Aditya Chopra is known for his keen eye for talent and his innovative approach to music. He is the man who gave Jatin-Lalit their big break with ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’ (1995) and trusted in the potential of Pritam Chakraborty, giving him the music of the ‘Dhoom’ (2004-2013) film series.
In 2006, Pritam recalled what Aditya Chopra said to him, “Har gaane ki ek kundli hoti hai (Every song has its own destiny).” This quote reflects Chopra’s belief in the power of music to tell a story and connect with the audience on an emotional level.
Chopra’s third official directorial venture, revolves around the tagline, “There is an extraordinary love story in every ordinary jodi (couple).” Salim-Sulaiman, regulars of Yash Raj Films, were tasked with creating music for this film, keeping in mind Chopra’s philosophical thought.
Jaideep Sahni’s lyrical prowess is on full display in this mega-venture, “Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai”. Contrary to previous Yash Raj Films’ musical blockbusters, the soundtrack of ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ (2008) contains only three original songs, one medley and one instrumental.
“Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai” is a poignant song that is sublimely sung by Roop Kumar Rathod. The music duo, Salim-Sulaiman, have crafted an instantly likeable number with their signature style. The song features precise orchestration and clean arrangements, with the instruments perfectly placed to support the exquisite vocals. The five-minute song is emotionally condensed, with a musical amalgamation of santoor, flute and guitar played meticulously without interfering with the vocals.
Rathod’s rendition is a class above. He keeps the emotions simple and avoids dragging them too far. The high-pitched rendition of the title line, “Rab ne bana di jodi” at the end of the verse is particularly noteworthy.
Shreya Ghoshal’s vocal in “Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai” is a slower and more emotional version of the original, sung by Rathod. Her vocals add more substance and depth to the immensely meaningful track.
The inclusion of a chorus echoing in the first thirty seconds is an additional bonus. The only setback is that the track is too short. It’s simply a teaser with no purpose.
Jaideep Sahni’s “Haule Haule” is a simplistic tune and lyrics put together that defies trends. The beauty of the song lies in the movement of the few magical musical notes, which creates an intoxicating effect. The hook line, “Haule Haule” is the driving theme of the song.
The song is an ordinary tune arranged in the most ordinary manner, but it excels with an extraordinary effect. Sukhwinder Singh’s vocals transport the listener to a world where life does not seem complicated at all. The harmonium takes centre stage and the song eventually combines powerful vocals, musical instruments and sounds in the easiest way possible.
“Haule Haule” is a perfect example of how simple melodies can be the most beautiful and moving. It is a song that will stay with you long after you have finished listening to it.
“Dance Pe Chance” is a modern, trendy and in-vogue track created by Salim-Sulaiman. It features heavy weights like Sunidhi Chauhan and Labh Janjua but the track is amateurish in style and falls short of expectations.
The song starts off with annoying out-of-control loud techno beats, which are usually heard in garage bands’ demo CDs rejected by record labels. The proceedings rule out any dance floor wild experience. Sunidhi Chauhan’s excellent vocals are overshadowed by the noise created by this trance-techno environment originally programmed by the insightful duo. Labh Janjua is completely wasted, except that his entrance blooms the sluggish track. His third line is the best line of the song and interestingly demonstrates how he has been under-used in this failed electronic experiment. Jaideep Sahni’s lyrics are conformed to the situation.
“Dance Pe Chance” is a failed experiment because it tries to do too much at once. It is a modern, trendy and in-vogue track with hit sounds but it is also amateurish in style. The song is overloaded with quirky and delusional beats and it starts off with annoying out-of-control loud techno beats.
“Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte” is a unique and creative song from the movie ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’. It is a potpourri of Golden Hits from the HMV-Saregama catalogue, spanning the ’50s to the ’80s. The song is seven minutes long, making it the longest one in the soundtrack.
This was a complex task for lyricist Jaideep Sahni, who had to fit all the movies’ titles into one piece. However, he has done an excellent job and the song is a joy to listen to.
No one better than Sonu Nigam could have rendered this unique attempt. He goes into a Rafinesque mode till the end and also adjusts his vocals to suit Kishore Kumar at places. “Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte” is a must-listen for any fan of Hindi Cinema. It is a creative and innovative song that pays homage to the golden era of Indian music.
The instrumental track “Dancing Jodi” is simple, with lots of synthesisers’ work. It is a mere filler track that mixes together background vocals from all the songs and applies vocal effects at some places. The duo is at their forte here in re-creating the best sounds from the songs composed.
This soundtrack remains the weakest product from the Yash Raj Film’s stable ever! Given Aditya Chopra’s stature and his sense of music, this soundtrack is a disappointment. It is unclear what went wrong but it is possible that the duo of Salim-Sulaiman were trying too hard to be innovative. They have experimented with different sounds and styles but the result is a soundtrack that is disjointed and lacks cohesion.
Overall, the soundtrack of ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ is a missed opportunity. It is a shame that such a talented filmmaker Aditya Chopra had released such a weak soundtrack, that too for a Shah Rukh Khan film.
Rating: 3/5
