NH10 Music Review: Radically Different Yet Engaging

Actress Anushka Sharma makes her debut as a producer with Navdeep Singh directed NH10. Neil Bhoopalam stars opposite Anushka in this road trip thriller which has its music composed by a host of newcomers including Bann Chakraborty, Samira Koppikar, Ayush Shrestha & Savera Mehta along with youngsters Sanjeev-Darshan. The presence of too many composers does make one wonder whether this album too will turn out to be a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth as was witnessed in the recent past. But on the other hand, the infusion of fresh blood in the music industry is a welcome sign and therefore one hopes that these composers will be able to live up to the belief and trust of the producers, and by extension, the listeners. So let’s see what is in store for us.

The album opens with Chhil Gaye Naina which has been composed by Sanjeev-Darshan and what a revelation it turns out to be! If you are looking for hard rock grunge, then this one is for you. KanikaBaby Doll Kapoor rocks this one with her awesome vocals and it is indeed a refreshing change to see her singing a ‘non-item’ number. Dipanshu Pandit provides the perfect support for Kanika in this Kumaar written short grunge track which one can safely say is on its way to the top of the music charts. Rocking!

Newcomer Bann Chakraborty (Music & Lyrics) takes over from here with Le Chal Mujhe which comes in not one or two but hold your breath, five different versions in this album! While we have Mohit Chauhan singing the Male version, Golden Boy Arijit Singh makes his mark with the Reprise version. Shilpa Rao is the chosen one for the female version of this jazz inspired track. Mohit’s version is waltz-like with just the slight hint of Rock and suits the singer to a tee. The composition (interspersed with some lovely guitar solos) takes its time to score with the listener but does succeed ultimately. The Reprise version has Arijit putting his slightly drawling vocals to optimum use what with this version being heavy on jazz and the piano and manages to give a splendid performance as usual. Shilpa Rao’s vocals stand out in the female version of Le Chal Mujhe and that seems to be intentional since the music seems to have been toned down a notch with the aim of highlighting Rao’s silky and sensuous vocals.

Khoney De is the fourth version of Le Chal Mujhe but the structure of the composition is slightly different with eclectic musical styles thrown in to the mix albeit with surprisingly good results!  Mohit Chauhan is a class apart with his rendition and giving good company to him is Neeti Mohan. But the part which left a bitter taste in my mouth was the chorus which was quite spooky what with the discordant and incessant wailing making one wonder whether there is some supernatural element in the film’s screenplay! The saxophone is the dominant instrument in the instrumental version of Khoney De and makes quite an impression. The chorus too sounds a little less creepy here providing some welcome relief!

Maati Ka Palang has a lovely sitar-tabla in the interlude which absolutely blew me away! Composed and sung by Samira Koppikar, this one makes awesome use of bass sounds and the fusion of hard rock and traditional instruments in this Neeraj Rajawat composition leaves the listener wanting for more. Though Koppikar sounds a little like Rekha Bhardwaj in the beginning, she comes into her own with the chorus and manages to leave a distinct impression on the listener.

Main Jo is the only track of this album which has a happy feel to it and is quite endearing too. Written by Manoj Tapadia and sung quite uniquely by Nayantara Bhatkal, it reminds one of the songs from Anushka’s earlier release PK and is fairly likeable. Composers Ayush Shrestha and Savera Mehta keep the tune simple and engaging and leave it to the singers (Bhatkal and composer Savera Mehta) to do the rest.

Composers Ayush Shrestha and Savera Mehta’s other contribution to this album is the pensive Kya Karein. Purely situational, the song has been literally whispered by Rachel Varghese! The arrangement is next to nothing except for the occasional piano therefore pushing the singer’s voice to the forefront. This turns out to be a very wise move from the composers since Varghese’s rendition is so flawless and effective that one can almost empathize with the despondent feelings of the protagonist in the film.

To sum up, the soundtrack of NH10 is one of the most radically different soundtracks that one has heard in a long time. Purely situational with absolutely no importance given for commercial aspects, this album might not exactly turn out to be a commercial blockbuster. But it does have the meat in it to cater to the needs of a discerning listener. A commendable effort indeed!

Our Picks: Khoney De, Maati Ka Palang and Chhil Gaye Naina