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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesIn this Beyond the Clouds music review, “ordinary” describes Devarsi Ghosh’s verdict on A.R. Rahman’s score for Majid Majidi’s film: the performances are accomplished, but the music rarely leaves a lasting tune. The distinction matters—the review hears craft and atmosphere, yet finds that much of the album plays as brief narrative cues rather than as songs that stand on their own.
What the review says about the score
Ghosh’s 2018 review for Scroll.in is critical without dismissing the musicianship. Its central complaint is memorability: “But there is hardly anything memorable either.” Ghosh goes further, writing that “Not a single tune from AR Rahman’s score for Majid Majidi’s Beyond The Clouds is likely to stay with the listener beyond five minutes, forget a day.” That is one critic’s assessment, not a measure of general audience response.
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Beyond the Soundtrack: Representing Music in Cinema | $20.96 | Buy on Amazon |
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Diva (Original Soundtrack) | $34.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Stand Alone Tracks Blues and Beyond: Book & CD | $17.00 | Buy on Amazon |
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The Clouds | $8.99 | Buy on Amazon |
The film was directed by Majid Majidi, with music by A.R. Rahman, as identified in this Media India Group interview with Majidi. Ghosh’s argument is that a professionally made score does not necessarily yield memorable songs: many passages serve the film’s scenes, then pass without developing into tunes that linger independently.
How the album moves between songs and cues
The album listing describes a 15-track soundtrack with a runtime of 36 minutes. Those are metadata figures, not indicators of its reception. The track list and durations were reported by Film Music Reporter; the album’s listing on Apple Music also gives the track count and runtime.
#1 Best Overall
The sequence begins with “Ala Re Ala” and “Ey Chhote Motor Chala,” then moves through the title theme and instrumental passages before closing with “Holi.” Ghosh hears the opening songs as street-level musical texture, followed by numerous short orchestral cues linked to the narrative. The title theme returns as a leitmotif, giving the score a recurring idea even as the review questions whether its tunes are distinctive enough to stay with the listener.
Musical details behind the “ordinary” verdict
Ghosh characterizes much of the score as Western classical in approach, with brief gestures intended to evoke Mumbai. “Ala Re Ala” uses steady street percussion and repeated title vocals; “Ey Chhote Motor Chala” features a rap by MC Heam. The title theme begins with Nikhita Gandhi humming before opening into piano and strings. “The Game of Life” starts with tabla and sitar, while “Holi” closes with dhol, tasha and shehnai.
Rank #2
These shifts give the album varied textures, but variety is not the same as a memorable song or a cohesive standalone listen. In Ghosh’s reading, the music often functions as accompaniment: the orchestral writing and recurring theme help carry scenes, while the brief local-music elements do not consistently resolve into tunes that outlast them.
A different view: effective alone, less suited to the film
A contrasting assessment appears in Yahoo Entertainment’s review carrying an IndieWire excerpt. That excerpt praises the score when considered in isolation, but argues that its theatrical swells do not suit Majidi’s more delicate style. This is a different criticism from Ghosh’s: instead of focusing primarily on whether the tunes linger, it questions how the score’s emphatic orchestral gestures fit the film.
Rank #3
- Format: Book & CD
- Instrument: Guitar
- Genre: Blues
- Category: Guitar Method or Supplement
- Contributors: By Mark Dziuba
Taken together, the two views point to separate ways of judging the soundtrack. A listener may find the music satisfying as an independent score yet feel that its dramatic peaks are too forceful for the film; another may recognize the craft while finding little to hum afterward. Neither assessment establishes a broader consensus about audience reception.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Who may enjoy listening to it
The soundtrack is most likely to appeal to listeners interested in Rahman’s orchestral film writing, recurring themes and changes in instrumental color. Those looking primarily for a collection of immediately memorable songs may share Ghosh’s reservation, since the review describes much of the album as compact scene-setting cues rather than fully developed standalone numbers.
Rank #4
A physical release is listed in AVDigital’s audio-CD catalog, though retailer availability can change. The album is also listed on Apple Music; its page identifies the soundtrack and supplies the album metadata cited above.
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