Barfi Music Review

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

Anurag Basu (Director) has always been associated with quality, melodious soundtracks, case in point: 'Saaya' (2002); 'Murder' (2004); 'Gangster' (2006); 'Life In A Metro' (2007) and 'Kites' (2010). Now, when the deadly combination of Anurag Basu and Pritam Chakraborty (Music Director) join hands for "Barfi!", expectations are humongous to say the least, sole reason being the duo previous venture 'Life In A Metro' which is still considered the best OST from the stable of Pritam till date and more importantly the track 'Ala Barfi ' is already gaining popularity among the listeners. With six originals and 2 reprises, let’s enter the magical world of 'Barfi!' 

The title song "Barfi" is mischievous, charming, melodious and one of the cutest song of 2012. Mohit Chauhan is born for such genre and is sparklingly amazing. Come to the lyrics and the ever dependable Swanand Kirkire (S.K) steals the show with some simple yet splendid work that describes the story of the lead protagonist Murphy (Ranbir Kapoor) beautifully. The arrangements are kept simple with minimum use of orchestra that creates a peaceful environment. A flamboyant opening to the soundtrack which will be crucial from the movie's perspective and will be used at various junctures. Must Hear and a chart scorcher for the next one month! To much surprise S.K. himself comes behind the mike for "Ala Barfi Version 2" where the lyricist turned singer does a pretty good job. The arrangements are different at places and one can sense a bit of Shantanu Moitra (Music Director) with various instruments being used innovatively and also it's the way S.K sings, that makes it an interesting hear. Just enjoy this delightful composition without comparing with the original!

Pritam makes his presence felt with the next track "Main Kya Karoon" which is on the same lines as 'I Love You' from 'Bodyguard' but is far more enthralling and engaging. Debutant Nikhil Paul George almost does a 'Ash King' as the song starts but creates his own aura with his innocent and carefree voice which gives a real feeling and not an animated one. A love song which is beautifully interwoven with S.K lyrics that defines the state of being in love with so much ease that one inst. Notice how gracefully Nikhil croons the signature line: 'Is Dil Ka Main Kya Karoon, Mai Kya Karoon, Mai Kya Karoon', especially towards the end of the song. Terrific and yes again a definite Top Ten!

"Kyon" is another fine romantic outing with the sublime vocals of Papon (wonder why such voice is not used to its potential) and Sunidhi Chauhan. It takes you back to the good old days with the 'horse-cart' feel of the 1970's where Neelesh Misra writes some refined situational stuff that will be surely picturised on Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra and indeed would be a treat to watch onscreen.

The find of Pritam, Arijit Singh is one hell of a talent, be it the club number 'Jhoom Jhoom Ta Hu Main' (Players), the ever absorbing 'Raabta' (Agent Vinod) or 'Dua' (Shanghai), he has shown his versatility and hold over all the genre of music..this time he hits the nail on its head with the classical "Phir Le Aaya Dil" (Reprise) which is breathtaking right from the alaap at the start to the tabla - sitaar Jugalbandi to the beautiful piano from 2.30 to 2.50 to Arijit's absorbing voice to S.K.'s poetic painful lyrics, everything is simply terrific! Intoxicating stuff and it will be a sin if you miss this masterpiece by Pritam. To add more depth and quality, one of the finest female vocalist at present, Rekha Bhardwaj has been roped in for the original version "Phir Le Aaya Dil" and what else does one expect from a voice like her..A Majestic composition! The classical/ghazal touch has almost been eliminated in this version but nevertheless..One can't get resist hitting the 'REPEAT' mode.

Charlie Chaplin like Harmonica starts off "Aashiyan" which transports you back to the 1950 to 1970's era. Nikhil Paul George reminds of Benny Dayal at places but is terrific nevertheless and Shreya Ghoshal's mellifluous voice seems to be tailor made for this one. A soft breezy song where S.K takes us on a dream ride with his simple yet effective lyrics. The violin loop in the interlude is dynamically used and the orchestra remains pretty ordinary for the rest of the song but yes its foot tapping and catchy and will grow once the video is out.

Arijit Singh ends the soundtrack on a perfect note with "Saawali Si Raat" that has some hair-raising low (read whispering) notes and lyrics that will touch your heart and leave you gasping for more. S.K's lyrics are the high point in this composition which is beautifully paced with minimum/soft instruments; the piano used in tandem with the vocals is awe-inspiring. Forget everything, plug in your earphones and let yourself transport in a magical world that will leave you in trance and stand still.

"Barfi!" is one of the most original and innocent soundtrack by Pritam Chakraborty where each and every composition will have a crucial impact in taking the movie's narration forward. The songs will look good onscreen and Pritam certainly deserves a pat on his back as it's not an easy task to compose for a movie where the lead protagonist is deaf and dumb, so the songs are the only thoughts and voice we hear through which everything, every feeling, every thought of the protagonist needs to be conveyed. As the movie reaches its release date, the songs will grow where "Phir Se Aaya Dil" and "Saawali Si Raat" will find a crucial spot in the playlist of all the listeners. Don't Worry, Be Barfi!

 I rate it a 4.0 on 5.0

Cocktail Music Review

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

Deepika, Saif and Diana

"Cocktail" starring Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone and the sensational Diana Penty; has been creating buzz since its theatrical trailer gathered instant positive response from the audience. It's the third Home Production for Saif Ali Khan; after Love Aaj Kal and Agent Vinod; where both got 'HIT' music from Pritam Chakraborty and this time also Pritam has been assigned the task of composing. Three names of artists attract attention (apart from Pritam): Imtiaz Ali as Story Writer: His name raises the bar enormously high both as a movie and an OST; Irshad Kamil as Lyricist: A regular associate with Imtiaz Ali and a talent house; Homi Adajania as The Director: He last directed Saif Ai Khan starrer 'Being Cyrus'(2006) which was an offbeat movie and his name comes as a surprise and develops curiosity for a forte like this. Coming to the music ''Tumhi Ho Bandhu'' is already topping the charts and is going to be an anthem among the youth. Looking at the covers, eleven tracks, yes, you read it right, eleven tracks which sky shoots the expectations one has from the music and on top of that, the song 'Angreji Beat' which was made viral almost 20 days back is missing from the soundtrack. Without wasting any more time on facts and figures, let's dive into the field of dreams of Pritam and Irshad Kamil!

 

Without surprising anyone, it opens with "Tumhi Ho Bandhu" which is insanely catchy and one that is sure to rule the charts for at least a month if not more. Right from the peppy arrangements to the choice of singers to some fresh and easy going lyrics, everything is top notch and defines the signature style of Pritam which is sure to be picturised at a crucial juncture in the movie post interval. Kavita Seth, who hardly has any track record in Bollywood apart from the beautiful 'Iktara' (Wake Up Sid); gets an opportunity and certainly makes it big. Her voice is raw, rustic and heavy as a result describes the emotions perfectly and Neeraj Shridhar is at his usual best with the hook line 'Tumhi Din Chade, Tumhi Din Dhale, Tumhi Ho Bandhu, Sakha Tumhi'. Sing along friends!!

Pleasant guitar strums starts of the second song "Daaru Desi".. The flamboyant voice of Benny Dayal makes it an easy-on-ear, light and carefree stuff that would grow with time, wonder why a talent like Benny is not used very often by other composers apart from A.R.Rahman and Salim-Sulaiman. The new sensation Shalmali Kholgade ('Pareshan' from Ishaqzaade) is fantastic with her part and impresses yet again. The lyrics by Irshad perfectly defines the 'Friendship' as a synonym for Daaru Desi, as a result both the antara's are high on melody and one that is sure to be hum around. PERFECT!

Mohan Kanan aka K Mohan ('Agnee' fame) name is enough to generate curiosity..The next track "Yaariyan" kicks off with solid rock beats (drums and guitar) and soon K Mohan joins in with his painful voice which is beautifully crafted and interwoven alongside Irshad stupendous heart touching lyrics. Into to the Second interlude and one hears Shilpa Rao with some classical/sufi alaap which are sheer listening delights and shows the immense hard work put in by the composer. A striking and absorbing composition which promises to stay in the favourite's list of the listeners for a long time. Strongly Recommended! A Pritam soundtrack is incomplete without some reprise versions.."Yaariyan (Reprise)" by Sunidhi Chauhan is intense and my God..What brilliant use of Piano in the background and in the interludes. Pritam's find Arijit Singh joins in at 3.10 for some short but quite outstanding alaap portions and one feels why he has been given only thirty seconds in such a beautiful version. Forget everything..Just listen!

Guest Lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya (AB) writes "Second Hand Jawaani" which is more inclined towards a fun, Punjabi item number with catchy beats and traditional melody. Punjabi Queen Miss Pooja starts of the song and is soon joined by Nakkash Aziz with his high pitched notes and hang on..Neha Kakkar is also heard in the antaras but it's real hard to differentiate between both female voices as a result on first few listen, one may call it an average affair but it has the power to create havoc once its video is out and rolling over the small screens. Wait for the Video!

Tighten your seat belts, as the soundtrack takes a 180 degree turn after these four tracks and is instilled with traditional Punjabi flavour with a list of singers that has the power to drive a music lover crazy and insane.

To start with, "Tera Naam Japdi Phiran" by Javed Bashir is a grandiose fusion of Punjabi and Western arrangements. A traditional tune majestically re-created by Pritam and aptly written by Irshad Kamil, Nikhil D'souza is first rate for the English vocals and the auto tuned voice of Shefali Alvaris (still awaiting the day to hear her voice with the auto tuned effect) overall makes it a superb composition that will be a very interesting watch onscreen as if used only as a background score in a club or for some situational scenario. Add in some more adrenalin thumping pumping, you have "Tera Naam Japdi Phiran (Version 2)" which is a foot tapping version where one can't resist but dance to the powerful energising beats with no change in singers and lyrics. Recommended: Both Versions!

Hold your breath as "Luttna (Saif Ul Malook)" will leave you in trance and speechless. Another traditional melody, re-created by Pritam with the chorus being composed by Sahir Ali Bagga and the more said is less for a talent like Irshad Kamil who gets his poetry in motion and proves his menace yet again with phrases like:

"Log Chirag Jalate Ghee Ke, Maine Dil Ka Deep Jalaya

Log Hai Khaate Kasam Wafa Ki, Main Zeher Hijar Ka Khaya

Log Gavande Dil Ishq Mein, Maine Apna Aap Gavaya"

Sufi King Dr.Masuam Anwar leads the vocals and is simply 'Extravagant' with ample support from Sahir Ali and Anupam Amod for the chorus part. The inclusion of Rock beats in the interludes alongside the chorus is an innovative experiment that is worth hearing. For the unplugged fan's, there is "Luttna (Version 2)" which is re-created by Bunty Rajput A soft, soothing, refined and magnificent version with same set of singers and some heavy bass guitar for the chorus part with the focus being more on the vocals and lyrics. Magical! 

"Jugni" yes, the Punjabi traditional folk song makes an entry with the melody and music being kept intact as in the original. Arif Lohar spreads his charm and Harshdeep Kaur replaces the female vocalist from the original and is a perfect voice for a genre like this. Both the interludes are heavily arranged and lots of orchestration is used. For all those, who have heard the original or the coke studio version will easily relate to this one and for the first timers, give some time to this epic song which provides a graceful end to the soundtrack.

Cocktail is Pritam's finest soundtrack after a long time which has every genre of music, be it Western, Indian, Rock, Folk, Sufi- Everything. Two guest compositions of Honey Singh 'Angreji Beat' and 'Main Sharaabi' aren’t included in the ost but have been made viral and certainly 'Main Sharaabi' is going to be a smash hit with all the party animals. To sum up, every composition has the artistic touch and therefore will enjoy a certain shelve life. Easily one of the best soundtrack of 2012 till date and a strong contender for Best Music Album of 2012, although it's too early to say that. Pritam strikes not only gold but Gold Mines this time!

I rate it a 4.5 on 5.0

Edited Version @Planet-Bollywood

Jannat 2 Music Review

Rating: ★ ★ ★ 1/2

Pritam Chakraborty, Emraan Hashmi, Sayeed Qadri (Lyricist) and the 'Bhatt' camp -  a well stirred combination of these four artist brings forward the much anticipated soundtrack of 2012, "Jannat 2" which comes with loads and loads of expectation, reason being their previous venture, Jannat, which is still considered one of the finest soundtrack to come out of the stable of Pritam. This time an added advantage on the vocals with maestro's like Shafqat Amanat Ali, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Mohit Chauhan makes one anxious and adding on that curiosity Pritam provides a stunner with nine tracks, although as usual five originals with 4 reprise versions with a different set of singers. Let's see if Jannat 2 matches upto all the hoopla and hype created!

Going by the trend, the first track "Tu Hi Mera" was made viral a week before the music release and the aggressive promotions on small screen has already made this a HIT. Shafqat Amanat Ali is underutilized and the lyrics by Sayeed are clichéd and predictable but Emraan Hashmi screen presence and the melodious tune will make one listen to this for sure. A number that will grow with time but seriously could have been much more rich on the lyrics and vocals department. Good start anyways!

Up next Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in "Tera Deedar Hua" makes an impact straightaway with his high pitched vocals. Pritam again gives his own treatment to the qawwali genre (earlier before in 'Dil Mera Muft Ka') and is a treat for RFAK fans. The alaap in the first interlude and the guitar riff in the second are worth hearing. The lyrics by Sanjay Masoomm are mediocre in an era where artists like Amitabh Bhattacharya, Prasoon Joshi and Irshad Kamil have raised the bar very high with their pen. The picturisation can do wonders with the beautiful Esha Gupta (debutant) alongside Emraan if choreographed and presented well. As an audio alone, it will have a limited shelf live!

It has a "Tera Deedar Hua (From The Heart)" where Javed Ali steps in and surprisingly the final result is better than the original as his voice brings out more emotions and pathos. The whole song is one note low as far as the high pitch in the original is considered and suits the genre well. The alaap from 1.29 to 1.47: WoW! Must hear! (Note: In both versions, the mukhda has been composed by Anupam Amod)

Some gorgeous Piano starts "Tujhe Sochta Hun" and the 'King of Pain’ K.K weaves magic around Sayeed beautiful and at the same time painful lyrics. The piano in the background is haunting, mesmerising, hypnotising to say the least..Make no mistake, there would be enormous Piano Cover Versions of the song very soon (waiting for Aakash Gandhi's version). K.K is top-notch and shows why he is still considered the best playback voice in the industry, my God! What enormous alaap. The song is right up there with the best of the lot and can even challenge Pritam very own ''Zara Sa'' (Jannat). The Arabic renditions by some female voice seem unnecessary unless explained in the video and also its surprising as the voice hasn't been credited on the covers. Forget everything people and lay your hands on this prolific composition. Magnificent! (Can’t get the piano out of my head) 

Nikhil D'souza is a massive talent and Pritam has proved it lately, this time he performs a reprise version of 'Tujhe Sochta Hun' named "Sang Hoon Tere" where the piano is eradicated (almost) and some rock-lounge feeling has been created with added English vocals. Tough choice between the two versions, treatment wise, each track has its own beauty and will have its fans likewise. I would prefer the one by K.K.! 

As soon as one reads the name Mohit Chauhan credited below a song expectations goes for a somersault sky dive...”Rab Ka Shukrana" is a kind of composition that needs some hearings to settle down and unlike Pritam's other instantly catchy tune, its a slow and steady horse that will be a smash hit once the video is out. After 46 seconds of piano (and sitar also) with soft and peaceful arrangements, one gets to hear Mohit Chauhan and he is simply terrific as always and does full justice to the song. The lyrics by Sanjay Masoomm are somewhat fresh with some religious words being used well as a synonym for love. As far as the video is considered, I think a love-making picturisation in on the cards for this one with hot and sizzling pair of Emraan Hashmi and Esha Gupta. Can't wait!

The best reprise of the soundtrack comes in the form of "Rab Ka Shukrana (Reprise)" where Anupam Amod (who hardly had any hit apart from Aakrosh's 'SaudeBaaji' and 'Thoda Sa Pyar' for the movie 'Kuch Luv Jaisa') makes a connection instantly. The arrangements here are a class apart and certainly deserve an applaud. The chorus is used very beautifully and one gets a feeling of WoW as the first interlude starts and the song picks up some rhythm and pace. The English vocals bring on some change and the use of Piano in the background is fascinating and intoxicating. As an audio alone, I would prefer this version (not many would agree with me on that though) and from the movie perspective Mohit Chauhan will do the magic! 

"Jannatein Kaha" is a rehash of the previous super hit 'Zara Sa' and who else than K.K can handle this responsibility. English rap, rock beats, police sirens...too much? Naah! It will grab attention instantly more importantly due to the whoo oo hooo hooo part which was a signature tune for 'Jannat', although the best part of the song is from 2.44 to 3.18. Lyricist Mayur Puri although falls nowhere near to what Sayeed did for original 'Zara Sa' but still a good tune that would surely make up for an interesting watch on screen if not wasted on promotional stuff/credits.

Nikhil D'Souza returns with "Jannatein Kaha (Power Ballad)" which is minus all the unnecessary raps and beats. Better than the original..Yeah..Definitely! The change in the lyrics and the bracing guitar riff acts as icing on the cake and Nikhil proves his menace once again. No doubt sooner or later he will join the elite list of the bankable artists. 

Jannat 2 is a typical Pritam and Bhatt soundtrack which will definitely rule the charts for the next one month, especially 'Tujhe Sochta Hu', 'Rab Ka Shukrana' and 'Tu Hi Mera'. Emraan Hashmi charismatic screen presence will do wonders for each song although it disappoints on certain aspects, more importantly Lyrics and creativity in the tunes. While Jannat was much heavy on the lyrics part, Jannat 2 fails to leave an impression with the lyrics and each song is clichéd. Nevertheless, enjoy all the songs as they are made to rule the charts for next 5 weeks, at least!

I Rate it 3.5 out of 5!
Edited Version@ Planet-Bollywood

Always Kabhi Kabhi-Music Review

RATING :  ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆


First of all the movie is directed by Roshan Abbas(remember a game show called Family Fortune used to come years back,he hosted that show and now is making debut as a director,singer,lyricist in this movie-whoooaaaa).

Its an SrK venture(red chillies) and he has used 3 music directors this time,Aashish rego(given music for a low budget movie back in 2008),Shree D,Pritam Chakraborty(however 8 out of 10 are Pritam compositions)and the lyrics are by Amitabh Bhattacharya, Prashant Pandey, Irfan Siddique; Roshan Abbas.The album offers 10 tracks,6 originals and 2 remix,1 sufi version and 1 unplugged of the title song(album as a whole looks good with so much variety).

The 1st song, the only composition by Aashish Rego and Shree D,Always kabhi kabhi(Bhavin Dhanak, Sanahmoidutty,Harmeet singh ,Apeksha) surprisingly doesnt leads upto the expectations being the title song of the movie,however its a type of a song which needs some hearings and time to grow.Harmeet Singh with his fantastic sufiana voice joins the vocals after about 2 and half minutes and I wonder why he has been given just few lines in the song(a mere 30 sec).The song ends brilliantly with Harmeet entering into rahat fateh ali khan zone.(wonder why Harmeet's name is not mentioned in the list of songs vocals).Harmeet singh saved the song big time.

The 2nd song onwards the album belongs to Pritam and does he disappoints ever,naaahhh,Antenna(benny dayal,roshan abbas,apeksha),a good fast pacy track with youthfull lyrics(the trend has been such after 4 baj gaye lekin party abhi baak hai).I tried real hard to identify Roshan Abbas voice in this song but I failed.The song is a perfect Pritam composition(however it reminds me of love mera hit hit soniye-Billu Barber) and will work well once the video is released.A good fun number which comes back in a Reloaded-Srk Mix where K.K and Anupam Amod replaces Benny dayal and Roshan Abbas,this version has nothing different to offer(apart from some extra drum beats and english vocals),the original one is better than the reloaded one.

The next track School ke din(Suhail kaul[voice behind 'baatein kuch ankahi si-Life in a metro'] and ishq bector) is a fantastic song which takes you back to the school days and it has Prashant Pandey written all over it(due to the lyrics),the lyrics are perfect,however the song has a heard before feeling but it works in favour of the song as it strikes at the first go.Brilliant compostion(the best is yet to come) and singing.

Then comes Better not mess with me(rock mix-sunidhi chauhan),its more of a situational feminine song,with few english vocals,I expected it to be high on english vocals but the case is completely different.An ordinary composition which has a club mix with Shefali Alvaris(voice behind ye dil hai nakhrewala-dil toh baccha hai ji).This one is far better than the rock mix.Wonder which one will be included in the movie.

Undi the condi(shaan and aditi singh sharma),yes,thats the name of the next track.The lyrics are not that good considering the unusual name of the song.A passable number which works in parts.

Then comes the best track of the album,Jane kyun(soul version-naresh iyer),its one soft number which is a must when Pritam is the music composer.No it has no similarity with the song Jiyen Kyun of Dum Maaro Dum.Naresh Iyer has sung it beautifully(voice behind Roobaru-Rang de Basanti) and the lyrics are well written.Its a song one would hear again and again.It has hit written all over it.Its a "WOW" compositon.

The song has a Sufi version with Shafqat Amanat Ali behind the mike.This song gets better and better with the number of times you hear it,both the versions are fantastic,however shafqat takes the song to new heights and his voice is simply amazing(similar to shankar mahadevan at points).Pritam provides another chartbuster.

The last track is a surprise,Always kabhi kabhi(unplugged-vinnie hutton and apeksha),it starts with english vocals.(Vinnie hutton has recently crooned the song 'Reaching for the Rainbow' in Love U Mr.Kalakaar).The song is similar to Reaching for the Rainbow in the starting but then Apeksha takes complete hold of the song and it gives a perfect end to the album.This version is better than the original title  number due to lounge feeling.Apeksha has been a surprise package in this song.Its a beautiful composition.

The album has ups and downs and has nothing new to offer,but being an SrK production,the promotions will be very aggressive(see how the song'antenna' is being promoted)which will make the songs popular.Jaane Kyun is the best of the lot which is still crooning in my mind.Go for it,its a decent hear.

Kuch Love Jaisa-Music Review

RATING: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ 

The songs of READY are making a buzz everywhere and Pritam provides another album having the ability to top the charts.

To start with,Pritam brings on his favorite Mohit Chauhan for the title song NAINA with Monali Thakur(Indian Idol -2 and the seductive voice behind Zara Zara touch me-Race) ,the song starts brilliantly with light orchestra and whistling;[starting is a bit similar to BHEEGI SI BHAAGI SI-RAJNEETI];monali thakur is impressive and mohit chauhan is brilliant again(what a soulful voice he has).Its more a Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy genre which needs some time to grow on you.The song has hit written all over it.(The Sound of mouth organ fusioned with whistling is something to hear again and again and again)

Next comes Thoda Sa Pyar,a Signature Pritam composition which has been placed 3 times in the album;the original is sung by sunidhi chauhan and anupam amod,the next is called as Raghav's search for love sung by Mannan Shah(Where in the world does he came from,even google has no records of him but his singing style reminds me of A.R.REHMAN),the last is named as Madhu's search for love sung by Naresh Iyer and shefali.To be honest,the best is Madhu's search for love with added english vocals and Naresh Iyer has sung it beautifully,Raghav's search for love is more of an unplugged version which is also good,but the original number by sunidhi chauhan disappoints me,its passable.

The next track is Baadalon pe paon by Mannan Shah,its a fast pacy number and it goes on the same track as JANNAT YAHA of movie JANNAT,an average composition,neither brilliant nor bad.

The last song is named KHWAB,it also has 2 versions,one is named ROCK and other is Raghav's Confession,Nikhil D'souza is the vocalist in both the versions.Nikhil is a must when the composer is Pritam.[I personally believe that K.K is a far far better singer than Nikhil D'souza].Khwab is the best song of the album,the rock version is fantastic with some brilliant guitar being played in the background,the other version doesn't offers something new,its the same song minus the Rock beats.Popularity of the song now depends upon how this song is picturised in the movie.

All the songs are trademark Pritam tunes and will grow with multiple hearings and the way the movie is promoted.