Raavan music review

EXPECTATIONS
Expectations? Now either one can come up with 50 statements detailing the expectations that one has from the music of this film which brings together Mani Rathnam, A.R. Rahman, Gulzar, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan. Or instead, one can just state that it would be nothing less than sacrilege for this team to present listeners with something which is less than being excellent. The choice, it at all there ever was, is non-existent. So without much ado, let's play on one of the most anticipated albums of the year and check out what this elite team has to offer.

MUSIC
It's a folksy-tribal beginning to 'Beera Beera' which appears to be the introduction song of the character played by Abhishek Bachchan Raavan. In a routine scenario a song belonging to this genre would have immediately fallen into Sukhwinder Singh's lap. However, expect Rahman to do something different in each of his outings as he instead ropes in Kirti Sagathia and Vijay Prakash to come up with a cracker of a song which is a chartbuster in the first 60 seconds itself. Whether it's the lyrics, a massive orchestra, vociferous rendition by both the singers, or the overall spirit that 'Beera' carries, there is no looking back once one moves ahead in the album after this quick 3 minutes outing.

What follows next is relatively subtle, in fact almost oriental in appeal, as a beautiful amalgamation of different sounds come together to make 'Behene De'. Once Karthik comes on scene behind the mike, it is crystal clear that 'Behene De' has a trademark A.R. Rahman stamp all over it. The song sees many variations when it comes to its flow right through its six minutes duration as Karthik sings for a character which has a desire to break free and live life on its own terms. Situational, yet the kind of song which should make a very good impression on screen.

However, for those who were looking at yet another catchy number, there is 'Thok De Killi' which instantly reminds one of the spirited encounter that listeners had in Yuva. Sukhwinder Singh puts all stops as he brings in his characteristic singing style that differentiates him from the rest. Watch out for Gulzar's lyrics here, they are truly different and something that one has never heard before in a Hindi film parlance. Rahman too just lets himself loose in making this number orchestra heavy and ensures that audience would be glued to screen once this fast paced song plays in all its fervour.

Just when one had thought that this team had reached its peak with 'Thok De Killi' comes 'Ranjha Ranjha'. A number which is not just the best in the album (or even the best of the month), 'Ranjha Ranjha' will clearly stand out as one of the best that 2010 had to offer this year. Clearly, even Subhash Ghai would be proud of this song which reminds one of many a terrific song that his Taal has boasted of years back. This song by the trio of Rekha Bhardwaj, Javed Ali and Anuradha Sriram is a killer to say the least and has all in it to reach the top of the charts within a fortnight of the release. With a folksy base to it, 'Ranjha Ranjha' is energetic, sensual and exciting.

Reena Bhardwaj, who has sung primarily with Rahman during her limited singing career so far, is sweetness personified in 'Khilli Re' where she gets an opportunity to go solo. Presumably picturised on Aishwarya Rai, the genre of the song may limit its popularity due to its situational appeal but isn't a bad fit at all in the album. A poetic track which yet again clearly belongs to Rahman's background, 'Khilli Re' is almost devotional in appeal and is extremely soothing in appeal, hence creating a good balance in the album.

The ending of the album is vociferous though with a grand chorus coming together to sing 'Kata Kata'. A song which is about a man getting married and a bunch of friends teasing him on his last night of bachelorhood, 'Kata Kata' sees Ila Arun, Sapna Awasthi and Kunal Ganjawala coming together. In a way, the song is an antithesis of Rahman's first big hit, 'Rukmani Rukmani' [Roja] which was about an interaction amongst friends post the first night. A good situational track which should find good prominence coming its way if the film succeeds at the box office.

OVERALL
Raavan delivers as expected. Now that's a good sign in itself since to begin with, the expectations were huge in any case. There are number of gems in the album, most notably being 'Ranjha Ranjha', 'Beera Beera' and 'Thok De Killi'. Go for it, this one is not to be missed as it has Rahman coming up with one of his best soundtracks in recent times.

OUR PICK(S)
'Ranjha Ranjha', 'Beera Beera', and 'Thok De Killi'