Khalbali Records review: Ram Kapoor works his silver hair and silver tongue before showing his claws in energetic show | Web-series News
Music magnate Manvendra (Ram Kapoor) runs his company, ‘Galaxy Records’, with an iron fist without bothering about velvet gloves. Son Raghav (Skand Thakur) just wants to break free. Daughter Ananya (Saloni Batra) hangs uneasily in between the two men. Who will win the battle and lose the war?
The familiar beats of filial conflict quite often threaten to eclipse the core subject – the age-old struggle between commerce and idealism and the arts, scrappy indie labels coming up against the might of the legacy producers–of ‘Khalbali Records’, directed by Devanshu Singh. But there’s an energy to this enterprise that manages to stave off that danger, keeping it brisk as to pace, and on point as to music. Amit Trivedi and Azadi Records have done a great job in creating a pulsating soundscape which keeps things alive and ticking.
Also read – Call Me Bae review: Ananya Panday’s show is frothy, frivolous and fun
The killing of a much-loved rap artist kickstarts the story, providing the tipping point between the warring father and son. Cue the usual pushbacks from the established players and their unethical practices — shaving off the profits accruing to the artists, profits always first, everything else, including pesky singers and their complaints of sexual harassment against star performers, be damned. After a point, the relentless hit jobs against Raghav and his fledgling company start feeling excessive.
There are also a couple of eye-roll elements, especially when it comes to the portrayal of the media. Prime time anchors talking up the ripples in the music world? In your dreams. Cops being commandeered at one call? Since when did music company owners have that power? Seriously?
Where ‘Khalbali Records’ makes us pay attention is in the way it shows us real rap artists, the making of their music and their processes– are there really so many in Delhi, and is there such a thriving underground movement? Prabh Deep as Mauj, who talks of spreading love through his songs, is treading the well-worn path of scores of artistes who chose idealism over commerce, but leaves an impact. As do the others– EPR Iyer, Artiro Banerjee, Zander Lama, Ahmer Javed, Varun Bhagat, Vikas Verma—in creating a world where the alternative is given primacy, and where dissing is an art form.
In this craven era where filmmakers and web creators are being hauled up because of imaginary slights, and made-up offences, I also really like that ‘Khalbali Records’ is political. Or let’s say, as political as it can be. Rebellion is political. So is grooving to the sound of your own drum. If we hadn’t seen a Kashmiri rap artist finding his voice, a MeToo accused getting his just desserts, the lid being lifted off the dirty games in big companies, a bulldozer being used to knock down an inconvenient person’s outlet, anything that calls itself ‘khalbali’ would have been just another case of lip-service.
Read more – Visfot movie review: Fardeen Khan, Riteish Deshmukh deliver been-there, seen-it film
Sure, all these come and go before they become major irritants, but they leave a residue. Something which Ram Kapoor, working his silver hair and silver tongue before showing his claws, makes good use of. As do Saloni Batra and Skand Thakur as siblings on either side of the divide. Salonie Patel, as a headstrong podcaster and Sanghmitra Hitaishi, as a spirited singer, fill in their roles well : everyone in this ensemble does their job effectively, pushing past the characters’ trope-y outlines.
Maybe Trivedi should think of releasing the soundtrack separately, because it’s quite the ear-worm. Meanwhile, I’m busy humming ‘Tham Ja’.
Khalbali Records
Khalbali Records director – Devanshu Singh
Khalbali Records cast – Ram Kapoor, Skand Thakur, Saloni Batra, Salonie Patel, Sanghmitra Hitaishi, Prabh Deep, Mukesh Bhat, EPR Iyer, Artiro Banerjee, Armaan Khera, Zander Lama, Vikas Verma, Ahmed Javed, Avijit Dutt, Varun Bhagat, Prakash Belawadi, Suchitra Pillai
Khalbali Records rating – 3 stars
