The producers of Abhishek Varman's Kalank began releasing its music album with the song 'Ghar More Pardesiya', which is founded on classical rhythms. For the second song of the album, the makers have turned to a more modernized version of the qawwali format in 'First Class'.
Featuring Varun Dhawan and Kiara Advani, the song is another festive celebration, but it also marks the entry of Varun Dhawan's Zafar.
The song seems to be set around the festival of Eid. The earlier song, 'Ghar More Pardesiya', which marked the introduction of Alia Bhatt's Roop, was set around Dussehra.
This seems to be a running theme of the songs, to capture a sense of the times, perhaps. The sight of Alia Bhatt's Roop and Aditya Roy Kapur's Dev sitting down for their wedding ritual makes for an interesting prelude to the song.
The song begins with Dhawan's Zafar stepping out after his evening prayers to join the dancing in the street. Kiara Advani backs him up as the female lead in the song, though the pair seem to lack a certain chemistry.
Lavishly shot, with the production sparing no expense in terms of set design, the song has the feel of a big production number and makes for easy viewing.
Sung by Arijit Singh and Neeti Mohan, the composition has vibrant pace and rhythm. Amitabh Bhattacharya's lyrics again build on the theme of religious unification with Hindu and Muslim metaphors coming together.
Arijit Singh's voice captures the energy and rhythm of Varun Dhawan's moves. While the song has the percussion of the dhol and the beats to go with it, it still feels a little underwhelming, perhaps because of its familiar style. The modernized version is a far cry from the beautiful classical piece that was 'Ghar More Pardesiya'.
Arijit Singh and Neeti Mohan have the vivacity needed to keep up with the composition but don't deliver the big punchline the song could have done with.
While Dhawan's Zafar had been portrayed as a grim, brooding man through the trailers, the song captures a lighter side to his character before the drama explodes. Or, perhaps, it is a pretence to cover the sadness at Roop's betrothal. However, it does add a different feel to the album on a whole. The song also marks the first special appearance of the film in the person of Kiara Advani.
Kalank, directed by Abhishek Varman, is set for release in theatres on 17 April 2019.