Rangan on the Guzaarish soundtrack

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METRE IS TO MUSIC what iron bars are to a lioness in captivity – it calms us with the illusion that the untamable has been tamed. Without this rhythmic symmetry, we are no longer in charge. The music is in charge, the music controls us – much like how free verse mandates that we bend to its idiosyncratic will in ways that formally fashioned poetry doesn’t. When music is compacted into neat measures, we can afford to relegate it to the background as we cook and do the laundry and drive to work with the corner of an eye on the latest incoming text message. We can even hum along. Pop music – whose mission is to be contemporary and catchy – thrives on metrical precision, and because most Indian pop music is really film music, our songs are almost always constructed like pop songs, with short musical phrases, with intentional repeats at regular intervals, and with the metre exposed through pulsating percussion. One-two-three-FOUR, one-two-three-FOUR our internal metronome goes, and our feet pick up these subconscious signals and tap along in sweet submission.

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16 Responses to “Rangan on the Guzaarish soundtrack”

  1. I find the Guzaarish soundtrack something between a chore and punishment barring a couple of songs but I am always willing to learn from Rangan. That will come later however as I have to catch a preview show of Unstoppable soon!

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  2. alex adams Says:

    not sure about the music of guzarsh , that i have not had a chance to listen properly in its entirety…
    but a master-class delivered by b rangan.
    dont think that the guzaarish music will ever give me as much pleasure as rangans lines describing it have….

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  3. It was such a pleasure to go through the review.
    I think I’ll enjoy the songs of Guzaarish much more after being educated so well about them.

    I had to smile at the description of the rhythm in ‘Kahne ko jashne bahaaran hai’ (from JA) as ‘ tick-tock rhythm ‘. Come to think of it, it *is*. I love that song though.

    One of my greatest disappointments for me was that the song ‘Baawre’ from LBC never got any awards.

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  4. This review is truly masterful and instructive in the extreme. Reading it one wishes that Rangan would publish a book consisting of his best pieces. Having said that and while I find Rangan’s summary of what Bhansali’s music is about (throughout his career) persuasive I must confess I am completely unable to ‘hear’ the album he describes when it comes to Guzaarish. But the piece certainly makes me want to give it another chance.

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    • Which of his other pieces do you consider exceptional? As I commented on Rangan’s blog, this piece is a class apart from his movie reviews. I haven’t read all of his movie reviews, so I might have missed some gems.

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  5. Utkal Mohanty Says:

    “truly masterful and instructive in the extreme.” On the contrary. It is totally bakwas. One can write this kind of stuff about any album. Satyam, like you, I am completely unable to ‘hear’ the album he describes when it comes to Guzaarish. Music is made out of beats or rhythm, melody and harmony. If it does not have beats at least it should have melody. In plain words it should have great tunes. The tunes here are all derivative, and wishy, washy. Very mediocre. Compunded by mediocre and contrived lyrics. Gulzarish does not mean of the level of Gulzar. Yes, one can take pyar rhyming with ikraar, but the thoughts binding the two better be something new if we are going to care. And talking of mediocre lyrics Sawairya had a truckload of them. Masha Allah, I believe! Please spare us your operatic pretensions.

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    • Respectfully disagree. Sorry to say, you missed the point. Rangan truly believes in what he has written. It comes across in the writing and is persuasive enough to make people give the album a second try. Whether he is right or not is not the point. And unless he truly believed it, he could not have written such a stunning piece.

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      • Exactly, one person’s treasure is another person’s trash.

        What is with the herd mentality? Does everyone have to be in lock step?

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        • Utkal disagreed that the piece is “truly masterful and instructive in the extreme”. Now you can disagree with that statement. But you can’t say the writing is bakwas because you don’t agree with what the author has written. There are two things at play here

          1. Rangan’s writing
          2. Guzaarish music

          Most of us think that (2) sucks while (1) rocks. You are free to think that both sucks, but it doesn’t follow one another.

          So there is no herd mentality. I was only disagreeing with his reasoning.

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        • You misunderstood. That comment was aimed at Utkal for thinking that Rangan had to agree with his view of Guzaarish music.

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    • Utkal.. I’m afraid I am not as convinced of the ‘absoluteness’ of my opinion! And I don’t believe the Rangan piece could have been written for anything but the subject at hand. That’s a bit much on your part as well!

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  6. As I have said, I have loved the soundtrack immensely and Rangan’s beautiful writing does complete justice to it. Simply loved this line.

    “In Tera zikr, which exudes an incense-shrouded air of spirituality, the singer lingers a few extra seconds on ki in the phrase paagal ki tarah, and you catch a glimpse of his pained madness.”

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  7. I concur with Rangan. Seem to find new favourites everytime i give it a listen. Currently love ‘Keh Na Saku’.

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  8. Utkal Mohanty Says:

    There two components to a good review whether for films or music. One part is insight and understanding the other other expression of that. I agree Rangan scores on the second part. But he falters too often in the first part both in his film reviews and music reviews to quality as a good reviewer in my book. It is my belief that he falters in judgment because he wants to stand apart and be noticed. If most critics think Saawaariya is trash he wants to find merit in it. If everyone thinks Dark Knight or Taare Zameen Par are great he likes to pronounce that they are just about okay. That gives him ore center spot as a critic.

    ” But you can’t say the writing is bakwas because you don’t agree with what the author has written.”

    I can. Because if i feel that the tunes are wishy washy, derivative, and the lyrics contrived and a critic fails to point that out the piece is bakwas. Because the rest is just good English.

    There is a popular game whee you are supposed t come out with two statement for the same truth.
    Eg: ” He is acopy cat.” ” I am a camera”

    So one ca say ” The music not enslaved bu beats.” Or” The music lacks verve and puts you to sleep.”
    Which is the truth? Obviously at this point it is subjective. So if a critic;s judgment does not match mine his insights are suspect for me. And only then I will bother to read his analysis. I mean I will give it a try. But If I still am not moved, I will permanently question his judgment.

    That’s what hapened with me with regard to rangan’s writing. No matter how much I tried I could not see any merit in Saawariya, Drona or CCTC. In fact the pretensions and the failures became more glaring. The same goes for the music of Guzaarish.

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    • “I can. Because if i feel that the tunes are wishy washy, derivative, and the lyrics contrived and a critic fails to point that out the piece is bakwas. Because the rest is just good English.”

      So if a critic doesn’t agree with you, his review is bakwas ? This is where we disagree. I don’t agree with his opinion (on Guzaarish) but to me the writing is masterful. And maybe there is a misunderstanding here. I think satyam was referring to his writing and not his opinion when he said “truly masterful and instructive in the extreme” So when you call it bakwas you are wrong because even you agree that his writing is good. (Whether his opinion is bakwas or not is subjective)

      “So if a critic;s judgment does not match mine his insights are suspect for me. And only then I will bother to read his analysis”

      What is the point of reading only opinions which match yours? Don’t you ever
      think that maybe you are wrong / you failed to see something that others could ?
      I’m not saying you are always wrong but seeking out only opinions that match yours mean that you will be living in an echo chamber.

      “It is my belief that he falters in judgment because he wants to stand apart and be noticed. If most critics think Saawaariya is trash he wants to find merit in it. If everyone thinks Dark Knight or Taare Zameen Par are great he likes to pronounce that they are just about okay. That gives him ore center spot as a critic”

      Rangan is not trying to be contrarian and neither is he one. The man has opinions (as everyone should). There are several films
      in which he is in sync with majority critic opinion – A Wednesday, Dev D, kaminey, luck by chance, toy story 3, public enemies etc.

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  9. Utkal Mohanty Says:

    ” Don’t you ever think that maybe you are wrong / you failed to see something that others could ? ”

    Of course. the one major point of reading review is the possibility of coming into contact with another point of view. But the fact, is, while listening to Guzaarish, I had already thought of looking at the music from the angles pointed out by Rangan and found it wanting.

    In terms of writing, what I object to a school of criticism, where if you say’ The film is not gripping’, you say’ It is not meant to be.” ” But it does not even have interesting moments” And you say ” It is not meant to have.” That way you can justify anything.

    And my problem with his writing on Dark Knight or TZP is not finding faults with them, which he has every right to. But he should first mention the considerable positives achieved by the films. similarly, it would be nice to read some merits one missed in Saawariya or Drona, but if you are writing a newspaper review, first you must point out the basic flaws and failures that swamp the films. am talking of a sense of perspective that makes him give a rating of 4 stars to Raavan and 3 stars to a totally mediocre film like Anjaani Anjaana that gives me the impression that he wants to be contrarian.

    But what I do appreciate is his approach to the writing, what should it contain and what aspects should be covered in the writing. But will I take a tip from him about whether I should check out a film or buy an album. No. I haven’t bothered to see Drona, CCTC, Tashan or Anjaana Anjaani. I am not buying Guzaarish, either.

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