Patiala House – Music Review

Given the theme of the movie, Punjabi songs were inevitable in the soundtrack. Also inevitable was the fact that the song would borrow from SEL’s older songs in the genre. And hence it is that Laung Da Lashkara sounds engaging in a routinely-SEL manner, but this time the reusal factor is quite minimal contrary to my fears. The arrangement has a very pleasant lilt about it, and Jassi and Mahalaxmi Iyer have done their part well. I have sort of grown weary of Hard Kaur’s rap these days. And here the song would have sounded good even without the rap. The remix is a skippable affair from the musical perspective. Rola Pa Gaya is another disco-Punjabi track, and this time the composers do evoke strong memories of JBJ, except it doesn’t belong in the same league in terms of quality. Nevertheless the song, sung by Mahalaxmi, Shankar Mahadevan, Earl and Master Saleem and Hard Kaur, is worth a listen. With the original itself being a dance club material, a remix wasn’t really required, but whatever. SEL present a third Punju song in Tumba Tumba, the best of the lot. The tune is totally fresh, bearing a devotional air. And the composers get the perfect singer to deliver it, Hans Raj Hans. Always a delight to listen to the man! And finally there is Richa Sharma rendering the lines Aval Allah from Guru Granth Sahib. Though situational, the track is a wonderful listen, for the piety in Richa’s singing and the minimal ambient orchestration given by the composers. For best results, close your eyes with headphones on.

Coming to the non-Punjabi tracks, Kyun Main Jaagoon is a contemplative melody SEL-ishtyle. The longing, the soaring pitch, all done in a way that the trio has done many times before, but manage to sound impressive each time. Shafqat Amanat Ali perfectly conveys the feel in his trained vocals. But Shafqat has been far too many songs of this kind now, second only to Shankar perhaps. Time to give it a rest and try other genres I would say. The Unplugged version isn’t very different from the original except for the acoustic guitar getting a major role in the background. The remix, though unnecessary, is catchy coz of the interesting twist it gives the original, completely revamping the instrumentation. Vishal Dadlani aces the breezy rock-based Aadat Hai Woh smoothly transcending the pitch variations, the composers providing a commendable arrangement. The soundtrack closes with a retro pop-based Baby When You Talk To Me. Suraj Jagan and Alyssa Mendonsa handle the vocals excellently, being bread-and-butter stuff for them. The remix enhances the sparkly disco elements in the song in a fine manner.

Like 2010, SEL start their 2011 campaign too on a fab note. A long yet entertaining soundtrack from the trio for Patiala House.

Music Aloud Rating — 8.25/10

Recommended Tracks — Tumba Tumba, Aadat Hai Who, Kyun Main Jaagoon, Aval Allah