The most consistent aspect of A R Rahman's music is its gradual appreciation.
There is a smug assuredness to his composition, the maestro requiring familiarity from his listeners. One needs to be used to his music.
Ketan Mehta's highly awaited Mangal Pandey: The Rising demands a level of concentration and discipline from its listener.
Woven in the rustic fabric of Javed Akhtar's eloquent metaphors, Kailash Kher's bouncy singing and Rahman's inspiring notes, Mangal mangal is the album's lead track. It has three versions: Mangal, Aatma and Agni.
These three pieces expound on the three states of a revolutionary's mind, drawing a parallel between the rising sun and Mangal Pandey. The first articulates the simplicity, beauty and purity of daybreak, when the revolutionary is born. Then comes the aggressive Agni, where he emerges forth. In Aatma, he graduates to a martyr, and is met by approval and applause.
Rahman says the 'mujra song' was his most difficult composition. But the effort pays off richly. Main vari vari, with its splendid orchestra boasts of overwhelming classical character. Kavita Krishnamurthy's curvy crooning is suitably seductive and ably supported by Reena Bharadwaj's subdued refrains.
Heavy on arrangement, the playfulness of Holi re's verse does not tread on catchy grounds. In the end, it's just a boisterous piece of music, which expresses symphonic chaos, but lacks the rhythm of mischief.
Secrets of the heart are passionately revealed in Rasiya re. Uniquely, this is intense, not dark and flirtatious, not flippant. Be warned though, Rasiya is not easy listening. It will try your patience. Give it some space to grow on you.
Life is a bustling market with a price tag for everything. So goes Javed Akhtar's simile in Takey takey. Sardonic and scoffing, Takey takes on the dishonest society. It is more of a visual song that tries to make a point without really being entertaining.
Emotions run high in Rahman's penetrating rendition of the magnificently staged Al maddath maula.
Once the album gets over, there is a lingering feeling of disappointment. There are times when the soundtrack rises to escalating heights only to limp awkwardly later. Though the score is monumental, it is not Rahman at his best.
