Taste the desi flavour with 'Matru Ki...' soundtrack

Film: "Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola"; Music Director: Vishal Bhardwaj; Lyricist: Gulzar; Singers: Rekha Bhardwaj, Prem Dehati, Pankaj Kapur, Imran Khan, Sukhwinder Singh, Master Saleem, Vishal Bharadwaj, African Umoja, Mohit Chauhan, Shankar Mahadevan; Rating: ***1/2

Vishal Bhardwaj goes desi again with "Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola", set in Haryana. The music composed by him, completely in sync with the film's setting, seems to be promising. His old partner Gulzar has penned nine numbers for the soundtrack, coupled with two reprise versions.

The album opens with the title track, which is insane and reckless. Yet, it manages to make you groove with incessant energy flowing through the song. Sukhwinder Singh's powerful vocals provide the impetus and he has been complemented well by Ranjit Barot. This one has all the makings of a chartbuster and provides a fine start to the soundtrack.

The mood of the album takes a turn with "Khamka", where you are greeted with some African sounds to start with. However, it is the voice of Vishal Bhardwaj that creates the magic. It is an absolute delight to hear his melodious vocals and he should indulge in such soulful renditions more often. He is supported well by Gulzar's beautiful lyrics, while Prem Dehati behind the mike, infuses a folk touch to the number. Everything is just beautiful about this song - pure musical ecstasy!

Vishal's wife Rekha gets you in a mischievous setting again with "Oye boy Charlie". The lyrics of the song will instantly click with the masses, and are reminiscent of yesteryears' flirtatious tracks. But the song's energy is very fresh. There is good use of instruments like tabla and harmonium, and you get to hear Mohit Chauhan and Shankar Mahadevan in a different mode altogether. However, it is Rekha's song all the way and you just can't get enough of her voice.

Next up is a revolutionary anthem of sorts - "Lootnewaale". Crooned by Sukhwinder Singh, it has a powerful composition and it would be interesting to see how it has been used in the film. It also has a reprise version, which is slower than the former. But it is not a bad one either.

The brass band effect welcomes you with "Shara-rara-ra" sung by Prem Dehati, which is short in duration, but gives you a dose of a desi wedding.

It is followed by "Badal uthaya", where Rekha Bhardwaj goes slow and gloomy, mesmerising you with the versatility of her voice. The sound of sitar is brilliant here, and it is coupled with modern sounds. This one just grows on the listener. It also has a reprise version by Prem Dehati, which is not bad.

A short and sweet track comprising of dialogues by Pankaj Kapur and Imran Khan is up next with "Chaar dina ki", where they are accompanied by Prem Dehati. Despite trying it a few times, this one just doesn't work and can be given a miss.

"Chor Police" again follows the same course, but probably the tracks might turn out to be enjoyable on the visual front.

Rounding up the album is "Nomvula", where you get a taste of African music in its entirety. Not my cup of tea, but can be given a shot.

Overall, it is the desi flavour that rules the roost in the soundtrack of "Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola". There are a few setbacks, but most of the tracks are in tandem with the film's setting and will be enjoyed by the listeners.

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Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola