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A masterpiece in the true sense

Ghalib by Abida (Times Music)

MIRZA GHALIB is one of the best, if not the very best, Urdu shair the world has ever known. The flight of his fancy is unparalleled. But his ghazals are not the easiest to sing, or to set to music. The singer or the composer has to be of the highest mettle to be able to rise to the challenge.

Here, all the three factors come together admirably, making the album a collector’s item. It has been sung by Sufi queen Abida Parveen, and set to music by Bhavdeep Jaipurwale. Her rendition gives these ghazals a veneer of Sufi compassion.

The selection of the ghazals is immaculate as well. The common thread through all of them is melancholy and unrequited love. The collection opens with Bekhudi besabab nahin Ghalib. While you are still admiring its haunting music, she goes even higher with Dil hi to hai.

If you find Husn gamze ki kashakashe rather difficult to understand, concentrate on the rise and fall of the voice of Abida. That itself will be enough to tell you the emotions behind these magical words.

Ghazals like Harek baat pe kehte ho tum ke tu kya hai have been sung by scores of singers. Abida’s take on it comes as a whiff of fresh sir.

The anguish of helplessness cannot be more manifest than in Koi umeed bar nahi aati, koi soorat nazar nahin aati.

Then there are the ever-popular Ye na thi hamari kismet ke visal-e-yaar hota, Ibne mariyam hua kare koi and Nukta chin hai gham-e-dil.

Once you have had your fill of the synergy of Hazaaron khwahishen aisi ke har khwahish pe dam nikle, comes the bonus track Dil-e-naadan tujhe hua kya hai.

As it happens with all great albums, it becomes more and more sweet on repeated listening.

The Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy trio is on a roll. Particularly when they compose for Yash Raj Films, you expect them to be one up on themselves. But somehow the chemistry refuses to work here.

Even Prasoon Joshi’s lyrics are no patch on his previous triumphs like Fanaa and Hum Tum. But that does not mean the album is a washout. It is still better than most stuff in the market.

The opening number, Pyar ke liye kabhi socha hai kya is a trademark Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy composition. But in the next song, Nihal ho gayee, they go on a qawwali trip. But why should it sound so similar to the Mast mast mast mast mast qalandar song picturised on Akshay Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan and Ritesh Deshmukh in Hey Baby? It has a remix version also.

Bulbula kyun koi mujhe haath lagaye is almost a tribute to Hollywood musicals. The gear is again changed with ye lazy lazy lamhe in which Anusha tries to be seductive. It is even peppier in the remix version.

Beetey kal se hum is the one fairytale song which fits the Yash Raj mould perfectly. It has been sung well by Shreya Ghoshal in the company of kids Sneha and Suresh. — ASC

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