Bombay Talkies Music Review: Should Complement Storytelling

Bombay Talkies is a one-of-a-kind cinema that brings directors as diverse in their films as well as their thoughts under one roof – the common thread among them being their love for cinema. That apart, this film also happens to be a homage paid by these filmmakers (Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Banerjee, Karan Johar and Zoya Akhtar) to mark the centenary of Indian Cinema by means of an approx. 20 minute feature film directed by each of them; the theme being how cinema plays an integral part in every Indian’s life and ends up being the biggest influence in their lives. Music for this anthology film has been provided by Amit Trivedi with the lyrics being penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya and Swanand Kirkire.

When four incredibly talented directors join hands to make a film, it is indeed a no-brainer that the music for the film will reflect their tastes and the job of the music composer becomes all the more difficult since he has to cater to their varied preferences without compromising on the music quality. It sure will be interesting to see how music composer Amit Trivedi has fared in reflecting the individual preferences of the directors whilst at the same time ensuring that the music climbs up the popularity chart, which anyways is the yardstick for measuring commercial success.

The album opens fittingly with a tribute to one of the biggest legends of Indian Cinema, Amitabh Bachchan in the form of Give it up for Bachchan. This track is part of Anurag Kashyap’s film which is based on an ardent fan’s wish to meet Amitabh Bachchan. This peppy number does catch one’s attention at the outset with its quirky lyrics as well as due to the spirited singing by Sukhwinder Singh. Though the composition itself might be just about average, what does make the song special are the lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya which are a compilation of some of the most memorable dialogues from the legend’s films. Revisiting those unforgettable lines is sure to make the listener nostalgic and that’s more than enough to make this song climb the popularity charts.

Next in line is Akkad Bakkad which is basically a tribute to the hundred glorious years of Indian cinema in the voice of Mohit Chauhan. This is a typical Amit Trivedi composition and is a breezy and light track with simple lyrics (Swanand Kirkire) but does not really register beyond a point though the track itself is not exactly bad. It just loses out only due to its seeming familiarity.

The album takes a turn for the better with the wonderful Murabba. Kavita Seth’s voice is soothing and she is given excellent company by the music director himself. The lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya are pleasant and soothing on the ears and Kavita’s delectable vocals, in particular, lift up the song by quite a few notches. A beautiful number indeed!

The title song Bombay Talkies follows Murabba and has a theatrical touch to it as it sounds more suited to a stage play rather than a feature film. Music again is nothing extraordinary in spite of the array of instruments used including guitars, dhol and so on and the lyrics too follow the same pattern of praising the magic of cinema and its influence on people’s lives. Still, what needs to be specially mentioned is the feisty and energetic singing by both Kailash Kher and Richa Sharma which makes the song enjoyable to listen to.

Javed Bashir is brought in to render the other version of Murabba and he does not disappoint. His racy singing is as infectious as the train based rhythm which runs in the background. Amit’s talent comes to the foray with this eclectic composition that varies from the other Murabba like chalk and cheese but equally impressive, nevertheless.

The final number is the mashup version of the title song, Bombay Talkies which will surely make one nostalgic since the lyrics of Swanand Kirkire has been set to a tune which is basically a khichdi of some of the most popular songs of Hindi Cinema. It is indeed wonderful to hear the vocals of an array of talented singers who have come together to deliver a song which is designed to bring back memories for the listener and that is exactly the reason this composition will win hands down as against the earlier version.

Overall, the soundtrack of Bombay Talkies may not be that appealing when heard as a standalone album but the fact of the matter is that this soundtrack is something which is meant to complement the storytelling and not expected to break records musically. It is indeed praiseworthy that the makers have not compromised for commercial success and have provided a soundtrack which is meant to seamlessly integrate with the various storylines.

Our Picks: Murabba and Give it up for Bachchan.