# The Legend of Bhagat Singh (soundtrack)

The Legend of Bhagat Singh (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2002 film of the same name directed by Rajkumar Santoshi based on the life of Indian revolutionary Bhagat Singh and starred Ajay Devgan as Singh. A. R. Rahman composed the film's musical score and soundtrack, which featured eight songs written by Sameer and an adaptation of the Urdu poem "Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna" penned by Bismil Azimabadi; most of the album featured slow-paced tunes. The album was released through Tips on 8 May 2002 to positive reviews, and Rahman won the Filmfare Award for Best Background Score and the Zee Cine Award for Best Background Music.

## Development

A. R. Rahman composed the soundtrack and score for The Legend of Bhagat Singh, in his second collaboration with Santoshi after Pukar (2000), and Sameer wrote the lyrics for the songs. In an interview with Arthur J. Pais of Rediff.com, Rahman said that Santoshi wanted him to compose songs that would stand apart from his other projects like Lagaan (2001) and Zubeidaa (2001).
Rahman took care to compose the tune for "Mera Rang De Basanti" in a slow-paced manner to avoid comparisons with the song "O Mera Rang De Basanti Chola" composed by Prem Dhawan for Shaheed (1965), which he and Santoshi found to be fast paced. He followed the same procedure for "Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna", where he created a softer tune, saying that the "song is pictured on men who have fasted for over a month. How can I compose a high-sounding tune for that song?" According to Rahman, "Des Mere Des" had "some strains" from Lagaan's music. He further stated that he took "Santoshi's commitment to the film" as a source of inspiration to make an album that was "flavorsome [sic] and different."
During the composition process, Rahman experimented with Punjabi music more than he had done before on his previous soundtracks, receiving assistance from Sukhwinder Singh and Sonu Nigam. The soundtrack was completed within two months, with "Des Mere Des" recorded in an hour.

## Release

The album was distributed by Tips Industries, which also produced and distributed the film was well. It was launched at a public event in New Delhi on 8 May 2002 with the presence of veteran actress Farida Jalal, veteran music director Naushad, Samajwadi Party MP Amar Singh, alongside Devgan and Amrita Rao.

## Reception

The songs, especially "Mera Rang De Basanti" and "Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna", received favourable reviews. A review carried by The Hindu said that while "Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna" had a "forceful" impact, "Mera Rang De Basanti" and "Pagdi Sambhal Jatta" were "not the boom-boom types but subtly tuned". The review praised Rahman's ability "to impart the sombre and poignant mood" in all the album's songs "so well that despite being subdued, it retains the patriotic fervour". In the film review on the same newspaper, Chitra Mahesh added that the songs which were "rooted in Punjabi folk, serve more as the background than as separate elements [and] create a sense of melancholy sweeping the viewers through its flourishes, chords and notes". The Times of India-based Dominic Ferrao added that Rahman's "foot-tapping patriotic numbers are sure to scale up the charts".
Seema Pant of Rediff.com said that "Mera Rang De Basanti" and "Mahive Mahive" were "well rendered" by their respective singers and called "Sura So Pahchaniye" an "intense track, both lyrically as well as composition wise". Pant praised Sukhwinder Singh's "exquisite rendition" of "Pagdi Sambhal Jatta" and described the duet version of "Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna" as having "been beautifully composed". She appreciated how the "tabla, santoor and flute gives this slow and soft number a classical touch." A critic from Sify said the music is "good". While Pant and the Sify reviewer concurred with Rahman that "Des Mere Des" was similar to Lagaan's music, the review in The Hindu compared the song to "Bharat Hum Ko Jaan Se Pyaara Hain" ("Thamizha Thamizha") from Roja (1992).

## Accolades

Accolades for The Legend of Bhagat Singh (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) :
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) and nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
| Bollywood Movie Awards | 3 May 2003 | Best Playback Singer – Male | Sukhwinder Singh (for "Pagdi Sambhal Jatta") | Won | [11] [12] [13] |
| Filmfare Awards | 21 February 2003 | Best Background Score | A. R. Rahman | Won | [14] [15] |
| Zee Cine Awards | 11 January 2003 | Best Background Music | A. R. Rahman | Won | [16] [17] [18] |