Milliblog Weeklies – India’s only multilingual, weekly, new music playlist.
Week 303: YouTube | Spotify
Maskara – Main Vaapas Aaunga (A R Rahman) – Hindi/Punjabi: There are so many surprises in this song! The first, of course, is the unusual melody that Rahman concocts. It has a very Punjabi musical base, even though the tune has a faux-Western tinge all the while rooted in Rahman’s signature flute backdrop (by Ashwin Srinivasan). Then, Nilanjana Ghosh Dastidar’s stupendously confident singing! She rules the song almost all through till the 3rd surprise – Vedang Raina’s introduction in the antara, in a diametrically contrasting melody. Vedang does amazingly well as a singer! It was given that Rahman’s music would be great in an Imtiaz Ali film, but the songs so far have surpassed even that expectation!
Tera Ho Jaun – Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai (White Noise Collectives) – Hindi: A pretty competent ‘Sooraj Dooba Hai’ (Roy) knock-off. Umpteenth knock-off, at that! Much credit to the singers for that – Stebin Ben and Jonita Gandhi.
Angdayi, Humne Wahi Lagaya Dil – Pati Patni Aur Woh Do (Tanishk Bagchi, Faheem Abdullah, Arslan Nizami; Badshah, Hiten) – Hindi: The ‘Angdayi’ hook is the one that makes this song work, besides the 3 singers, even though that hook took me back to Himesh Reshammiya’s ‘Meri Awargi’ from Good Boy Bad Boy! The specific line, ‘Tu Thaam Le Jo Daaman’! Humne Wahi Lagaya Dil fares better, though – the song’s opening that masks the catchy hook, ‘Humne Wahi Lagaya Dil’ works very well in context. The singers group, Badshah, Krish Mondal, Kishore Mondal, and Ipsitaa, all perform competently, though overshadowed by Badshah.
Khasiyat – Chand Mera Dil (Sachin-Jigar) – Hindi: While I loved the title song, the next single, ‘Aitbaar’ did not work for me. But the composing duo drop a delightful third song now, with Khasiyat. The way the tune opens with the Punjabi couplet, ‘Jachda ni, jachda ni’ is truly inventive. Raghav Chaitanya’s lead vocals that start the song offer immense charm, and Jonita amps it up significantly when she enters the song much later.
Nenjagathi, Vaadinen Malare – 29 (Sean Roldan) – Tamil: While the film is receiving mixed reviews, 29 is easily Sean Roldan’s best soundtrack in recent time. Except Mansion Kuthu, every other song stands out! Vijaynarain’s unique voice powers Nenjagathi, with a tune that shines with unpredictable flow. Observe the ‘Nee Ponaalum Pona’ break that seems to be completely different from the way the previous line ends even though it ends perfectly with a slightly different Nenjagathi! Vaadinen Malare, on the other hand, is a totally different experience, with its pensive melody that’s almost constructed like in Hindustani style. The tune reminded me of M.S. Viswanathan’s ‘Nilave Ennidam Nerungathe’ (Ramu, 1966). Since I have made peace with Sean’s scratchy singing sometime ago, let me only focus on the fact that he sings beautifully within the melody he constructs.
Sarkarey Solliruchu – Lenin Pandiyan (Ilayaraja) – Tamil: As always, a thoroughly nostalgic song from Raja that evokes memories of many of his older songs. The tune, despite the lively lilt, felt very close to his own Mudhal Vasantham (1986) number, ‘Aarum Aadhu Aazham Illa’, probably owing to a similar raaga. You can also trace Vetri Vizha’s Thathom Thalangu and Mannan’s Sandi RaaNiye Enakku in the song, by the way. And yet, despite such memory flashes, the sound and feel remains fresh and enjoyable.
Evideyo Kandathalle – DOSE (Gopi Sundar) – Malayalam: Trademark Gopi-style melody, particularly as the tabla starts in the pallavi and even more so when the interlude begins! The anupallavi too has a lush melody, and Swarna K S’s vocals are perfect for this.
Radha Radha – Brindhavihari (Hesham Abdul Wahab) – Kannada: An absolutely gorgeous song even if it falls right within Hesham’s largely familiar template. The jaunty rhythm and joyous melody, Sid Sriram and Chinmayi’s singing, and the ‘Radha Radha’ hook… everything just works so well together.
