It's a flop

Say Mid Day readers and musicians from across the country, about AR Rahman's just-launched CWG theme song

Say Mid Day readers and musicians from across the country, about AR Rahman's just-launched CWG theme song

What stings the most? Indifference or rejection? Ask AR Rahman. Fellow musicians across the country seem far from impressed with Oh Yaaro, Yeh India Bula Liya.

Mid Day's spot survey on the just-released Common Wealth Games song, revealed, that a sizeable chunk of 44 % hadn't bothered to give the song a listen.u00a0

Another 28% said they didn't like the song, 20 per cent felt it was 'okay'. A thin slice of 8 per cent enjoyed Oh Yaaro, Yeh India Bula Liya.



Perhaps indifference isn't the right word. Disappointment is. "Music evokes feelings in you. Love, anger, hope. This is probably the only song that does not make me feel anything.

Except disappointment," says Sapna Bhavnani, music producer and celebrity hairdresser.

Echoes Ritoban Das, aka Ludo, percussionist for Kolkata-based Cassini's Division, "It sounds like Rahman's clone made the song.

It's not him," says the member of the Alt Rock band that made it to the finals of Launchpad 3 last year.

It's the lyrics, most say, that lack spunk. "Jeeyo Utho Badho Jeeto it sounds sappy. Almost like the Kolkata Knight Riders' songu00a0 Korbo Lorbo Jitbo (Do Fight Win). But even that had a sort of catchiness," says Ludo.
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This one, on the other hand, is barely memorable.
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For Bruce Lee Mani, guitarist and vocalist with Bangalore-based Thermal And A Quarter, whose own song for CWG games Kickbackistan has just been uploaded on YouTube, the track hasn't left an impact "although I have heard it a couple of times. It didn't stick in my mind."

Apparently, Mani has company from members of the Group of Ministers (GoM) overseeing the Games preparations, who Sports Minister MS Gill claimed, were unhappy with the track.

This despite the fact that Rahman was asked to tweak it by the GoM, which delayed the launch because the composer asked for a 10-day extension.

It lacks Indianness, feels percussionist and music director Bickram Ghosh. "He could have used a little bit of what India stands for.

Indian string instruments, maybe drums ufffd India offers so much scope in terms of sound. Which is why I am surprised, because all this is often there in his music," he says.

Where is the sportsman spirit, ask others. "It sounds like a film track.

The energy of a sporting event is missing. It's borderline patriotic. I've been a huge fan of Rahman since Roja, but this just doesn't have that connect," says musician Arijit Datta.

But there is hope yet, because there are those who are waiting for the song to grow on them. Singer-songwriter Nikhil D'Souza says, "It's a good composition that requires multiple listens to fully appreciate it."

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