Tanu Weds Manu Music Review

Tanu Weds Manu
- Right ingredients for a Bollywood Masala

There are limited expectations from the music of ‘Tanu Weds Manu’ as the film hasn't been projected as a musical. Also, since there aren't many recognised names attached to the music department (composer Krsna, lyricist Rajshekhar), one doesn't quite know what to expect. However, since the film has a small town setting to it, one does expect the kind of score that would have a rustic flavour to it.

Sadi Gali, the first track opens right in the middle of a celebration, there’s no prelude, and you can’t help feeling odd if your limbs don’t begin to act on their own. Lehmber Hussainpuri infuses it with such infectious rhythm, his voice in sync with the hooks; this is one song you are going to hear a lot in the coming days if you haven’t already heard it long ago, which only goes to reiterate how Krsna is coming from familiar terrain he knows what we will swing to.

A composer you will mix him up with is Pritam, having just rocked to Sadi Gali, Krsna serves up Mohit Chauhan, a la Pritam style, in Yun Hi. It has a “Pee Loon” flavour, in a slumber mood, one that will grow on you, hopefully with a glass of chai because soon you will outgrow its syrupy sweetness just as you rarely tune in to “Tum Se Hi” from ‘Jab We Met’.

Next to arrive is a ‘Sufi’ number Rangrez by Krsna. The longest track in the album which lasts over six minutes, “Rangrez” has a core essence of love to it and situational in appeal. Also, it can be expected to play a multiple times in the film's narrative. With an unadulterated presentation any external influences that would have threatened to take away from the traditional flavour that carries, “Rangrez” would primarily be appreciated by the followers of Sufi music. Later the song also arrives in another version which is rendered by Puranchand Wadali and Pyare Lal Wadali.

Roop Kumar Rathod’s Piya ballad tends to dodder into Sultan Khan territory, but otherwise, it’s quite gentle, even pleasant and not seeped in the pathos of the latter’s ode to a piya who has flown out of a heart cage.

Sunidhi Chauhan, Ujjaini, Rakhi Chand, a cackle of girls rouse up Mannu Bhaiya from his torpor, teasing him with bawdy lines about Tanu missus-to-be. Singer Niladri joins them to tickle ‘Mannu Bhaiya’ as well this situational track is bound to pep up the silver screen. Mannu Bhaiya ka kari hai!

Mika gets the motor mouth number Jugni a techno bhangra track that’s a little smooth with its reduced tempo. With some great keyboard arrangement, the track works at a middling level, never soaring into a full-blown dance number, and good for the ‘gaddi’ boom box.

With the many influences one sees Krsna’s music as nothing like Rahman to Sajid-Wajid, here’s a music composer who does not want to sound zara hatke. If there is room for one more, excuse please, let him in.