This article was last updated on April 16, 2022
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Though this is not a classic musical, somehow my expectations were raised for the simple reason that Emraan Hashmi is among the more musical stars around, independent of the genre of the film or the music director.
Music
And Amit Trivedi fulfils these expectations. The most infectious track in the album is, as in the good old days, the title-track: the Amit Trivedi-rendered 'Ghanchakkar Babu' is uninhibited fun with nonsensical lyrics that yet make a point (Amitabh Bhattacharya) about the protagonist. Amit sings with his customary drawl and his expressions are in sync with the irreverent mood of the number. The saxophone plays a key and uplifting role in the track.
Its remix version (the last track on the album) is a faster and gimmicky affair that needs to be a little cluttered and noisy. It is aimed at the pubs alone and may serve the purpose.
A lyrics-based album, Ghanchakkar has Amitabh Bhattacharya in prime element as we begin the score's first track, 'Lazy Lad' (Richa Sharma). Richa, the '90s singer who hit big-time in the first decade of the millennium, gets an unusual number in which she sheds her item song-meets-Sufiana image to sing an over-the-top and outlandish teaser of a song enacted by a saucy Punjabi hausfrau for an indolent husband! She infuses a cobwebby naughtiness in the song and succeeds in sounding like Vidya Balan in this Punjabi-meets-Hindi-meets-colloquial Bambaiyya track that is indeed a makeover for her.
The other voice that the soundtrack brings back from hibernation is the '90s qawwal Altaf Raja in 'Jholuram Padhaare', and Altaf too goes in for a reinvention in this unusually-orchestrated song, again with clever English-Hindi lyrics with lots of satire. The trumpet is evocatively used in this spirited number. Altaf effortlessly gets into a groove that is completely alien from his trademark style. The chorus provides a brief concluding adieu to this crazy beats-oriented number.
Divya Kumar's 'Allah Meherbaan' is an old-style fun number with a very catchy hook indeed. Unobtrusively orchestrated, with a clever chorus, it is full of smart use of proverbs and smart twists given to them (Saari ustaadi kabron mein gaadh ke / Ek din har oont neeche pahaad ke) and is sung by this new talent with complete abandon.
Overall
Amit Trivedi normally treads his own path, irrespective of his film's subjects or genre. However, this time, he does seem to get deep into the spirit of the subject and delivers a light-hearted fun score that is in sync with both the film's needs and mainstream sensibilities. It can even be said that after over 20 films in five years, Trivedi finally evolves as a true-blue film composer, scoring songs that are comfortable in their cinematic surroundings!
Our Picks
Lazy Lad, Ghanchakkar Babu, Jholu Ram
Music: AMIT TRIVEDI
Lyrics: AMITABH BHATTACHARYA
Music label: UTV / SONY MUSIC
Article written by staff at Bollywood Hungama. Read more
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