Azaan

Producer: M.R.Shahjahan /JMJ Entertainment in association with Alchemia Films
Director: Prashant Chadha
Cast: Sachiin Joshi, Dalip Tahil & Candice Boucher
Music: Salim-Sulaiman
Lyricists: Amitabh Bhattacharya, Irfan Siddique, Shradha Pandit
Singers: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Shradha Pandit, Salim Merchant, Benny Dayal, Mikita Kanwar
Label: Xtreme Music

Azaan released worldwide just last week is a thriller about biological warfare and espionage starring Sachiin Joshi and Candice Boucher and directed by Prashant Chadha.  The film is a big budget film and is considered to be one of the most expensive films made in Bollywood. Salim-Sulaiman have come up with a good blend of music- modern and classical and semi classical combined with (Sufi) spiritualism and romance and dance.

Bismillah – Beautiful Sufi melody with stirring lyrics by Irfan Siddique – is sung in his own inimitable style by Kailash Kher.  The devotion and spirituality that he can infuse into a song is just amazing.  The song is heartrending and uplifting at the same time.  Kher’s superb vocals are complemented by simple harmonium and tabla and strings accompaniments. My pick of the album.

Habibi Habibi – is a blend of middle-eastern, western and Indian.  As a result, the tune sounds and seems familiar throughout, bringing to mind various Indian Bollywood and popular Arabic melodies.  However, the song is still very likable and upbeat and very well sung by Mitika Kanwar and Benny Dayal, whose Arabic vocal inflections supported by the orchestration bestow an authentic flavour and sound upon the track - one can visualize the harems, sheikhs and belly dancers.  Lyrics are by Shradha Pandit.

Afreen – A charmingly beautiful and tender song written by Amitabh Bhattacharya that blends beautiful harmony and exquisite arrangements – the guitar and the violins compete for honours.  The song seems to be centered on the heroine whose name is Afreen, and has three more versions – desert mix, remix and reprise.  All four have distinctive appeal and character.  The song is rendered by Salim Merchant and Benny Dayal (who sings the Arabic vocals penned by Ashraf).

Afreen – (desert mix) with Arabian Desert flavour is catchy with a nice flow. 

Afreen – (Reprise) is sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and is such a graceful and sweet take on an already elegant song – a song that glides into the listener’s heart with its delicately layered simple yet exquisite guitar work and the wonderfully poignant and passionate vocals of Rahat.  Rahat’s version is my second favourite song in the album.

Khuda ke liye –with lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya is a melodic number by Salim and Shradha – very pleasing and soft and hits all the right chords in the listener.  Elegant and appealing orchestration and romantic lyrics make for a pleasant listening experience.

Azaan Theme - The theme music (featuring Marian D Cruz) is once again heavily middle-eastern in arrangements and vocal style.

Salim-Sulaiman riding on the wave of success of quite a few of their recent albums (including Band Baajaa Baaraat) have delivered a wholly well put together album – though some of the songs tend to be situational and may only appeal if viewed as part of the narrative, on the whole, even the reprises and remixes have their separate and distinctive appeal which is usually rare.  Some of the songs might still linger in our minds long after the movie has had its run in theaters. Four stars is what I would rate this album.

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