'Manorama Six Feet Under', a bizarre sounding title film is a spy thriller that promises loads of spine-chilling thrills with some good acting as well as upcoming directorial talents in its credits. Abhay Deol has another major role to play in this action thriller after the average success of 'Ek Chalis Ki last Local' this year. Gul Panag, Raima Sen, Vinay Pathak, Kulbushan Kharbanda and Sarika are the other major actors. After award winning performance in 'Parzania', talented actress Sarika is essaying the role of Manorama in the film while Abhay Deol plays the lead protagonist Satyaveer, an amateur detective-turned-writer in the film. This dark comedy directed by debutante director Navdeep Singh is about an amateur detective in a small town who gets trapped in a web of lies, trickery, deceit and murder. The entire plot pf the film is shot in a drowsy town of Rajasthan with couple of notable performances by its lead actors. Singer-turned-composer Jayesh Gandhi along with UK based composer Raiomond Mirza has composed original musical soundtracks. The album has emerged as a big surprise. Both composers have delivered the needful with full professional competency. 'Manorama Six Feet Under' has six original soundtracks that can be heard on Shemaroo music cassettes and CD's.
WOH BHEEGE PAL (3 VERSIONS) : It was soft rock Sufi ballad "Woh Lamhein Woh Baatein" ('Bas Ek Pal') from the sonorous vocals of Pakistani singing talent Atif Aslam and expertise from composer Mithoon that wrote history. Jayesh Gandhi, a regular vocalist in Himesh Reshammiya's albums has given a promising composition, "Woh Bheege Pal". This melancholically paced sentimental track comes in the vocals of Zubin Garg and Jayesh Gandhi and can easily be termed as the finest effort and work of the album. The song has subtle soft rock arrangements with fine quality of guitar strumming with violin and piano notes giving it emotional edges in its flow. Zubin Garg's version is beautifully composed and his refined voice is apt for the occasion and gives a feel of "lost paradise" in its well penned "antaras" (stanzas). Zubin, rising star in Bollywood with tracks like "Ya Ali" ('Gangster') to his credit, has another hit with "Woh Bheege Pal" and surely it will be a constructive emblematic musical work for this low profile pot-boiler. Surendra Mishra's lyrical finesse gives it smoothening verbose impact that can be felt in its "antaras" where heart-broken connotations emote with ease. Composer Jayesh Gandhi comes with his peculiar Sufi rock binge in the second version with almost similar lyrical flow and arrangements. After "Aaanan Fannan ('Namastey London'), it's another super-hit number to his credit where he excels as music composer too. The soundtrack is presumed to be working best as an effective background score and will be major highlight in film's narrative elements and success. "Woh Bheege Pal (remix)" DJ Akbar Sami has the potential to be a promotional feature for the film for its rollicking disco beat fillers that collage impulsively with the vocals.
TERE SAWAALON KE: "Tere Sawaalon Ke" proves to be another brilliant effort by composer and singer Jayesh Gandhi in invigorating the romantic impulse through musical modes of soft rock arrangements. Roop Kumar Rathod delivers a sparkling performance as vocalist and its resounding echoing vocal impact clubs well with his impressive modulations in the rendition of this slow pitched soundtrack. It's really a great moment to hear Roop Kumar Rathod delivering with such finesse after soulful Sufi number "Maula Mera Maula" ('Anwar') and giving it the desired momentous flair. Mahalaxmi Iyer's cultured voice proves to be an effective grounding support that works impressively in tandem with Jayesh's voice and makes it a mesmerizing sentimental duet track. The soft pitched arrangements have delectable appeal that can be felt in tantalizing piano and violin notes with impressive guitar riffs. After Surinder Mishra, it's another new lyricist Manoj Tapadia making promising presence through well taut lyrical flows and it works brilliantly in giving it sentimental touches. It's another remarkable background score that will be casting spell in the narrative flow of the film and work well for Jayesh Gandhi as composer.
DHOKHA: New composer Raiomond Mirza makes his first dent in the marquee with intimidating spine-chilling soundtrack "Dhokha". This harshly voiced number gives an environmental feel of Rajasthan where mysterious happenings take place with haunting music appeal in the backdrop reflecting the moments of conspiracy, intrigue and deceit ("Dhoka"). Richa Sharma's folksy performance has the gripping impact of being deceived with dark music appeal signifying mysterious circumstances where Abhay Deol's narrative one-liners add on to the substance of the track. Feel its dark gripping appeal in the shady moments of the film when it's going to hit big in theatres.
DHUNDLA JO SAMA BANDHA: If Jayesh Gandhi has two aces up his sleeve then Raiomond Mirza has another surprise in melancholically driven sentimental soundtrack "Dhundla Jo Sama Bandha". Kailash Kher's well synchronized Sufi rendition proves blessing in adding emotional elements in this emotional number. The slow pitched arrangements change its tone from soft to hard with changing phases emoted in dramatically penned lyrical phrases. Irfan Siddiqui's prosaic "antaras" bind the vivid sentimental moments with Raiomond's music giving it an ethnic cultural musical appeal. Like all other soundtracks, this too has tones and overtones of being an effective background score and can catalyze in the climax of this thrilling spy adventure.
'Manorama Six Feet Under' comes as another major musical surprise in the cadre of low budget and profile entertainer for its skillful and competent musical show. Both composers (Jayesh Gandhi and Raiomond Mirza) have shown their skills with great zest and all numbers have materialized to perfection in this crime thriller. Jayesh Gandhi, favorite in Himesh Reshammiya albums has shown great promise as an emerging composer and can well be complimented for soundtracks "Woh Bheege Pal" and "Tere Sawaalon Ke". New entrant Raiomond Mirza surprises with another two numbers and shows his competency in the marquee. The film suffers from poor promotion and average face value and this may be a discouraging factor in its sales prospects. After hearing soundtracks of 'Manorama Six Feet Under', one can really feel the need and mood of hearing new talents in future and no matter how albums fare, both composers deserve full marks and appreciation for living up to the expectations.
