Amit Trivedi Vs. A. R. Rahman: Everything is a Remix!

The following is an interesting mix of two soundtracks and the kind of pattern they follow - different from each other in scale and instruments but yet so near to each other in their design. So near, that if it was not for scale they could have overlapped and we wouldn't even know. Its almost like the disciple has given a tribute to his master. The way Kill Bill series is to all the movies that Tarantino must have seen while growing up. And how Vishal-ji, a Tarantino fan gives him a cute-little tribute in 'The Blue Umbrella' - 'Saanp apne bill mei jaake Kill Bill-Kill Bill karne laga' and the frame splits into three with Bindiya jumping with the Umbrella in her hand, the way the Bride had held the sword!

The soundtrack that will be heard first is called 'Yeh Pal' from the recently released film 'No One Killed Jessica' (which I think is already the album of the year). It is performed by the talented Shilpa Rao and composed by Amit Trivedi. At the outset, I am a head-over-heels fan of Trivedi's music and since last many years have of course religiously followed Rahman. And I am sure Trivedi himself is head-over-heels in love with Rahman's music. Now 'Yeh Pal', the later part of the soundtrack got me hooked and reminded me of something that Rahman did a decade and a half ago and how Trivedi has actually in a way followed his icon and created something so original and yet so true to what Rahman created then. I got both the tracks together and dragged it on to the same timeline. It got me some interesting results. (The way we used to do in those smelly chemistry laboratories - mix some sodium sulphate with chloride and heat it on a burner for 30 seconds!).

Hear this concoction and we discuss further. The black screen will have some text appear - so keep your ears plugged to the headphones and intermittently do give a read.


I would recommend the reader to hear both the soundtracks from the start and one will realize the design. They both start slow with a female dusky voice taking the lead and gradually the soundtracks get launched into what you just heard. In case of 'Taal' the brief that might have gone to Rahman was 'It is a musical extravaganza' and thus he got together one of his best arrangements - right from the keys of harmonium to the digital beep. Trivedi too ends up doing with total style by adding the zing from his another soundtrack from the same album: 'Zaar zaar Aitbaar', the way 'Ishq Bina' was re-done for the second version. For fans of Trivedi, I have discussed 'Aetbaar' at length here.

Its only when we listen to Amit Trivedi's music that we realize the kind of subtle change, the man is bringing in the kind of music that we or maybe I have grown up listening to. Sounds from 'Haara' of Aamir, 'Nayan Tarse' of DevD, 'Shaam' of Aisha, 'Aazaadiyan' and 'Naav' from Udaan and 'Aitbaar' from No One…. haven't been heard during all my growing up years with music. It's like back in 1993, when we heard the flute of 'Chotti si Aasha' from Roja, we realized what we had been missing. Its a similar feeling when we hear the violence in Haara. More power to him.

The title of the post is of course 'copied' from a wonderful website that is doing awesome work on the movies. Source: Dev Benegal's tweet. And if you are a fan of movies, then this is something you will relish. Enjoy!
Everything is a Remix!

Everything is a Remix Part 2 from Kirby Ferguson on Vimeo.

The connection between Running, Love and 7 Khoon Maaf's music, which is purrre orrrrgasm!

Essentially Vishal-ji's all motion picture soundtracks start with a 'dhinchak' song usually sung by Sukhwinder or his likes: Sample this: Beedi from Omkara, Ibn-e-Batuta from Ishqiya, Dhan Te Nan from Kaminey and now Darrrrling. This time the sheer energy levels of Sukhwinder are replaced by the vociferous women - Usha Uthup and Rekha Bharadwaj - and what a replacement they have proved to be. Kudos to the idea of using Folk for the benefit of the story, its characters and thus giving it a whole new dimension. Remember: 'Tu Raja ki Raj Dulari' in Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye which is originally a folk song sung by Lord Shiva for Parvati) In this case the Russian folk tune Kalinka is used by Sussane to impress Vronsky who happens to be a Russian.

Darrling by the vociferous women and 'O Mama' sung by the awesome KK- Is the kind of music when played loud on speakers - that makes me go wild, makes me feel liberated, makes my hormones have a euphoric sensation and at the same time makes me feel poetic about the love for music. That blissful state of being high and yet knowing that 'I am high' the state that makes one feel 'Its so amazing to stay here for the rest of your life! and the guitar can screech all night, the percussions can play out loud and the voice can reach to the sky. What a feeling to be able to shoot visuals for this kind of music.

'O Mama' is nothing like Bharadwaj has composed anything in recent times. Once upon a time he did compose 'Khuda hoon mein' for the unreleased film Paanch which had this kind of madness - KK on that underground subway steps amidst the smoke making him feel-like 'khuda'. Pure adrenaline rush!! And so is 'O Mama' - it can give a fucking stiff competition to the rock version of 'Emotional Atyaachar'.

The second version of the Darrling song 'Doosri Darling' has an amazing poetic laziness accompanied by a beautiful violin, when the following lines come.
Milo Chal Ke Milon Se Aaya
Roos Ka Koi Pushkin Hai
Meri Khatir Moscow Chhoda
Ishq Mein Ye Bhi Mumkin Hai

Aah! amazing. The kind of metabolic activity that happens due to those slow to fast piano keys! And then suddenly the rush of blood when it all comes to Darrling!! 'Rrrroko na, Rrrroko na mujhko pyaarrr karrrne do'. The sudden rush of memories. I have always felt that if you can run for someone, you are in love with that someone and of course if you can love someone, you can run for that someone. But the idea of 'running for someone' is when you discover that 'you are in love with that someone'. Its when the rush of blood 'Rrrroko na, Rrrroko na, mujhko pyaarrr karrrrne do' makes so much sense. Run, not like run but run madly, when you don't care who is looking at you, Run, when you don't care where the pavement ends and street starts, Run with the widest distance between both the legs, Run by stopping your breath, coz thats when you can cover the maximum distance. (the later is my theory) - I think since Boys 'can't' cry, they should run - and as per Wong Kar Wai's Chungking Express theory, it makes all the more sense to run. - 'I run, so that my tears get converted into sweat'

If you recollect the phases of your life when you have fell in love with someone and felt so strong about it, that its not easy to share with anyone - how will others see this - blasphemy? bliss? crush? Infatuation? - Hell, I don't care, I don't want to think - all I know is 'Rrrroko na, Rrrroko na, mujhko pyaarrr karrne do!' - The idea of running for someone and discovering that you are in love with that someone and you know what - Run? Run, where to? Run to the Neverland, Run where you wont be discovered, running from yourself, or running from everyone and Run so you dont have to think but yet you are doing something. There is a seed of filmyness in the idea of running like this - but the idea of falling in love is also filmyy. So 'Roko na, Roko na, mujhko pyaarrr karrne do!'

7 Khoon Maaf has some amazing music. Suresh Wadkar's lyrical 'Tere Liye' makes us rediscover the magic of 'lap steel' or 'hawaian' guitar esp the last one minute and there is an amazingly genuine moment that comes twice - during the end of both the antaras when Wadkar's voice and Gulzar's poetry both go on a high.

'humne aasmaano mein laakhon ke saude kiye!'

and during the second antara it says:
'humne to parindo se, baagon ke saude kiye!'

Last time Gulzar saab in his brillaint flourish of the pen made the romantic couple eat 'gillheri ke jhoothe mutter' and this time he chooses pistey and kishmish for his lady love. The lazy trumpet and the hawaian guitar reminds me of an evening spent staring at the sky and lightening giving way to intermittent rain. Such is the power of Vishal-ji's music, even if happens to fall in the trap of a particular 'pattern' for a complete motion picture soundtrack. And why do I mention trap - coz Vishal-ji's soundtracks have always stuck to a commercial design - one dhinchak number, one slow melody (sung by himself), one romantic ballad, one performance-oriented track(it could be a mujra, naach, or a street dance)

But apart from the usual suspects, 7 Khoon's soundtrack has a percussion-oriented track. 'Awaara' sung by Master Saleem is a song that makes one feel that it was composed for Rahat Fateh Ali Khan saab, its so apparent the way it is rendered. Percussions are the highlight of this track esp the mandir ki ghantiyaan-like sound - this track too reminds me of running. Somehow I can see the visuals of Fatih Akin's Head On - when the brother suddenly spots his sister (Siebel Kekilli) on the streets and runs behind her, but she is quick to escape. That amazing soundtrack!

'Lil ah'