, able director, 'could have asked/can use this as' a situational number.
5. Mayya – Maryem Toller, Chinmayee, Keerthi Programming & Additional Arrangements Ranjit Barot
Hip hop song for Mallika Sherawat. This is a Middle East song genre. Very peppy indeed. If properly picturized, it will become another 'Humma Humma' or another 'Hello Mister Ehtirkatchey'.
6. Ey Hairathe – Hariharan, Alka Yagnik Additional Voices – AR Rahman, Aslam Mohammed
A Ghazal song sung by the Ghazal king Hariharan. Initially it starts in the same way as 'Poong kodiyin punnagai' from Iruvar. May be because of the usage of Accordion. Very soothing song. Alka Yagnik adds more melody to Hariharan's. Additional Voice by AR Rahman needs a special mention.
7. Jaage Hain – Chitra , AR Rahman and Madras Choral Group
A motivating song. This song has four heroes. First Gulzar for his lyrics. He must be ready with a well ironed Sherwani to receive a lot of accolades from many award panel including the prestigious national award jury. Next is A R Rahman as a singer and Chitra for a wonderful rendition of the song. Then the musician Rahman for the arrangement. I feel this song is going to be the heart of the movie just like Bombay theme music..
Certainly worth a wait. In the making of a great album.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)