Music Review :: Talaash | Highonscore - Obsessive Compulsive Music

We present to you the exclusive music review of Aamir Khan’s Talaash.

Aamir Khan’s Talaash has been in the news for a long time now. After considerable delays, the movie is finally seeing the light of day. Had it been any other random flick, it would have been long forgotten and would have eventually tanked at the box office – but not Aamir Khan’s flicks. The marketing genius, known for his OCD for perfection, has successfully created gigawatts of curiosity by keeping the plot of the movie under wraps YET cutting a hard-hitting theatrical trailer. Knowing that Talaash is a suspense thriller, I can’t help but wonder what kind of music the album has in store for us. At the same time, knowing Ram Sampath’s knack for eccentric, highly original music, my hopes are definitely high. Let us take a look at the album.

Starting off on a rather retro note with Muskaanein Jhooti Hai, Ram sets the tone of the album by introducing a haunting cabaret-esque tune. Along with an ominous feeling, an impending sense of doom is prevalent throughout the track. What stands out is the simple instrumentation. Coupled with the highly seductive voice of Suman Shridhar, the track is an instant winner. Lyrics by Javed Akhtar just add to the mysterious element.

Sample this:

“Raat mein hi jaagti hain yeh gunaahon ke ghar,
Inki raahein khole baahein jo bhi aaye idhar.
Yeh hai gumraahon ka rasta,
Muskaanein jhooti hai, pehchanein jhooti hai.”

Sadly, Lady déjà vu refused to leave my side. Also, I detected vague similarities to Daastan-E-Om from Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om, as well as, the title track of the TV series Kkavyanjali.

Vishal Dadlani’s raw baritone is heard in Jee Le Zaraa. I cannot imagine anyone better suited to sing this song. This one is a melodious soft-rock track with a highly addictive interlude. My only issue with this is Javed Akhtar’s highly mediocre & done-to-death lyrics.

At some point, a top-notch remix version of Jee Le Zaraa is heard too.

At the press conference during Talaash’s music launch, Javed Akhtar said he is most excited about the track Jiya Lage Na. Sung by the powerful Sona Mohapatra & the soft-voiced Ravindra Upadhyay, this track did surprise me. It started off on a hardcore Indian note and suddenly shifted gears and became a fast-paced fusion track. Any illusions of it being a classical number were immediately shattered. And this experimentation works! Undoubtedly, a beautiful track!

P.S. I could imagine another version of Jiya Laage Na which would have been sung by Pt. Jasraj or maybe Ustad Sultan Khan & Shreya Ghoshal (a la Ustad & the Divas). That would have been amazing.

Ram Sampath comes in front of the mic with Hona Hai Kya. He doesn’t cease to surprise his listeners since after having experimented with retro jazz, soft rock & fusion rock, he delivers a psychedelic rock track. I did detect hints of Pyar Karne Wale (from Shaan), as well as, a vaguely similar setting to Luttna (from Cocktail), but hey! that is just me. Ram’s deep, dulcet voice complements the arrangements perfectly. Once again, Javed Akhtar’s lyrics are a damper.

“Na main jaanon, na tu jaane hai, kis ghadhi mein, hona hai kya.
Zindagi ke, iss jue mein, paana kya hai, khona hai kya.”

I mean, what is this?!

My personal favorite from the album is the lovey-dovey Laakh Duniya Kahe - once again, sung by Ram. Riding high on melody, you would expect such a track from the house of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, but Ram shows that he can be as versatile as you want him to be. I still cannot believe that Ram sounds so amazing in this lullaby-esque track. I love the lyrics too (simple, yet sweet):

“Lakh duniya kahe tum nahi ho, tum yahin ho, tum yahin ho.”

Talaash’s music requires patience. Despite the fact that the innate beauty of Ram Sampath’s compositions is applause-worthy, the songs require repeated hearing to grow on you. Just like Amit Trivedi, Ram is a highly versatile composer and the man deserves to be heard more. On a side note, I am highly disappointed with Javed Akhtar’s lyrics from whom I was expecting much, much more.