Saawariya

Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Producer: Sanjay Leela Bhansali & SPE Films India Pvt. Ltd.
Music: Monty and Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Lyrics: Sameer and Nusrat Badar
Actors: Ranbir Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Salman Khan and Rani Mukherjee
Music on: Sony BMG Music

Much is being said in Bollywood circles about the clash between Om Shanti Om and Saawariya – with both films being promoted and marketed aggressively with grand audio releases, promos, merchandising and reality shows and also slated for a grand Diwali worldwide release.  The official website states that this is the first time an Indian film is being made by a Hollywood Studio (in India) and being released simultaneously across the world.  Bhansali’s newest offering is a passionate romance flooded with extravagant sets, magnificent costumes, and lots and lots of music…and also launches Monty Sharma as full time music director as also Ranbir Kapoor (son of Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh) and Sonam Kapoor (daughter of Anil Kapoor) as hero and heroine.  

After playing the keyboard for many music directors and arranging music for a couple of songs in Hum Dil de chuke sanam (the title track and Nimbuda), and background score for Devdas (as also the theme music) and Black, Monty Sharma has graduated to full time music director for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya.  For Black, Monty won the Screen, Filmfare and Zee awards for best background score.

Monty in many interviews acknowledges the role his grandfather Pandit Ram Prasad Sharma, and uncle Pyarelalji (of Laxmikant-Pyarelal fame) played in shaping his music and also in inspiring him not to employ artificial forms of music or samplers as seems to be the drift nowadays.   In Saawariya, Monty employs almost symphonic and really lavish and opulent arrangements and elaborate choral support – very effective in a romance filled narration!

Saawariya, the title track introduces new singer Shail Hada, who shows tremendous promise and is bound to go places.  The song is an attractive and engaging melody and will have tremendous appeal to the younger listener though personally for me it was suggestive of a number of recent songs that are being churned out in the soft rock genre.  There is also a reprise version of this song as is now the trend in many recent hindi films.  

Jabse tere naina starts off with promise and then drifts at random between ballad and dance genre contending with bhangra and folk beats but peppered with a few nice touches here and there. It is again a typical SLB melody that grows on you on repeated listen! Shaan sounds a little nasal as he sings of the magic that her eyes have cast at first glance.

Masha allah – a soft melody with magical lyrics that describe the woman’s perfection and beauty and superbly rendered by Kunal and accompanied by Shreya as she invokes passion and devotion with her haunting refrain of Allah….. in the background. 

Thode Badmash – definitely my favourite song from the album. SLB wields the baton of composer for this song with lyrics by Nusrat Badar (who wrote some wonderful lyrics for Devdas).  This is a song that inspires repeated hearing with a simple and melodious tune, yet abounding with rich classical nuances so reminiscent of compositions by Roshan, Madan Mohan, S.D.Burman, etc.  

Yoon Shabnami – There is something in this song that rescues it from the mediocrity that it could have slipped into.  Maybe newcomer Parthiv Gohil’s poignant rendition and the varying moods of the song with a touch of qawali, folk and soft rock make it a number worth repeated listening……….

Daras Bina - as soon as you hear Richa Sharma’s opening refrain – you know this song has some promise and surely enough you are not disappointed! The song has a rich classical feel with sentiment drenched lyrics as the singer laments Nahi chain re daras bina nahi chain……Saiyyaan – this short melody is interspersed with swaras and alaaps and is aided by Parthiv Gohiil, Shail Hada and a rich chorus support

Sawar Gayi –Shreya Ghoshal oozes love and despair as she weaves a garland of emotions through this short and melancholic ditty.

Jaan-e-Jaan sung by Kunal Ganjawala and Shreya, has the lovers crooning to each other the depth of their love– a standard SLB ballad – which finds a place in all his films.  Good piano and strings work and expressive singing – an almost operatic feel to the song – both singers put their heart and soul into the rendition.

Pari by Kunal Ganjawala is yet another ballad with a predictable line up of notes and rhythm and does not really make any waves and despite the elaborate music arrangements and Kunal’s best efforts, the song could be rated as average!

Chabeela – a very late seventies/eighties type of song.  The arrangements are interesting and could have very easily been the vivacious number of the album –however, Alka Yagnik just plods through the song sounding bored and indifferent!

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