Vishal Bharadwaj began his career as a music composer and then ventured into direction. Omkara, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s play Othello has been directed by Vishal. When a composer turns director one is bound to expect a musical score that makes a mark. Vishal Bharadwaj has done the music for his film Omkara and the acclaimed lyricist Gulzar has penned the lyrics. The music of the film has a very rustic and rural personified sound, in keeping with the setting and adaptation of the film. Omkara has been produced by Kumar Mangat and stars Ajay Devgan, Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Vivek Oberoi, Bipasha Basu, Konkana Sen Sharma and Naseeruddin Shah. Vishal has also decided to do a promotional video for the film based on the title song Omkara and hopes that this will add value to the film’s appeal. However this kind of music definitely does not fall in the popular music listening category. Nonetheless the music album can be termed as different.
‘Omkara’- The title track Omkara has been sung by Sukhwinder Singh in a completely unique and enthralling manner. The song aptly portrays Omkara as a fearless man. What makes it unique is its fresh tune and style which has never really been heard before. The title track itself begins in a rural, rustic earthy approach. The beginning of the song is interesting and will definitely catch on. The lyrics are not always decipherable but the UP/Bihar accent in the song somehow only serves to enhance the appeal of the song. There is an assorted mixture of various instruments and the dhol, claps, background recitations and guitar are an interesting eclectic mix. The beats and tempo tends to increase towards the middle. Overall a nice hummable number that draws your interest at the very onset.
Score: 7/10
‘O Saathi Re’- A soulful, soothing love song that has been rendered in the sweet as honey voice of Shreya Ghoshal. The male rendition has been done by none other than the master Vishal Bharadwaj himself. And as a first time singer he excels with his light, stroking and sensitive voice. The song which was being considered as the title of the film has slow beats with amazing guitar strumming heard right through. Gulzar’s lyrics are rich with feeling and emotion and aptly depict the blissful content that two lovers feel in the company of each other. Love is compared in typical Gulzar poetry manner to nature and its surroundings. A beautiful romantic number that should only be enhanced with the picturisations. A nice number which can be heard at any time.
Score: 6.5/10
‘Beedi’- This song is totally for the masses in the interiors and villages. A boisterous, fun song sung in the voices of Sunidhi Chauhan and Sukhwinder Singh. There are supporting voices of Nachiketa Chakravorthy and Clinton Crejo. This is the typical UP/Bihar song with an aptly suited picturisation. The song has a typical rugged, rural feel and even the lyrics have a rustic touch. It is an item song which is a peppy dance number and has rhythm and beats that are vivacious and pacy. Plenty of Indian musical arrangements like the tabla, dholak and others are used. The song has Bipasha gyrating in typical jhatkas and the leads Saif and Vivek are shown joining in after getting in an inebriated state. The entire setting and feel is rural and has dancers who have a grungy, unclean look. The rendition by Sunidhi Chauhan suits the song and has been done well. Whistles, claps and loud lyrics, the song is a sure shot winner in the interiors. The song promos are being appreciated by one and all. A typical masala dhamaal commercial number.
Score: 7/10
‘Jag Ja Ri Gudiya’- Suresh Wadkar sings or rather recites this number. The track is more on the lines of a beautiful soulful poem. Lyrics by Gulzar lend a splendid touch to the song. It has a more Indian classical tune with slow, soft beats. The rhythm though is not catchy in the sense of modern popular music. The beautiful chords of a guitar and flute are clearly visible. The rendition done by Suresh has a soothing and calming effect which almost sounds like a lullaby. Unfortunately though a number that will be appreciated only by a few who enjoy the poetic feel. But for the masses it will be a situational song that will soon be forgotten.
Score: 5/10
‘Namak’- Namak Issak Ka has a slight mujra quality to it and is rendered by Rekha Bharadwaj. It not an item song, but more of a beautiful village belle performing for village audiences. It’s a rustic, earthy number that has a slight tinge of the old world. The voice of Rekha suits the mood and feel of the song and Rakesh Pandit joins as a backup. The lyrics are average and the beats too are averagely paced. Several traditional musical instruments are used like tablas, dhols, harmoniums, dhaplis, claps, shouts etc. At places the beat picks up quite a bit and a song which depicts the consequences of love. An average number that does not really captivate you.
Score: 5/10
‘Naina Thag Lenge’- Rahat Fateh Ali Khan begins the song in a long drawn out manner which is slow, introspective and reflective. The rendition given to this romantic interlude is quite nice. Khan’s voice has that touching and soulful effect. A kind of Rajasthani mix with Indian classical strains makes up the core of this song. A beautiful sitar piece with other instruments in the background can be heard. A song with slow beats and which depicts the eyes as the windows to a person’s soul. A soft number which manages to stir all your senses. A song that will not be popular with those who have no interest in a bygone genre of music but for those who have a keen sense of good music, it definitely will be appealing.
Score: 6.5/10
‘Lakkad’- A song that tells how wood burns and ultimately turns into dust drawing parallels with life and how it burns and ultimately disintegrates. Rekha Bharadwaj lends her vocals for this soulful number. This one too maintains the rural, rustic touch of the entire album. It’s an introspective song with slow beats and almost a story telling kind of style. It is more towards the Indian classical style of music and is a deep, dark brooding kind of song. Again this song will not have too many listeners due to its abstract and dark feel. The lyrics are average, but the tune is soulful.
Score: 6/10
‘The Tragedie of Omkara’- This tune does not seem to befit the end of a painfully tragic ending of Omkara. The sound is more daunting than tragic. High bass sounds stand out clearly. The piece begins on a slow note and gains just a bit of momentum towards the middle and before you can actually get the feel or mood is already over. A bit of a disappointment for the over dramatic Shakespeare adaptation.
Score: 5/10
Omkara music album is different as it delves into a non-filmi score which gives more importance to lyrics and musical instruments. It will have an appeal for those who like something different and who have an ear for distinct lyrics and classical strains. But the rural touch and different style is a total put-off for the masses that go purely for catchy tunes, dance numbers and fun light music.
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| Reviewed By: Rachel Fernandes |
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