As one Milliblog loyalist (Yaju Arya) so thoughtfully noted in Aisha’s review, it looks like Amit Trivedi is the only composer who has got maximum 200 word review from me! Yaju also traced…or recalled a comment from me about how I felt, way back in February 2008, that Amit is a talent to look out for. The context was Yaju’s question on my repetitive insistence that Indipop could survive only if they focused on the composer and not the singer…Yaju was wondering who should Indipop artists/singers sign to compose songs for them. I had recommended Amit, after seeing his potential with the four songs he created for Abhijeet Sawant’s second album, Junoon.
I’m amazed by Yaju’s memory and observation. When I look at it, Amit has been part of seven 200 word reviews on Milliblog!
- Junoon (Abhijeet Sawant)
- Aamir
- Dev.D
- Wake Up Sid (Shankar Ehsaan Loy & Amit Trivedi)
- Striker (Assorted artists, including Amit Trivedi)
- Udaan
- Aisha
The ones that missed the mark include Admissions Open and Prashant Tamang’s Dhayavad, where he had just one song to his credit.
The point of this post is not to gush about Amit Trivedi (I know you’re saying to yourself…’Yeah right!’), but to say that these 200 word reviews were not by design…but just happened. I really do not plan out by saying I want to do a 200 word review…I just write what I feel when I hear music and try to edit it to 100 words, in most cases. When it is not possible to restrict the word count to 100, I set the 200 word limit.
The second point is about Aisha! However much I drool on the music in my review, I think it marks a radical departure from what Amit is known for, at least so far. His music is largely grungy and rock-based and the way he incorporates these elements brilliantly in a filmy mood is what made me love his music in the first place. With Aisha, however enjoyable they are, I strongly feel he’s pushing the envelope…towards Vishal Shekhar and Shankar Ehsaan Loy. If I heard Suno Aisha without knowing who the composer is, I swear I’d have guessed Vishal Shekhar.
No doubt there are sure-shot Amit Trivedi signs in all songs of Aisha, in the way they are arranged, but to me, it perhaps says that Amit was not content with his songs not going fully and mega mainstream. Dev.D could be an exception and so is Iktara.
So, while I eagerly look forward to what he’s going to offer us next, I’d be equally looking forward to his next soundtrack’s genre/style…to see whether he’ll continue on Aisha’s path…or get back to his core strength. I do understand that the film’s script and director play a huge part in that too, but still, this is a factor worth looking out for!
