Making his directorial debut with ‘Raabta’, Dinesh Vijan has an ear for music. The producer who is known to be active in music sittings has been really forefront in selecting hit-tunes for ‘Love Aaj Kal’, ‘Cocktail’ and ‘Badlapur’, which really boasted of superlative music. Reputed for working with Pritam and Sachin-Jigar, ‘Raabta’ is definitely a special project.
“Ik Vaari Aa” sung by the ever-dependent Arijit Singh offers nothing new in terms of melody and is passable. The tune is a rehashed verion of several Pritam’s hits and is repackaged with new electronic beats. It works for its continuous flow and satisfatory singing. The makers will also ensure a good picturization to promote the song. Amitabh Bhattacharya writes some half-baked lines.
Jubin Nautiyal’s take on “Ik Vaari Aa” is much more engaging – his singing is pitch-perfect. Credited to Pritam, the track has better arrangements than the former verison and follows the popular music director’s style. For Pritam’s fans, this one should be added to their collection. Jubin Nautiyal’s really puts the emotions in his singing where required.
Meet Bros (credited as T-Series?) and Kumaar’s amateurish approach kill all the vibe in “Main Tera Boyfriend” – a potential for a big hit but unfortunately, both Arijit Singh and Neha Kakkar are given poor lines to sing and the outcome is pretty bad – to put it nicely. The arrangements are very mechanical, with a lot of unnecessary noise in the background. The less said, the better for Kumaar’s lyrics, which are below par. The song got into controversy as T-Series did not contact J-Star regarding the original version, “Na Na Na Na”. The matter is now settled. Originally composed by Sohrabuddin and with lyrics by Jitendra Raghuvanshi, the film’s version is nowhere near it.
“Raabta” (Title Song) is derived from “Raabta” in ‘Agent Vinod’. Rendered by Nikita Gandhi, credited to JAM8, the track is highly romantic but does not contribute anything significant to the soundtrack. It appears the music producers twisted the original version and reprogrammed it to match this movie’s narrative. Nikita Gandhi is good in her performance and the lyrics by Irshad Kamil and Amitabh Bhattacharya are commendable.
“Lambiyaan Si Judaiyaan” has the Pritam stamp all over it! However, the tune is very ’90s, reminding us of Nikhil-Vinay’s tunes for T-Series. Arijit Singh starts off on the right note and carries the song on his shoulders till the end. Altamash Faridi and Shadab Faridi join for a short chorus in the interludes and in the preludes, and give the song a good twist. The track composed by JAM8 is high on emotions – furthermore displayed by the lengthy arrangements, which are aptly suited for these types of songs. Amitabh Bhattacharya’s lyrics beautifully complement the music. Arijit Singh is actually in his comfort zone from start to finish.
The quasi-compulsory rap number makes it to this romantic-thriller’s soundtrack. How will they fit this song into the narrative? “Sadda Move” by JAM8 is a fast-paced number, layered with funky beats and catchy rap portions by Raftaar. Diljit Dosanjh and Pardeep Singh Sran bring the right energy to this moving song. The programming is very good as it keeps the listeners involved enough. Wordings by Amitabh Bhattacharya and the talanted Irshad Kamil are really suitable. “Sadda Move” has all the ingredients to connect with the youth!
Reaching the high notes at the very beginning is common practice for Atif Aslam and in “Darasal”, he opens the ‘mukhda’ so beautifully. A romantic melody at core, the track is smooth and is definitely pleasing to the ears. The arrangements and programming further complement the singing. Lyrics by Irshad Kamil add more value to the track.
The soundrack of ‘Raabta’ is average and for the directorial debut of Dinesh Vijan, music should have been more connected to the storyline rather then being popular. Both lyricists are wasted as the songs are not to the standards. “Lambiyaan Si Judaiyaan” and “Ik Vaari Aa” (Jubin Nautiyal’s version) are the best of the lot.
Rating: 2.5/5
