Year 2005.I was browsing through some audio cassettes when I spotted the audio cassette of 'Viruddh'.Even if I did not feel like buying a particuar cassette,I would carefully read all that's written (credits) on the front side and back side of the inlay card of that cassette.I wanted to know who are the singers,is there any guest composer/lyricist-everything.Ajay-Atul were credited for a supposedly devotional song in the album called 'Shree Ganeshay Dheemahi'.Later that year,I found them to be credited as composer for 'Hanuman Chalisa' in the audio cassette of another Mahesh Manjrekar directed film 'Vaah!Life Ho To Aisi',which otherwise had rest of the songs composed by Himesh Reshammiya.Years later,I got to know that they had become big names in Marathi cinema.Earlier this year,I immensely liked their first solo Hindi film soundtrack for 'Singham',which despite the humungous success of the film,could not get the popularity it deserved.I liked the heavy Indian orchestration which they had used for the songs in the film,used by very few like Ismail Darbar.Sadly,one gets to hear very little of that sound these days.When I heard they were composing for Karan Johar's interpretation of Mukul Anand's 'Agneepath',I felt elated.Given Karan Johar's penchant for quality music and the extremely talented Amitabh Bhattacharya,who right from Aamir(2008) to Ladies Vs. Ricky Bahl(2011) has proved his mettle as a lyricist in each and every song that he has written ,I was sure that it would be a fabulous soundtrack.So,let us see what the soundtrack offers!
The album starts off on a promising note with 'Chikni Chameli',which one hears is a rehash of one of Ajay Atul's earlier Marathi hits.It is,undoubtedly,one of the better composed 'tem numbers in recent times,what with Ajay Atul's heavy orchestral arrangements (which carry a certain Marathi flavour) adding a class feel to it,rather than giving it a massy 'dhin-chak' feel.Shreya Ghoshal brings a certain naughtiness to her voice which works well for the song.Amitabh Bhattacharya's lyrics are as always brilliant.There is fun throughout the song and not once does one feels that the song crosses that thin line of decency.The song has already gained gained some fair amount of popularity what with Katrina Kaif gyrating to the song in the video.
The second song 'O Saiyyan' ,sung by the ever so dependable Roop Kumar Rathod,is extremely soothing.One sees Amitabh Bhattacharya indulging in some heavy poetry which one earlier witnessed in 'Udaan'.The musical arrangements are very simple and the instruments used are minimal.The song has a slow pace to it but has the merits to become popular once its video hits the airwaves.
The third song 'Gun Gun Guna' adds futher variety to the album,with it being a uplifting song with light musical arrangemts,again carrying a marathi flavour to them.The song is well tuned and the contrasting vocals of Sunidhi Chauhan and Udit Narayan are good to listen to.Amitabh Bhattacharya's lyrics reminds one of Gulzar's style of poetry.The song does not fall into the same bracket as the previous two numbers but is good nevertheless.However,it would need some really arresting visuals to ensure its pouplarity.
The fourth song 'Shah Ka Rutba' is a situational track.One is really doubtful about the commercial viability of this song but one has to give it to Ajay Atul for the wonderful musical arrangements that they have managed to provide for the song.Coming to the lyrics-it's one of the best written songs in recent times.Amitabh Bhattacharya needs to be given the opportunity to write for such huge commercial films apart from writing for somewhat urban films that does not necessarily give the wordsmith the space to write 'high- brow' poetry.The songs sees three powerful singers coming behing the mike in the form of Sukhwinder Singh,Krishna and Anand Raaj Anand.This is,perhaps,the second film in which Anand has sung for another composer(the other one being 'Billo Rani' from Goal composed by Pritam).
The fifth song 'Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin' sung by Sonu Nigam gives one reason to smile as it comes after two not-so-happening songs.Ajay Atul had said in an interview that it's a song which describes the relationship shared by Vijay(Hrithik Roshan) and his sister in the movie.'Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin' is a wonderful composition and although it reminds one of 'O Saiyyan',it has its own place in the album.One last heard Sonu in the good but unnoticed Sharib Toshi composition 'Aap Ki Aahat'(Lanka) and one only hopes that this song gets the popularity that it deserves.
The sixth and the last song in the album is a devotional song called 'Deva Shree Ganesha' sung by Ajay Gogavale.Ajay Atul had earlier composed a devotional song 'Shree Ganeshay Dheemahi' for 'Viruddh' but while the number from Vruddh was quite slow in pace and soothing,this one is very loud and energetic in nature.The song works well with the mood of the film and is expected to add further drama in the narrative.
Overall,Agneepath is a good album but definitely way below expectations,thanks to the situational appeal of a few songs but one can't really blame the composers as one can understand they had to work under the boundaries around which the script was made.'Chikni Chameli' is already a hit and 'Abhi Mujhme Kahin','O Saiyyan' are expected to gain popularity too.As for the rest of the songs,their popularity purely depends upon their picturisation and then,the kind of run that the film manages to have at the box office.
