Music Review: Veer

Music Directors: Sajid-Wajid

Lyricist: Gulzar

Singers: Sukhwinder Singh, Sonu Niigaam, Wajid, Neuman Pinto, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Suzanne D'Mello, Roop Kumar Rathod, Shreya Ghoshal, Rekha Bhardwaj, Sharib Sabri, Toshi Sabri, Shabaab Sabri and Sunidhi Chauhan

Composer brothers Sajid-Wajid have come up with one of their best works in Salman Khan's period drama "Veer". The soundtrack boasts of eight songs and the music is melodious, hummable and is an interesting bouquet of various genres.

It starts with "Taali", a song brilliantly crooned by Sukhwinder Singh, Sonu Niigaam, Wajid and Neuman Pinto. The power- packed track gives the album an edge and a positive start. It is hard-hitting and makes the listener sit up and take notice.

The song also has a solo version by Sukhwinder and it has been sung with a lot of punch.

Up next is a total contrast to Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's mushy track "Surili akhiyon wale". It is melodious and extremely pleasing to the ears. It also has English verses by Suzanne D'Mello, something similar to the song "O ri chhori" in "Lagaan". It's surely a likeable number and will make an impact.

It also has an extended version with Sunidhi Chauhan, who sings it in a way unlike her original style.

Then there is "Salaam aaya", currently doing the rounds of television channels. The romantic song, which has Roop Kumar Rathod, Shreya Ghoshal and Suzanne D'Mello behind the mike, is a soft, light and pleasing number. It is worth a hear.

Next in line is Sonu Niigaam's "Meherbaniyaan". It starts with a long prelude and orchestration powers over the vocals. The fast-paced number is average and offers nothing great.

Then we have a very likeable track in "Kanha", a thumri sung by Rekha Bhardwaj with ample support from Shahab, Toshi and Sharib Sabri. This is one of the best tracks in the album. A song of this genre has been incorporated in a film after a long time. A must hear.

Finally, there is an instrumental piece called the "Spirit of Veer".

On the whole, Sajid-Wajid have made an effort to make the album different and they have succeeded in doing so.

Music Review: Rann

Singers: Abhishek Naiwal, Jojo, Sukhwinder Singh, Kunal Ganjawala, Sanjeev Kohli, Jayesh Gandhi and Vardan Singh

Music Directors: Amar Mohile, Bapi-Tutul, Sanjeev Kohli and Jayesh Gandhi

Lyricists: Prashant Pandey and Sarim Momin

The music of Ram Gopal Varma's latest offering "Rann", which has Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role, is not one that music buffs would like to sit and listen to. All the songs are situational and might look good on screen, but they are not really pleasing to the ears.

The album, composed by five composers, has seven songs.

"Besharam", sung by Abhishek Naiwal, is not hummable, but the music is hard hitting and vocals are full of punches. The song oozes anger. It is an average song but might appeal to people when juxtaposed with visuals.

Next is "Gali gali mein" with Jojo behind the mike. The song is a complete mockery of politicians and the political system in the country. It is a kind of hate anthem with a strong orchestration that gets noisy at times.

Then Sukhwinder Singh comes in with "Kaanch ke jaise", which has a haunting start. There is less orchestration in the song and the focus is on the lyrics. Sukhwinder's high-pitched voice makes an impact and appeals to the listener. This is by far the best song of the album.

Up next is "Mera Bharat Mahaan". Crooned by Kunal Ganjawala, it is a song similar to "Gali gali mein" since this too talks about the problems in our country. It is fast-paced but not so interesting.

Next we have "Rann hai" by Sanjeev Kohli. The tone of the song is repetitive and this too exudes anger on the current state of affairs in the country.

Then there is "Remote ko bahar phek", which can easily be clasified as the worst song of the album.

It tries to portray the psyche of news channels. The fast-paced rap number sung by Jayesh Gandhi might be suitable on screen but as a stand- alone number it is a complete put-off.

Finally there is "Sikkon ki bhook". Sung by Vardan Singh, it starts with a few headlines of news channels. This too is situational and quite similar to the other songs of the album.

Even though Varma has roped in a bevy of composers for the soundtrack, the album doesn't offer anything extraordinary.

Music Review: My Name Is Khan

Singers: Rashid Khan, Adnan Sami, Shankar Mahadevan, Shreya Ghoshal, Suraj Jagan, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Richa Sharma and Shafqat Amanat Ali

Lyricist: Niranjan Iyengar

Music Directors: Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonca

The soundtrack of the latest offering of Karan Johar and Shah Rukh Khan, "My Name Is Khan", boasts of Sufi flavour. Composed by Johar's favourite Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, the album has six originals and most of the compositions are soul- stirring.

The album starts with "Sajda". Sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Shankar Mahadevan and Richa Sharma, it's a Sufi number that tugs at one's heartstrings. The sounds of tablas and dholaks keep the listener hooked. With great voices behind the mike, "Sajda" is a must hear.

Next is "Noor-e-khuda", an unplugged version sung by Adnan Sami, Shreya Ghoshal and Shankar. It's a soft, pleasing love ballad that instantly strikes a chord. Most part of the song is male- dominated, but it gets an edge when Shreya enters with her honey-tucked voice close to the end of the track.

Shafqat Amanat Ali renders "Tere naina" brilliantly. The subtle orchestration and melody make for an interesting hear. It changes gear mid-way when it slips into the qawwali mode which elevates it further.

Up next is "Allah hi rahem" - again a Sufi number. Crooned by Rashid Ali, it is enchanting. The lyrics are simple yet profound and the song transports you to a completely different world. One of the best songs of the album.

Then there is "Rang de" by Shankar with ample support from Suraj Jagan. The song with influences of rock is nice and refreshing. It talks about peace, triumph and joy.

The album also has a "My Name Is Khan" theme song by Pakistani band Strings. It is an intriguing piece.

On the whole, every song in the album is above average. The composers have stuck to the theme of the film and the soundtrack has the potential to rock the charts.

Music Review: Ishqiya

Artist: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Sukhwinder Singh, Mika Singh, Rekha Bhardwaj and Clinton Cerejo

Lyricist: Gulzar and Ajinkya Iyer

Music Director: Vishal Bhardwaj

There is a certain quality hallmark which comes in when names like Gulzar and Vishal Bharadwaj are involved. They have come up with at least three landmark albums together in 'Kaminey', 'Omkara' and 'Maachis' where they have created a diverse soundtrack.

This is why when 'Ishqiya' flashes these names on the credit, you start expecting a moon, more so because of the rustic small town setting that the film boasts of.

Thankfully from the very first note that plays for 'Ishqiya', you know that the album is going on a right track. In the past Rahat Fateh Ali Khan has sung number of beautiful songs for Pritam and Sajid-Wajid.

He reinvents himself for Vishal Bharadwaj with 'Dil To Bachcha Hai' which is a soothing melody that is unconventional, boasts of a new tune and also of course carries a romantic appeal to it.

One can sense the music of 50s in this song set in the 2010, which pretty much establishes the timeless flavour that it comes with. One wonders though if there was any need whatsoever for including a 'remix version' of the song.

There are no complaints though when 'Ibn-E-Batuta' arrives in as many as three versions (one original and two remixes). This is the kind of rustic track that one always expects in a Vishal Bharadwaj film and since he is also the co-producer of 'Ishqiya', there are no surprises whatsoever.

A fun track with a deep rooted meaning (about a journey) embedded into it; 'Ibn -E-Batuta' has a catchy tune which gets you hooked on to it in the very first listening. Picturised on the entire principal cast of the film, Naseeruddin Shah, Vidya Balan and Arshad Warsi, 'Ibn-E-Batuta' is the kind of song that can be played in a marriage celebration as well as find a place in a DJ's collection.

The album pretty much follows the Vishal Bharadwaj-Gulzar template with a romantic and a fun song followed by a couple of semi-classical love songs.

Incidentally both are sung by Rekha Bharadwaj, who recently impressed one and all in her rendition for 'Kanha' in Sajid-Wajid's 'Veer'. The songs in question are 'Ab Mujhe Koi' and 'Badi Dheere Jali', both of which have an appeal lasting longer than the film's narrative.

Reason being that they are unlike numerous situational or item songs that are composed in the current times and instead maintain a seamless flow. Set at a slow pace, they make you forget if the song picturisation is on Vidya Balan or any other star and primarily allow you to appreciate their authenticity and quality quotient.

Ultimately, 'Ishqiya' turns out to be a short and sweet album that has an eye on being a quality outing rather than commercial sales.

Of course the album is for the niche audiences and this is the reason why one doesn't sense much filmy appeal about it. However, given the fact that change is the need of the hour today in Bollywood, 'Ishqiya' being a kick start to year 2010 is not a bad bet after all.

Movie Preview: Fired

Cast : Rahul Bose, Militza Radmilovic, Dinesh Lamba

Director : Sajit Warrier

Joy Mittal, the arrogant CEO of H.W.L.S, in a hardnosed decision to repair his scandal ridden work record and prove his ability to emerge as a pioneering leader in times of financial crisis, fires all the employees from his London office to cope with the global economic slowdown.

Amongst the sacked employees is Ruby Herminson, 29, an alluring, sophisticated, career-driven woman, with whom a married Joy is having a long affair.

Joy fires Ruby along with the rest of the people he considers expendable. After a trying day, Joy decides to finish off some paperwork before heading home, but soon realizes that the only possible means of leaving is the one he least bargained for.

Cornered in a deserted office, Joy soon realizes that there is a gruesome super-natural force in the building, which is hell- bent on extracting revenge for his ruthless actions.

FIRED is the shocking tale of a man who pays a steep price for his cold-blooded actions.

Movie Review: Dulha Mil Gaya

Starring: Fardeen Khan, Sushmita Sen, Ishita Sharma, Mohit Chaddha, Tara Sharma and Shah Rukh Khan (Sp. App)

Director: Mudassar Aziz

Settled in Trinidad and Tobago, Tej Dhanraj a.k.a Donsai (Fardeen) is a rich playboy who lives to party hard and have fun with the most attractive girls minus in commitment.

His only good female friend is the hot shot super model Shimmer (Sushmita Sen). Donsai hopes of leading a fun life ahead as well comes crashing down when his late father’s will is declared by his lawyer Mr. Vakil (Vivek Vaswani).

A clause in the will makes it compulsory for Donsai to get married to his father’s friend’s daughter living in a Punjab village if he wants to inherit the huge riches of his father running into five billion dollars.

A reluctant Donsai only agrees for the same when Vakil suggests him a loophole. So, he marries the Punjab small town girl Samarpreet Singh (Ishita Sharma) in quick court marriage and comes back to Trinidad minus her. He stops any communication with her but dutifully keeps sending a fat cheque at every month end to her family.

Longing for him, the sweet and simple Samarpreet then decides to go to Trinidad herself. But on landing at his doorstep she is in for a cultural shock and is stunned to see Donsai having fun with other females. She is even insulted and thrown away from the house by Donsai’s bodyguards even before they both meet. Following her accident she lands up in Shimmer’s house.

The snooty, high society girl Shimmer at first detests her but after hearing her story she decides to help her. How Shimmer manages to help Samarpreet woo Donsai back by completely transforming her as a hottie Samara and how in the same course also learns a lesson or two about true love of her long time lover PRG (Shahrukh Khan) forms the rest of the plot.

With a plotline that offers nothing new apart from a unique location setting in the West Indies isles, the predictability of Dulha Mil Gaya puts you off to sleep long before it is over.

Shahrukh in a special appearance making a proper entry just post interval too cannot salvage the film. Just by taking off her glasses and appearing a bit mod, Samarpreet manages to hoodwink Donsai into believing she is someone else, just like Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’s SRK’s (Suri’s character)!

While the first half breezes past quickly, the problems begin when the second half begins. After SRK’s entry your expectations rise but as soon come crashing down by some really juvenile sequences added. The whole cruise sequence is extremely tackily shot. The climax too is simply lame.

Lalit Pandit’s music works well when watched on screen. The entire track of lovers played by Tara Sharma and her DJ boyfriend Mohit Chaddha is a waste of time.

Fardeen puts in the efforts and delivers an okay performance. Sushmita Sen never looked so hot before. Her comic timing is very good. Newcomer Ishita Sharma last seen in a small cameo in Dil Dosti Etc. is extremely likeable.

Be it emotional sequences or comic ones, she gives it her all and leaves you mighty impressed. Tara Sharma looks good but still hasn’t got rid of her pathetic dialogue delivery. Mohit Chaddha is passable.

Vivek Vaswani is good but Johnny Lever is complete wasted in the role of Fardeen’s butler. Finally, SRK even his small part, gives a glimpse of his famous romantic lover charm. The superstar puts in his 100% in his half backed character.

Debutante director Mudassar Aziz’s Dulha Mil Gaya could have worked had it been released a decade back. But now it seems too outdated. It constantly keeps you giving a feeling of déjà vu with sequences appearing quite similar to films like Ponga Pandit, Namastey London and even Dil Bole Hadippa!

Give it a miss guys unless you are a hardcore Shahrukh Khan fan who doesn’t mind sitting through a 150 minute bore watch only to catch a few sequences of his. He though succeeds in holding your attention in an otherwise boring film.

Movie Review: Chance Pe Dance

Star Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Genelia D’souza, Mohnish Bahl

Music Directors: Pritam, Adnan Sami, Sandeep Shirodkar, Ken Ghosh

Producer: Ronnie Screwvala

Director: Ken Ghosh

If you want to be successful, you must either have a chance or take one. With a star like Shahid as a bosom pal, Ken Ghosh had it but with the film like this, Kapoor took one and the result is hardly pleasing.

Chance Pe Dance is a story of archetypal Dilli guy Sameer (Shahid Kapoor) who leaves his home town to become a star in Bollywood. He is confident to break into the top league because every aunty in town, including his mom, has been telling him that he's a bundle of talent with killer looks- the only two prerequisites to become a Hero.

But then Shah Rukh Khans are not made everyday. So, poor Sam has to do rather embarrassing things like lungi ads to eke out his existence at his ‘parsi-monious’ tenement.

Going into auditions after auditions he has mastered the skill of saying, “Hi, I'm Sameer Behl and my number is…” but life in Mumbai without a grand daddy is not easy and getting a break, virtually impossible.

His chances are stolen by others, his friends betray him and his landlord throws him out. He is rendered penniless stays in his car for days before he gets a job at a school and some emotional-cum-romantic support from a scooty-riding spirited choreographer Tina (Genelia D’souza).

After his initial I-hate-kids attitude, Sam finds his solace by making the teenage underdogs of school the dance champs of the city.

Eventually, he gets his biggest break as well but only to be matched by the biggest betrayal. Now he has no way but to enter the talent hunt like thousands of other contestants and emerge a winner to fulfill his dream... and our nightmare.

It is a film like Chance Pe Dance that separates a Ken Ghosh from a Farhan Akhtar and Ashutosh Gowariker who actually spend so much time (esp. Ashu :-)) penning the details and seldom leave anything to ‘chance’.

In times when flicks run on their taut and realistic storyline, Ken makes his Sameer Behl enter a talent show and eventually pronounces him a winner in an eight-pack flashing jig with virtually no competition whatsoever.

It is Ghosh’s decrepit script and predictable plot that make even Shahid’s otherwise sincere performance go down the drain. Shasha, however, as Sam the struggler tries hard to lend authenticity to his character and succeeds as well.

Genelia is as bright and breezy as ever but hardly displays her choreography skills. Alas, for her the film never picks up just like her scooty that perpetually runs on 30km/hr.

Despite being a musical, Pritam, Adnan Sami, Ken Ghosh and Sandeep Shirodkar’s work is a big let down.

The dance sequences are choreographed by Marty Kudelka, who has also directed moves of stars like Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, and N'Sync. Our Shahid also does well on the dance floor in certain sequences but chance favours only the prepared minds and Ken Ghosh was certainly not prepared when he was making this film.

Avoid!

There's a 'serious problem' between Bipasha and John

Delhi girl Bipasha Basu returned to her roots to bring in her birthday on January 7.

“This was my first birthday in Delhi. I’ve very special links with that city. I was born in Delhi. So when I got a chance to be in the Capital for my birthday I grabbed it. To make it even better it was seriously cold in Delhi. I love the winter weather.”

Bipasha’s soul-mate and hopefully her lifelong companion John Abraham accompanied her to Delhi.

“It was the Auto Expo and as you know John loves anything on wheels, but hates birthdays. So he was just happy being around some of the best cars in the world.”

The couple flew back to Mumbai in time for Bipasha’s family birtjday lunch. “It’s an annual ritual on my birthday, and one I won’t miss for the world.This time one of my sisters was not here for my birthday. She’s studying. We really missed her. But my parents and my other sister, brother-in-law and nephew was home for my birthday.”

John was not invited to thr family lunch.

As far as birthdays go there’s a serious problem between Bipasha and John.

While John hates birthdays and all the accompanying rituals, Bipasha loves every bit of the attention of her birthday. Hence while John went into hiding on his birthday last month (Decemeber 17) Bipasha basked in all the attention.

“John runs the other way when it comes to cutting cakes. I spent my whole birthday cutting cakes with different groups of family members and friends. I couldn’t take all the calls and smses. But I answered all of them on the day after my birthday.

When I returned from Delhi my house was filled with flowers. You’ve no idea how wonderful flowers look in a newly-renovated house. My home was fragrant and attractive. My two sweet maidservant had arranged all the bouquets all over the house.”

Bipasha is hoping for a productive year. “There isn’t much work happening. The scripts floating around are mostly mediocre. I can’t bring myself to do sub-standard work. Hopefully I’ll sign something exciting soon. But I’m certainly not sitting at home. I’m constantly on my toes doing one thing or another, too busy to twiddle my thumbs.”