Contributed by Mohammad Ali Ikram
ali@indolink.com

I was eagerly awaiting the music of Kalpana Lajmi's Darmiyaan like one looks forward to his/her own birthday. After an unforgettable score for Rudaali, I was sure that Kalpana Lajmi and Bhupen Hazarika's second collaboration would be at least in the same league. I shouldn't have set my hopes so high. I love some parts of the score, but other sections are dreadful.

[As an aside I'd like to mention that there will be people who flip for the music of this off-beat film that was once to star Shahrukh Khan in the role of a eunuch. Lovers of art cinema often refuse to admit that their 'sophisticated' films are in any way inferior to commercial cinema. (Listen to the awful songs in the otherwise superlative Sardari Begum. But tell an art film devotee that the songs in Sardari Begum are the pits and they'll make references about your 'obvious' lack of intelligence.)]

The quality of the music in Darmiyaan is very inconsistent. The songs peak and trough in terms of beauty, continually. I'm going to need the CD for this score... Not because I love everything, but so that I can program my stereo to avoid all the trash between the treasure. The score starts off very promisingly with the Asha and Udit Narayan duet, "Pighalta Hua Yeh Sama", which is simple, yet very beautiful. Both musically and lyric-wise.

Before I could go into raptures about Javed Akhtar's lyrics, "Sheena Gorey Hazy Bobling" started. In a recent magazine interview, Javedsaab said that it was a very difficult song to write, yet it is one of the worst songs I have heard in my life. Some critics have insulted Judwaa's "Tan Tana Tan" lyrics repeatedly, but I feel that Dev Kohli's lyrics are National Award-worthy in comparison to the idiocy of this Asha Bhosle solo. Ashaji sings credibly as usual, but nothing can redeem the completely stupid lyrics of this song. (If anyone can spot even one complete, normal, sentence in the entire song, I'll eat my words.)

"Dekh Loon Jo Nazar Bhar Ke" is a simple solo by Asha Bhosle, meant I believe for a khotha sequence, but unlike Umrao Jaan, I didn't feel inspired to hit the rewind button even once.

"Duniya Parayee Log Yahan Begaane" is the first song where I have liked Bhupen Hazarika's vocals. (His attempts at the multi-version songs of Rudaali could not stand up in comparison to the Mangeshkar sister versions.) Meaningful lyrics once again by Javed Akhtar. (I still can't believe he wrote "Sheena Gorey...")

"Sa Ra Ra Ra" is a situational song where I believe a troupe of eunuchs are singing, with Asha Bhosle and Sudesh Bhosle. Or maybe Sudesh Bhosle, the master of mimicry, is doing the 'khusre' voices. Either way, the song is no great shakes. Even the khusras at Indo-Pak weddings, I'm sure won't feel inspired to sing the tune.

Sapna Awasthi, the "Pardesi Pardesi" crooner of Raja Hindustani, sings the folksy "Babu Darogaji". It's pretty good! That's about it.

Both of the last two songs are solos by Asha Bhosle. "Nadiya Pe Lehre" is a wonderful 'yearning for my lover' song, but it has that "heard it before" feel. And "Main Bhi Ek Juaari" is a sixties-feel cabaret song, once again with inane (but this time full-sentence) lyrics.

The tape ends with "Immi's Theme Music" which is predominantly an instrumental number. The background vocal by Bhupen Hazarika are even more remarkable than "Duniya Parayee". Ironically, the number is both very soothing and painful.

I will recommend Darmiyaan to listeners of soothing, quality music. But remember to buy the CD and program it, or re-record the good songs on a blank tape. You won't enjoy the tape having to hit the forward button repeatedly. Maybe the songs I didn't like will be watchable on the screen, like the songs for most David Dhawan films. I can just see the horrified look on the faces of some readers from my comparison, but I feel I'm right.

Just as most people find Dhawan's noisy and trendy "Nani Mari.." and "Head Ya Tail" songs less harmful on the large screen, I'm hoping I'll feel the same way after watching Darmiyaan.

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