Khoya Khoya Chand

Director: Sudhir Mishra
Producer: Prakash Jha
Music Director: Shantanu Moitra
Lyrics: Swanand Kirkire
Starring: Shiney Ahuja, Soha Ali Khan, Rajat Kapoor
Music Label: Big Music

The official website of Sudhir Mishra’s latest offering starring Soha Ali Khan and Shiney Ahuja and Rajat Kapoor describes the film as a tumultuous love story of an actress and writer-director based in the wild and exhilarating era of the 1950’s-60’s, the Golden age of the Hindi film industry and also states that the film is a tribute to those wondrous times and people as well as an accolade to their inspirational lives.  It was the golden age for Hindi film music too and the music of Khoya Khoya chand would therefore have to encompass the retro and fifties experience and take you back in time to the elegant and evergreen melodies that OPN, SJ, SDB, Salil, Roshan, Jaidev amongst others crafted.  This not so easy task has been ably shouldered by Shantanu Moitra, and there is a strong influence of these veteran composers in almost every song in this film. For those listeners who have a special place in their hearts for or grew up with the golden oldies, the music of this film might just provide a nostalgic walk down memory lane…………

Shantanu Moitra, Swanand Kirkire and director Sudhir Mishra are back together after their earlier Hazaron Khwahishen and the composer lyricist duo also have also given us some very remarkable music in Parineeta, Lage Raho Munnabhai, Laaga Chunri mein daag and Ekalavya.   Moitra has won a number of awards in advertising and films.  

Khoya Khoya Chand is the title track which is also in parts a modern qawali and subsequently has a marching song effect –a quaint mix of the traditional and the modern in both the song and the arrangement.  Sung with fervour by Swanand Kirkire (who is a graduate from the National School of Drama and is a writer, lyricist, singer and actor) and Ajay Jhigran, the song has a quirky appeal. ***

Ye nigahen hai:  Aah – plagiarism or should I say inspiration?  Shantanu strikes again after Parineeta (Kaisi hai Paheli) and Lage Raho Munnabhai (Pal Pal Pal) – and in a recent interview he prefers to label them as influences. This song’s intro and refrain are a straight lift from Bobby Helm’s Jingle Bell rock (released in 1957) -one of the most captivating and foot tapping Christmas songs ever composed.  They say imitation is the best form of flattery and in this case, ye nigahen hai turns out to be breezily entertaining thanks to Antara Chowdhury (daughter of Salil Chowdhury) and Sonu Nigam giving it their best. ***½

Chale aao saiyan is indeed a heavenly number – Shreya Ghoshal is amazing as she so maturely handles the varying moods of love, passion, jealousy and possessiveness in this semi-classical number which employs the thumri style.  The tabla and sarangi work are of high quality and the song is definitely one of the most charming compositions in recent times. This song got me going for the rewind button again and again!   *****

If you can put aside the fact that Khusboo sa sounds like an amalgam of a number of older songs –Intaha ho gayi from Sharaabi and Ye hain reshmi from Mere Sanam to name a few - the song may be considered a tribute to the oldies in a haphazard sort of way and is undoubtedly pleasant enough to listen to, thanks largely to the extremely sensuous, seductive and expressively heady vocals of talented young singer Hamsika Iyer (who sang Chanda re in Ekalavya).  The very effectual brass and strings and percussions arrangements give it an authentic fifties and big band feel.   ***½

Oh re paakhi is very Guru Dutt/SD Burmenesque in its genre and arrangement and is reminiscent of the style of the Rafi classics from Dutt’s Pyasa (Ye duniya and Ye hanste hue phool) and Kaagaz ki phool (dekhi zamani).  Sonu Nigam’s vocals whisper and plead and then soar to heights as he takes you through the emotional journey of the itinerant heart as it seeks to find solace and calm.  ***

Pranav Biswas creates the mood with his soft alaap in the song Sakhi Piya and then Shreya comes in with her lilting swaras and sets the pace for this melodious unhurried duet – a dreamy song that plays with your heart strings.  Just close your eyes and let your ears and soul imbibe the sweetness of the lyrics and the svelte tones of the vocalists –a song that is purely for listening pleasure.  There are some simple and elegant string arrangements that complement the song so well.  ****½

The opening drums sequence of Thirak Thirak, immediately bring to mind Burmanda’s Hothon me aisi baat from Jewel thief – a song that was immortalized by the amazing percussion arrangements in the opening and finale and of course Lata’s inimitable vocals.  However, the similarity ends there as the song then seeks to follow the path of the lovable and capricious OPN/Rafi/Geeta duets as Sonu and Shreya recreate the magic of the good old days in this song which has a rhythm that is both varying and spontaneous and tune and lyrics that are both charming and whimsical. *** ½

It remains to be seen if the music of Khoya Khoya Chand will have any lasting effect - but in all honesty, the album is a pleasant enough experience and some of the songs have great potential and the quality of orchestra and vocals are of a high standard. It is an album with a feel good effect and definitely worth acquiring and relaxing with, notwithstanding the heavy borrowing from some well known Indian and Western oldies.  With the penchant of many new music directors including Moitra to borrow or plagiarise western or world music, there must also be willingness on their part to acknowledge and give credit where it is due.  

* - Forgettable
** - Average
*** - Fair
**** - Good
***** - Excellent

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