METRO

Producer: Ronnie Screwala Director: Anurag Basu Starring: Shiny Ahuja, Shilpa Shetty, Kay Kay Menon, Sharman Joshi, Gautam Kapoor, Konkona Sen Sharma, Kangna Ranaut, Irfan Khan, Dharmendra, and Nafisa Ali Music: Pritam Chakraborty Lyrics: Sayeed Quadri, Amitabh Varma, and Sandeep Shrivastava

Singers: Soham Chakraborty, K.K., James, Suhail Kaul, Pritam Chakraborty, and Adnan Sami Audio On: Sony BMG Number of Songs: 12 Album Released on: March 2007

Reviewed by: Samir Dave Reviewer's Rating: 9.0 / 10

It seems that after Salaam –E- Ishq, multiple stories are in vogue, since we have now seen the releases of Honeymoon Private Limited and Delhi Heights. Now we have the new movie Life in a Metro to look forward to. The one thing that these multi-storied starrers have in common so far, is that the music has been fairly interesting. What with Shankar Ehsaan & Loy, Vishal Shekhar, and Rabbi Shergill providing some interesting (if not blockbuster level) music for Bollywood fans, musically at least, we have been treated to some of the most innovation we have seen in awhile. It seems that apna desi music directors are trying to move away from the tried and true techno dance formula (with a smattering of rap thrown in ala Himmesh Reshammiya) to expand the genre with rock, folk, country and jazz.

Life in a Metro is the latest release by talented director Anurag Basu, the director of Gangster. He teams up once again with his accomplice in criminally good music….Pritam. Pritam has been everywhere of late and is churning out soundtracks left and right. Again, I must say that it always raises a red flag of concern with this reviewer, when music directors sign on too many projects at once. The quality of the music always suffers as one can only go to the creative well so many times before they descend into copying other songs and fall farther into the final stage of lack of creativity, which is copying their own previous hit music. Pritam has shown some signs of overwork in some of his recent soundtracks, but it will be interesting to see how long he can keep up this workload that he has taken on.

The movie centers around multiple couples or would be couples in a complicated story of love, infidelity, unwanted desires, and the modern age wherein life goes by too fast. Anurag Basu has chosen a talented cast to portray the characters. The cast consists of Kay Kay Menon, Shilpa Shetty, Sharman Joshi, Kangana Ranaut, Konkona Sen Sharma, Irfan Khan, and Shiney Ahuja. Ronnie Screwvalla (producer of Rang De Basanti) puts together another potential hit film. UTV which just released the excellent Namesake (and who have signed on to produce/distribute M. Night Shyamalan's next feature, The Happening) are releasing the movie. The music for this film has received much buzz in recent months and ranks within the top five of many top ten music lists. This time around, Pritam has dropped the techno, dance, and rap in favor of guitar driven stadium rock (he also steps up to play guitar and provide backing vocals). He has composed the music and recruited some of the best male playback singers to form the Metro Band for this soundtrack.

Special mention must be made of the inclusion of the electric five string Zitar (a more modern version of the twenty string Sitar) played by Zitar creator Niladri Kumar who also happens to be one of the finest Sitar players in India today. Niladri, turned down the chance to patent the Zitar, instead keeping it in the open market so that other aspiring musicians could learn and play it. Pritam must be admired for including this unique artist in this rock themed soundtrack.

So, let's put on our favorite black t-shirts, grungy jeans, grab the air guitar and head down to our concert hall to listen to our soon to be favorite rock band……BAND METRO. The question on our minds is, "Can the music be mindblowing, rocking and filled with emotion?" The lights dim as we take our seats and the music begins.

The first track on the soundtrack is titled, "In Dino". It begins with an electric guitar solo intro which seamlessly flows into the smooth vocals by Bangladeshi singer Soham Chakraborty. The poignant lyrics by Syed Quadri. The melodious tune and the vocals are the highlight of this track which speaks straight to our forlorn hearts. The lyrics convey the search for that one true love that we know we will find one day, or remind us how lucky we are to have found that person already. This one is the perfect opener for this album hooking the listener with emotions and music. From the electric guitar, to the use of live drums and even the harmonica, the track is MIND BLOWING.

The second track on the album is titled, "Alvida" and has vocals by Pritam favorite K.K. The lyrics by Amitabh Verma showcase the intense feelings of love one can have towards another until they break your heart and leave. BAND METRO start off the song very low key as K.K sings about love and heartbreak with such intensity helping the electric guitars and drums kick in to bring down the house. While listening to the song, the listener can not help but notice how powerful the one word, "Alvida" is. The best rock songs are the songs written about broken hearts and lost loves. Alvida joins that inner club, and Pritam brings us a track that is truly ROCKING. I have to mention, that K.K. sings very well, but doesn't have the roughness in voice to properly carry this song. The track has a reprise further along on the album which is performed by James, who truly steals the show by bringing in that gruffness in voice that is lacking in this version.

The third track is titled, "O Meri Jaan" and features the return of K.K to our stage for a soft rock ballad that will move even the hardest heart. Pritam has made the perfect rock balld and K.K.'s soft vocals fit perfectly with the music. The guitar interlude halfway through this song steals the show. If this was performed in a concert hall, everyone would be playing along on their air guitar and standing up to shout out, "Oh Meri Jaan (Ohhhooooo)! This is another ROCKING song for this so far excellent soundtrack. The man who sung the song "Bheegi Bheegi" from Gangster, James, steps up to the mike for the fourth track, titled, "Rishtey". From the beginning of the track he brings to light the fastness of life and how relationships (both romantic and friendship) turn from closness to being strangers. James conveys the harshness of the modern world and how difficult it is to find anything but loneliness. This track features well written lyrics by Syed Quadri. Play this one loud so you can hear each musical note combine with emotional lyrics that will make you think about your place in the world. This is a MIND BLOWING track that ends with a piano solo that makes it a highlight of the album. The concert hall lights will dim and lighters will be held up in the air as emotions run high with this song. The fifth track on this album reminds the listener of MTV-Unplugged and is titled, "Baatein Kuch Ankahee Si". The focus is on the singer, Suhail Chakraborty's vocals which are ably supported by a harmonica and guitar. This soft rock ballad sweetly speaks of the realization of love. The lyrics are by Sandeep Srivastava. This deceptively simple song, seems at first not to have the power of the previous tracks, but upon repeated play will have more impact upon the listener. Another winner for this so far outstanding soundtrack, this one is quietly MIND BLOWING.
Get up out of your seats and stand up to dance to the Bodo folk music inspired sixth track, "Kar Salaam"! This is a highlight of the album and the star of this track is the amazing percussion that makes it hard to sit still. Add some killer electric guitar licks with a killer chorus and you have the making of an instant hit. The vocals on this track are by Pritam, Suhail and Soham. Together their voices rise in a crescendo that celebrates the moment. This is a track that is ROCKING AND MIND BLOWING. Take a bow Pritam, you have officially brought the house down. After the rambunctiousness of "Kar Salaam" we move to the seventh track which is titled, "Alvida Reprise". This one takes the previous version one step further, with lyrics realizing that this goodbye is truly final. The angry young man lyrics are by Amitabh Verma. The vocals are gruff and rough by James whose voice fits perfectly with the lyrics and music in conveying the anger of the situation. Niladri Varma provides some Zitar solos that add to the swirling emotions within this track. Each time James sings Alvida, he makes the listener feel the hurt, pain and anger that he is trying to convey through his vocals. The album just keeps getting better and better with this ROCKING track. The romantic teddy bear of India makes his debut as a member of BAND METRO with the eighth track, "Baatein Kuch Ankahee Si". This is the full blown version of the unplugged fifth track. Adnan Sami who excels at this genre of song, truly shines as his smooth vocals cover the melodious guitar, harmonica, and light drums of this tune. Another winner that is softly ROCKING, Adnan's vocals are the highlight of this song. The piano leads the listener to the ninth track, which is a reprise of "O Meri Jaan" with vocals by Suhail. To be honest, this reprise is not really much different than the original version of the song sung by K.K. There is no difference musically, or lyrically. Suhail does an admirable job with the vocals, but I think in this instance, K.K.'s version is superior. Points off for a reprise that is not different enough from the original, yet this is still a ROCKING track. Gentleman and ladies, BAND METRO has left the stage leaving us with memories of love, heartbreak, loneliness and celebration. What more can you ask from a rock band? But wait, the album is not over yet as the audience shouts for an encore. The band returns with some DJs for three re-mixes of their soon to be classic tracks. The tenth track is titled, "Rishtey Revisited" and is remixed by DJ Nikhil Chinapa and DJ Naved. James provides the vocals and the DJs provide the techno trance beat which gives the original rock song an extra almost meditative kick for the dance floor. A danceable ROCKING remix.
The eleventh track is a remix of "Baatein Kuch Ankahhee Si" by DJ A-Myth and I dare you not to smile when listening to this track. Adnan's vocals combine with a euro-dance beat that will get everyone onto the dance floor. The twelfth and final track is titled, "In Dino Revisited", remixed by Bunty Rajput. Again, a euro-dance beat takes a soft ballad and turns it into a dance song. A well made remix that is tailor made for clubs. The music ends, the guitars are put away, the drums are still and the light come up. Pritam has come up with what is arguably his best soundtrack of the year so far. In this reviewer's opinion, it might be the best soundtrack of his career. The music rocks in the best way possible, and provides soul-ful music that is a pleasant alternative to the dance, rap, and bhangra music that is most common in the Hindi music scene.

This album is a must for your music collection and playlist. It is a refreshing and unique approach to film soundtracks and I must commend Anurag Basu, Pritam and all the musicians who have performed on this soundtrack. Rock on Pritam and BAND

The Rediff Interview / Soham Chakraborty

I had to struggle for five years before I got In Dino'

July 09, 2007

A still from the movie Life... in a Metro.

The name Soham Chakraborty may not ring any bell, but if his rendition of In Dino is anything to go by, then it will be a name you won't be forgetting anytime soon.

This budding singer, who is determined to make it big, recently proved his mettle in Anurag Basu's Life... In A Metro

However, it wasn't smooth sailing for him. He struggled for a good five years before he got his break. He tells Swati R Chaudhary about his years of struggle, his mentor music director Pritam, Band Metro and a lot more.

Tell us something about yourself.

I am a Bengali guy from Kolkata, who started singing at the age of 10. I had an ear for music and wanted to sing ever since I can remember. I trained in Hindustani classical music under the guidance of Pandit Jayendra Ghosh, Ustad Mohammed Sagaruddin Khan saab and Sukhdev Sengupta.

In 2000, I auditioned for Zee's Sa Re Ga Ma and was declared a winner. Music directors Bappi Lahiri and O P Nayyar suggested that if I wanted to pursue singing as a career, I'd have to shift base to Mumbai.

Has In Dino given you a new identity?

Undoubtedly! This song shot me to fame. I have been living in Mumbai for five years but it is only now that people are getting to know about me.

I had to struggle for five years before I got In Dino. Even Dil Laga Na (Dhoom: 2) did well, but people didn't know about me then. They vaguely knew that was someone called Soham but that was about it. Likewise, Kaha Kho Gaya (Hattrick) didn't work wonders for me. Metro is my first big hit.

How long have you been in the industry before you bagged this song?

I came to Mumbai in 2002 and met Pritam. I have done several ad jingles like Emami and Mac Donalds with him. It was through jingles that I started understanding the nuances of the microphone. Then T-Series gave me my first break in 13 languages including Telugu, Tamil, Bhopjpuri and Assamese. Gradually, I started getting more work. I sang a duet with Sunidhi Chauhan in Chaalbaaz (starring Mithun Chakraborty).

How hard did you strive for your first hit in your career?

The journey has been tough and demanding but rewarding as well. I had to introduce myself to people. I remember leaving my demo at Tips, T-Series and Venus. In the beginning, when I wasn't getting work, I felt it wasn't my place. I was disheartened but Pritam instilled that confidence in me. He's truly my mentor who never failed to encourage me. Those words of motivation meant a lot to a budding artiste like me.

Describe the phase before Metro.

It was the toughest phase of my life since I didn't know anyone in Mumbai. I stayed in a chawl for six months. I came to Mumbai in 2002 with the Sa Re Ga Ma prize money. I ate vada pav to save money so that I'd be able to spend more time in Mumbai.

I have been through a lot of struggle. I indulged in a lot of net practicing in terms of Q voice. It was a great learning experience because it gives an artiste a chance to showcase his creativity. Obviously, it was heartbreaking when someone else would finally dub the song. But all singers go through it.

I did Ada and Dil Samander (Garam Masala that was finally dubbed by Sonu Nigam and KK respectively.

Did you ever expect In Dino to be such a big success?

Not at all. I recorded the song in 15 minutes! I was wondering how it would turn out and whether the public would like it. When it was released, I started getting positive feedback. I was relieved that it was a hit.

How much were you paid before Metro happened?

My first cheque in Mumbai was for Rs 10,000. It was for a Marathi album that I bagged through T-Series. It had some eight songs.

How much are you making now?

Tabhi aath gaano kay liye jitna milta tha muje, aaja ek gaane mein use zyaada kama leta hu. (I get more for one song now than what I got for eight songs earlier).

How has life changed post Metro?

I am very thrilled with my newfound identity post Metro. There are quite a few offers on hand. There are people coming up to me and acknowledging my work now. It feels great. My hard work has finally paid off.

Anyone you credit for the success of In Dino?

I completely owe In Dino to Anurag Basu and Pritam. They have been responsible for making the song what it is.

The one compliment that moved you?

I visited a suburban mall a few days back and someone came up to me and said that after ages, they got to hear a soulful song that will be alive in people's hearts for the next 10 years. That compliment moved me.

Why were the four of you -- Pritam, Suhail, James and Soham -- re-christened as 'Band Metro'? Who's idea was that?

The biggest attraction in the film was the rock band though initially, I didn't agree with the concept since I was mainly interested in playback singing. It was a risk as it was a novel approach to filmmaking.

The band was Anurag Basu's brainchild which he started working on even before Gangster. He detested the stereotypical idea of actors running around trees. He wanted to keep it natural. The band took the narrative forward.

But it irked the audience.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion. Some liked the concept, some didn't. Moreover, it's not like everyone laughed off the idea. It received mixed reactions. When the film was previewed, we got positive feedback.

Did you always aspire to be a singer?

I was always passionate about singing. I used to listen to Kishore Kumar and Mohammed Rafi. That's when I realised I wanted to do something similar. I used to sing at the Kolkata Radio station.

Your favourite singer?

I simply admire Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar. Among the contemporary lot, it'd be KK, Sonu Nigam and Shaan.

And music director?

Pritam. But I am also fond of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Ismail Darbar. Even Shailendra has done an amazing job in Dream Man (the onscreen adaptation of Makrand Deshpande's Hindi play Ek Kadam Aagey with Kay Kay Menon). You'll know when the music is out.

Are you a part of Metro 2?

I am not in a position to comment right now. I've heard about it but Anurag is the best person to confirm this.

What next?

There is Priyadarshan's Dhol and Makrand Deshpande's Dream Man. Then there's something else coming up from 'Band Metro'. We will record an album independently. It should be out in October.

Music Review - Life In A Metro
Sudha (Lakshmi) Rao
06/13/2007

Sounds Of India

Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Anurag Basu
Starring: Shiny Ahuja, Shilpa Shetty, Kay Kay Menon, Sharman Joshi, Gautam Kapoor, Konkona Sen Sharma, Kangna Ranaut, Irfan Khan, Dharmendra, and Nafisa Ali
Music: Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics: Sayeed Quadri, Amitabh Varma, and Sandeep Shrivastava
Singers: Soham Chakraborty, K.K., James, Suhail Kaul, Pritam Chakraborty, and Adnan Sami
Audio On: Sony BMG


The music in Life in a Metro, as the title may hint at or justify, is very western and very urban though a couple of songs have a distinct Indian flavour. The music of Life in a Metro is already a big hit with the young ones and its huge success is evident from the top ranking it has been receiving in the charts recently. This all-male album does not feature duets or solos featuring any female singer.


Pritam Chakraborty has formed the Metro Band which has played for this film (and they appear in various junctures of the film too) and has also played the guitar and provided back up vocals for the songs. The four-member band along with Pritam, comprises of talented Bangladeshi singer James (Faruk Mahfuz Anam), Suhail Kaul and Soham Chakraborty. Niladri Kumar, credited as the creator of the Zitar (a modified sitar) has played the instrument for the songs in the film and done a splendid job.

Over the last few years Pritam has been accused of music plagiarism for a number of his recent compositions – which include hits from films like Dhoom, Chocolate, Garam Masala, and Woh Lamhe to name a few. However, to play devil's advocate, he is not the only music director who has been inspired - some of our earliest and most respected Indian music directors have based some of their biggest and most popular hits on Latin, American, European and Middle Eastern originals and haven't we just loved those songs!

Alvida sung by KK – he starts off really soft and then takes the song through to its resounding refrain of Alvida – poignant and profound and straight from the heart as he says goodbye – KK is proving to be a very versatile singer who can now sing any genre of song with lan and ease.

Alvida reprise is sung by James (Faruk Mahfuj Anam- a well known and very popular rock musician from Bangladesh who sang the hit number Bheegi Bheegi from the film Gangster). James sets the mood for the song and lets his passionate version peak in a very raw and angry culmination conveying a sense of helplessness and undeniable irrevocability to the parting.

Baatein Kuch Ankahee Si - Adnan Sami sings this soft and melodious number –Sami is controlled and has a great feel for the song as he serenades and croons away! A stylish composition, which grasps the attention of the listener almost immediately!

Baatein Kuch Ankahee Si by Suhail is the unplugged version of the song – the effective use of the harmonica and guitar give this song a unique flavor. Suhail is a very gifted singer and is bound to go places with his soft and soothing voice. Both versions seem to be well composed and are melodious and easy on the ear.

In dino –which is the biggest hit of the album has lyrics by Syed Quadri and vocals by Soham Chakraborty. It is one of the best songs of the film –with an obvious Indian flavour that pervades the song – in an album that is otherwise very heavily into soft rock and very western in essence. Soham has done a great job with the emotional and heart rending lyrics with his high pitched and at the same time full throated singing. The song has shades of a few recent hits which are similar in style – in fact, the meter for the two lines 'Hai tujhe bhi ijazat, karle tu bhi mohabat' are very similar to the line from Pakistani singer Waqar Ali's song 'Mera naam hai mohabat' -'Do dilon ki ijazat, 'Mera naam hai mohabat'. Another of Pritam's inspirations?

Kar salaam – sung by Pritam, Soham and Suhail – a confused mishmash of folk and rock and seems to be the motivational song of the film and fails to impress or enthuse!

O meri Jaan – has an original and reprise version sung by KK and Suhail respectively – pleasant enough but not really engrossing or too remarkable.

Rishtey sung by James – a slow moving and maudlin song – impressive in parts because of the range and power that are evident in James' vocal cords as they effortlessly glide and soar between the lows and the highs.

Of late, many songs from recent Hindi films have been inspired by the soft rock genre of music and this seems to be one such album. Its strength is that it has three or four songs that are really well sung and have great lyrics and music arrangements – and its weakness is that is that at some point, the music starts sounding repetitive and this is not helped by the number of reprises, remixes or revisitations that abound in the album which are not nearly as impressive or effective as the originals are. But they might fit in, possibly in context to the title and theme and the song situation and perhaps appeal to those who prefer to dance or listen to western pop!

(Sudha has been with Saptaswar, a music group with a cause since her move to the US from Chennai in 2001, and has performed with Saptaswar for a number of fundraising music performances for various charities. Sudha has also been giving private Karaoke performances in the New England area and has also performed in other venues in New Jersey, New York, Florida, Maryland, Virginia and Missouri. )

"In Dino"
Sung by Soham Chakraborty
Composed by Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics by Sayed Quadri


"In Dino Revisited"
(Bunty Rajput Mix)
Sung by Soham Chakraborty
Composed by Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics by Sayed Quadri


"Alvida"
(Part 1)
Sung by Kay Kay
Composed by Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics by Sayed Quadri


"Alvida"
(Part 2)
Sung by Faruk Mahfuz Anam
Composed by Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics by Sayed Quadri


"O Meri Jaan"
(Part 1)
Sung by Kay Kay
Composed by Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics by Sayed Quadri


"O Meri Jaan"
(Part 2)
Sung by Suhail Kaul
Composed by Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics by Sayed Quadri


"Rishtey"
Sung by Faruk Mahfuz Anam
Composed by Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics by Sayed Quadri


"Rishtey Revisited"
(DJ Nikhil Chinappa & DJ Naved)
Sung by Faruk Mahfuz Anam
Composed by Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics by Sayed Qadri


"Baatein Kuch Ankahee Si"
Sung by Adnan Sami
Composed by Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics by Sayed Qadri


"Baatein Kuch Ankahee Si"
(Unplugged)
Sung by Suhail Kaul
Composed by Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics by Sayed Qadri


"Baatein Kuch Ankahee Si Revisited"
(DJ A-Myth)
Sung by Suhail Kaul
Composed by Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics by Sayed Qadri

"Kar Salaam"
Sung by Suhail Kaul, Soham Chakraborty and Pritam Chakraborty
Composed by Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics by Sayed Qadri

Alvida from life in a metro



[YOUTUBE] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OqZ3CLt2d4&feature=relat ed[/YOUTUBE]

One of my favourite song of the album is 'Alvida'. It has been rendered by two of the finest artists of our times, our very own K.K. and the singing sensation from Bangladesh, James. Pritam sure has picked the right people for this job.

Life in a Metro


[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ52IJjbNg4[/YOUTUBE]

Aneek In Dino Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2007


[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHPsf7N4Yq0&feature=related[/YOUTUBE]