Abhishek Kapoor is a filmmaker whose movies have consistently reflected his good sense of music. All his films (‘Aryan: Unbreakable’, ‘Rock On!!’ and ‘Kai Po Che!’) have boasted of some terrific music. While Abhishek picked up different composer/s for each of his films, he seems to have struck a good rapport with music composer Amit Trivedi who has scored the music for his new venture ‘Fitoor’ after delivering a winning soundtrack for ‘Kai Po Che!’. Joining them is lyricist Swanand Kirkire who had worked with them on the same film. ‘Kai Po Che!’ was a three-track album but each of the songs was a gem in its own right. As ‘Fitoor’ is a romantic drama based in Kashmir, one expects some love ballads which would carry a strong flavour of the region.
You visualise the snow-clad landscape of Kashmir as Arijit Singh croons “Yeh Fitoor Mera”. Amit does a very good job at bringing out several emotions like sorrow, anticipation and bliss in one song. Arijit Singh, too, contributes greatly in this regard. The choral vocals and the violins further help this sweeping melody reach dizzying heights. The lines, written by Swanand Kirkire, beautifully sum up the feelings of Noor (Aditya Roy Kapur). After shooting to fame with his songs from ‘Aashiqui 2’, Arjit Singh sings yet another memorable track for Aditya Roy Kapur.
The second track on the album is called “Pashmina”, in which Amit lends his voice to his velvety tune. There have been several instances when Amit has sung something which does not suit his voice at all. That, fortunately, is not the case here as his fluid voice moves seamlessly through a breezy composition that is soaked in passion. Instruments like acoustic guitar, violins, pads, flute and keyboards come together to take the dreamy vibe of the track several notches higher. The icing on the cake is the bass guitar portion which arrives towards the penultimate moments of the song.
The Kashmiri flavour finally kicks in with “Haminastu”, sung by Zeb Bangash. The sound of oud/rabaab and santoor (instruments played predominantly in folk songs of Kashmir) clearly indicates that this is one track that would have a Kashmiri folk music flavour to it. Amit composes a punchy tune that serves as a wonderful accomplice to the Kashmiri folk background and one which does not seem alienated from it. The song largely rests on the ‘mukhda’ which plays in a loop. The short ‘antara’ (which arrives at 02:12) does not let things become monotonous and adds another dimension to the track.
All the tracks in the album have a strong emotional undercurrent to them but the one song that almost moves to its tears with its arousing tune, heartrending poetry and devout singing is “Hone Do Batiyaan”. Here, Zeb Bangesh is joined by Nandini Srikar and both the female vocalists bring a certain amount of sensitivity to this song which talks about longing for your loved one. Both the tune and the arrangements consist of a very nice mix of contemporary and traditional music. “Hone Do Batiyaan” faintly reminds one of “Din Pareshan Hai” (‘Bol’), another song with a melancholic feel to it. By stating that, one, in no way, taking any credit away from Amit Trivedi whose composition deserves nothing but praise.
After a bunch of songs that portrayed the feelings of one of the protagonists, comes “Tere Liye”, a romantic duet in which Firdaus (Katrina Kaif) and Noor (Aditya Roy Kapur) profess their feelings for each other. Arguably, the most conventional track of the lot, “Tere Liye” has a wonderful melody with a lounge-ish feel to it. While the ‘mukhda’ bears a resemblance to Pritam’s style, Amit comes into his own with the ‘antara’. The fresh pairing of singers Jubin Nautiyal and Sunidhi Chauhan works in favour of the song. The lyrics are simple and easy on the lips.
“Rangaa Re”, which arrives immediately after “Tere Liye”, sounds like an extension of the latter because of similar orchestra arrangements. The tune is completely different though and the synth pop sound adds an interesting layer to the track. The song is reminiscent of the kind of sound A R. Rahman’s songs carried in the early/mid 90s. The composition has an old world charm to it which is carried along well by Amit and Sunidhi’s vocals. The English version (consisting of some lines sung by Amit in Hindi) written and sung by Caralisa Monteiro is equally nice.
Abhishek Kapoor’s lives up to his reputation of a filmmaker who knows his music. The last couple of albums scored by Amit Trivedi had music which mildly reeked of creative bankruptcy as the composer seemed to be recycling his old tunes again and again. Amit puts those days behind him as he creates a dew fresh soundtrack consisting of compositions that do not come across as leftovers from his earlier albums. ‘Fitoor’ is a highly immersive soundtrack that is in sync with the film and at the same time, has tremendous repeat value.
Rating: 3.5/5
