Review

Fraternal love, passable music

Tera Mera Saath Rahen is about the love between two brothers, one of whom is a special needs child. Anand Raaj Anand dishes up some passable music

Tera Mera Saath Rahen
Tips
Rs 45

Tera Mera Saath Rahen is not about lovers but about two brothers. Ajay Devgan plays Raj and Master Dushyant plays 14-year-old Rahul who is afflicted by cerebral palsy. The big brother is willing to give up everything to look after his kid brother. Their neighbours stand by them. Namrata Shirodkar, playing the role of Suman, loves Raj, but he just brushes her off, committed as he is to his brother.

When he picks up his boss's niece Madhuri, played by Sonali Bendre, from the airport, things change. Madhuri works in an ad agency and she thinks Rahul needs to go to a special school and interact with other children instead of staying at home. Raj first rejects the idea. When he does put him in one of such institution things go all wrong. The story goes on to resolve the strain between the two brothers and the two girls.

Mahesh Manjrekar directs this film. He earlier directed the critically acclaimed Astitva, starring Tabu. He is reportedly moving on to Hollywood. There was Vaastav before that, and a flop Jis Des Mein Ganga Rahta Hai with Anand Raj Anand and Praveen Bharadwaj as music director and lyricist respectively. They seem to be his preferred team: he has them on Pitah too.

I don't know if in the film Mahesh Manjrekar questions Indian attitudes towards special children or the adequacy of the institutions which offer help. Then the film might rise above just sentimental wrenching of hearts between brothers.

Anand Raaj Anand has had some moderate success in Major Saab and Pardesi Babu . He seems to try very hard to think up tunes which don't sound stale, but still uses the Hindi film music format of violins and dholak.

Tera mera saath rahen starts off with a lovely phrase on the violin and flute. It has the usual violin ensemble and dholaks, and Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik. But the tune does not sound too bad. Tujh se bichad ke by Udit Narayan and Hathon ki lakeeren mein are all versions of Tera mera saath rahen so that makes it four times that you get to listen to this number out of 11 tracks. That's real overkill.

Pehli Nazar by the same singers again is run of the mill. Rushing violins in the chiched Hindi film style, and some heavy drumming from time to time. Lyrics by Sameer don't exactly give you gooseflesh. Anand Ingle, Praveen Bharadwaj and Gautam Joglekar also contribute a song each.

Haqh jata de by Sukhwinder Singh and Hema Sardesai has a memorable opening line. The antaras or stanzas seem to lose hold of the vision the composer might have had when he started out. Sukhwinder Singh sounds easy and only on a few lines does he do his trademark high-pitched shout.

Dum dum diga diga is not a remake of that old beautiful song, Dum dum diga diga, mausam bhiga bhiga . This is by Atul Kale and Bela Shinde and has a panting-speed dholak beat. Seems to be a show where a local orchestra performs a mix of old and recent hit songs. There is Kaho na pyar hai and Jadoogar saiyan chodo more baiyan .

Jumbo jet is by Atul Kale. The music is by Rahul Ranade. The inlay card fails to mention the female voice. A farcical trip in a jumbo jet where one of the co-passengers is god of whom one can ask boons. Doesn't match up as a great kid song either.

Dil wahi beqarar hota hai is by Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik again. Traces of R D Burman, with a piano playing up, the guitar chords and the restrained use of dholak and the rhythm.

Tadapti hai, tarasti hai by Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik has lyrics by Praveen Bharadwaj. Does not pass muster; same fault as the song before. Lush orchestra, but overfamiliar tunes.

Main sochun by Hariharan and Alka Yagnik is a slow ballad with some unexpected turns. The key flute phrases are nicely built into the song. The sax replaces it in the second part of the stanza. Hariharan keeps strictly to the given tune with no sudden, ghazal-style improvisations that he is so fond of. The hurried phrases of the antara are neither graceful nor focused.

Some tunes manage to keep away from sickening familiar, but this album is no masterly effort that'll make you sit up and applaud .

S Suchitra Lata


Published on 8 October 2001