I grabbed the CD a few hours before heading to the airport in Delhi the week it released. Hearing that it had music composed by AR Rahman, I knew it was a must-have so without a listen, I emailed my friend to go get it. A few days later I was hoping he hadn’t listened to me.
Kisna The Warrior Poet—just what is this subtitle about, he shouts out commands in iambic pentameter?—starring Vivek Oberoi and newcomers Isha Sharvani and Antonia Bernath tells a story of north India, set in 1947 and, at first glance, it has the look and feel of Lagaan. But the resemblance ends there if one goes by the soundtrack. Yes, it has music composed by AR Rahman, but only two songs and the theme music (three versions). The remaining tracks are composed by Ismail Darbar, who gave us the hauntingly beautiful melodies of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Devdas (need we say more?), has done a fine job, but the difference between the two music directors is crystal clear. One needn’t read the credits to figure who has composed which tracks.
Kisna made waves in November when its new face, Isha Sharvani performed the ‘rope dance’ for the opening ceremonies of the International Film Festival of India in Goa. Ghai is also donating Rs.2.5 million to the Indian Ocean tsunami relief efforts, according to the official Kisna website http://www.kisnathefilm.com/
But first the music. The Kisna theme, composed by ARR grabs your attention as it is meant to, but is all too short and sweet. Dialogue rudely interrupts the mood next but with Udit Narayan’s gorgeous voice in Ham hain iss pal yahan, all is forgiven. Can it be that this man’s voice just gets better and better with time? Maybe, but only with certain music directors. Undoubtedly, this song, oozing romance, is the best of the CD with vocals that send your heart soaring. And of course, it is one of the ARR compositions.
Give the next two tracks a pass. Woh Kisna hai is loud and just too…well, how to put it, too filmi?? And Tu itni pagli kyo hai makes the listener want to segue into Mai aisa kyo hoon from Lakshya. Chilman uthegi nahin is the stereotypical filmi qawwali, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s not one of those that goes on to become a classic.
Five tracks and so far only the first two are stellar. Seven more to go but sadly, it doesn’t get much better. Aa gaya vo din has shades of ARR from his early movies, but it’s not ARR! Sukhwinder’s vocals are impressive, however, in this piece, but as a banna-banni song it really doesn’t make the grade. Neither does Aham Brahmasmi which truly grates. Kaahe ujadi more neend sung by Ustad Rashid Khan probably most evokes what Ghai was trying to get at with the subtitle “Warrior Poet”…sweeping crescendos worthy of an epic, there’s much too much going on by way of instrumentation, interfering with the vocals.
The next track, Ga, tu aisi dhun mein ga, is one of those predictable elements in a Ghai film--kids chorus, catchy refrain, but it comes as a great relief when the song ends and we’re treated to the second version of ARR’s theme music with its flute, the piano, a lilting melody—simplicity that erases the noise of previous tracks. The theme music is like others ARR has composed (think Bombay, for example), it stays with you long after the disc comes to a stop. It should have been the last cut but instead the CD continues with My Wish, also composed by ARR. I had high hopes for this track but there’s just too much of a pop music thing going on with the song. If only it had been more like the Hindi-English duet of Lagaan, which fit so well, but My Wish is too 90’s for a film set in 1947. Still, after a few listens, it will grow on you…as a pop song, not to be associated with a grand epic about a warrior poet of India
A choral version of ARR’s Kisna theme closes out the CD, but except for the rumbling bass (perhaps the sound of moviegoers exiting the theater?), it’s not as memorable as earlier versions of the theme.
The soundtrack of Kisna is uneven at best. Too much going on with instruments, too many tracks, which is probably apt for an epic, I suppose. And no, I didn’t forget Javed Akhtar’s lyrics; they just didn’t strike me as memorable-they may be after viewing the movie. For those of us who set the bar high for Subhash Ghai after Taal, Kisna may be a disappointment, but at least there is Ham hai iss pal yahan to listen to over and over again.
The soundtrack of Kisna comes in a variety of formats: the 16-track double-CD package, the single CD with 12 tracks and a 7-track cassette. Take your pick!
Kisna
Director: Subhash Ghai
Music: AR Rahman/Ismail Darbar
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar/Blaaze
Vocals: Too many to list here!