Every year, the faithful around the world observe the holy month of Ramadan, eagerly anticipating its culmination, the celebration of Eid. The festival is also eagerly awaited by film audiences around India as it usually the latest release of their Salman bhai. As another Eid grows close, it means time for another Salman Khan-starrer and probable financial blockbuster. And as usual, the songs of Tubelight have been floating over the airwaves and digital media platforms in the weeks preceding its release.
Featuring a limited playlist, Tubelight’s composer Pritam, a frequent collaborator of director Kabir Khan, perhaps hoped to make a big musical splash from a simple splash. At this, he is mostly successful; Tubelight’s music doesn’t overburden its listener with too many complex melodies or over-tuned rhythms.
Tinka Tinka Dil Mera, sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan with a mellow mellifluousness has a sweet melancholy to it, for those who are into that sort of thing, but still structured very prettily. Despite its somber tones, the singer’s coaxes out all the emotional potential from the song without reducing it to being merely maudlin.
Similarly, Main Agar doesn’t overstress its intent, with Amitabh Bhattacharya’s lyrics voiced by the ever-empathic Atif Aslam, though the music itself in this number seems formulaic, almost cookie-cutter. There was space for more melody here which goes unutilized.
On the other hand the tracks Naach Meri Jaan and Radio, the latter featuring the vocals of Salman himself, invite listeners into a more joyous headspace, and a far more hopeful one.
Radio steers for airplay across its namesake, the addition of Salman clearly meant to add to its crowd-friendliness and easy marketability with a lilting melody and engaging vocal stylings.
For our money though, it’s Naach Meri Jaan that’s the real earworm in the whole soundtrack: a purportedly light-hearted but emotional invitation to a celebration with loved ones which promises to stick in your head, whether you want it to or not. A lot like a Salman Khan film in fact.
Rating: 3/5 Stars
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