Works Quite Well As A Packaged Affair

An A. R. Rahman score for a story which is set in Benaras? Sounds like quite an interesting idea since Rahman's music has time and again carried a Sufi flavour to it while one associates a different sound altogether when it comes to the Holy city of Benaras. Nevertheless, given the fact that Aanand L Rai is one of those filmmakers who is trying to bring in a new grammar on screen while Irshad Kamil's lyrics have time and again worked well with varied composers, there are high expectations from what Raanjhanaa has to offer, especially considering the fact that it has Dhanush and Sonam as a lead pair.

A.R. Rahman, who has always experimented with different voices, pulls in Jaswinder Singh and Shiraz Uppal for the all important title song Raanjhnaa Hua Mein Tera. A song that carries a trademark Rahman touch to it with Irshad's lyrics weaving the magic once again, it starts off well, only to lead to a very impressive 'antra' portion. In fact this is the part of the song which actually plays during the theatrical promo as well and hence there is an instant connect as well. There is certain purity in the song and that works well in setting the stage for Raanjhanaa.

Indian classical music forms the base for Banarasiya which follows next. If the first hearing leads to a sense of being surprised, repeated hearing of the song takes one back to the late 90s and early 2000s when Rahman composed quite a few songs on these lines. It is good to see Shreya Ghoshal being roped in for this rooted number that also has a devotional touch to it, albeit quite subtle. A song that ensures that the flow of Raanjhanaa is maintained, it is a happy outing for the female protagonist (Sonam Kapoor) and carries a classy feel to it.