Music: AR Rahman

Lyrics: Gulzar

Singers: Vijay Prakash, Mustafa Kutoane, Keerthi Sagathia, Karthik, Mohamad Irfan, Sukhwinder Singh, Am’nico, Rekha Bharadwaj, Javed Ali, Anuradha Sriram, Reena Bhardwaj, Ila Arun, Sapna Awasthi and Kunal Ganjawalla

The much-in-conversation-recently Jai Ho team of AR Rahman and Gulzar need no introduction.  They get togther again for this Mani Ratnam film starring Abhishek Bachhan and Aishwarya Rai. There is no doubting the fact that both of them are institutions in themselves…let us see if they live up to their big names in this score…read on!

Seems like a few unknown, unheard and incomprehensible voices kick-off this album with Beera! Unknown? Not really…Vijay Prakash is one of the high-pitched voices behind Jai Ho. But, Mustafa Kutoane and Keerthi Sagathia are not well known in the Bollywood music circuit so far. Beera is very racy and effective…it grows on you…and how! In case you don’t believe me, give it some time…listen to it for at least 15-20 times…you’ll realize that you start thanking ARR for what he has provided you to hum!

Behene de has the right tune and orchestration to match Gulzar’s ‘river-like’ words but the tune seems to have a slight similarity to Rahman’s Khalbali (Rang De Basanti, 2006). Karthik, best known for Behka (Ghajini, 2008), lends his soothing vocals to this nicely-worded number. He is well-supported by the reality show (Amul Voice of India) participant Mohammad Irfan. Another good listen…this one also grows on you…2 out of 2 I reckon!

Thok De Killi is like a gift to the listener from Gulzar saab. The number has an interesting choice of ‘old’ and less-used hindi words viz. khilli, tanaashahi, gilli, jhilli, chhilka, natthi, bichhua, baakad billi…phew! Add to that Sukhwinder’s soulful voice with support from Am’nico and you have a loud, racy and peppy number ready for you to sing along.

Anuradha Sriram’s ‘haunting but effective’ vocals open Ranjha Ranjha magnificently. Soon, Rekha Bharadwaj and Javed Ali take over with folk-ish voices that go beyond Genda phool (Delhi-6, 2009) and Guzaarish (Ghajini, 2008), respectively. This rhythm-based number has great musical arrangements and leaves you yearning for more.

Khili Re has the soothing and Shreya Ghoshal-esqe voice of Reena Bhardwaj (remember the voice behind Yeh rishta kya kehlata hai from Meenaxi, 2004). Wonder why no other contemporary music composer uses her…she has an amazing voice! Along with Behene de, this is the only other slow-paced number in this score.

Kata Kata will remind you of Rahman’s Rukmini Rukmini (Roja, 1993). This one sounds like run-of-the-mill stuff until Ila Arun and Dil Se girl Sapna Awasthi (Ila’s replacement for some) jump in. ARR enters the Rajasthani folk territory with Ila Arun with her trademark (may sound vulgar to some) alaaps while Gulzar makes himself sound more like Kabir with his dohas! Can’t understand what a singer like Kunal Ganjawalla is doing in this song…this one has nothing to offer to him. Seems like Rahman’s name is big enough to get anyone going.

Final verdict: AR Rahman’s genius and hard work is visible in this (thanfully) remix-less score . Each number seems to have been conceived and etched neatly with various sounds to make it hummable. Some numbers may smell of Rahman’s previous scores, but this score will tempt you to go back and hear more once you’ve heard the numbers a few times. Go ahead…listen, hum and enjoy!

Songs to look out for: Beera, Behene de, Thok de killi, Ranjha Ranjha and Khili re

My favourite number: (A tie between) Beera and Ranjha Ranjha

My rating: 8.5/10

[Please mark your ratings on the stars below the poll. As always, you can also vote via the poll as well. Thanks!]

Music: Sachin Gupta; Remixes by DJ Suketu feat AKS
Lyrics: Sameer
Singers: Atif Aslam, Garima Jhingon, Shreya Ghoshal, Alisha Chinai, Hard Kaur, Monali Thakur and Sachin Gupta

This Vivek Oberoi-starrer has Sachin Gupta doing the honours. Sachin was the guy behind Doorie (the number that made Bollywood sit up and notice Atif Aslam) besides having composed soundtracks for Dil Kabbadi (2008, remember Zindagi ye safar mein and Ehsaan) and Bolo Ram (2009) apart from composing scores for several popular Indipop artists and Pakistani bands.

O mere Khuda gives a racy opening to the score. The track has Atif Aslam and Garima Jhingon providing the vocals. The tune is simple but uninspiring…and so are the lyrics. This one may attract ears initially but will likely phase out soon.

O mere Khuda (Dance Mix) may find place in some city DJ lists and may end up getting played in discotheques and night clubs. I would rather prefer to sway to the beats of a Punjabi number than to this one.

Tere liye opens with a striking similarity to the anatara of Feroz Khan directed Yalgaar (1992) number Ho jaata hai kaise pyaar na jaane koi where little-known Channi Singh was at the helm of affairs…the antara goes laakh koi soche saari saari raat. Atif uses his vocals well to impart energy to this one with good effect but Shreya is wasted. Again, like O mere Khuda, this one also has nothing fresh to offer.

Tere liye (Dance Mix) has an ‘echo-supported’ Atif voice but I really like Tere liye (Hip Hop Mix) with the dholak beats accompanied by the santoor!

Sachin Gupta himself croons Tere liye (Unplugged) in a very ‘made-up’ voice for reasons best known to him.

Atif  finds himself in an identity crisis in Kaun hoon main.  This one is quite hummable and has a distinct Indipop feel to it…also seems to sway into the composer’s Ehsaan (Dil Kabaddi, 2008) territory.

Kaun hoon main (Dance Mix) is expectedly racier and Atif’s alaaps sound much better in the Lounge Mix version.

Aa bhi jaa sanam is a mellowed down version of O mere Khuda. Uninspiried Sameer goes baahon mein tera chehra hoga, chehre pe mera pehra hoga…face guardian! huh? Atif’s vocals are (yet again!) the only highlight of the number. A lot of responsibility on his young shoulders for this album I feel.

Aa bhi jaa sanam (Dance Mix) is cacophonous in parts.

Jiyara Jiyara starts with Hard Kaur racing with the rap piece. Alisha Chinai’s vocals are completely wasted in the situational and run-of-the-mill number.  My suggestion: Ignore. Jiyara Jiyara (Bhangra Mix) is as useless as the original version.

The talented Monali Thakur with Khwab dekhe and Zara zara touch me (both Race, 2008) under her belt adds an extra dimension and sensuousness to Ishq mein. It is a matter of time before this one climbs the charts. 

Prince (Mega Mix) and  Prince (Theme) are just a medley of all remixes in the album with some special effects to make the vocals sound different. 

Final verdict: Sachin Gupta does not have anything new to offer in Prince. Couple of numbers are hummable…not expected to last long in your minds. Overall, you’ll be better off giving this album a skip.

Songs to look out for: Kaun hoon main, Ishq mein and Tere liye (Hip Hop Mix)

My favourite number: Kaun hoon main

My rating: 4/10

Music: Shantanu Moitra
Lyrics: Swanand Kirkire
Singers: Sonu Nigam, Shaan, Swanand Kirkire, Shreya Ghoshal, Shantanu Moitra, Suraj Jagan and Sharman Joshi

Murgi kya jaane ande ka kya hoga, life milegi ya tawe pe fry hoga…funny? Ok, here is more…bakra kya jaane uski jaan ka kya hoga, seekh ghusegi ya saala keema hoga. I am still smiling. All Izz well is infectious…and sets the tone for a fun-filled album for a music lover. You can ignore it if you feel there is some similarity with the ‘vocal’ beats in Mere mehboob mere sanam (Duplicate, 1998). Or if you think All izz well (specifically the phrase) sounds like your neighbourhood chowkidaar howling Jaagte raho. The fun aspect just takes over…and dominates the listener’s mind hours after he heard the number. It is true, at least for me! Sonu Nigam (oops Sonu Niigaam) brings out the fun element by modulating his voice at different points. At some places, he adds the Kishore Kumar-esque masti to the number.

All izz well (remix) will keep your funny bone tickling. The good part is that, contrary to what you hear in other remixes, you can still hear the beats of the dholak.

Moitra shifts gear to provide you some Parineeta (2005)-like ‘old world charm’ in Zoobi doobi with Sonu and Shreya doing the honours. He keeps the arrangement simple with minimal instrument use a la Piu Bole (Parineeta, 2005). Sonu tries to do a combination of Mohd. Rafi and SP Balasubramaniam in the number. All in all, this one is quite hummable!

Zoobi doobi (remix) is racier and expectedly has more accompanying sounds (read noises).

Behti hawa sa tha woh sounds situational. The lyrics are fresh yet simple. One of the antara goes humko kal ki fikar sataati, woh bas aaj ka jashn manaata, har lamhe ko khul ke jeeta tha woh…quite inspirational to me! However, this number clearly has shades of Moitra’s Raat hamaari to (Parineeta again). Shaan seems to be in his comfort zone while singing this one.

Now, for something different! Give me some sunshine has Suraj Jagan (?) and Sharman Joshi behind the mike…though the latter only provides situational fillers to the song. Suraj Jagan is best known for Johnny Gaddar (Johnny Gaddar, 2007), Zehreeley (Rock On, 2008) and Dil Kare (All The Best, 2009). The number seems to marry a couple of Rock On (2008) numbers with the evergreen oldie Ek din bik jaayega maati ke mol (Dharam Karam, 1975).

In Jaane nahin denge tujhe, Sonu Nigam reminds you that there is a reason he is considered as the no. 1 singer in the hindi film industry today. You will feel like crying with Sonu when he almost does it himself in the number. He combines it with anger, prayer, nostalgia…phew! Way to go, Sonu! One of the antaras takes you to the nostalgic last antara in Sandese aatein hain (Border, 1997).

Final verdict: All izz well with 3 Idiots. The album is not path-breaking but has quite a bit of old-world charm and youthfulness. Most numbers are situational but well composed and sung. However, there are also sounds that remind you of Moitra and Kirkire’s Parineeta (2005).

All is not great or excellent! But All izz well. Don’t worry…go ahead and listen to it.

Songs to look out for: All Izz well, Zoobi Doobi, Give me some sunshine and Jaane nahi denge tujhe

My favourite number: All Izz well

My rating: 7/10

Music: Ankur Tewari, Xulfi and Mikey McCleary
Lyrics: Ankur Tewari, Xulfi
Singers: Kunal Ganjawala, Xulfi and Sunidhi Chauhan
Music release: 23 October 2009

Ankur Tewari? Who is that? He is a Roorkee-based, guitar-playing lad who wandered to Bhopal and Delhi before moving to Mumbai and composing music for hindi movies like Let’s Enjoy (2004) and Ek Chaalis ki last local (2007).

Ankur “re-uses” self-composed and self-sung Sabse peechhe hum khade from Let’s Enjoy (2004). This time Kunal Ganjawala gets to do the crooning. Perhaps it’s Kunal talking about his plight as a mainstream singer in the hindi film industry. He started with a lot of promise with O humdum suniyo re (one of many singers, Saathiya, 2002) and Bheegey honth tere (Murder, 2004)…continued it a little bit with Salaam namaste, What’s going on (both Salaam namaste, 2005), Maasha-allah, Jaaneman (both Saawariya, 2007), Channa ve ghar aaja (Channa Ve, DJ Anit, 2007). However, he did seem to have lost the plot …one can hear him in ‘one-off’ hits like Dupatta tera nau rang da (Partner, 2007) and Main hoon romeo (Roadside Romeo, 2008). Methinks the talented Sonus, Atifs, Raahats, Mohits et al have edged him out of contention…and he is trying hard to keep himself in the game. Do you agree? Not that he is not talented…he definitely is. You can’t blame it on the actors he sings for, can you? Emraan has done many other movies after Murder. For no particular reason, I fear he might go the Yesudas, Suresh Wadkar and SP Balasubramaniam route…quite talented, but not very successful in the film industry!

Nevertheless, Sabse peeche hum khade is catchy and hummable. Its foot-tapping rhythm has shades of Main koi aisa geet (Yes Boss, 1997) and Kaisi paheli zindagaani (Parineeta, 2005).

Sabse peeche hum khade (reprise) has good use of piano and the chorus.

With Reh jaane do, Call/Xulfi is back! Yes, Call/Xulfi (with an X)…the Pakistani pop band formed in 1994…off and on with band members…to make their presence felt with Laaree chhooti (Ek Chaalis ki last local, 2007), Yeh pal (Aasma, 2009) and Dhadke jiya (Aloo Chaat, 2009). Reh jaane do uses their trademark acoustic guitar rhythm to good effect. But you can’t deny the repetitive nature of sounds in all Xulfi numbers…including this one. The vocalist (Xulfi…Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan?) demonstrates fine singing ability in a wide range of notes.

So far, this score gives me a light, good and youthful band feel…

Tum mere ho is a slow-paced ballad with Kunal and Sunidhi Chauhan doing the honours. Seems like a laid-back, naturally-flowing tune that wanders without impressing you too much.

Xulfi comes back with Kuchh aisa …the guitar riff is bound to impress you…I was impressed for sure. Nice one this, you’ll like to press the play button again! One minor observation: Xulfi should guard against the sound of breath entering the microphone. I could not find anything sad about Kuchh aisa (sad version) …it’s just shorter (if that is considered equivalent of being ‘sad’).

Sunidhi questions Kunal’s status…says Sabse peeche kyon khade? This one does not sound as ‘musical’ as Kunal’s version…may be due to the accompanying orchestra and the remix-style beats added to it.

Sab yahaan hai clearly has elements of a couple of popular ‘already-heard-somewhere’ symphonies. This one is intended to be a racy, fun track. In my opinion, it is avoidable.

Songs to look out for: Sabse peechhe hum khade, Reh jaane do and Kuchh aisa

My favourite number: Sabse peechhe hum khade

Final verdict: Fine score…has a distinct ‘band’ feel to it – with acoustic guitar chords standing out. Some numbers are quite hummable…but that’s it. How many of these numbers would I remember after 3-4 weeks? Not even one! You may argue that this is true for every other album now-a-days…I agree. But I can only comment on Aao wish karein now.

Aao listen karein…at least for now.

My rating: 6/10

Music: Salim-Sulaiman
Lyrics: Niranjan Iyengar, Irfan Siddiqui
Singers: Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal, Salim Merchant, Sukhwinder Singh, Kailash Kher, Marianne DCruz Aiman, Shruti Pathak, Kareena Kapoor and Vishal Dadlani
Music release: 21 October 2009

Salim-Sulaiman who? One cannot ignore the less-popular but talented music director duo who entered films through the back(-ground score) door route and enthralled music lovers with their popular numbers in Chak-de India (remember the Sukhwinder-sung title song), Fashion (did you forget Mar jaawan and Kuchh khaas hai?) and Rab ne banaa di jodi. Not to mention Dor, Luck (Aazma luck aazma), Bombay to Bangkok (Dheere dheere chal zindagaani) and Iqbal (Aashaayen) to name a few more. Let us see what they have for us in Kurbaan…

Sonu Nigam‘s vocals and the rhythm in Shukran Allah will remind you of the title song of Kal Ho Naa Ho. ‘Cherry-picked’ phrases like lab ne jo lab chho liya, hum pe meharbaan do jahaan and baahon mein jism khil gaya and Sonu and Shreya Ghoshal‘s vocals impart a lot of grace to the soothing number. A new chartbuster!…different, but very effective. Don’t like it? Go back and listen to it again…grows on you!

In a Salim-Sulaiman score, how can Sukhwinder Singh stay behind? Dua hai has him pairing with Kailash Kher and Marianne DCruz. Both the folk-ish singers (Sukhwinder and Kailash) hold the fort well. However, this one seems like run-of-the-mill stuff. Will sound like a good hear for a few weeks, no doubt about it.

Ali Maula suprises you in a pleasant way! Salim Merchant‘s silky vocals are sweet to your ears. The chorus backs him up very well. Definitely one of the better numbers in the album. However, you won’t be able to ignore the faint shades of Maula mere le le meri jaan (Chak-de India) in the track.

Let discotheque visitors sway to the beats of Ali Maula (remix)…I would prefer the ‘original’ version.

Hold your breath for the next one…you will hear it get released in Rasiya. Shruti Pathak (Mar Jaawan – Fashion and Paayalia – Dev D fame) sounds different but stable in low notes. A beautiful classical-based composition that has Kareena Kapoor complementing her with the rhythmic deep-breath and a few couplets. Could Salim-Sulaiman have used Shreya for the number? Listen to Devdas songs (Bairi Piya and Hamesha tumko chaahaa) and you’ll realise what I am pointing at.

Tum shuru hue jahaan main khatam hua…croons Vishal Dadlani in the title song (Kurbaan Hua). It seems to be about existence …You start existing where I finish…huh? Vishal does an AR Rahman at a couple of places here. But this number seems to have mass-appeal…it’s a matter of time till you see it climbing countdown charts. Had heard music directors becoming multi-faceted individuals …does seem to be real in Salim Merchant and Vishal Dadlani‘s cases!

Songs to look out for:Shukran Allah, Ali Maula and Kurbaan Hua (in that order)

My favourite number: Ali Maula

Final verdict: A nice one this. Not commercial like Ajab Prem ki… or London Dreams, but definitely a critic’s delight! Sounds like someone’s offering namaaz at the mosque. At other points, it talks about sacrifice as an essential part of eternal love.

Lend an ear – you’ll experience something different!

My rating: 7/10

Music: Pritam
Lyrics: Irshad Kamil
Singers: KK, Sunidhi Chauhan, Hard Kaur, Atif Aslam, Mika, Alisha Chinoy, Neeraj Sridhar, Suzzane D’Mello, Javed Ali, Jojo, Soham, Rana Mazumdar, Ashish Pandit, Kailash Kher, Paresh and Naresh
Music release: 1 October 2009

Another Pritam release. How many films is he doing in a month? I don’t think he says no to anyone asking him to compose for their films! Let us see how this one fares…

Main tera dhadkan teri starts with a rap piece that has Hard Kaur going He is a sexy sexy followed by dharti hila de, la de lishkaare. Thankfully, KK soon comes with the actual lyrics of the song is his so-good-when-high-pitched voice…that will make you go wow!! A very catchy opening to the album. Sunidhi complements him quite well – the number seems to be tailor-made for her vocals and range. The interlude is well-laced with rap and bass guitar pieces. This racy number is sure to become one of the chart-toppers.

Tu jaane na has a pleasantly surprising prelude – male chorus with guitar and tabla!! Pritam tries to impart old-world-charm to this number with a different rhythm to great effect. Atif croons well and imparts his trademark warmth to the number. His alaaps in this one will encourage you to sing along with the number. Whatever people say about him, Atif is Atif…and he is good. Period. Don’t agree with me? Listen to this one and then decide for yourself.

Not a bad start at all, I must say. The first 2 numbers have made me wait for more. Let us go ahead…

Oh by God starts with the traditional, used ad nauseum shaadi shehnai prelude that continues throughout the number. Like Aahun aahun and Twist (both Love Aaj Kal), Pritam has “rehashed” an old, traditional tune well again.

Tera hone lagaa hoon has Atif pairing with one of my favourite female singers…Alisha Chinoy. Pritam tries to do a Tum se hi (Jab we met) but the vocalists make it sound fresh. Especially Alisha (with her oomphs and aahs) and the opening male voice (not credited to this number). The more said about Atif, the less! And Pritam uses him to a great effect. A very soothing number, I must admit.

Prem ki naiyya is a naughty but catchy number sung by Neeraj Sridhar and Suzzane D’Mello. Somehow, it reminds me of the band Euphoria (Dhoom pichak dhoom, Mai re fame). The lyrics has some bhojpuri-like words and phrases and is easy on the lips. Like most other songs in this album, english rap phrases find a way here too. The big question is whether these were really required (?)

Aa jao meri tamanna has Javed Ali (Hai Guzarish fame) and Jojo doing the honours. The opening resembles Jaane kaise shab dhali (Raqeeb). Jojo gets to play only second-fiddle (read: chorus/echo) to Javed in the number.

Follow me starts (once again!) with He is a sexy sexy. This hard core (sung by Hard Kaur) rap number seems to be tailored to be played at night clubs and parties.

The next version of Tu jaane na (Reprise) is sung by Soham, Rana Mazumdar and Ashish Pandit. After listening to Atif in the ‘original’ number, this version pales in comparison.

The remix versions of Main tera dhadkan teri, Tu jaane na, Prem ki Naiyya, Tera hone lagaa hoon sound good too. The good thing about these remixes is that they do not ‘cacophonize’ the original numbers.

Kailash Kher gives a rustic feel to the fourth version of Tu jaane na in the score…called Tu jaane na (unplugged version). He also croons the chorus part in the beginning.

Songs to look out for: Main tera dhadkan teri, Tu jaane na, Oh by God, Prem ki naiyya, Tera hone lagaa hoon and Aa jao meri tamanna

My favourite number: Tera hone lagaa hoon

Final verdict: Ajab Pritam ka ghazab music! After months and months of ‘not-a-good-album’, ‘one-song-wonders’, ‘pick-2-good-songs-and-listen’ scores, here comes one that will make you feel good with each song. Each number in the album has been carefully worked upon and etched to sound good to your ears. The vocalists do a magnificent job to take the compositions a level up. Moreover, the tunes have been packaged well (except for a few rap pieces) make you listen to them again and (yet) again. Such albums come once in a blue moon…go, listen to the songs …and enjoy!

My rating: 8/10

Music: Pritam
Lyrics: Kumar, Sayeed Quadri
Singers: Neeraj Sridhar, KK, Javed Ali, Irfan Ashraf, Shadab, Mohit Chauhan and Shafqat Amanat Ali
Music release: 25 September 2009

Another Emraan Hashmi movie from the Bhatt stable. You expect the music to be good, don’t you? Don’t expect this score to be a Murder …or a Life in a Metro. It is not supposed to be, is it?

As soon as I heard the name of the film, I thought about Tum mile dil khile aur jeene ko kya chahiye…remember the MM Kreem composed number from another Bhatt movie called Criminal (1994)?

This Tum Mile does not make your dil khile instantly, but it has its own crests and troughs (for sure). The issue is that the troughs are more than the crests. I find Pritam’s singer selection awkward (to the extent of being funny) at first sight. But the singers don’t dissappoint. Keep reading…and I will try to point out what I mean.

The album starts with the ‘original’ version of the title song (Tum mile) sung by Neeraj Sridhar. Like most Sridhar songs, including his Bombay Vikings (Neeraj’s band…I hope he does not need to apologize to Mr Thakarey for this) ones, has “tough-to-understand-at-first” English lines….by the way, the chorus keeps doing “come around”. That apart, Tum mile has an endearing tune. Although Neeraj has sung this quite well, in my opinion, KK would have been a better choice for the title track. The lyrics are predictable …tum mile to mil gaya yeh jahaan, tum mile to har pal hai naya…tum mile to sabse hai faansla…jaadoo chha gaya…jeena aa gaya…maine paaya hai khuda but they soon become a little more romantic to say…tum mile to mehkin baarishen…jaagi khwahishen…rangon ka hai silsila. The number does not follow the usual mukhda-antara pattern to the core. Listen to it …you’ll realize what I am trying to say.

Ok, there we go…it is KK in the next number. Dil Ibaadat does not sound great when you hear it the first time. It fails to ring a bell even after you lend an ear ~3-4 times. Pritam does try to experiment but does not succeed. KK tries hard and does justice…but the composition does not have much to offer to the listener.

Tu hi haqeeqat has Javed Ali (Hai guzaarish fame) leading the vocals …well-supported by Irfan Ashraf and Shadab (chorus). Similar to Dil Ibaadat, the number fails to inspire despite Javed using all his nuances.

Is Jahaan mein starts off as a fun track. It is quite racy and Mohit Chauhan sounds like a misfit here. He does try hard with Kishore-patented yoodles but he does not belong here. I must say he is wasted in this number. Pritam: can you please leave Mr Chauhan alone? Please let him sing numbers like Pehli baar mohabbat ki hai (Kaminey)…for our sake…if not his!

You breathe a sigh of relief when you see the best number in the album (Tum mile) again! And the combination with Javed Ali sounds good. By the way, this one is called Tum mile (Love reprise). Don’t try to compare Javed with Neeraj - they might sound similar in the number but they are different. Period.

There is another KK number in O meri jaan. A better number than Dil Ibaadat but your concentration may wane after a few good piano riffs and a singer’s decent effort to make the number sound good (yet again!).

Dil Ibaadat (Rock) has nothing new to offer compared to the ‘original’ version of the track except (acoustic, bass and electric) guitar somethings.

Tum mile is back…yet again! This avatar is called Tum mile (Rock) and is sung by the ex-Fuzon Pakistani singer Shafqat Amanat Ali. Shafqat who?…the one who shot to fame after lending his voice to some soul-stirring tracks like Yeh Haunsla (Dor) and Mitwa (Kabhi Alvida na kehna) and in his maiden album Tabeer.

If you ask me to choose my favourite amongst the Tum mile‘s, I would go with the Javed Ali one…just because of the quality and novelty of his voice…with due respect to Neeraj and Shafqat.

Soul of tum mile – Intrumental reminds me of the Godfather theme at some points.

Final verdict: Tum mile…and that’s it. My dil does not khile. Would like to listen to the nuances that Neeraj Sridhar, Javed Ali and Shafqat Amanat Ali impart to the different versions of Tum mile. Disappointing…as far as Pritam and his reputation (and hence listeners’ expectations) is concerned.

My rating: 4/10

Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Lyrics: Prasoon Joshi
Music release: 17 September 2009

Ok, we know that A.R. Rehman was supposed to compose music for this Ajay Devgan, Salman Khan and Asin starrer…but it was not to be. So, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy do the honours. Be with me to find out whether they do justice to the soundtrack.

The album starts with Barson yaaron, a number that is definitely going to generate excitement amongst the youth because of its rock feel. Agreed Vishal Dadlani (of Vishal-Shekhar and Pentagram fame) is the lead singer. But wait a minute!…what is Roopkumar Rathod doing on this track? I wondered what the Sandese Aatein hain, To Chalun (both Border) and Maula mere (Anwar) singer doing on a rock track! Expectedly so, Vishal has pumped in a lot of zeal into the song. Roopkumar complements him quite well in a ‘fusion’ of desi lyrics in the ‘rock’ number. There also sounds like an effortless transition from Vishal to Roopkumar…quite good to hear. To me, Roopkumar is a treat to hear in a new avatar. The sound of his breath coming on the soundtrack (a la Border songs) is nowhere to be seen as well. Keep going dude!

Man ko Ati Bhavey is the next track sung by Shankar Mahadevan. Although he has sung it well, the composition itself does not evoke the energy or enthusiasm of the previous track. It is a hummable track through. Prasoon Joshi, for some reason, sticks to the use of ‘proper’ hindi words like pushp, surya, naman, upwan, gagariya, pran, saunpa! Why? May be Vipul Shah can answer that question for us.

Feroz Khan (a Punjabi bhangra singer I am told) sings the next one…called Tapkey Masti and one suddenly starts comparing him with Sukhwinder Singh…well almost. Feroz‘s voice is in this song is quite similar to Sukhwinder. Somehow, after listening to this track you realize that you might be going on a rudderless boat. There does not seem to be any harmony with any of the other numbers in this score.

Khanabadosh (actually the title song) is sung be another newbie called Mohan. Another talented artist though. I like the choice of words used by Prasoon here…Aa zamaane aa, Aazmaane aa…takes me back to one of the hindi classes on alankaars.

Finally, I get a Rahat Fateh Ali Khan number in the album. He has sung it with Shankar Mahadevan. That’s all that is exciting about this number…otherwise, it disappoints…big time! It just meanders along up and down (especially the antara) without providing any sweet somethings to a music lover.

Yaari bina has funny lyrics (Yaari bina hai besuri meri zindagi). I am tempted to say AR Rahman bina besura hai yeh score.

Abhijeet Ghoshal adds some novelty to the Sufi-esqe Jashn hai jeet ka. The male chorus fits perfectly throughout the song. Guess what: the score is coming back on track a little.

Shola Shola is like a whiff of fresh air to the score. Zubeen Garg (Ya Ali fame) does complete justice to the wonderful composition. To be honest, I have not heard better use of male vocals in the chorus. Prasoon’s meaningful lyrics give you a reason to go back and play the song again and again. Even the preludes sound as fresh as morning dew!

DJ A-Myth seems to have remixed Khanabadosh, Man ko Ati Bhavey and Tapkey Masti to make them sound more acceptable to the youth. These version sound awkwardly funny in parts due to a combination of pure hindi lyrics and (seemingly) force-fitted beats

Final verdict: If I look back, I find this score good only in parts. I find myself humming Shola Shola would like to lend my ear to that vs. the others. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy need to pull up and be more consistent.

My rating: 6/10

I clearly remember ’Beat it’, ‘Billie jean’ and ‘Black or white’ playing out of my old, black-coloured, mono cassette player. Also remember the youthfulness embbeded inside ‘Dum maaro dum’ and ‘Jaanejaan dhoondhta phir raha’ while they played on the All India Radio MW station! Both these artists’ songs take me back to where I starting falling in love with music. They were my heroes at that point…so what if I did not know too much about them. The only place where I saw MJ was either on life-size posters in my distanct cousin’s room or on the jaded audio cassette cover. Somehow, I felt MJ would have looked better (‘Thriller’ days) if I could buy a bigger cassette (!)…(there were no CDs then…or may be they were too expensive for me). As far as RD is concerned, I never knew how he looked till he died and his picture appeared in the newspaper…I still can’t believe, but it is true. I was so busy listening to the vibrant songs he churned one after the other …who on earth wanted to see how he looked? And why would that matter?

Both MJ and RD were so different – they hardly had any similarties. But, I was smitten by them because they were true performers…at least for me. No other artists in that era imparted so much energy, enthusiasm and happiness that they gave me …day in and day out.

Today, when both are no more, I look up towards the sky and thank the One who created them…and wish that they rest in peace up there.

Here’s cheers both to MJ and RD. Long live both of them…in my heart.