MUMBAI: Shah Rukh, Karan Johar, Kajol and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy – and not necessarily in that order – can be a potent combination if blended well in a feature film.
In My Name is Khan, Kajol glitters, Shah Rukh engages in parts, Karan does a good job of serving the NRI community well again, but SEL don’t lift the film above the level we have now come to expect as standard stuff from the trio.
That’s not to say the music of MNIK is ho-hum. On the album, Tere Naina may have sounded like insipid fare from Shafqat Amanat Ali to regulation SEL music. But on screen, when you combine it with Kajol’s fiery eyes, the growing chemistry between the lead pair and some good visuals, it becomes engaging fare.
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Niranjan Iyengar’s lyrics aren’t outstanding but they serve the purpose. The song, used like all other songs in the film in the background – does good service to indicate the growing affection between Shah Rukh and Kajol, and is used well in snatches throughout the movie – when Shah Rukh proposes to her, and also in the latter part of the movie when the relationship goes through a fragile phase. The Sufi / qawwali touch helps in this song – the first song that features in the film- and helps set the tenor.
Unfortunately, SEL appear to have been given the brief that the sufi/qawwali flavour be extended throughout the movie, save the background score – which has its western moments. Even Sajda, the much-played song on FM radio in the last few months, goes the same way, possibly to underline the Muslim identity of the lead character. Of course, powerful vocals by Shankar Mahadevan, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Richa Sharma lift it out of the realm of the ordinary. The enchanting chorus line and the dholak beats are another reason why this song fits in so well while the lead pair’s nuptials are on, in the foreground.
Noor-e-Khuda is well rendered by Adnan Sami and is a fitting accompaniment to Shah Rukh’s trudges all over the American countryside, in his quest to meet the President of the United States. Shankar Mahadevan and Shreya Ghoshal are their usual selves, excelling in what they do. The chorus here is hummable too, tugging at your heartstrings as you watch Shah Rukh lugging his heavy backpack through a dusty sunset into another nameless city in the US. Interestingly, it is in this track that Niranjan Iyengar’s lyrics touch a chord and are in sync with the theme of the film – Toote khwabon ke manjar pe tera nishaan chal diya – sums up the angst of the Asperger’s struck hero and his anguished, estranged wife well.
Karan Johar would have done well to include Rang De and Allah Hi Rahem – two tracks that were included in the album but were not apparent on screen. Rang De aman se aasman – is a track that veers away from the sufi/qawwali tone – a Rock On style track that would have been good as variety while watching the very watchable MNIK – whether you are a die hard Shah Rukh fan or a loyal Kajol buff.
And Allah Hi Rahem, sung excellently by Rashid Khan, no doubt traverses the Sufi track, but is a pleasure to the ears for the way it has been rendered, and the instruments that accompany it so beautifully. Unfortunately, this one doesn’t figure on screen – just as well, probably, as it would be an overdose of the Allah-Khuda-Maulah essence that congests the film.
