Music Review: ‘Aiyyaa’

Talk about quirky Bollywood comedies and ��Aiyyaa�۪ would fit the bill right away. A movie that seems to be brimming with talent, fun, fresh appeal and look with a difference in its trailer, ��Aiyyaa�۪ could be the surprise entertainer of the year that we really hope for. With the hand of Anurag Kashyap behind this project as a producer there is bound to be something different and unique about this movie. The vision of National Film Awards winner, Marathi theatre and film director, Sachin Kundalkar should bring in a new perspective to Bollywood by giving Rani Mukerji a challenging Marathi girl’s role opposite the superstar of South,Pritviraj,��who is��making his Bollywood debut.

The musical brilliance of Amit Trivedi should help deliver the innovation and uniqueness required in ��Aiyyaa�۪ where Marathi music meets South Indian music styles packed with vivacity. With the critical appreciation for the music of ��English Vinglish�۪, ��Aiyyaa�۪ will be his second release in October. Amitabh Bhattacharya brings a different style to lyric writing in his work especially when the film requires enjoyment to be represented along with a mix of cultures and styles. He and Trivedi are almost a team when it comes to working together and have produced exceptional work together in projects including ��Dev D�۪ (2009), ��No One Killed Jessica�۪ (2011) and ��Ek Main aur Ekk Tu�۪ (2012) recently.

If one has a TV set and/or the internet, then one could not have missed Rani Mukerji dancing provocatively in weird traditional dresses to Dreamum Wakeuppam. Perhaps one of the most innovative songs this year that reminds of the big brass band style of ��Dev D�۪ and is a piece of genius on the lyrics and composition front. With a mix of Hindi, Marathi and Malayalam set to a very catchy tune, this song will stick in the head after just one listen. A song that can easily work well in clubs as much as it will work in taxis and rikshaws around the country, from north to south with something for everyone to enjoy with a 80s disco theme with a very South Indian music touch to it. The vocals of Sowmya Raoh are oozing with oomph and class with fun on every word. Trivedi once again uses so many instruments together that it is impossible to ignore his talent in this industry. Keyboards, duff drums, shehnai�۪s and God knows what other instruments he uses very effectively spanning the entire landscape from Maharashtra to Karnataka. A must-listen song!

From South India, Trivedi takes one to the heart of Maharashtra with a traditional Lavni song called Sava Dollar in the voice of Sunidhi Chauhan. An entertaining choice of lyrics by Bhattacharya make it a cool song with Chauhan�۪s amazing delivery of vocals in a typical Marathi accent. The composition is very traditional and beautifully arranged by Trivedi for Lavni that has not been heard in Bollywood for a long time. This song fits a visual situational performance but what it lacks is commercial appeal that will restrict its broadcast on radio stations outside Mumbai and surrounding cities.

Aga Bai is another Marathi culture inspired song but this time with Trivedi�۪s fusion twist in a true world music style. Starting off as a lounge song, Aga Bai then picks up to become an upbeat dancefloor slow burner with great sampling, synth and deep bass music work. The vocals by Shalmali Kholgade and Monali Thakur are very well recorded with vocal effects to suit the style of the song. The lyrics are a good mix of seductive Hindi lyrics with a Marathi hook of the very common Aga Bai phrase.

Mahek Bhi in the voice of Shreya Ghoshal is a handsome slow number with whistles, shenaai�۪s, piano and double bass orchestra with violins. If one listens closely, one would notice the intricacies of a variety of instruments and clean musical notes recorded with near perfection. The vocals by Ghoshal are uplifting and soulful to great poetic lyrics by Bhattacharya that are truly inspirational with a positive message on life.

Bhattacharya himself voices this next song along with the amazing and super-talented Sneha Khanwalkar who leads with some amazing music composition herself as the music director for films like ��Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!�۪ (2008) and the well acclaimed music of ��Gangs of Wasseypur�۪ (2012) recently. This song called What To Do almost sounds like the genius work of Khanwalkar herself with the genius of Trivedi by her side as the creativity and awe-inspiring arrangement is typical to her style. Her vocals are most amazing with Bhattacharya shocking the most with a brilliant performance. This song will work very well in certain music circles and especially with critical appreciation to its credit. The exceptional use of Lijjat Papad as a hook is funny and way too cool!

Wakda in the voice of Trivedi himself starts off as if from a Royal Variety performance from the most talented musical group from South India but then goes on to become a cool fusion work of Trivedi with a mix of mridangham, Marathi dholki, shenai from the south and a funky electronic beat. Bhattacharya�۪s lyrics keep getting better through the album and are the best at this song that is traditional with a good mix of modern. His thought process for this song differentiates him from the rest by miles in the lyrical world of Bollywood.

FINAL WORD

Once again, Amit Trivedi does not disappoint in��producing a masterpiece soundtrack of ��Aiyyaa�۪. The innovation levels in arrangement and the use of a variety of instruments is something that no other music direction in Bollywood can match. His unique compositional style leaves a trademark on every song showcasing how he takes ownership of each song to deliver a uniform theme as required by the film. His choice of vocalists is perfect and he gets the best out of them even if it is himself or a talented music director like Sneha Khanwalkar behind the microphone. The pace of each song is just right for their genre and the choice of words by Bhattacharya are epic to match Trivedi�۪s fusion music style along with a mix of languages as required by this movie. Although only Dreamum Wakeuppam is a commercial song that will become a super-hit, every song on the album will be an easy choice for music critics worldwide to go gaga about. The album is a good choice to buy if one is into the weirdly innovative fun stuff rather than the usual commercial music that plays all the time. Be sure to check out What to Do and Wakda.