Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi - Music Review

Director: Aditya Chopra
Music: Salim Merchant and Sulaiman Merchant
Lyrics: Jaideep Sahni
Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma and Vinay Pathak.

The scion of the Yashraj Films empire, the selective maverick director Aditya Chopra, teaming up once again with superstar Shah Rukh Khan and that after the trendsetting DILWALE DULHANIA LE JAYENGE (still running in Bombay!) and the iconic MOHABBATEIN. Can the stage get any bigger? The obvious answer to that question will be given on December 12, for that is the date when the latest Aditya-SRK project, RAB NE BANA DI JODI will hit the screens, globally. For now, its time to check out the audio album, which this time around has Salim-Sulaiman and Jaideep Sahni, unlike Jatin Lalit and Sameer on the two previous historic times. So let’s press the 'play' button on the remote. And what do we have?

Lovely soothing 'santoor' sounds along with table play and 'payal' or bead sounds commence the most awaited romantic number of the year 'Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai' and it has been rendered by Roop Kumar Rathod. A surprising choice indeed but it has been done purposely because Rathod has a mature yet sensitive voice which suits the character of the simpleton, Surinder Sawhney, played by Shah Rukh Khan. And one must add here that Roop Kumar Rathod is brilliant as his effortless, flawless rendition (ah, his perfect diction is a delight) is highlighted due to some highly emotive singing. The superb love ballad has a nice, simple tune which is very hummable and borders mostly on its smooth flowing melody. It will definitely be loved by patrons of soft romantic songs. The highlights of the track are its beautiful lyrics by master craftsman Jaideep Sahni which take the song to a totally new level. Absolutely brilliant! Some might call the lyrics filmy, 'Tujh mein rab dikhta hai, Yaara main kya karoon, Sajde sar jhukta hai, Yaara main kya karoon', but its the ultimate form of expression for the beloved depicting the profound feeling of pure , unselfish love . And the song is capable of moving the listener as it grows with repeated hearing. It will certainly feature as a Valentine gift for all 'in love' couple, such is the overall effect of the number!

The slower version of 'Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai' is sung by the upcoming nightingale of Hindi cinema, Shreya Ghoshal and needless to add that she is simply magnificent here. What must be kept in mind that the slower version has limited props like background music and beats (they have been kept to the minimal), only Shreya's syrupy sweet (deliberately) quivering vocals stand out, loud and clear, and it is a delight to the ears. The song will most probably be used as a background number in a situational mode (when Anushka realizes her true love for Shah Rukh?).

From one beautiful romantic escapade lets move on to another beautifully haunting love ballad 'Haule Haule'. This is one number that we promise, even Shah Rukh Khan's adversaries will fall in love with. The simple melody is absolutely bewitching and the song takes the listeners in its grips, 'haule haule' (slowly, slowly). Yes, that's the beauty of the composition. Initially, it does strike as another sweet, simple to hum love song but slowly and surely it has the power to capture the heart. Its magic lies is in its simplicity, there is no massive orchestration to support it's cause, nor are there any flamboyant musical arrangements. The composers rely mostly on the simple melody with harmonium (may be even bandonion) and sitar playing a large part in its arrangements. Sukhwinder and SRK have always created magic (from 'Chaiyya Chaiyya' to 'Dard-e-Disco') and this time its no different. Sukhi is just marvelous and intelligently keeps his earthy, highly energetic vocals low key. The reason being that this time he gets to sing an all out romantic number and he proves his versatility by coming up with a perfect ace down the middle! Just like the previous number, the lyricist Jaideep Sahni once again deserves all the accolades (may be even more) for some lovely, effective lyrics. The similes that he uses are simply fantastic and the prose superb. 'Haule haule se hawa chalti hai, haule haule se dawa lagti hai, Haule haule se dua lagti hai na, Haule haule chanda badhta hai, Haule haule ghoonghat udhta hai, Haule haule se nasha chadhta hai na.' The moment the promos of the same were unleashed across major satellite channels on King Khan's birthday, the infectious number captivated the hearts of all die hard romantics and music lovers. Needless to add that the song has chartbuster written all over it what with SRK doing his cute little steps that have become a rage (so early on!) even amongst school going children.