Sameer

Verdict: Four on five
Om Shanti Om
Music directors: Vishal-Shekhar
Music label: T-Series

When we speak of tradition, we often think of it as an indistinguishable lump of past, which has nothing to do with the present or future. But come to think of it one realises how important any tradition is in shaping the sensibilities of the present. Farah Khan of all people should know this. Unlike most of her contemporaries, she’s a director who has grown up on typical masala Bollywood films and belongs to that tradition of filmmaking. And her unapologetic attitude towards this tradition is reflected in her work. At times she looks back at tradition and laughs at it, but all in good spirit. The music of her film appropriately reflects her position. And it is for this ‘retrospective’, that the film’s music deserves to be applauded.

Vishal-Shekhar (of whom Vishal has been a hardcore rocker) too have very beautifully adapted their music to suit her sensibilities. The thing with Om Shanti Om’s music is that it’s rooted in a tradition of filmmaking that is often rejected by the highbrow intellectuals. So if you are looking for some music that you can sit back and listen to on a quiet Sunday evening, this is certainly not it. And in that sense, a critical dissection of the album is also an exercise in futility.

Let’s just say then that not very often does one come across a music track like Om Shanti Om which makes you laugh, cry and dance. It’s the kind of music that needs to be felt and not just heard. Please don’t mistake this for an impulsive gush. But for someone whose staple diet has been Hindi film music, one cannot help but smile at the cheeky ingenuity.

Listen to the track – Dhoom taana for instance. And you cannot help but picturise oversized pots and drums with Jeetendra and Sridevi dancing on the beach. Or else, Dastaan-E-Om Shanti Om, which takes a cue from Ek Haseena Thi (Karz).

That’s the magic of OSO’s music. It travels through time, draws upon the various ages in Bollywood and basically gives you a score that is eclectic and at the same time quite enjoyable. But ask for a favourite and the answer would be Ajab si. Wonderfully written and set to tune, this one is a clear chartbuster. The remixes however, could well be given a pass because in an album as this one, these tracks are more of sore thumbs than anything else.

So would we recommend you to buy this track? Certainly! Unless of course you’ve looked down upon Bollywood music in your childhood.