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The makers of Jai Gangaajal have released the songs from the film. The music has been composed by Salim-Sulaiman, and the lyrics have been penned by Manoj Muntashir and Prakash Jha.
“Maya Thagni”, the first track in the album, is essentially a song about strength, featuring powerful vocals and beats that echo that sentiment. Sung by Pravesh Mallick, this song, like most others in this album, has a rural village feel and is somewhat reminiscent of the film Omkara’s title track.
Set in an interesting 3-beat rhythm, “Tetua” is a strong, intense track with an electronic vibe. Needless to say, Sukhwinder Singh was the perfect choice for this one.
In contrast to the intensity of the first two songs, “Joganiya” is more of a fun number. Rendered by Udit Narayan, “Joganiya” has a village-like melody with hip-hop R&B layers overlaid. It is somewhat similar to “Khaike Paan Banaraswala” from Don.
“Dheere Dheere” is one of the most unique songs in this entire soundtrack. Sung by Pravesh Mallick, it has the feel of an old Bollywood song from a thriller, murder mystery or a James Bond film. I simply love the accordion, trumpet, and strings orchestration, and this is certainly my favorite song from Jai Gangaajal!
“Ghanghor Ghana Ghan” is similar to “Maya Thagni” in that it also features powerful vocals. Aside from the catchy chorus line, Keerthi Sagathia’s Rajasthani folk flavor definitely stands out in this track.
“Najar Tori Raja” is a typical mujra that has been rendered by Richa Sharma. Her voice sounds different in this song compared to others. She has sung in a slightly more nasal tone, possibly to imitate female playback singers from earlier decades of Bollywood. Like every mujra number, this too has a speed increase towards the end. However, it could have been more intense; it seemed somewhat anticlimactic.
The beginning of “Binu Baadar” is somewhat strange. It feels like you are walking in a forest and only hearing the sounds of crickets. But the mood of the song changes, and the dhol beats that come in later are cool. The mixing for this track could have been better to make the vocals a bit louder. The electronic orchestration overpowers Divya Kumar’s otherwise strong voice.
“Sanke San San” is by far one of the most interesting songs in this album. The only way to describe it is rural melody meets “I’m a Barbie Girl” dance-pop beats and orchestration. Bappi Lahiri adds a loose, laid-back feel to this interesting fusion, as does the remixed ektara melody.
One of Salim-Sulaiman’s strengths as music composers is their soft melodic compositions, and “Maai” is exactly that. This soulful melodious number features the beautiful Sarangi that really adds depth to the song. Indian Idol Junior contestant Sugandha Date has a lovely, light voice that complements the melody.
“Sab Dhan Maati” takes many elements from Indian classical music, namely the use of Sarod orchestration bits. While both male (Arijit Singh) and female (Amruta Fadnavis) versions are nice, the vocals in the female version sound more auto-tuned compared to male version. Nevertheless, classical music lovers will really enjoy this song!
Final Verdict: Jai Gangaajal is a very diverse album that features songs from all different eras. But one unifying feature of all the songs in this soundtrack is power and strength, which are subtly underscored even in the more melodious and fun numbers. Definitely one of the better albums of 2016!
Written and directed by Prakash Jha, produced by Prakash Jha Productions and Play Entertainment, and co-produced by Milind Dabke, Jai Gangaajal revisits the dusty heartland of Central India and examines the society–police relationship. Starring Priyanka Chopra, the movie is all set to release on March 4, 2016.
