Badla song 'Kyun Rabba': Amaal Mallik captures a woman's dilemma in poignant melody

Director Sujoy Ghosh's Badla trailer might have caught attention for its taut, thriller-like mystery, but the first song from the film captures the human drama in the midst of the thriller.

The song, by Amaal Mallik, builds on the dilemma of Taapsee Pannu's character, who is forced to choose between love and family.

The film portrays Pannu's character, Naina Sethi, as one who finds herself caught in an affair that has gone wrong. The song builds on the reason for her affair, and quite beautifully at that. The visuals revolve around the same plot of Naina being caught in a malevolent case, with her lover dead, and her family now conflicted about her. With her foot-tracker and guilt, she cuts a lonely figure.

Kumaar's lyrics capture the pathos of a woman stuck between a rock and a hard place. The allusion to loss of hope, guilt, and heartbreak come through in simple, effective verses. The simplicity, while fresh, does not have any zing, however.

That comes through Amaal Mallik's composition, which puts the prelude of the violin to good use to express a sense of sadness. While it follows a familiar rhythmic map that several sad songs preceding it have done, 'Kyun Rabba' has a hummable refrain that makes it stand out.

Armaan Malik's light voice is surprisingly suitable for the song with such pathos. The singer manages to deliver the song simply and without frills.

Badla will be released in theatres on 8 March. Watch the song below and let us know if you will watch this film in the theatres: