Gulaab Gang – Music Review (Bollywood Soundtrack)

You can listen to the songs here.

The anthemic elements are conveyed perfectly by Soumik Sen in the madhyamavathi/megh raag based Gulaabi, and the composer also chips in with some lovely sarod-playing. Shilpa Rao, debutant Malabika Brahma and chorus match the energy of the song in their rendition. In Malabika’s second song Dheemi Dheemi Si she is joined by Kaushiki Chakraborty who simply owns the song with her flawlessly nuanced rendition! Lyricist Neha Saraf seems to be having fun with her lyrics, loading it with onomatopoeic phraseology. And Soumik provides a rich palette in the background featuring some particularly impressive use of percussion and horns. Kaushiki gets two more songs, both of which are beautifully sung. Rang Se Hui is once again high on energy, bearing a yesteryear flavour about it (pilu raag perhaps). In Ankhiyaan the composer keeps it minimal and ambient, letting Kaushiki’s voice take the centrestage (that said, good job by the flautist).

The folksy item number Sharm Laaj brings back Malabika Brahma with another debutant Pavni Pandey. Malabika’s singing isn’t without flaws, but definitely doesn’t lack for energy. Pavni seems promising, from that little solo bit of hers I could discern. Soumik himself pens and sings Teri Jai Ho, but it is the melodic base of the song and the breezy strings-led treatment that makes it work more than all else. Rangi Saari Gulaabi is special in that it has Madhuri Dixit and her mother Snehalata Dixit behind the mic, along with Anupama Raag. Nothing particularly special about the song otherwise. It has fab shehnai though.

Gulaab Gang. A promising Bollywood debut from Soumik Sen as a composer. How well he has done as a director remains to be seen.

Music Aloud Rating: 8/10

Top Recos: Gulaabi, Dheemi Dheemi, Ankhiyaan

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