For the past 2 weeks, I have only
been listening to the songs of Rockstar
in a loop, day and night. I do have the habit of getting addicted to Bollywood
songs but never have I seen myself like this with just one album. The music of Rockstar is not something extra-ordinary.
It is still only one of those A R Rahman compilations, nothing beyond that. It
is Rahman’s first album in a rock genre and he’s made it even more spectacular
by giving a Sufi touch to it. That is definitely a marvel, just like bringing a
guitar into a qawwali. But what makes
me obsessed with the songs is - Mohit Chauhan singing different genres. For a
singer, who has only sang slow romantic numbers or slightly melancholic ones;
this album is definitely a change from a lake to an ocean.
For those who don’t know who
Mohit Chauhan is, remember the song ‘Masakali’ from Dilli 6 that captured a lot of hearts? That was Mohit. While A R
Rahman brought him behind the screens for ‘Khoon Chala’ from Rang De Basanti, it was Imtiaz Ali who
made sure his voice was heard through ‘Tumse Hi’ from Jab We Met. Now they are both together in giving Mohit an album of
a lifetime through Rockstar. ARR’s
trust is very much evident from the fact that he gave Mohit, 9 out of 14 songs in
the album!! Out of the other five, 3 are instrumentals and 2 are exclusive
female ones!
The reason I like him is mainly
for his voice. It is nasal, sweet and deep at the same time. Due to my
inability to express them in words, here are a few suggestions (or
recommendations) – ‘Tujhe Bhula Diya’ from Anjaana
Anjaani, ‘Yun Hi’ from Tanu Weds Manu, 'Pee Loon' from Once Upon a Time in Mumbai and ‘Tujhko Jo Paaya’ from Crook. There
are lots more and putting them here makes it a copy of his Wiki page. But am
sure the recent ones are going to be talked about much in the future.
I have also had the privilege of
seeing Mohit Chauhan perform live. He just makes your body glued to the seat
and lets your mind wander away. Today, if you ask me who my favourite singer
is, my hand will point to him only!
Rockstar songs are nice, but not exceptional. Might be just my opinion though :)
ReplyDeleteAnyways, wasn't Tujhko Jo Paaya sung by KK? Or am I mistaken?
@Gaya - They are nice alright but not exceptional (only) by ARR standards! And Tujhko has two versions. One by KK that comes in the movie. there is a reprise version or something that was sung by Mohit. good that you brought it up, listen to both. Difference is clear!
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