Music Review: Lootera | Filmfare.com
Music Director: Amit Trivedi
Label: T Series
Till now, we have seen Amit Trivedi as the sort of a composer who doesn't let the usual norms get in the way of his creativity. He chooses subjects which lets him let lose his creative demon in full force. So it would be kind of hard for such a composer to limit himself to the constraints of a period film. But Amit slips into the timestream with surprising ease and makes an album which reminds you at once of SD Burman-RD Burman combination. It’s well-known that Dada Burman took on the more traditional tunes and let his ‘assistant’, RD, tackle the experimental notes. That’s what’s happening here. The folk-classical songs are in SD mode and the jazz inspired numbers are reminiscent of RD. Amit is a self-confessed fan of both father and son and hence Lootera can be said to be his fanboy homage to the masters. And lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya too shows that he can write romantic poetry as well and not just off-kilter stuff.
Monali Thakur instils sugar in our ears in the Main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya (music by SD Burman’s erstwhile assistant Jaidev) inspired Sawar loon. The’50s orchestration, coupled with the perfect pitch of the singer manages to take you back to a bygone era. The violin work captivates and so does the clever uses of flute and mandolin. Amit Trivedi too chips in to add a little bit of masculinity in the song.
It’s always been our grouse that Amitabh Bhattacharya never got his due as a singer. He more than makes it up in Ankahee. The soft, serene composition, which makes great use of a marching band rhythm via percussion, is foil to his haunting voice. One gets to hear some good piano work as well. The closing bars are a wink and a nod to Panchamda. The lyricist is in full form in Shikaytein tool. Mohan Kanan is the main singer here and Amitabh backs up on the vocals in this guitar infused composition. The interplay of Mohan’s baritone with Amitabh’s softer vocals makes it an interesting set up. Monta re, sung by Swanand Kirkire, is an ode to Bengali folk music. Swanand’s Hemant Kumar inspired vocals and the Baul-inspired tunes make you believe that Amit is more a Bong than a Gujju.
The composer himself takes the mike in the Blues inspired Zinda. The strings and percussion combo works for the sombre nature of the song. The last is reserved for the best. Shlipa Rao turns on her magic in Manmarziyan. This love duet, with some great Santoor work sounds like a dialogue between two lovers who understand each other so much that they can finish each other’s sentences. Amitabh Bhattacharya’s whispered crooning complements Shilpa’s wistful rendering.
All-in-all, Lootera is another winner from Amit Tridvedi. What with the zany, experimental Ghanchakkar and the period feel of the present album, he seems to be going great guns. He was always known as a maverick who did his own thing but with Lootera he has shown he can make music in tune with the film’s subject as well. That’s good news for the listeners and bad news for his rivals!
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