AR Rahman's score for Dil Bechara (2020), the late Sushant Singh Rajput's last film, comes up as a refreshing touch. The latest song from the film, 'Khulke Jeene Ka', is a lyrical melody that is true to the mischievous and unfettered romance that defines the film. Sung by Arijit Singh and Shashaa Tirupati, the song has been written by Amitabh Bhattacharya.
Based on the book, and the eponymous Hollywood film, The Fault In Our Stars, the film follows the same storyline as the original. But where the American film lacked melodrama, Mukesh Chhabra's directorial debut adds to it with a touch of song and dance.
'Khulke Jeene Ka' is set to the international trip that Sanjana Sanghi's character takes to meet her favourite author in the book. This trip to Paris also sees the couple capture many romantic moments. Although they are chauffered, they find moments that add years to their already short lives.
Rahman's music dances through these moments with just as much joie de vivre as the scenes on which it is picturised. The song moves with a nimble pace, and is very hummable. There is a sense of staccato, but seamless movement through the rhythm that matches the lyricality of Amitabh Bhattacharya's verse. It has been a hallmark of Rahman's compositions to use blank verse to set up operatic scores. Here, he takes Bhattacharya's comparatively short two-word verses and creates an almost capella-like song.
Singh and Tirupati's combination works wonders for the composition. The simple structure of the melody, and minimal accompaniments make it all the more enjoyable.
Dil Bechara will release on Disney+Hotstar on 24 July for both subscribers and non-subscribers as a tribute to Rajput who died by suicide last month.