Music by A.R. Rahman
Lyrics by Javed Akhtar
Production: Yashraj Music

When it comes to projecting periodicity, A.R. Rahman is next to none. His stronghold over the language and sign codes of a specific ambience creates a heartland of emotions in lyrical form.

The inspirational title song in "Mangal Pandey" may compare unfavourably with Rahman's similar tracks in other period films like "Chale chalo" in "Lagaan" or "Sarfaroshi ki tamanna" in "The Legend Of Bhagat Singh". But the title track has a grainy feeling of an impending conflagration.

As usual, Rahman selects his singers impeccably. Kailash Kher is very rustic, very robust in the title song. Although Kavita Krishnamurthy is in-mood for the mujra, "Main vari vari" she's a tad too nasal in rendering Javed Akhtar's ecstatic swirl. Ironically, a far less experienced singer Reena Bhardwaj (she sang for Rahman in "Tehzeeb") holds up the mujra.

The Holi song "Dekho ayee holi" may not rank as an all-time classic of the genre. Heck, it doesn't even possess the grab-by-the-collar quality of Aadesh Shrivastav's "Holi khele raghuveera" in "Baghban".

What this Holi song has is a spirit of nostalgia, qualified by the rustic and rugged voices of Udit Narayan, Madhushree and others. You can hear Aamir Khan pitching in recitation lines in this track...if that's a high for you! Methinks he's no singer, never was...not even in "Aati kya khandala".

But if you want to hear some truly expert singing go to the next track "Rasiya". My god! What's holding Richa Sharma from becoming a voice to create rapturous chartbusters? Her accompanist is a new voice, Bonnie Chakraborty. She sings in a bewildering base chord, bringing to this erotic number a sense of unique wispiness.

You swig on the sensuously rich Sufi strides of "Al maddath maula", regale in its ripple effect, drown in its divine dimensions. But there's always a cloud to every silver lining.

"Takey takey" is a track so indifferently done you wonder what Rahman was thinking while putting it together.

Though "Mangal Pandey" lacks the driven passion of "The Legend Of Bhagat Singh" or the melodic felicity of "Zubeida", it nonetheless stretches if not extends the composer's parameters as a music maker.

One thing is for sure. Rahman has reached a culmination as a maker of nostalgic music. He needs to get seriously hip again. "Shaka-laka baby" anyone?