Gulaab Gang Music Review: Boasts Of Earthiness And Indianness

Producer Anubhav Sinha manages a casting coup by bringing together two of the top leading ladies of the 90s, Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla with Gulaab Gang which also happens to be the directorial vehicle of debutante Director / Music Composer Soumik Sen. Lyrics for the film has been penned by Neha Saraf with Shreya Narayan and Soumik Sen contributing with one song each. Despite the casting coup that has surely piqued audience’s interest in Gulaab Gang, expectations are balanced. With its rural setting and a debutante music composer, it is surely untested waters for the listener. And it is up to this Director cum Music Composer to make full use of this golden opportunity and leave a mark not just musically but even otherwise in the audience’s minds.

The title track Gulaabi opens the soundtrack and immediately sets the tone of this album. Anthemic in nature and sung rousingly by Shilpa Rao and Malabika Brahma, this one leaves quite an impression on the listener. Neha Saraf’s lyrics sings paeans about women empowerment and are quite impactful. Composer Soumik Sen scores with this delightful track, the Sarod interlude especially is a masterstroke! A superb start to the album indeed!

Dheemi Dheemi si can best be described as a musical duel between the lead artistes. Providing the vocal firepower for this phataka of a number is Malabika Brahma (yet again) along with Kaushiki Chakrabarty who incidentally steals the thunder with her amazing rendition. This classical - folk fusion track starts on a slow note but gathers momentum as it progresses and Neha Saraf’s lyrics have the desired impact. Soumik Sen’s composition might not enjoy much success at the popularity charts but should surely complement the storyline and have a much better impact on the big screen.

Malabika Brahma makes it three in a row with Sharm Laaj which can be loosely tagged as an “Item Number.” Along with Pavni Pandey, Malabika belts out Shreya Narayan’s teasing lyrics with aplomb. But the same cannot be said about Soumik Sen’s composition which is just about average and just does not have enough firepower in it to make a lasting impression in the listener’s minds.

Aankhiyaan sees Kaushiki Chakrabarty taking centre-stage with her melodious voice and she makes full use of the minimalistic instrumentation employed by the composer. Of all the assorted instruments used in this track, the flute stands out subtly and effortlessly melts into the mood of the number. In spite of its obvious melody, this Neha Saraf written number has a very sluggish pace which beyond a point tends to wear out the listener and one loses interest midway into this number. Again, this might have a better effect visually but as a stand-out track it fails to hold the listener’s attention.

With the film arriving in theatres around Holi time, it is but obvious that there will be a Holi song in the album. But unlike other Holi songs that focus on fun and merriment, Rang Se hui is more poignant. Written by Neha Saraf and sung soulfully by Koushiki Chakrabarty, the song is mellow and has an inherent sadness in it. Soumik Sen’s composition again is not something that might cater to the masses but might be well appreciated by a discerning listener.

Rangi Saari Gulaabi puts Madhuri Dixit’s singing skills into test with her mother Snehalata Dixit, no less along with Anupama Raag. The prime takeaways from this song are Madhuri’s decent singing skills and the overwhelming presence of the Shehnai.

Teri Jai Ho is the perfect tribute to women and women empowerment that can be done musically by the director-composer. This strings based melody is soothing and Soumik Sen who not only pens the lyrics for this inspiring number also gets behind the mike and passionately croons a poetic tribute to the fairer sex and their importance and contribution to society. Teri Jai Ho is indeed heartwarming and ends the album on a high note!

Overall, the soundtrack of Gulaab Gang is on expected lines with situational tracks dominating the album. Director- Composer Soumik Sen needs to be applauded for not succumbing to temptations instead creating a soundtrack which should fit in perfectly with the mood and theme of the movie. Though it might not turn chartbuster, Gulaab Gang’s earthiness and Indianness should definitely appeal to a niche audience.

Our Picks: Gulaabi and Teri Jai Ho