Ek Thi Daayan: Music Review (Vishal Bhardwaj, Gulzar)

When I heard Matru ki Bijlee ka Mandola, I was a little disappointed. The songs were good, but they were not what you expect from Vishal Bhardwaj and Gulzar after waiting so long for every album. But then, this time, the wait wasn't too long, and the results are just beautiful. No issues, Vishal. And Gulzar sir, just keep showing us your magic.

And now, let me begin with a confession.

Before I could get my hands on the song Yaaram, I had read the lyrics of the song. I was fascinated with the words. Just flabbergasted, head over heels, whatever you say. And then I read that piece of poetry again, and again. And then only I heard the song, and saw the promo. And somehow the whole process made me feel that Vishal couldn't do complete justice with Gulzar's words in this one. No, I am not saying the song is bad by any standards. But I still feel the superb beginning of the song kind of gets lost where the best words of the song begin:

Tumhaari file-ein, tumhaari diary
Gaadi ki chaabiyaan, tumhaari eyenakein
Tumhaara laptop, tumhaari cap, phone
Aur apna dil..
Still, a Very lovely song. Must listen.

The next track is Phurr kar ke. Tote ud gaye. I was missing Suresh Wadkar in MKBKM. And he's back here, with no less than Sukhwinder and Rekha to support him. The song, which personifies the heart and makes some respectful fun of it too, maybe slightly short of Raat ke Dhai baje in the element of madness. But it's certainly worth shaking a leg.

The next song, 'Kaali Kaali Aankhon ka' is a romantic track with a haunting music, and some haunting effects in the beginning of lyrics too, with the words kaali aankhon ka kaala jaadu. The song, which talks about eyes through its length, has some lovely comparisons drawn by Gulzar. The music fits the movie and the lyrics well, and Clinton's voice surprisingly sounds great for this song. My guess is that he's not sung this kind of a song before. His first solo for Vishal comes out really well. Still, listen to the song for its lyrics.

Lautungi Main Tere Liye is the Rekha Bharadwaj track of the album. Haunting in lyrics, music and singing, the song should be the flagship song for the movie, as there is no title song. Anyway, being serious, the song is slow, serious and grows on you slowly. Should be more effective with the visuals, though.

Sapna re Sapna, the last of the album, is a lullaby, sung by Padmanabh Gaikwad, a kid of twelve, from Saregamapa Little Champs. The lyrics of the song, quite Gulzar-esque, have some really lovely lines. It's been long since I heard something like 'bhoore bhoore baadalon ke bhaalu, loriyaan sunaayen la-la-la-lu..'. So yes, I did love the lyrics, but the surprise of the song is Padmanabh, the kid who sings with the maturity of an adult. I mean, you can almost hear Rekha Bharadwaj in his voice. Not exactly, of course. But you get the drift.

So there it is, an album of five superb tracks featuring Suresh Wadkar to Sunidhi Chauhan and Sukhwinder Singh to Padmanabh Gaikwad. And no Mika. No, I don't hate him as a singer, but I believe a few albums without him wouldn't be a bad idea. Salute to Gulzar sir for the wonderful lyrics, and Vishal as well, for something that we can keep playing for a few months to come, at least.