The Hindustan Times

Calcutta

October 14, 2000

Soul searching, thought provoking, but never overbearing Mann ke Manjeeré is a unique and powerful blend of music, justice and equality. There’s a concept behind this album and the strong thread of thought shows in each song, which together combine to pay a tribute to women, their different moods and aspects of their personality.

The title song portrays the exuberance of a woman on the path of self-discovery. The full throttle of Shubha’s voice thunders through the lyrics that is put to energetic music by director Shantanu Moitra even as it flows comfortably in the gently unwind first song Maati which speaks of a rural woman’s relationship with the earth.

An original by the music diva herself is Babul, jiya mora that Shubha has composed and adapted from the traditional thumri repertoire. Folk songs like Kesariya balaam, based on the Raga Mand, a lok raga is performed by Rajsthan’s Rukmabai while Aiva Aiva, 200 year old Gujarati folk song with additional lyrics by Prasoon Joshi is sung by Diwaliben Bhil.

Antara Chowdhury’s playful Khwab Khwab is light lively number that’s easy to hum. Another one from Shubha is Intezaar, a melancholic, slow ballad describing the eternal wait of a woman. Mann ke Manjeeré is essentially, a communication of women’s emotions and the status of women in India, challenging the audience to listen with their hearts and forcefully participate in removing the obstacles to the realization of women’s dreams.