The creative team of Vishal Bharadwaj and Gulzar are back after Kaminey and Omkara with another unusual film Ishqiya.

The film stars such heavyweights as Naseeruddin Shah supported by Arshad Warsi and Vidya Balan in a very unusual role.

The soundtrack is very thematic as one might expect from Vishal Bharadwaj (who is quite a powerhouse of talent; producer, director, music director, singer, what else?).

 The album starts with “ Dil to Bachcha Hai”, a song about love that strikes at a mature age and makes the heart young again. This song sounds deceptively simple, with minimum percussion and a harmonium or accordion accompaniment. As the song unfurls, the lyrics take a life of their own and combined with the voice of the phenomenal Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in a different avatar makes this song one of the best songs I have ever heard.

“ Aisi Uljhi nazar unse hat-thi nahin, daanth se reshmi dor kat-thi nahin, Dil to bachcha hai ji. A fantastic number, I am sure you all with agree.

 The next song is “ Ibn-e-Batuta” sung with verve by Sukhvinder Singh and Mika. The song is upbeat and fast-paced. Mika does a fantastic job, Sukhvinder sounds a bit strained. Overall this is an average song.

 Now onto Rekha Bharadwaj, Vishal’s wife. She is a classically trained singer who came to the limelight after “ Namak Ishq ka” in Omkara. She performs 2 songs in this album.

 â€œ Ab mujhe koi” is a lovely ghazal with a contemporary melody. Rekha lovingly caresses each note with her unique smoky voice and makes the listener enjoy the song and its depths with panache. The song is a total stress-buster!

 She follows this with a classical number “ Badi dheere Jali” based on Raag Lalit. This is another beautiful number and shows her prowess and the emotional depth of her voice. The lyrics entice the listener (Palkon pe sapnon ki agni utaye, badi dheere jail, dhuan dhuan naina).

Watch out folks, Rekha Bharadwaj has arrived!

 There are the obligatory remixes that add no additional value. This is a great album with a creative mix of compositions, great lyrics enhanced by the lovely voices of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Rekha Bharadwaj. Do buy this album, you will not regret it!

----------------------------------------------------------

Hear Meena Sundaram and Mohan Subramaniam on March 27th evening at the Bedford High School with musical melodies of old Hindi songs and the latest ones. The event titled ' Lex Spring Dhamaka' is organized by the Indian Americans of Lexington or IAL.

For more info visit www.indianamericansof lexington.org

|