Talaash: One of Ram Sampath's Finest Soundtrack Compositions

Theatrical Poster of Talaash

Every year, hundreds of Bollywood films are released to the public. Quite a number of these productions are obvious cash-grabs; either the narratives aren’t really engaging or meaningful, the acting is largely forgettable, or the songs just feel completely out of place. Other important cinematic elements, such as the cinematography, editing, costume design, and special effects (if applicable) may also have been weakly developed. However, there are a handful of films that are released that just completely take your breath away. Whether it’s because of the direction, the screenplay, the performances, or something else, you are left speechless at the end of the film. One movie that generated such an impact was Aamir Khan’s Talaash. The performances were stellar, the direction was extraordinary, the editing was crisp and suspenseful, and the cinematography was absolutely gorgeous. What stood out to me the most for a film like this was Ram Sampath’s music and background score. Of all the Bollywood soundtracks that I have listened to, few composers have successfully concocted an album that truly captures the wide range of emotions that the actors and actresses experience throughout the course of the movie. Additionally, Ram Sampath’s background score elevates the anxiety, the gripping tension, and the sheer uncertainty that are all essential for a suspenseful thriller like Talaash.

Transitioning into the specifics of the soundtrack, Talaash contains five uniquely crafted songs with some strong vocals provided by the likes of Vishal Dadlani, Suman Sridhar, Sona Mohapatra, Ravindra Upadhyay, and Ram Sampath himself. As soon as the film begins, we are treated to a series of picaresque, naturally-resemblant shots of modern-day Mumbai and the dichotomous depiction of purity and impurity. Playing in the background is “Muskaanein Jhooti Hai”, a song which eloquently enhances the mysterious aura the viewer experiences when witnessing the amalgamation of shots depicting Mumbai in its most natural form. The vocals provided by Suman Sridhar make you feel uneasy and apprehensive of what to expect from the events that will transpire in the film, and the music serves to only enhance these feelings. It’s a wonderfully composed song that grabs the immediate attention of the viewers and draws them into the world of India’s equivalent of  the city that never sleeps. 

The songs “Jee Le Zara” and “Laakh Duniya Kahe” capture some of the more melancholy, remorseful emotions that the actors and actresses experience in the film. “Jee Le Zara” is another song that is played in the background during scenes that highlight the contrast between happier, blissful times and the more gloomy, conflicted present. The viewer is drawn to express feelings of sympathy and left to wonder just how emotionally, physically, and psychologically devastating a traumatic event can be for those who unfortunately bear the burden of experiencing such an ordeal. The soulful, intense vocals provided by Vishal Dadlani and the sentimental, soul-crushing music composed by Ram Sampath will just leave you feeling some indescribable away afterwards. “Laakh Duniya Kahe” is the song that the film concludes with and rightfully so. With heartfelt, moving vocals provided by Ram Sampath and his concurrent, doleful music, the viewer is again left to sympathize with the protagonist and process the powerful catharsis that he finds himself experiencing. Even though the song and its associated scenes in the film initially appear very depressing and sorrowful, there is legitimate optimism and a sense of emotional closure that the viewer will understand the significance of at the conclusion of the film because of the aforementioned catharsis that the protagonist experiences. The music and vocals fluctuate appropriately with the degree of emotions that the protagonist feels, and the viewer will gain a full sense of appreciation for how the film ends. 

“Jiya Lage Na” and “Hona Hai Kya” are the final two songs in this soundtrack, and I have grouped them together because they both induce a different set of emotions from the previous two songs described and are more in line with the aura generated by the titular song. “Jiya Lage Na” is a song that just feels and sounds trippy, and the corresponding scenes in the film reinforce these exact vibes. The music provided by Sampath is aggressive yet restrained, articulate yet foggy, grounded yet trippy. The vocals provided by Sona Mohapatra and Ravindra Upadhyay simply consolidate these combinations of vibes to create a sense of urgency for the protagonist in the film to get to his desired destination but not without its railing bumps and blips. It’s a song that’s just perfectly placed in the film. The vibes that are exuded from “Hona Hai Kya”, however, are as clear and pronounced as daylight. Ram Sampath is trying to get the viewers to put themselves in the shoes of the character in the film and make them understand the adrenaline, the sheer panic, and get their hearts pounding like there’s no tomorrow as seen by what the character in the film is undergoing. The vocals will really make the viewer fearful and have them biting their nails and their legs shaking as they witness the beautifully shot cat and mouse chase that the song serves to really accentuate. It’s just one of my favorite songs to listen to, and it is simply one of Ram Sampath’s finest compositions.

With the conclusion of this soundtrack review, I hope that I have instilled enough intrigue to get you to check this film out if you haven’t already and really pay attention to the songs that are played in the backdrop of these essential “checkpoint-like” scenes of the film. Huge shoutout to Ram Sampath for such a fine composition of five songs that are devoid of any unnecessary cheesy banalities and cliches and genuinely focusing on making music that helped enunciate the atmospheric settings and corresponding emotional vibes at various points in the film.