The Music of Om Shanti Om is all set to conquer charts and stay there

Producer /Banner : Red Chillies Entertainment
Director : Farah Khan
Music : Vishal & Shekhar
Lyrics : Javed Akhtar , Kumar (Punjabi) and Vishal
Vocals :Abhijit, Caralisa, K.K, Marianne, Nisha, Rahul Saxena, Shaan, Shreya Ghoshal, Sonu Nigam, Sunidhi Chauhan, Sukhwinder Singh and Udit Narayan
Label : T-Series
Just few years back, we reviewed the audio album of ‘Main Hoon Na’, that had the same team of Shah Rukh Khan, Farah Khan and Javed Akhtar. But are we missing someone here? Oh yes, the chart conquering composer of the 2004 album, Anu Malik is not associated with the 2007 album, ‘Om Shanti Om’. Given the fact that Anu is out of form and circulation, the decision of picking Vishal & Shekhar on their current form seems to be correct. How correct, we will know shortly.

Farah Khan’s 35-crore bonanza, ‘Om Shanti Om’, based mainly in the psychedelic 70s, kick starts with the absolutely mesmerizing, petal-soft, romantic track ‘Ajab Si’. Right from the first notes, the soft beats and caressing guitar strings set just the right pace for K. K. to take over. The lyrics by (no its not Javed Akhtar) by Vishal (what a pleasant surprise!) are simple and superb - “Aankhon mein teri, Ajab si ajab si adaayen hain, Dil ko bana de jo patang, Saansein ye teri who hawaayein hain.” The arrangements by Vishal & Shekhar and K.K.’s superb rendition gel perfectly.

Next up, we run into the ‘6-pack’ (SRK) song, ‘Dard-E-Disco’. The Arabic styled composition is more in the qawwali mold rather than in the disco alley! Once again, the lyrics (this time by Javed Akhtar) are the first thing that grab attention - “Woh haseena woh neelam pari, Kar gayee kaisi jadoogari, Neend in aankhon se cheen li hai, Dil mein bechainiyan hai bhari.” The lyrics couldn’t have been more perfect and Sukhwinder takes over, and is in top form! His voice modulation floats in perfect unison with the music and the lyrics, changing pace and pitch as per the mood and requirement. The background (Arabic style) vocals and crooning enhance the composition further. In a nutshell, ‘Dard-E-Disco’ takes us back to the early 70s, and we are reminded of countless Pran enacted qawwalis, with ‘Dard-E-Disco’ (in the lyrics) adding a touch of humour. As we have already mentioned at the start, the arrangements are more in the qawwali mold with slight touches of disco beats.

‘Dard-E-Disco (Remix)’, by DJ Aqeel has all the right ingredients needed for a good rehash and will serve its purpose of burning the dance floors of the pubs and the discos with its heightened pace. A nice effort.

Moving on, we reach ‘Dhoom Taana’ and the duff, anklet, woodwind and other traditional percussion instruments remind one of ‘Sargam’ days of melody and dance (Rishi Kapoor and Jaya Prada). The arrangements, lyrics and settings are based in not just 70s but early 80s. There are also a few jazz snatches (maybe a Shammi Kapoor touch). While Abhijeet is the perfect choice with his flawless rendition, Shreya gets high pitched in a few parts. This is the song that has been composed by the legendary composer, Pyarelal (of ‘Laxmi-Pyare’ fame) the song will look and sound better on screen.

Jaltarang and piano combine magically, followed by bead sounds, accompanying Sonu Nigam’s silken smooth, Rafi like rendition. Yes, we have now reached ‘Main Agar Kahoon’. Javed Akhtar’s lyrics combined with Sonu’s extraordinary singing create an almost bewitching romantic duet (with an in form Shreya). The two stars of the outstanding ‘Main Agar Kahoon’ are Javed Akhtar’s lyrics and Sonu Nigam’s singing. Right now, we cannot bring in Sonu but here are some of Javed Sahab’s lyrics – “Tumko paya hai to jaise khoya hoon, Kahna chahoon bhi to tumse kya kahoon, Kisi zabaan mein bhi, Woh lafz hee nahin, Ki jinme tum ho kya tumhein bata sakoon , Main agar kahoon, Tumsa haseen, Kaynaat mein nahin hai kahin.” A nostalgic throwback to the golden era of late Mohammad Rafi-Roshan days! The number concludes with the ‘Om Shanti Om’ theme music.

‘Dastan-E-Om Shanti Om’ can well be summed up as one of the most important (if not the most) tracks of ‘Om Shanti Om’. It sums up the entire central theme of reincarnation and betrayal. The track commences with sonorous opera like singing, followed by a big live orchestra sounds from 40 plus violins, percussion instruments ranging from tabla and dhol to santoor and heavy piano pieces and the impact leaves one awestruck. Shaan soon commences in a rather base and matter-of-fact voice “Sunne waalon, Suno aisa bhi hota hai, Koi jitna hanse, Utna hi rota hai, Deewani hoke haseena, Khayee kya dhoke haseena, Aao tum bhi aaj sun lo, Dastan hain ye ki us masoom haseena ne jise chaha, Woh tha andar se harjaee, Sangdil se dil laga ke bewafa ke haath aa ke us ne ek din maut hi payee, Ek Sitam ka fasana hai jis ko sabhi, Kehte hain Om Shanti Om.” For the fans of ‘Ek Haseena Thi’ (’Karz’) this one tries to recapture the spirit of the legendary song. With a somewhat different approach and kudos to the team of Vishal & Shekhar, Javed Akhtar and the orchestra, it succeeds in a big way, despite the big legacy it had to live up to. Shaan’s singing, to some stunning situational lyrics and the big orchestra sounds are guaranteed to make ‘Dastan-E-Om Shanti Om’ one of the highlighted tracks of the film.

‘Dastaan (The Dark Side Mix)’, by Zoheb, DJ Nikhil Chinappa and DJ Naved commences on a faster tempo. The version loses some of its suspense and edge-of-the seat element due to too much audio interference.

Richa Sharma, the queen of Punjabi folk singing, commences the heart touching, ‘Jag Soona Soona Lage’, with a ‘heer’ style singing. She deserves a perfect ten for her flawless rendition. The OSO theme music has been used to superb effect with Kumaar’s Punjabi lyrics. Then its Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, who after ‘Laagi Man Ki Lagan’ (’Paap’), ‘Bol Na Halke Halke’ (’Jhoom Barabar Jhoom’) and ‘Main Jahan Bhi Rahoon’ (’Namastey London’), has truly inherited the legacy of his illustrious uncle, the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. But let us not deviate from the superbly composed, as well as rendered composition. V-S deserve all the praise for a number that is just perfect in all departments. Be it, at times soft and at times harsh musical arrangements (in form of plates and guitars), Rahat’s brilliant performance and last but not the least, Javed Sahab’s heart-wrenching lyrics in simple Hindi and Urdu. “Roothi roothi saari raatein, Pheeke Pheeke saare din, Veerani see veerani hai, Tanhaai see tanhaai hai, Aur ek hum hain pyaar ke bin, Har pal chin.”

Is ‘Deewangi Deewangi’ the highlighted song featuring almost the who’s who of Bollywood? All seems to point to it. In a way, this one is also the theme track as the fun gaiety, party song goes ” Aqlo hosh na mee danum” (which is in Persian and means “I know not what is wisdom and sense”), Hum hain dil aur janam, Bas dewangi deewangi dewaangi hai”. The chorus also chants, “All the hot girls put your hands up and say Om Shanti Om. All the cool boys c’mon make some noise and say Om Shanti Om”. The trade mark OSO tune is also present in its grandeur. Definitely a scorcher of a track, which gets turbo charged by talented singers like Shaan, Udit Narayan, Rahul Saxena, Shreya and Sunidhi. The track concludes with the orchestra going full blast with the OSO tune.

‘Deewangi (Rainbow mix)’ by DJ Kiran and DJ G is a nice piece of work. The already pacy all-star cast song has a more hectic pace than the original. The vocals have not been violated much, only the musical arrangements change to give it a good effect.

The ‘Om Shanti Om’ theme music (programmed by Abhijit Nalani) has Pyarelal written all over it. It is a superb piece, played brilliantly on piano. It starts with a slow pace, picks up and finally concludes on a slow note, but it is enough to leave a mark on the listener.

The ‘Om Shanti Om (medley mix)’ by Jackie V. is an assortment of a few songs (remixed superbly) featured in the album. The snatches of ‘Dhoom Tana’, ‘Dard-E-Disco’, and ‘Deewangi Deewangi’ can be relished once again through this version.

To sum it up, the Pyarelal touch looms large on the audio of ‘Om Shanti Om’. It is truly a complete 70 mm (a prestigious 70s & 80s term) album experience.

It’s a path-breaking work by Vishal & Shekhar, who break the myth about them being only rockish kind of composers, as they take on a melodious yatra from the early 70s to the present day.

If one is a fan of the melodious (non-synthesized) Bollywood era and even if one is not aware of it, it’s a must buy for all those who call themselves lovers of Bollywood.

Its melody and poetry.

If the initial response to the audio is any indication, ‘Om Shanti Om’ is all set to conquer the charts and stay there for a while.

Rating: 8.5/10

Abid, BollyVista