HAIDER: Music Review

Film: Haider
Director: Vishal Bhardwaj
Music: Junglee Music
Rating: ****


Bollywood: Director-composer Vishal Bhardwaj has ingeniously infused the flavours of Kashmiri folk
songs and instruments while Gulzar has brought in the nuances of Urdu into this film's soundtrack.
Vishal Dadlani opens the album with the powerful guitar-driven Aao Na, which has the maker's
favourite lyricist, Gulzar's expressions. He has used a rubab and other instruments native of Kashmir
for the bouncy Bismil, where the modes and lyrics are set to a stage play. Sukhwinder Singh succeeds
here as the singer, like he did in a similar song situation for Bhardwaj's Kaminey. The dark and
brooding Jhelum is set to electric guitar and Gulzar's powerfully visual phrases like Jhelum hua
kharaa. The composer himself goes behind the mike for this semi-classical one, with elan. Gulon
Mein Rang Bhare is a Mehdi Hassan song that Arijit Singh has rendered with conviction, doing justice
to late poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz's eternal words. The melodious Do Jahan is an old Kashmiri folk song,
with additional lyrics by Gulzar. Playback singer Suresh Wadkar sounds tedious. Shraddha Kapoor's
bits are surprisingly refreshing. The stunning Ek Aur Bismil is a reprise of Bismil, with the words and
Singh's voice given a makeover that sounds Arabic. Bhardwaj has taken a refrain from Aao Na and
turned it into a local worker's song So Jao, with the rustic voices of Bashir Lone, Bashir Bhawani,
Muzamil Bhawani. Aaj Ke Naam is another Faiz Ahmad Faiz song brought to life by the composer's
music and his wife Rekha Bhardwaj's voice.