Producer: Applause, Bhansali Entertainment
Director: Sanjai Leela Bansali
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukherjee, Ayesha Kapur, Shernaz Patel, Dhritiman Chaterji, Nandana Sen
Music: Monty

Film: "Black"; Producer: Yashraj Music; Composer: Monty

It's not often that the background score of a film makes a lasting impact on music listeners of this country. But then "Black" is no ordinary film. And this is no ordinary music.

You know immediately that you are in the midst of greatness beyond all melodic measure when you hear the opening track Michelle's theme. The strains of the sublime instrumental haunt you, pull and yank at your heart till it brims with emotions.

Never before, and certainly not in the near future, will we get to hear music so pure, polished and passionate. "Black" brings into focus a unique and exceptional music composer's timeless talent. Let's all stand and applaud Monty who earlier did the supremely skilled background sounds in "Devdas".

In "Black" Monty just lets his wizardry flow. The extraordinary positioning of the emotions within the given framework of every piece, the understated and yet brutally forceful use of chorus singers and sounds never heard in a Hindi film score before (for instance, the Middle Eastern instrument dudak accompanies all the pieces pertaining to Amitabh Bachchan's character)... they all contribute to an album of majestic manoeuvres and captivating contours that transport us into a world of almost-unbearable beauty. The harmonies are hefty and yet weightless. This isn't music. It's magic!

A word for Gayatri Iyer's vocals in "Han maine chhukar dekha hai". She sings the words as though they were sung from before. Only the voice has become apparent now. Pay heed to Prasoon Joshi's lyrics: "Garam gunguni dhoop se baat ki hai maine/ Pani ke behne mein hansi suni hai maine..." Not since Gulzar have I heard such use of visual images to create harmony and melody. Though largely wordless, the album screams emotions through the silences.