The Musical Masterpiece Called “Lootera”!!!

Music has changed paradigms over the last decades, from the melodies of 70, to the sober songs of 90s and now the humungous varieties of music in the 2000s. Bollywood got Himesh, Pritam, Vishal-Shekhar, Salim-Sulaiman, and then also someone like Amit Trivedi. The unique thing about Amit Trivedi’s music is that it is always accompanied with thought-provoking lyrics and the partner lyricist is mostly Amitabh Bhattacharya. Right from Dev D, bollywood could feel the arrival of a new music director who would explore genres by creating music that is contemporary and unique with a variety of musical instruments.

Lootera was one such musical extravaganza that added a feather to Amit Trivedi’s cap. The music was in collaboration with the Chennai String Orchestra to give a feel of the olden times. This was also a tribute by the musician to the musical maestro RD Burman. Lootera was a period film set in the 1950s and the challenge was to make it sound old yet be liked by the masses. And it sure did overcome both these challenges. All of Lootera’s songs have become my favourites.

The first song of the album is also the best song of the album. Sawar Loon comes decorated with Monali Thakur’s voice, whose previous song that I can recollect is Bheegi Si Bhaagi Si from Rajneeti. In this song, she does sound a bit like Shreya Ghoshal but provides a lot of sweetness that beautifies the song. The song does smell of innocent and playful love.

The next song begins like a story with orchestral music. The lyrics of the song Ankahee are a treat to the ears presenting a link to the past. The voice of Amitabh Bhattacharya sounds so mature that you feel swayed away with the emotions of melancholy.

Then comes the bilingual Monta Re which begins with the sound of the Tuntuna. The lyrics include Hindi as well as few Bengali words making it sound like a folk song. It is sung by two lyricists. Swanand Kirkire mainly known for his songs in Raju Hirani’s movies, lends his voice along with another lyricist-cum-singer Amitabh Bhattacharya. This is another song that takes us to the golden music era of the 50s and indeed feels like a tribute to S.D. Burman.

The song Shikayatein begins very slowly with Mohan Kannan crooning softly with backing vocals by Amitabh Bhattacharya and also a beautiful chorus that comes up later. The song picks up tempo after the initial stanzas. Call it a song of hope or a song of freedom, the background drum beats will surely make you tap your feet. Also, a part of the instrumental music of this song is used as background music in a lot of scenes across the movie.

Zinda is a soft rock song that begins with piano tunes. It has melancholic and painful lyrics. It talks about the lack of desire to live anymore. The vocals by Amit Trivedi brilliantly portray the required emotions. The song maintains composure in most parts but as the song ends, it becomes louder with more passion.

The last song is rendered in the silky voice of Shilpa Rao. Though this song belongs to Shilpa Rao, the surprise in the beginning is Amitabh Bhattacharya’s voice, which sets a perfect base for the song to develop further. The background music is beautiful with the extensive use of santoor. The song has undertones of romance and because of its melody, becomes a hummable song.

Overall, the music of Lootera is cool and calm with a mix of romance and melancholy. It finds a place in the playlist of all music lovers who like soft and melodious tracks. You will not hear it in parties or clubs, but when you are alone or want to relish some soothing music, the songs of Lootera will come to your mind. The beauty of these songs is the poetic lyrics which felt like a story being told through the song. I play these songs on loop whenever I want to listen to them. Such is the quality of the music of this masterpiece called Lootera.