One day I would like Mehra or a director similarly inclined to perhaps break out of Delhi or Bombay or even Hyderabad and perhaps examine a city less central to ‘Hindi’ consciousness. Select a new topos in a sense. A city or part of a city with overlapping linguistic spheres and so on.

It contains some unique Bachchan moments..

Goodfella: The monkeyman tale (and of course this was true for the actual story when it broke and remains unsolved as far as I know) always had an element of the surreal to it..

This is clearly more surreal stuff, though…

Q. We all know the movie is based in Old Delhi area, which is also known as Delhi 6 because of the area’s pin code which is 110006. Is there any other reason? After Rang De Basanti, I have high expectations from Delhi 6 and also have the confidence that it will also turn out to be a classic.

A. Delhi 6 is not just a story about old Delhi or the walled city of Delhi. But it’s a journey to discover the India that resides outside of the metropolis. Just like Delhi, there is an old part of Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Kanpur, Lucknow, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and I could go on and on. Essentially the heart of our country resides in these pockets. Delhi happened to be the place because I grew up there and knew it better than any of the others.

From ROM @ Facebook:

Q. I heard that you had shot two climaxes for the movie…which have you selected?
A. Actually it was the other way round, I had two beginnings in mind which would then lead to two different climaxes. But I firmly believe that we have to make a choice and go with conviction. It was a difficult choice to make but we did.

I’ve long suspected that Mehra has figured out his own comfort zone with RDB.. D6 looks to have a similar structural underpinning.. lots of characters.. lots of humor in the first half alternating with more reflective stuff.. then the dramatic crisis of the second half..

according to a news story Mehra shot two endings.. one where Abhishek lives and one where he doesn’t at the end.. not sure if the story was story and if so no one knows what ending he’s used..

(on facebook)

Aside: ROM did a superb job of integrating the soundtrack with the film in RDB. If he is nearly as good on that aspect in Delhi 6 as he was in RDB, it would be a treat.

On AP this is my personal favorite among the maestro’s works.. to me the very best Rahman there is.. I see your point as a critical matter but on a personal level I doubt I could ever put anything beside the likes of Iruvar or Kandukondain or AP and some others from that entire. Similarly I don’t know if I’ve liked any single Rahman composition as much as the title song of KM (female version) since that film’s release. But again these are all personal preferences.

Your point on ‘AP meets Yuva’ in the context of D6 is very suggestive..

It will rank up with one of Rahman’s best.

Comparsions are probably too early but this ranks up there with the very best along with Dil Se, AP, KK, etc. On the first few hundred listenings, the sound is more like AP meets Yuva.

Thumbs up to Prasoon as well. He is in fine, fine form here.

Aarti is piously serene while Arziyan pulls off the same thing with aplomb, just in another religion. Shreya Ghosal compliments Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan amazingly well in the classically inclined, Bhor Bhaye, even as Rahman treats this song with the respect and austerity it deserves. The title song is über cool – superb vocals by Blaaze, Benny, Vivienne, Tanvi and Claire – all blend in a way that only Rahman can accomplish. Ash King and Rahman’s backgrounds – in that order – are in rocking form in Dil gira dafatan…the way Rahman adds and builds on the orchestration is nothing short of enchanting!

In a spectacular Vishal Bharadwaj’esque twist, Genda phool not only utilizes Rekha Bharadwaj’s rustic vocals beautifully, but also seems to emulate and goes one step over Vishal’s usual music style, with a brusque rhythm et all! Prasoon Joshi’s lyrics stand out in the pop’ily catchy Hey kaala bandar that digs some shine off the director’s last outing. Ditto with Noor, where Amitabh’s narration is heard in an ethereal set-up.

Above all these incredible goodies, the soundtrack belongs to Mohit Chauhan’s Masakali and Rahman’s own Rehna tu! While Masakali is a pitch-perfect, perfectly in sync melody dipping into the choicest exotic world music styles, complete with a jaw-dropping orchestration and magnificent singing by Mohit, Rehna tu sees the composer creating pure sensory delight. Prasoon’s lyrics again speak for themselves beyond the already brilliant tune while Rahman, along with Benny and Tanvi evoke a reaction that can best be described by the after-effects…weak in my knees! And boy…that strange and bizarre, extended carnatic ending…unbelievable!

Rakeysh Mehra is one blessed director, to have inspired such an awe-inspiring assortment of songs marked by its collective dramatic diversity. Delhi 6 is one of the best ever soundtracks I’ve heard in ages.

And Gujri Todi is indeed a raag..

Much as, and again as a personal matter, I stubbornly cling to many moments in ‘Tamil’ Rahman that always give me more pleasure than anything else by Rahman is ever likely to. Some Rathnam works, something like Kandukondain and so on. Again it’s a question of memory but also that first ’shock’ of being exposed to Rahman..

But D6 all the same is quite spectacular..

While Ustad Barle Ghulam Ali Khan and Gujri Todi put forth tremendous support, it is Shreya Ghoshal who never fails to amaze

I think Gujri Todi is the raag here. Rahman has probably taken Ustad’s recording and reworked it.