Music Review: 7 Khoon Maaf

7 Khoon Maaf is Bhardwaj’s first after Ishqiya, which he produced and composed music for. Keeping this premise in mind, the soundtrack takes you through moods ranging from quiet contemplation to angst and frustration while sustaining the intensity levels high.

Film: 7 Khoon Maaf
Lyrics: Gulzar
Music and background score: Vishal Bhardwaj

HT Image

7 Khoon Maaf is Bhardwaj’s first after Ishqiya, which he produced and composed music for. The dark thriller is based on Ruskin Bond’s Susanna’s Seven Husbands. Keeping this premise in mind, the soundtrack takes you through moods ranging from quiet contemplation to angst and frustration while sustaining the intensity levels high.

The first song Daaarrrling… is fascinating. From the moment Usha Uthup starts singing with the trademark Russian rolling of the ‘R’ you know that you’re in for something fresh. The song has catchy rustic beat with Uthup and Rekha Bhardwaj adding a quirky charm to the vocals. Close your eyes and you’ll picture a carnival, replete with masqueraded singers and dance flourishes.

Immediately after such a pleasantly eccentric number, Bekaraan… goes takes you into a pensive mood with soft acoustic guitaring and ambient music played to a heartbeat slowed down. The song has the same sort of calm and playful character as Bhardwaj’s O Saathi Re… from Omkara.

From this point, the soundtrack goes through various intonations. O’ Mama and Dil Dil Hai are the noisier bits, while Yeshu… and Tere Liye… are slower numbers. Dil Dil Hai sounds like any generic metal song from the ‘90s with its heavily distorted guitars and groaning. O’ Mama, though sung well by KK (there’s even an acoustic version in the album) follows the same path as an ‘80s Guns ‘n Roses number. Clinton Cerejo’s rapping fails the make the song any more exciting.

Bhardwaj has certainly succeeded in adding new sounds to his catalogue. He continues to evade Bollywood monotony with this soundtrack. Some of his efforts like O’ Mama and Dil Dil Hai seem contrived and out of place, but 7 Khoon Maaf is nonetheless an innovative effort.

What we like
The carnivalesque mood in Daaarrrrling sung by Usha Uthup and Rekha.

What we don’t like
Uninspired hard rock feel in a couple of tracks is a let down.