One of the most eagerly awaited albums of the year, Lagaan’s music (by A.R.Rahman) is simply mind-blowing and chart topping. Every number is an instant classic and calls for repeated listening. And the fact remains that the numbers slowly grow on you, rather can catching your attention in the first hearing. The reason being that Rahman blends so many things in every song that it takes a layman atleast 5-6 hearings before realising the full impact of the song. Also, its one of the very few albums where every song is AMAZING!
Every number is diverse in beats, and precisely conveys the feelings of villagers, and the music in villages. Rahman and Javed Akhtar realise the need of the story, and do full justice by giving it a proper rustic feeling rather than a polished feeling that would have been out of place in such an enterprise. The songs have greatly elevated the mood of the film and, flow with the screenplay of the film, a rarity in modern times where the songs pop out of nowhere.
So, let’s go through each of the numbers:
1.Ghanan Ghanana: The first number of the movie, this one does a great job of enthralling the listener, with diverse beats and beautiful interludes, besides the fact that almost 5-6 singers are involved in the execution of this song. Though one may say that the song has been inspired by one of Rahman’s earlier song from Doli Sajake Rakhna, one will start loving the song after listening to it few times, because from the surface, the song does sound a bit like the above mentioned song, but when one goes deep into it, its originality shines through. Lyrics are amazing.
2.Mitwa: Again a different number, with a unique flow which will surely keep one’s finger on the rewind button, this one has superb beats and amazing vocals rendered by Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik. This one comes as a morale booster for all, and the lyrics surely do pep one up. Don’t miss it!
3.Radha Kaise na Jale: This one takes the cake, precisely because it sounds like a proper village song, and the duo of Rahman and Javed Akhtar do an amazing job of making it sound sweet to our ears. Udit Narayan and Asha Bhonsle cast their magic on the listener and leave us astounded. The beats in this song will leave their impression on the listeners mind for a long time to come.
4.Instrumental music of Lagaan: This piece of music is one of the best background scores ever ever heard in the history of Indian cinema. A fusion of western and Indian music, the score gives one an impression of what effect it would give the movie.
5.Oh ree Chhori: This folk LOVE song is sung by Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik, and one of the very rare combinations of pure folk fused with purely orchestra stuff, like a waltz or harmony, and sounds SUPERB!!! U will remember the tune of this song for a long time to come and the credit goes to Rahman who has done a Stupendous job. One may feel that this song is inspired by ’’Ek Ladki ko Dekha’’ from 1942-A Love Story, but thats not the case.
6.Chale Chalo: This song is supposed to give the universal message of inspiration, encouragement and confidence, and it precisely does that!!! The lyrics are simply superb and even a layman will feel pepped up after listening to this song. Rahman’s voice only adds to the rustic feel the song originally had.
7.O Paalan Haare: This is the song that wraps up the whole album and is equally superb as the other songs, expecially because the great Lata Mangeshkar is singing a devotional song, something she should be ideally doing instead of singing for young actresses. Udit Narayan chips in with his silky voice and adds to what is already a hit.
All in all, a surefire winner!!!!