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The three films directed by Shoojit Sircar (not taking into account the unreleased ‘Shoebite’), ‘Yahaan’, ‘Vicky Donor’ and ‘Madras Café’ were not musicals but the director managed to make room for music in each of these films. ‘Madras Café’ was largely a songless thriller with just one song playing in the final reels but the soundtrack had three melodious tracks composed by Shantanu Moitra. Anupam Roy, who has made a mark as a composer, vocalist and lyricist in Bengali cinema, makes his debut with ‘Piku’. The lyrical credits have been shared by Anupam and Manoj Yadav.
“Bezubaan” is the kind of song that you would expect a Bengali pop/rock band to churn out. The melody and the sitar lend an Eastern sound to this rock ballad. The song treads into familiar territory but is engaging nevertheless. The arrangements bring out the melancholy in the song. The way the track builds up towards the final moments is nice. Anupam sings along the tune but fails to convey the emotions that lie intertwined with the lyrics.
There is no hook line or phrase in the song which perhaps, is the reason why it was titled “Journey Song”. The track lives up to its name what with it being a lively, upbeat number that you could play on a long drive. The interlude consisting of sarangi with percussion’s instruments is very catchy. The song could be divided into two parts. The portion sung by Anupam Roy sounds like a country pop number while Shreya Ghoshal renders some semi-cassical notes in Bengali. Both the portions are contrasting in nature and yet, complement each other beautifully.
When you hear “Lamhe Guzar Gaye” for the first time, it may come across as an extended version of “Bezubaan” due to a similar pop/rock background. But on repeated listening, you tend to notice the differences. Anupam and Manoj have beautifully captured melancholy and optimism in this song. Anupam is very good with his rendition; you feel a lump in your throat as he sings “Lamhe Guzar Gaye, Chehre Badal Gaye” (“moments passed, faces changed”).
You listen to the first few seconds of “Piku” and you feel as if you are listening to a jingle. The song gets better as the antara arrives and one gradually warms up to this Sunidhi Chauhan number. Manoj Yadav does a fairly successful job at capturing the spirit of the character Piku played by Deepika Padukone. The tune is far from being memorable but the song has a charm to it which rubs off the listeners. There is a well orchestrated Mexican guitar piece (02:03-02:25) that adds to the lively feel of the song.
Anupam Roy carries forward the sound of “Bezubaan” and “Lamhe Guzar Gaye” in “Teri Meri Baatein”. This time, tabla beats accompany electric guitars, drums and keyboards. The song does not bring anything new to the table but scores because of its simplicity and sing-along tune. The lyrics, written By Anupam, are strictly average.
The soundtrack has an almost uniform sound, akin to a pop album. Anupam has written several Bengali songs but one cannot speak highly of his efforts as a Hindi lyricist. One wonders why he did not let Manoj Yadav (who has written a song and a half) write all the songs. His diction too, is not up to the mark. Anupam Roy makes a good debut in Hindi films with ‘Piku’ but fails to show his range as a composer.
Anish Mohanty tweets @anishmohanty
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