Dashavatar Review {1.5/5} & Review Rating
Animation films are catching up on the Bollywood movie-making scene. While 'Prithviraj Chauhan' has got a straight DVD release, Ghatokhkach and Dashavatar are going to be unveiled on the silver screen soon. Even though Kamal Hassan is getting his magnum opus Dashavatar being readied for release, an animation film with the same name has already been completed with its music album hitting the stands.
Since not much has been heard about composer Anand Kurhekar and lyricist Sandeep Khare, there isn't much hope from Dashavatar. Nevertheless, one plays on to hear the six songs, which form a part of this mythological tale. Alas, it turns out to be an out and out boring experience.
A kid number about the skies clearing up and hence creating a beautiful scene with nature in it's full bloom, 'Phir Se Chamke Tim Tim Taare' is mainly a jingle for the kids which is sung by Rahul Deo and Ketaki Mategaonkar. A passable affair, which would be elevated more with the help of visuals and some eye catchy animation, 'Phir Se Chamke...' is situational at best.
A song about 'devtas' as well as 'daityas' vying for the attention of a beautiful 'apsara', 'O Mohini O Kamini' has a jazz feel to it and is a unique experiment in itself. Crooned by Kunal Ganjawalla and Rattan Mohan Sharma, the song boasts of some fun visuals, which should keep the adults as well as the kids, engaged. What works for the song is its mix of Indian and Western classical music that gives it an edge over numerous songs that are made for Indian animation flicks. A good watch!
KK, who is normally associated with love songs, gets into a 'bhajan' mode with 'Bolo Bolo Ramchandra Ki Jai'. It again doesn't have much in it audio-wise for one and all and is strictly for those who put on 'bhajan' albums in their homes. The overall lukewarm feel of the album continues with the arrival of title song Dashavatar. The song has classical music trained Shankar Mahadevan along with Shreya Ghosal which makes them the right fit to sing a number belonging to this genre. Yet again a number, which you don't really take home and expect that it creates some impression along with the film's narrative.
Sanjeev Abhyankar continues the 'bhajan' feel of the album and comes up with a solo track 'Sadaa Sumiran'. Though the last song of the album, 'Raat Suhaani Mast Chandni', isn't exactly a 'bhajan', it isn't much entertaining either. A number about Krishna's 'ras-leela', it has Shaan and Shreya Ghosal at the helm of affairs who can't do much to enable the tune rise above mediocrity.
Unlike many other animation films, which do try to bring on a variety in spite of a mythological theme, Dashavatar chooses to stick on to 'bhajans', hence providing little to majority of audience. Overall, a strictly situational soundtrack, which doesn't even promise much for the viewers with expectations of something, better when the songs play on the screen.
