Rang De Basanti – The Songs

A couple of years back, sometime in the month of December during my semester exams, I got the CD of Rang De Basanti after a week or so of its release. Listened to the songs and liked them all instantly. But since I was busy attending concerts on most of the days, I didn’t listen to the songs properly till January.

That was the time when there were heavy rains in Chennai and the semester exams kept on getting postponed. An exam was scheduled on a Monday and it was announced on TV on Sunday night that it was postponed! The subject was Antennas. It was postponed to a Monday again and it was on the previous day of the exam when I had lots to be studied (it’s always like that only on the previous day of an exam ๐Ÿ˜‰ ), that I became absolutely crazy about the title track of the movie. I couldn’t stop listening to the song at all, Antennas took a back seat and I sat with the lyrics in my hand in front of the music system and started singing along ๐Ÿ˜€ It was only after I could sing the whole song properly without forgetting the lyrics that I went back to studying with the song, ‘Rang De Basanti’, playing in the background! I really had lots to study and I decided that I won’t get more than a few hours of sleep when luck favoured me and it was announced that the exam was going to be postponed again! Immediately book closed and all concentration only on Rang De Basanti! ๐Ÿ˜€ And then, I fell in love with each and every song in the movie.

Ik Onkar

Listen to this with total silence surrounding you and you will find yourself being transported to a divine atmosphere. Remembering the scene in the movie when all of them visit the Golden temple will further help you. ๐Ÿ˜‰ But Rahman doesn’t let the mood linger longer with this song ending too soon and the next one being a complete contrast to this one.

Rang De Basanti

The opening beats give you only a sneak peek of the energy level of this song! Once Daler Mehndi starts singing ‘Thodi si dhool meri’, with every line the energy level seems to be on the rise. I like both Daler Mehndi and Chitra’s singing in this song. I love the way Daler mehndi goes ‘Mohe Mohe tu rang de basanti yaara’ at the end of Chitra’s ‘phir ek rang tu khila khila’. This is one of the few songs of Rahman where the first few lines keep repeating too many times throughout the song and yet doesn’t sound even a single bit boring.

Lose Control/Be a Rebel

The song is so aptly named! Makes you lose yourself completely to the song!
Na koi padnewala
Na koi seekhnewala

Makes you wish kaash apni paatshaala bhi aisi hui hoti ๐Ÿ˜› I love the beats in this song. Say you are going in car in a highway at high speed. Listen to this song at high volume. Do I even have to say how it will be? ๐Ÿ˜€ Blaazeโ€™s lyrics rocks in โ€˜Be a Rebelโ€™!

Tu Bin Bataye

A soft, romantic song, this is probably one of a kind from Rahman. The first time I listened to it, I was wondering whether Naresh Iyer was even going to sing when midway through, came his voice. And what a voice he has got! Itโ€™s perfect for this song. There have been times when I have listened to his part alone so many times.

Lukka Chuppi

The guitar, the lyrics, Rahmanโ€™s voice, both Rahman and Lata singing each and every line with all the emotion and feel needed for it, the beautiful transition from Rahman singing, โ€˜yehaan sab kuch hai maa phir bhi lage bin tere mujhko akelaโ€™ to the wonderful swaras duet between Rahman and Lata, the song ending with Rahmanโ€™s swaras and Lataโ€™s โ€˜Aaja saanjh hui mujhe teri fikharโ€™ โ€“ is there anything more you can ask for? ๐Ÿ™‚

Khalbali

This was one song that with each listening, I seemed to like even more. Rahman blows you away with his music and singing. Arabic words thrown in here and there, the way Rahman goes ziddi ziddi, the percussion! Mind blowing track! I really wish I had the technical knowledge to write about this song in a better way! While I am at this song, how can I not mention about the title music of the movie? It’s something like an amazing remix of the Khalabali tune replete with excellent percussion and vocals!

Khoon Chala

I love the way the song starts so softly with the piano and and by the time it ends, some wonderful beats join the piano and the soulful rendition of Mohit Chauhan, adding all the more beauty to the mood of the song.

Roobaroo

The guitar, Naresh Iyer’s ‘Aye saala’, Rahman’s ‘Roobaroo’ – super song and a different kind of song too! Naresh Iyer proves the versatility of his voice in this album by singing each and every song with the right kind of feel.

I wouldn’t hesitate to term this album as the best one of Rahman in the last couple of years. No wonder Rahman himself calls it as one of his Top 10 best movie music scores in this interview!

18 thoughts on “Rang De Basanti – The Songs

  1. sreekrishnan

    yes that was the time when i was new into a project and had to go thru lot of documents … so practically khalabli helped me thru …

    Rang De blew us off when we brought the cd home – and obviously bachelor house and we have the speakers in full volume …didt realize the effect of Loose control song and guess what the beat sent 2 3 objects down !! that song first hearing gave me goose bumps !!

    and khalbali’s this part when he sings ” Hone hone De nasha – khone khone ko hai kya – ek saans mein pee ja zara zindagi chadha
    hai yeh toh ek jashan tu thirakne de kadam
    abhi saanson mein hai dam abhi chalne de sitam”

    And the beat that follows that … WOW !! .. i end my comment here – playing Khalbali … BFN !!

    Reply
  2. sangs

    every post of yours about ARR makes me download that album fully and listen to it more carefully ๐Ÿ˜‰ .My picks are Be a rebel and Tu bin bataaye !

    Reply
  3. Vijay Kumar

    I have a personal ‘goosebump’ rating when it comes to music albums. Ideal ambience is having the songs at full blast while driving back from work. Given that RDB’s title track got a 5/5 rating for a week at least. I also liked the way the Rubaroo song crept into the screenplay.
    Sound engineers seem to rate Khalbali very highly. At least, my neighbor who is one, does. ๐Ÿ™‚
    Good write-up.

    Reply
  4. Dinesh T.U.

    Loose control was my favourite till the movie released, but after watching the movie, Tu bin was getting looped in my player. Excellently recorded and picturised. There are only a handful of directors who can do justice to Rahman’s compositions. Tu bin was ultimate, it had love and friendship together in a number

    Reply
  5. Hariiii

    Wonderful album…!! Even the Background score for the movie is very good… whenever I hear the songs I listen to the BGM’s too !! (Especially the Killer BGM) ๐Ÿ™‚

    Cheers

    Reply
  6. Mathangi

    this is one album which can be listened to many times at a stretch. there’s no way one can pick out a particular song and say this is the best. truly class!

    Reply
  7. Sathej

    Oh great time you seem to have had with exams getting postponed ๐Ÿ™‚ Antennas – well, interesting paper… Rang de Basanti-well, as with all Rahman’s albums, you have exhaustively reviewed it ๐Ÿ™‚
    Sathej

    Reply
  8. Girish

    Rang De Basanti…wow…wat a movie and above all mind blowing songs…’Khalbali’ is something which I can say Rehman did full justice to. The way the instruments are played in this song just knocks me off every time I listen to it.
    But the pick of the album according to me is ‘Tu Bin’. Though initially I used to skip this song, but after watching it in the movie and the way it is picturised blew my mind. One of the best melodies according to me.

    Reply
  9. TeAl

    I somehow felt “Tu bin bataye”‘ was tooo mellow and kinda sounded like a sad song… but apart from that I found Rang de , Be a rebel and Lalkar really goood. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  10. Aparna

    Sreekrishnan,
    ๐Ÿ™‚
    high volumela songs kaekkardhe oru different experience altogether! I didnโ€™t know Lose Control would have this effect! You canโ€™t pick out one part from khalbali & rave about it. The whole song makes you go wow! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Sangs,
    Oh nice to know that ๐Ÿ™‚ I will write even more on Rahmanโ€™s songs so that you listen to his albums more ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Vijay Kumar,
    RDB got a 5/5 for just one week?! ๐Ÿ˜‰ Yeah little would we expect a song like Roobaroo to come in the movie at that point of time!
    Thanks!

    Puranjoy,
    ๐Ÿ™‚

    SK,
    ๐Ÿ™‚

    Dinesh,
    Yes. RDB is one of the few movies in which all the songs were picturized well.
    >, it had love and friendship together in a number
    Yeah

    Hari,
    Yup excellent BGM!

    Mathangi,
    True

    Sathej,
    ๐Ÿ™‚

    Girish,
    I like the movie too. Khalabali and Tu Bin are masterpieces of Rahman.

    Teal,
    Maybe but Tu bin is such a beautiful song

    Reply
  11. uma

    Hi Aparna

    Just wanted to know… what raga is “Lukka Chuppi” … is this also similar to the leo coffee jingle? please reply… thanks

    Uma

    Reply

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