Bajirao Mastani is an upcoming historic epic starring Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra in lead roles. The lyrics for Telugu version are written by Rama Jogayya Sastry and music is composed by the director Sanjay Leela Bhansali himself. Here is an iQlik exclusive audio review of this grand album:
The royal album begins with Mastani begins in great vigor having effective and poetic lyrics which speak of nativity. This single has already become a great hit in Hindi and the Telugu version sounds equally fantastic in mesmerizing vocals of Shreya Ghoshal and passionate lyrics. The ethnic rhythm section and riveting strings are quite brilliant to hear. The interludes take the listener to the glorious historic years of Bajirao’s rule with a tinge of artistic fervor.
Edhalo Ninne starts off as a deep composition with shades of Hindustani Raag Panthuvarali which is usually used to express sadness or deep thought. However, as the song progresses it takes a detour to Raag Bhupali which is quite contrasting and optimistic. Vijay Prakash does a fantastic job with his emotional rendition and once again lyrics by Rama Jogayya Sastry stand out unique for a dubbing album. The light harmonium touches and eerie rhythm sets the stage for this master class compositon.
The album gathers some pep and pace with Mahalinga which is a typical Bhansal’s dance number sung admirably by Divya Kumar, Mani Iyer, Arun Ingle and Kaustubh Datar. The feisty horns, high voltage chorus create a festive ambience which gets the listener to a celebration mood.
Meera Chittachora is a phenomenal classical Meera Bhajan sung with amazing presentation by Shreya Ghoshal. Rama Jogayya Sastry again makes sure the Telugu nativity isn’t missed for this essentially north based composition. Pt. Birju Maharaj, who earlier worked with Bhansali in Devdas makes his divine voice as a highlight here again.
Optimism and devotion gets a new meaning with Jayabheri composed by Hindustani Raag Bhupali laden with yesteryear horns, brilliant strings and tabla touches. The singers did a commendable job in terms of Telugu diction and Rama Jogayya Sastry does a fantastic job in localizing the Telugu flavor.
Bangari Pori is a fun number sung perfectly by Shreya Ghoshal and Neeti Mohan- two celebrated singers who made it big in the national level. Despite the fun touches, the song has a breathtaking classical flavor which is evident throughout the progress. The syncopated rhythm is a delight to hear with timely riffs and the historic celebration essence.
Bhansali takes the listener to deeper worlds of classicism with Naatho Mukha Mukhi rendered by the young talented singer Javed Ali. The introspective yet mild bass work and neat strings add like an icing on the cake along with dew drop Sitar which sounds downright expressive. It is indeed wonderful to hear such convincing lyrics tossed with words like nireekshana penned by Rama Jogayya Sastry.
The album strikes a finale with a typical Marathi devotional song Gajanana for Lord Ganesha. The rhythm takes a front seat here and effective chorus joins the Ganesha Stuthi with great ease. In short, this song sets the stage for an ideal finale leaving the listener in a meditative trance.
Verdict:
Bajrao Mastani is a fantastic album laden with class and royal fervor with every track. However, the biggest credit goes to the lyricist Rama Jogayya Sastry for giving it a convincing nativity with his timely usage of words!
Rating: 3.5/5