Music Review: Badla

Hitting the theaters this Women's Day, Red Chillies Entertainment'sBadlais a suspense thriller, a genre director Sujoy Ghosh has proved his mettle in time and again with hits likeKahaani(2012) andKahaani 2(2016), as well as the critically acclaimedTe3n(2016). Tapsee Pannu plays a young married entrepreneur, who finds herself locked in a hotel room and her lover, murdered. It is up to her lawyer, essayed by Amitabh Bachchan, to help her seek answers to the many questions plaguing her. The trailer seemed riveting in every sense of the word, and let us know that we are in for nothing short of a roller coaster ride.

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We are looking forward to catching the film at the earliest and when the album, consisting of five songs, composed by Amaal Mallik, Anupam Roy and Clinton Cerejo, who has previously worked with Ghosh in theKahaaniseries, dropped yesterday, we gave it a listen and the following is what we think of it.

The album opens with "Kyun Rabba", a melancholic number in Armaan Mallik crooning voice. The lyrics penned by Kumaar are poignant, deep and hit you deeply. Amaal Mallik's flawless composition and the soothing vocals are definite winners and make for a song you would love to have on loop, while introspecting upon sadness, love or life as a whole.

The rap fever seems to have inadvertently taken over Bollywood, as the next track suggests. Titled "Aukaat", it captures a rare sight - a rapping Amitabh Bachchan! Bachchan's energy is both contagious and commendable and the chorus equipped with robust beats and guitar chords gave us goosebumps. Ghosh has had Bachchan sing "Ekla Cholo Re" previously and he certainly knows best. Written by Jizzy and directed by Cerejo with precision, Amit Mishra handles the higher octave of the rap. However, we strongly feel the rap could be a bit more powerful in terms of vocals.

The third song on the album "Tum Na Aaye" is imbued with longing and heartbreak, and is another sad melody with A.M. Turaz's plain yet beautiful lyrics. KK's prowess as a vocalist gets proven once again and Mallik is successful in delivering a sublime song that has a lingering sentiment you can probably never get enough of.

The second to last song on the album is the title track. Manoj Yadav and Anupam Roy craftily work with the hard-hitting lyrics, employing various meanings of the word'badla'to their advantage while keeping the composition lively and upbeat.We admit that we expected something different and more becoming of the theme of the movie from the title track, but this fits in nonetheless. In fact, the contrast the music and instrumental have with the backdrop of mystery is what makes it all the more captivating.

The final song is an acoustic version of the first one, a version you didn't know you needed until you hear it. Not only does it have the rustic feel you presume it has along with some raw feelings and music that seem sorrowful, but it also manages to be hopeful and somewhat upbeat at the same time, making it elevating. Definitely give this one a listen if you're a fan of instrumentals.

With Mallik establishing how he excels at love ballads and melancholic melodies, and both Roy and Cerejo keeping up the intrigue and uniqueness, we can safely state that this is a great album that does justice to the must-watch the movie looks like, with some spectacular surprises in the lineup. We, at BollyCurry, rate it a 3.5 out of 5 stars for its outstanding composition, apt lyrics and satisfying vocals, the only instance of slight disappointment being rap song and its lack of the impact.

We insist on you tuning in to one of your favorite music streaming sites or applications to give it a listen and tell us your opinion! We, for one, are definitely waiting for this spine-chilling thriller that comes out the 8thof March.

Writer:Ramya K.

Editors:Anushka J. and Gunia K.

Graphics:Rifah K.

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