Songs and credits at the end (thanks to Arindam Nag for helping with the latter).
The folk infused mix in Shugal Lagaa Le starts off sounding a bit like Junkyard Groove’s Folk You, before moving into familiar Raghu Dixit territory, invoking the happy vibes of his Jag Changa from 2013. Given the movie’s setting, this one is more Kerala aligned – neatly incorporating boat chants, chenda, edaykka et al in its arrangement. Equally alluring are the lyrics by Ankur Tewari; thanks to the man for introducing me to a new urdu word, shugal (the title phrase apparently translates to “do something/have fun”). The other high energy song of the album, the travel themed Banjaara, doesn’t have much going for it aside of its energy levels though, induced by Vishal Dadlani’s singing and the Celtic-style percussion that dominates the arrangement. Ankur Tewari’s skill with heart-touching lines comes to the forefront in Darmiyaan which the composer himself sings. The song’s mellow arrangement sees some exceptional guitar-play, both acoustic and electric.
Raghu Dixit gets the under-utilised Shahid Mallya to sing Khoya Khoya, and the man produces a brilliant rendition that once again drives home the point that he deserves more opportunities. The song is standard fare otherwise, except for the nice addition in the form of sarangi. Nikhita Gandhi gets the soundtrack’s best, Tan Tan, and she absolutely nails it. The composer too is in exceptional form here, producing a heady melange of guitars and horns (the latter arranged by bassist Guy Bernfeld). Final song of the soundtrack is a guest composition from Amaal Mallik, written by Rashmi Virag and sung by Mallik’s brother Armaan Malik. The melody and arrangement both traverse familiar soundscape but the song engages, and Armaan Malik is splendid with his singing.
Like Raghu Dixit’s last Bollywood outing (Bewakoofiyaan), Chef too has two standout tracks from the man. Though I feel the movie’s happy settings will help the soundtrack’s cause at the cinemas. And much obliged to the makers for not making the composers do a remix.
Music Aloud Rating: 3/5
Top Recos: Tan Tan, Shuga Lagaa Le, Darmiyaan
This review first appeared in the Mumbai edition of The Hindu.
Musician Credits
Song – Tere Mere
Singer – Armaan Malik
Music – Amaal Mallik
Lyrics – Rashmi Virag
Music Label – T-Series
Sound Team –
Sound Design & Music Production – Abhijit
Vaghani & Amaal Mallik.
Additional Music Production & Live Arrangement –
Amaal Mallik.
Mixed & Mastered by – Eric Pillai at Future Sound
Of Bombay.
Mix Assistants – Michael Edwin Pillai & Lucky
(Future Sound Of Bombay)
Backing Vocalists – Suzanne D’mello, Aditya N &
Vivek Bharti.
Recording Engineers – Rahul Sharma (AMV
Studios) Amey Londe (Audiogarage Studios) &
Surjit Ghoshmazumdar (T-series studios)
Music Assistants – Krish Trivedi, Shishir Samant,
Zaiyd Patni, Yash Narvekar, Ankush Bhardwaj,
Vivek Bharti, Gaurav Sanghvi, Anvay Patil, Rujul
Deolikar,
Production Manager- Jyothi Malik.
Live Musicians –
Rhythms & Percussions Arranged by – Dipesh
Varma.
Dholaks – Satyajit Jamsandekar.
Flutes – Paras Nath.
Acoustic & Electric Guitars – Ankur Mukherjee.
Additional Gtrs – Somu & Armaan Malik.
Bass Guitar – Roland.
Arindam Nag
Song- Banjara
Music – Raghu Dixit
Lyrics – Ankur tewari
Label – T- series
Acoustic Guitar: Raghu Dixit
Percussions: Vikram Rozario
Bass: Gaurav Vaz
Group Vocals: Nimish Shah, Bhavani, Nikitha
Venkatesh, Sunaina Benne, Parag Chabra, Nakul
Abhyankar
Background Score Credits: Composed and
Produced by Raghu Dixit
Programming and Arrangement: Nakul Abhyankar
Guitars: Sanjay Kumar
Vocals: Raghu Dixit and Nakul Abhyankar
Recording and Premix Engineer: Anirudh Sankaran
Programming, Backing Vocals and Strings
Arrangement: Nakul Abhyankar
Recorded by Aditya Srinivasan at Wandering
Minstrel Studios, Bengaluru.
Mixed and Mastered by Balu Thankachan at 20dB
Sound Studios, Chennai. Assisted by Sethu
Thankachan.
Additional Recording Engineers:
Avinash Sathish (assisted by Joel) at 20dB Sound
Studios, Chennai.
Aadi Arora (Vishal Dadlani’s Vocals) at Vishal n
Shekhar Studios, Mumbai.
Amey Londhe (Shahid Mallya’s Vocals) at Audio
Garage, Mumbai.
Inna Dudukina (Horns on Tan Tan) at Beren
Studios, Boston
Tuan Lin Leonardo Do (Drums n Bass on Tan
Tan) at Beren Studios, Boston.
Arindam Nag
Song – Darmiyaan
Singer: Raghu Dixit
Composed, Arranged and Produced by Raghu
Dixit.
Lyrics: Ankur Tewari
Music Label: T-Series
Programming, Backing Vocals and Strings
Arrangement: Nakul Abhyankar
Recorded by Aditya Srinivasan at Wandering
Minstrel Studios, Bengaluru.
Arindam Nag
Song: Khoya Khoya
Singer: Shahid Mallya
Composed, Arranged and Produced by Raghu
Dixit.
Lyrics: Ankur Tewari
Music Label: T-Series
Programming, Backing Vocals and Strings
Arrangement: Nakul Abhyankar
Recorded by Aditya Srinivasan at Wandering
Minstrel Studios, Bengaluru.
Mixed and Mastered by Balu Thankachan at 20dB
Sound Studios, Chennai.
Assisted by Sethu Thankachan.
Acoustic, Electric and Bass Guitars: Keba
Jeremiah
Drums: Joe Jacob
Sarangi: Shah Rukh Khan
Arindam Nag
Song: Shugal Laga Le
Singer: Raghu Dixit
Song Composed, Arranged And Produced By
Raghu Dixit.
Lyrics: Ankur Tewari
Music Label: T-Series
Live Percussions: Vikram Rosario
Acoustic Guitar: Raghu Dixit
Banjo: Achyuth Jaigopal
Bass: Gaurav Vaz
Group Vocals: Nimish Shah, Bhavani, Nikitha
Venkatesh, Sunaina Benne, Parag Chabra, Nakul
Abhyankar
Programming, Backing Vocals And Strings
Arrangement: Nakul Abhyankar
Recorded By Aditya Srinivasan At Wandering
Minstrel Studios, Bengaluru.
Mixed And Mastered By Balu Thankachan At 20db
Sound Studios, Chennai.
Assisted By Sethu Thankachan.
Additional Recording Engineers:
Avinash Sathish (Assisted By Joel) At 20db Sound
Studios, Chennai.
Aadi Arora (Vishal Dadlani’s Vocals) At Vishal N
Shekhar Studios, Mumbai.
Amey Londhe (Shahid Mallya’s Vocals) At Audio
Garage, Mumbai.
Inna Dudukina (Horns On Tan Tan) At Beren
Studios, Boston
Tuan Lin Leonardo Do (Drums N Bass On Tan
Tan) At Beren Studios, Boston.
Composed And Produced By Raghu Dixit
Programming And Arrangement: Nakul Abhyankar
Guitars: Sanjay Kumar
Vocals: Raghu Dixit And Nakul Abhyankar
Recording And Premix Engineer: Anirudh Sankaran
Arindam Nag
Song – Tan Tan
Singer: Nikita Gandhi
Composed, Arranged and Produced by Raghu Dixit.
Lyrics: Ankur Tewari
Music Label: T-Series
Programming, Backing Vocals and Strings
Arrangement: Nakul Abhyankar
Recorded by Aditya Srinivasan at Wandering
Minstrel Studios, Bengaluru.
Mixed and Mastered by Balu Thankachan at 20dB
Sound Studios, Chennai. Assisted by Sethu
Thankachan.
Drums: Yogev Gabay
Bass and Horns Arrangement: Guy Bernfeld
Alto, Tenor Saxophone- Nerya Zidon
Trumpet – Tzahi Kerem
Trombone – Or Oren
Acoustic Guitar: Raghu Dixit
Electric Guitar: Keba Jeremiah
Horn Section, Drums and Bass Recorded at Beren
Studios, Boston.
