Customer Reviews

Saawariya (A Film By Sanjay Leela Bhansali) CD

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Alright, hype aside, let the inspection begin, song by song.

1. Saawariya: Melodious, soulful, yet foot-tapping and fresh. Visibly passionately composed and sung and oh-so-memorable. Barring the minute air of familiarity embedded in the tune (not the execution), and the occasional whiff of country that may allude to westward bound wannabeism, this one is a classic. Rarely does a song come along that is instant magic, and has the potential to eternally retain that magic. Well done, Monty!

2. Jab Se Tere Naina: The orchestra backing this one engages, tickles, whatnot. Confident, yet playfully variant, the instrumental arrangement is the highlight of this number. Shaan personifies this in his voice. Clearly, the music director understands Mood and has ensured every element of this piece is drenched in it. The execution is clearly above the melody, and it is on the strength of the former that this song interacts with you and you, with it. Goal achieved.

3. Masha Allah: The song begins with a familiar sound, and before you can say Kunal, Ganjawala arrives, silk and all. And before you can say "This is just another Ganja-passion number - good, but predictable" - you are proved wrong. Silly imbecile. The chorus ends with the two words in the title of the song - and how! An absorbing happy chant that begs you to close your eyes and let your imagination do the rest. Usually not a very good idea - but hey, this is SLB you know! Ok, wait, it turns out you are not a silly imbecile (Ripley would confirm). Because soon after this two-word delight, the song treads almost entirely on a largely uninspiring Ganja-passion tune.

4. Thodi badmaash: Woh Chand si ladki, being sung by Umrao Jaan. There's even a "he-he badmash" - a tribute to the incredibly underdone "Ish", perhaps. I am not being all "I hate classic crap and bring on the It's Rocking" but the tune is far too familiar, and everything from start to finish is just darn boring (I lied about the finish - wait for it, it's awesome: the song stops playing). I think Yo China is overrated. Sorry to have digressed, but the less said about the song the better. The wontons deserve a try.

5. Yoon Shabnami - Woh Chand si ladki, being sung by Umrao Jaan who thinks she's Devdas (or is it the other way round?). The flamboyant musical backing seems forced, the kawwali is refreshing, the tune is better than the previous number but treads along the same path leading to heated debate about wonton stuffing, and the attempted crescendo at the end is meak. Uh.


6. Daras bina: Excellently rendered and enigmatically executed. This is good classic stuff. A short piece that should be proud of its unique luster and strength, but should not expect to be remembered separately owing to the lack of a hook. But that doesn't seem its intention in any case.


7. Sawar Gayi: Umrao, bas karo. And enough of the Devdas hangover. Let us not try to pass of mediocre tunes in the name of classical music. Really, enough.


8. Jaan-e-jaa: Kunal is back! Almost charmingly waltzy and interspersed with nauseatingly dramatic crescendos, this song asks one question: Where have you heard me before?

9. Pari: Kunal, in all his silky glory renders a bland melody with passion. He is abruptly interrupted by annoying alleged "Paris", who sound not-so-nice. Kunal, only, good job. What is interesting though, is that this song creates an image. Perhaps it's the lyrics, perhaps the rendition, wateva, but it's unlikely the tune's accomplishment.

10. Chhabela: They have quick service but sometimes mess up the order, especially during home delivery. The food is very reasonable, and largely edible - the soups are suspicious though. Wait, there's a song?

11. Saawariya Reprise: Finally! Quality, charm, spunk all in one. Thank you!


For the sake of basically the title song, and oftentimes good arrangements, visit the album.

The soundtrack to Saawariya is wonderful. The film reminds me of Moulin Rouge, with its glitzy surreal setting. I was struck by the music from the get-go! My three year old niece insists on hearing it everyday. She has no idea of what they are saying, but the music mesmerizes her.

Whether you are a fan of Bollywood soundtracks or just enjoy music that makes your heart and feet want to move - this soundtrack might just be what you are looking for!

This is a good soundtrack over all. There are a few songs that aren't great, but several that really make it worth it (how Boolywood found out about yodeling I will never know!). Masha-Allah is a great song.

I love this CD, and the movie! It is a must watch film for people who are into Bollywood. Don't judge it too much, and it's great. For the people who said it was trying to copy the style of 'Moulin Rouge,' what's wrong with that? They are both good musicals that are worth your time. Definitely buy the CD if you are a fan of the movie, or even if you just want some good new music.

This is, without a doubt, the most beautifully-packaged album I've ever purchased. It is a CD case-sized book, complete with several pages of high-quality stills from the film, with the CD itself in the back cover.