By Ronak Kotecha, Bollywood Trade News Network

Aamir Khan and his fans cannot be happier. With his second wedlock on cards and the release of long awaited Rang De Basanti, everyone wants a piece of Mr. Perfect. Fall of The Rising no way dampens the hype and excitement associated with this Aamir Khan starrer. With Aamir Khan for acting, AR Rehman for music, Prasoon Joshi for lyrics and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (of Aks fame) at the helm of direction, there is just so much to look forward to in Rang De Basanti. Rest of the cast includes a good blend of youth and maturity in Sharman Joshi, Kunal Kapoor (of Meenaxi fame), Soha Ali Khan besides connoisseurs like Waheeda Rehman, Om Puri, Anupam and Kirron Kher.

Album starts on an auspicious note with a holy chant called “Ek Onkar” by one Harshdeep Kaur and quickly moves onto a thumping Rehman composition - “Khalbali.” With playback by Rehman himself along with Mohamed Aslam and Nacim (the man behind the Arabic lyrics in the track), this is not something that you would like right away and not something that will subconsciously grow on you either. This Rehman creation is definitely not on top of things, except for his great orchestration that keeps the song alive as long as it lasts. 

Disappointment continues to intensify with the next track as well. “Khoon Chala” is a somber experience with Prasoon Joshi getting as creative as he can get with the deep and concentrated lyrics. Mohit Chauhan of the Silk Route band gives an impressive performance, but that’s only as far as the track can go.
 
Still no luck with “Lalkaar,” which is not a song, but just a poetic narration of the famous patriotic verse “Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna Aaj Hamare Dil Mein Hai…,” and as such cannot do any value addition to the musical content.

Lata Mangeshkar and A.R. Rehman play mother and son in “Luka Chuppi,” which is about an anxious mom awaiting her kid’s arrival in the evening. Highly situational and rich with opulent vocals on an authentic Indian melody, the track manages to hold on its own.

Just when you thought, Rehman’s magic was failing you, comes a youthful and energetic, vivacious and straight to the point, “Pathshaala” that hits the bull’s eye and grabs your attention, grows on you and takes you on a ride, all at once. There is another version – “Pathshaala – Be a Rebel” and almost similar with Blaaze joining the terrific newcomers Mohamed Aslam and Naresh Iyer for a solid, pulsating experience. Both the versions of the track exude the exuberance of Rehaman’s musical expertise and hilarity of Prasoon Joshi’s innovative libretto.

You might probably wonder what kind of a song is the title track when you hear it for the first time. Strange sounds, a rustic Punjabi folk beat with pounding beats of modern rock and Daler Mehndi’s “Ding dinga dinga ding” are some of the unique characteristics of the track. As the track advances, all the strange sounds transform into lilting melody with electronic instruments elegantly played in the milieu. Chitra’s portion though short is quite remarkable. It’s a perfect Rehman creation that needs some time to get into your system only to remain there for long. You cannot help, but like it anyway.

Pleasance comes in abundance with “Rubaroo,” where Rehman conveys the youthful sanguinity through melody along with his discovery - Naresh Iyer. Both are superb in their rendition and the synchronization of numerous instruments pumps up the energy volumes.

Soon, all the energy volumes come down as the album draws to conclusion with the agile and serene “Tu Bin Bataye.” Madhusree once again proves her mettle at such intense tracks while Naresh Iyer is great again. Rehman’s precise usage of instruments on a soothing melody set on Prasoon Joshi’s profound lyrics result in a winning track on the album.

With so many tracks, makers have played safe with the album, as not all of them are as great as one expects Rehman creations to be. However, it is sometimes, also unfair to expect so much of someone who is evidently doing distinctive as well as quality work, all of which may not be appreciable. With some great and some not-so-great tunes, lets hope, the Generation-X awakens to the music Rang De Basanti.