Music Review: Meenaxi - A tale of 3 cities

Just when one begins to think that the lustre is lost... he comes up with a beaut. Meenaxi - A tale of 3 cities is nothing short of an AR Rahman magnum opus.. MF Husain's (the painter) directorial second with Tabu playing the lead role, Meenaxi is a masterpiece creation of 8 exquisite works of art.. certainly Rahman's best in Hindi.. after Taal and Lagaan. 1. Yeh Rishta (Singer: Reena Bharadwaj) Turning out as another of Rahman's revelation, Reena's debut song would have pleased many a heart. Her opening line, and the opening of her career, is as soothing as running water and just bewilders you.. Her rendition of the entire track is superb, and in particular the feeling with which she sings the title line "Yeh Rishta Kya kehe laata hai" (What does this relation signify?) could not have been more perfect... 2. Chinnamma Chilakkamma (Singer: Sukhwinder Singh) My favorite. Rahman and Sukhwinder team-up again to bring out another foot tapping number... This song is based in Hyderabad and is a blend of Telugu folk with a Punjabi twist... The song opens with a flute rendering coupled with a mild "women folk" chorus of the title line and moves into a rhythmic percussion... 3. Do Kadam aur sahi (Singer: Sonu Nigam ) A melodious melancholy... its beauty lies in it's vocal-musical melding. Rahman doesn’t add a single hard beat, yet he creates an evenly symmetrical rhythm that flows smooth... 4. Dhuan Dhuan (Singer: Asha Bhosle) There is more of Asha than Rahman.. the vocal genius of Asha coupled with the synthesized music gives us another ever-green creation... 5. Cyclist's Rhythm (Instrumental percussion: Shivamani) How do u feel when u hear the sound of 10 distinct bicycle bells going off at the same time... noisy nuisance...?? For Rahman and Shivamani even that rings musical tunes... this is the height of musical creativity... 6. Rang Hai (Singer: Alka Yagnik, Dallinda) A Rajasthani folklore... the most unusual part of the track is the very beginning, opening with a mysterious voice of the Lebanese singer Dallinda.. It is said, Tabu danced with 4 stitches in her leg to this song and on asking how she managed.. she repied "It is the music of the film. It just did something to me. It's almost divine." 7. Potter's Village (Instrumental percussion: Hossam Ramzy) This one carries an Arabic feel to it, most probably because of the extensive use of the guitar throughout the piece. 8. Noor-Un-Ala (Singer: Murtaza Khan, Quadir Khan) A Qawwali composed by MF Husain himself... Rahman continuously provides us with the quick-paced beat of the tabla and the flowing melody of the harmonium, characteristic of most qawwalis.. another catchy composition...