Music Review Revolver Rani

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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USA: Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…Expectations:

We expect something special when there are 13 tracks in an action movie, with two more tracks as versions.

Music:

The album sets off on a whopper start with the Usha Uthup title track, 'Revolver Rani', with music riffs intentionally going the R.D. Burman way, and the singer in terrific form. The lyrics give a succinct background of the protagonist's life and present an overview of the lead character, with a spoof rip-off of late veteran Pran added by a voiceover artiste at the beginning and end of the track. The reprise of this song ends the soundtrack, which is just alright, without any standout quality.

'Thaayein Kare Katta' (Piyush Mishra) is a satirical song with liberal English thrown into the lyrics (Puneet Sharma). The song has a heavy Sajid-Wajid-like massy feel with an unobtrusive orchestration.

Asha Bhosle's 'Kaafi Nahi Chaand' is a treat indeed. Easily the finest and most challenging (vocally) song the Diva has got in years, if not in over a decade, it suffers only in the clearly constrained orchestration, which could have been boosted, keeping in view this legend's status.

However, Sandeep Srivastava's composition has delicious curves tailored perfectly for Asha, which she negotiates deliciously and dulcetly, giving a lie to the myth that she is over! The song has a sweet '50s-meets-'60s flavour, with just a whiff of the early '70s. Shaheen Iqbal's lyrics ('Badmast waqt bhi hai tumhare liye') are understatedly sensuous, just like Asha herself!

By one of those strange coincidences, Asha and the film's actress Kangana Ranaut, come together in the actor's second consecutive film (after Queen). In the former, the 1973 song, 'Hungama ho gaya' from Laxmikant-Pyarelal's Anhonee had been re-created, though not included in the album!

And speaking of tributes, we have some here as well. Traditional santoor notes begin 'Zardozi Lamhe', sung by Moin Sabri in Kumar Sanu style. The ghazal-like love song replicates the intensely melodious style of Sanu with Nadeem-Shravan. The composition is simple and catchy, with a mellow blend of raagdaari. The '90s feel is immense, without the song seeming dated at all.

Nadeem-Shravan are the blueprints also for another Kumar Sanu-influenced '90s-like track, 'Bol Rahi Hai Payal' in which Avi Dutta outdoes Moin by singing more like Kumar Sanu than Sanu himself, if you get what we mean!. Anweshaa, who was recently impressive in Kaanchi: The Unbreakable lends functional support. The lyrics also tribute the N-S style with the words 'Ghunghat Ki Adh Se' (their Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke chartbuster) also mentioned! The interlude, choice of instruments and choral patterns and the way the composition is shaped and also ends are a clear reminder that N-S loom tall in the background!

'We Mix You Michael Jackson' (by a singer named Saleem Javed!!) begins with a gimmicky Bappi Lahiri-like ambience, and the singer imitates both Shabbir Kumar and Mohammed Aziz from the '80s! The singer is frequently off-key and since we have pitch-correction software, we can only conclude that hopefully this is deliberate for reasons best known to the filmmakers. By the time this 3.52 minute song ends, the vocal cacophony assaults the senses!

'Chal Lade Re Bhaiya' (Piyush Mishra-Abhishek Mukherjee- Mayur Vyas) is another Piyush Mishra-led satire. A mix of musical styles and Puneet Sharma's smart lyrics, it is an average ensemble song.

Sanjeev Srivastava-Gorisa's 'Sulgi Hui Hai Raakh' is a very contemporary and screechy number with a rock-guitar base. Creating an atmosphere of uncertainty as per the very predictable lyrics, it passes muster. The lyrics here needed a mellower tune.

From average contemporary numbers, we pass off to an average folk song, 'Banna Banni' (Rekha Bhardwaj), very much heard-before, with the usual clever dollop of innuendo. Rekha is increasingly getting typecast in such numbers, though she puts her all in the song. The interlude music is at variance with the composition, suggesting a visually thematic reason for the contrast rather than mere empty 'fusion'.

We are still figuring out 'I Am Brutal', vocalized at high pitch by the composer himself. No doubt, has a reason for its existence, but it still does not make for nice listening, despite the pulsating beats and the intentionally funny lyrics.

'Saawan Ki Aaye Hawa' (Garima Aneja-Rahul Gandhi) aims to be a nice, rustic romantic and olde-worlde love song. The singers are not very adequate in expressiveness, and the orchestration a mixed bag with a dated feel.

The lullaby 'Chanda Ki Katori Hai' (Garima Aneja) is undistinguished, lyrically and musically. Its other version by Piyush Mishra is equally forgettable, though better sung, as Piyush imparts a modicum of sensitivity to the rendition.

Finally, 'Pehle Lohe Ki Chingaari' (Sameera-Gorisa-Keka-Manjeera) is a rabble-rouser song that is obviously situational. The lyrics and music are just about serviceable, as is the singing.

Overall:

The quantity of music here is overwhelming, and the composer and lyricists cannot maintain uniformity across the various genres. The lack of seasoned singers also takes its toll on the final result of the songs, as do – we presume – the intentional tributes to the styles of past icons.

Our Pick:

'Revolver Rani', 'Kaafi Nahi Chaand', 'Zardozi Lamhe'

Music: Sanjeev Srivastava
Lyrics: Puneet Sharma & Shaheen Iqbal
Music Label: T-Series

Article written by staff at Bollywood Hungama. Read more