'Awarapan' boasts of India-Pakistan Sufi flavour

Film: "Awarapan"; Music Directors: Pritam Chakraborty, Mustafa Zahid, Baba Farid, Annie; Singers: Mustafa Zahid, Rafaqat Ali Khan, Suzanne D'Mello, Annie; Ratings: *** After delivering popular films with hit music, director Mohit Suri roped in composer Pritam Chakraborty for "Awarapan". But what Pritam ends up doing is not composing any of the music himself but bringing in compositions from across the border - to good effect.

The album starts off with the Sufi-based track "Tera mera rishta". The song, composed and rendered by Pakistani rock sensation Mustafa Zahid, is the kind that would be featured in any Mahesh Bhatt film and yet is so different. Mustafa's deep voice holds a lot of emotion and passion, which take the track to a higher level and make it a great one to listen to.

"Mahiya" comes in next where the crooning has been done by Suzzane and the lyrics have been penned by Asif Ali Baig and Sayeed Quadri. This is a dance number that's got a very electric feel to it, making the singer sound rather like Shibani Kashyap. Though not really a hit, the song still ensures that you get the hang of it.

A disappointment comes in the form of "Maula maula" which is in no way close to the still-doing-well "Maula" from "Anwar". Belonging to the Sufi genre, this love song lacks lustre and even Rafaqat Ali Khan's rendition doesn't save the day for this track composed by Baba Farid.

A clear winner is "Toh phir aao", sung and composed by Mustafa Zahid. Being the essence of the movie, the number is the kind because of which the film might be remembered in case it fails to deliver at the box office.

Like always, the above compositions make their presence felt on Indian soil purely because Pakistani tracks combine popular music with Sufi to make them hummable and enjoyable. A must-hear!

Indo-Asian News Service