Bhaag Milkha Bhaag Music Review: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Back With A Bang

To begin with, one isn't really sure what to expect from the music of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. In fact the very fact that there are as many as eight songs in the album surprises you since in a theme based film with sports as a central element, one expected three to four songs at maximum. However as the soundtrack flows, one realises that Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy along with Prasoon Joshi have come together with the kind of music that would give a solid push to the narrative of this Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra film.

The album kick-starts on a sober note with a 100 second long Gurbani which has Daler Mehndi singing in a manner that only he can. The sound of violin in the background gives this rather quiet pace a very soothing feel and one actually wishes that there was much more in the offering than eventually what plays in the audio.

The album changes gears immediately after with Siddharth Mahadevan, who is Shankar Mahadevan's son, taking centre-stage for an all-important number Zinda. A terrific song by all means which had made a quick impression when just a couple of lines were heard months back as a part of the film's teaser, it maintains a good momentum right through it's three and a half minute duration. Siddharth is further aided by the fact that Prasoon Joshi's lyrics are as meaningful as they get. Moreover, with the composer trio bringing on the kind of arrangements that they excel in, the end result is extremely effective and meaningful.

Javed Bashir is the singer who is roped in for Mera Yaar, a Sufi affair. A situational number that should go well with the film's theme, it yet again works due to the fact that it isn't corrupted by any commercial ingredients that would have possibly diluted the end result. Final outcome is a well sung number that one looks forward to seeing as the film's narrative unfolds.

Divya Kumar, who has started making his presence felt in numbers that require a unique style of singing, is the chosen one for Masthon Ka Jhund. He does well yet again in this folksy number which is given some good pace by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy that results in a foot tapping outing. Expect a bunch of young men to be coming together and celebrating togetherness in this well tuned and arranged song that has a vigorous appeal to it. Given Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's quest of bringing in some unique visuals for his screen outings, it won't be a surprise of Masthon Ka Jhund stands out as well.

With the album continuing to thrown some good numbers on a regular basis, there is yet another male solo track that comes next in the form of the title song Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. A terrific song which is next only to Zinda in terms of an overall class as well as mass appeal that it carries, it is raised to the next level with Arif Lohar going uninhibited in his approach as he goes about rendering this one. What adds further weight to this song are Prasoon Joshi's lyrics that could place this one as the next anthem track if any sportsperson goes on to win awards in the racing category.

Later in the album, Siddharth Mahadvan returns on the scene as well for the 'Rock version' of the song. It doesn't go berserk though in an endeavour to aim primarily at the urban audience and stays rooted in it's theme with just a slightly different presentation.

What turns out to be a rare downer though is Slow Motion Angreza. With a colonial feel to it, this song could well be suited for a situation in the film when Milkha finds himself in a foreign land. However, despite singers like Sukhwinder Singh, Loy Mendonsa and Shankar Mahadevan coming together, the song just doesn't fit into an overall scheme of songs. While one does sense an O. P. Nayyar style of composition here, it may have possibly worked as an isolated piece but not as a part of a cohesive soundtrack.

Thankfully the album concludes on a very good note with O Rangrez, a song that also holds the distinction of being the only one that has a female singer coming on the scene. With Javed Bashir as her partner behind the mike, Shreya Ghoshal gives a good account of herself in this love song which has a semi-classical base to it. With its lyrics too being far from conventional and carrying a class appeal, O Rangrez sounds like a number that would have made A. R. Rahman happy, especially in the way 'sur' and 'taal' come together.

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is a very good album and it wins on quite a few accounts, especially in the fact that it never loses sight of the film's theme. Moreover, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, who had not been in the Bollywood scheme of things for a while, return with a bang and demonstrate how they cannot be away from the scene for long. With Prasoon Joshi doing well yet again for Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra after Rang De Basanti and Delhi 6, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag boasts of the kind of music that would aid the narrative during it's play on screen.

Our picks:

Zinda, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, O Rangrez, Maston Ka Jhund