Producer: Yashraj Music
Composer: Monty
It's not often that the background score of a film makes a lasting impact on music listeners of this country.
But then "Black" is no ordinary film. And this is no ordinary music.
You know immediately that you are in the midst of greatness beyond all melodic measure when you hear
the opening track Michelle's theme. The strains of the sublime instrumental haunt you, pull and yank at
your heart till it brims with emotions.
Never before, and certainly not in the near future, will we get to hear music so pure, polished and
passionate. "Black" brings into focus a unique and exceptional music composer's timeless talent. Let's all
stand and applaud Monty who earlier did the supremely skilled background sounds in "Devdas".
In "Black" Monty just lets his wizardry flow. The extraordinary positioning of the emotions within the given
framework of every piece, the understated and yet brutally forceful use of chorus singers and sounds never
heard in a Hindi film score before (for instance, the Middle Eastern instrument dudak accompanies all the
pieces pertaining to Amitabh Bachchan's character)... they all contribute to an album of majestic
manoeuvres and captivating contours that transport us into a world of almost-unbearable beauty.
The harmonies are hefty and yet weightless. This isn't music. It's magic!
A word for Gayatri Iyer's vocals in "Han maine chhukar dekha hai". She sings the words as though they
were sung from before. Only the voice has become apparent now. Pay heed to Prasoon Joshi's lyrics:
"Garam gunguni dhoop se baat ki hai maine/ Pani ke behne mein hansi suni hai maine..." Not since Gulzar
have I heard such use of visual images to create harmony and melody.
Though largely wordless,
the album screams emotions through the silences.
Wednesday, February 16, 2005 15:43 IST