Saturday, May 26, 2012

Gangs of Wasseypur music is simply majestic!

Gangs of Wasseypur music released recently and I have been hearing it almost on a loop. Gangs of Wasseypur may become the magnum opus of Anurag kashyap.  It shows that he has the guts as well as the gumption to pull off the music which suits the grand vision of Gangs of Wasseypur...revenge drama covering three generations.. powerful actors Manoj Bajpayee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui (who played nasty inspector Khan in Kahaani), Richa Chadda (check her out in Oye Lucky Lucky Oye in which she magically captures the body language, mannerisms, lingo and accent unique to Delhi while saying "Touch Ho Gayi Main, By God" and "Main Tujhe Hoat Nahin Lagti" )

Sneha Khanwalkar is a dynamite of talent..Her choice of singers in Gangs of Wasseypur is impeccable (Listen to Hindi singers in Hunter song)..Varun Grover as a lyricist stamps his mark on the whole album with his authentic, precise, often unusual but seldom incongruous choice of words..

O Womaniya is a delightful song sung by Rekhaa Jha and Khushboo Raaj..It has its origins from the culture of wedding songs in Mithila and other parts of Bihar where ladies sing suggestive or abusive songs teasing brides/grooms..it is in the same category as "Saas Gaari Deve" from Delhi 6..Only it goes a little further in terms of saying what many a times remains unsaid.."Bole ka babuna, chal jahiyo Patna; Patna bahane woh chahe hai Satna"...pronouncing "O Womaniya" as "O Omaniya" is fresh and one more proof of how much research must have been done to create the rooted feel of songs ..This may be the first time I have heard the word "Kaniya" (Bahu/bride/daughter-in-law) in Hindi songs..With Gangs of Wassepur set in Bihar/Jharkhand and Richa Chadda, playing a role which ages from 16 years to 60 years, there may be lot of wedding occasions which may cry for this type of song to create the feel of the area.

"Jiyo ho Bihar ke Lala" is the signature song of Gangs of Wasseypur..



It looks almost paradoxical that for this movie which is all about dhishoom dhishoom, knives and guns, singer should urge the Bihar Ke Lala to "Tanin Taan Khinch Ke Tansen Kahlawe ho Bhaiya".. basically urging him to sing, dance and create a maahoul...And when I heard "Tani auka bauka teen tadoka, tani chandan maati chauka kaathi" in this song, touch ho gaye hum by God :-)

Hunter song may easily win the award of double meaning song of last two decades... I mean after the spate of such songs initiated by Choli song in Khalnayak in early nineties, I really don't recall such song in commercial movies. But this song has the potential to become the next Emosional Atyachar. Reportedly for the Hunter song, Sneha Khanwalkar  traveled to Trinidad-Tobago to find the authentic Chutney Music which is a heady concoction of Bihari and Carribean music (with its roots in migrant Bihar labourers)...Rajneesh, Shyamoo and Munna pitch in for Hindi part of songs and what a contrast it creates with calypso style singing of Vedesh Sookoo! (who incidentally also pens the predominant English part of song)..Check out for "Hai Bahut Bhokali" "Heyllo" "Phamous" "Bebas" "Hum hain sikaari". If you are planning to listen to just one song this year, I think this may be that..You don't believe me! check its cool trailer below.



Ae Jawano is a peculiar song. I just can't figure out in which situation in Gangs of Wasseypur, it would serve as the backdrop. It starts with a public address system voice used in large gatherings. In a very thick Bihari accent, lead singer of Ranjeet Baal Party (Gaya) (I am not kidding! they indeed are the singers :-)) recites philosophy of life encapsulated in the catchy couplets and pithy cliches found behind many rickshaws or trucks in North India. "Ae jawano! garibi tod deti hai jo rishtey khaas hote hain...Aur paraye apne hote hain, jab paise paas hote hain" "Har yaar wafaadar nahin hota, har pathhar chamakdar nahin hota! na jaane bun mein kitne phool khile hain, har phool khushboodar nahin hota". This song fizzes out after the promising start and I didn't particularly like it.

After Gulal, Piyush Mishra once again displays his metier as a wizard of words in the Ek Bagal song with great lines like "Honi ko thenga dikhakar khikhilate jaenge"

Teri Keh Ke Lunga catchphrase may sound vulgar and double meaning even by the permissive standards of this album but as Anurag Kashyap explains in his Rediff interview that in the geographical areas where the movie is situated and takes its inspiration from, it basically means "I will not attack you from behind. I will tell you the date and time and then will attack and kill you".  It is sung by Sneha Khanwalkar and Amit Trivedy. Sneha at many places sounds almost like Sunidhi Chauhan. I just can't stop myself from repeating this song endlessly because of the verve and vigor infused by Sneha in the song. That girl sure needs to take breaks from composing music and get behind microphone more often!

Aaaj Dil Man Mauji sung by Usri bannerjee is very sweet, soft, purane jamane ka pyaar wala song.. "Tambu mein baraat, akeli jaat dare, kya karna hoga..ha ha-2...Khula hai bajuband, phata hai kaaj, sambhal ke chalna hoga -2". very unusual and earthy kind of lyrics with"Raat mein jhingoor bole" and why not? In the villages, all the nocturnal amorous adventures are punctuated with the sounds of jhingoor and croaking of frogs. Isn't it? Only grudge is that at 2:53m running time, it almost ends as soon as it starts gathering its tempo and growing on you.

And now I come to the most experimental sound (nah! it is not really a song), and one of my favourites, Tain Tain To To composed and sung by Sneha Khanwalkar. No lyrics as such, just plain gibberish in the form of Tain Tain or Kain Kain but what an infectious beat and tempo. Bravo lady!

2 comments:

  1. Can you explain Patna and Satna meaning..i am not a notrh indian so it's difficult to understand it.whole album rocks.

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  2. That line means "The groom is urging the bride to accompany him to Patna, but actually going to Patna is just a ruse for him to sit in close proximity with her".. Satna means sitting very close

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