With patriotism as its theme, Raazi (2018) was bound to have one, if not more patriotic tracks. The makers today released the first track, 'Ae Watan'.
Speak of 'Ae Watan' and you are instanly reminded of Mohammed Rafi’s classic 'Ae Vatan' track from the Manoj Kumar-starrer Shaheed (1965). Prem Dhawan wrote and scored the music for that classic song, and it would be unfair to compare the two songs.
"Watan ke aage kuch nahi, khud bhi nahi" (Nation before everything, including myself). These hard hitting words told the story of Raazi as seen in the trailer earlier. Sehmat (Alia Bhatt) is a Kashmiri girl who will die for her country. She is married to a Pakistani soldier, only to operate as a spy in the enemy territory.
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Penned by Gulzar, the lyrics of 'Ae Watan' are simple, and soaked in patriotic fervour. The neat lyrics is backed by an inspirational, goosebump-evoking score by the trio of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. The intro music is magnetic, but the song tapers off slightly in the antara.
What is flawless and refreshing about the track is the singing of Arijit Singh. It’s hard to recollect Singh singing a patriotic song before this track. His voice has the requisite depth for such a track. The singer retains the usual mellowness in his voice, one that is associated with his romantic, soft numbers.
Much of the visuals here have been seen before in the trailer. 'Ae Watan' is a far cry from being a classic patriotic song, but it has the makings of a modern day inspirational track. Raazi will be released on 11 May.
Watch the track below: