Ishaqzaade Music Review

Rating: ★ ★ ★ 1/2

Apart from the movie title "Ishaqzaade”, the musician name Amit Trivedi is what grabs instant attention. After some pretty decent tunes in 'Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu' recently, he straight gets an entry into the 'Yash Raj Films' stable, who of late has used the services of the likes of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Vishal-Shekhar, Pritam and Salim-Sulaiman but also the young Sohail Sen got a chance in 'Mere Brother Ki Dulhan' last year and so it’s the innovation king Amit Trivedi this time. Lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya has been a regular associate (almost) with him from 'Aamir' to 'Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu' but for this Parineeti Chopra and debutant Arjun Kapoor starrer, lyricist Kausar Munir (previous written numbers include: "Falak Tak"-Tashan and ''Anjaana Anjaani Title Track Slower Version'' - Anjaana Anjaani) gets an opportunity to showcase his talent and without a sheer doubt is surely the find of this OST. With five originals and two affluent remix, let's dive in!

The soft, delicate arrangements (trumpet/piper sound) at the very onset (and later also) of the title track "Ishaqzaade" defines the signature style of the composer and certain template that is associated with the YRF banner. Javed Ali with his mesmerising vocals makes connection with the listeners instantly and Shreya Ghoshal ultimate low notes in the last one minute makes sure that the composition stays on with the listeners and is one for repeated hearings. Kausar Munir does well for this romantic number and as a result the soundtrack embarks on a perfect start!

A fun desi number "Chokra Jawaan" is made special by unconstrained and sparkling singing combo of Sunidhi Chauhan and Vishal Dadlani. For the conversational lyrics, Habib Faisal (Guest Lyricist and Director) deserves a big thumps up as he breaks the monotony and as the director of the movie, he very well knew what the situational picturisation demands. Three minutes and the song changes momentum, the tempo increases, moreover the Jugalbandi from 3.27 to 3.40 is stylish and later sees Vishal in his trademark vociferous tone, honestly, I feel that his powerful voice perfectly suits the lead actor, Arjun Kapoor. Wait for the video!

When was the last time you heard the word 'Pareshan' being used as a synonym for 'Being in Love', hear the next and the best "Pareshan" which has already got appreciation with the video being released almost a week before. Shalmali Kholgade makes the song her own with the innocence pouring from each and every word she sings...My god! What an immense talent! The use of harmonium in both interludes and especially from 3.49 to 4.04 is what Amit Trivedi is all about, the way he uses the harmonium instead of the vocals for the line 'Main Pareshan Main Pareshan' are sheer listening delights. I remember the same treatment being done in 'Kar Chalna Shuru Tu' from 'Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu' where his favourite instrument Trumpet was arranged beautifully. Coming back to 'Pareshan', lyricist Kausar Munir spreads freshness and here is an extract:

'Chahat Ke Cheente Hai, Khaare Bhi, Meethe Hai,

 Zara Zara Fitrat Badalne Laga Dil Mera, 

Zara Zara Kismat Se Ladne Laga Dil Mera'

Surely, a song that will grow with repeated hearings and will be a hit among the fans of Amit Trivedi! Remember 'Aahatein Remix' by Abhijit Vaghani (Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu)... hear "Pareshaan Remix" by the same artist and no wonder there are extreme similarities. A remix where the focus completely shifts from vocals to pumping thumping beats. The flute renditions from 1.26 to 1.42 and 3.18 to 3.34 are magical to say the least. In the words of Filmmaker and Bollywood critic Ankit Ojha, the four minutes are pure 'Eargasm'!

Shreya Ghoshal's versatility is proven once again in "Jhallah Wallah" which lands in the territory of 'Kajra Re' (Bunty Babli) right from the first note and the more said is less for a talent like Shreya. Kausar Munir definitely deserves a standing ovation for such clever, innovative and refreshing stuff without being overdone which is mostly the case with item numbers these days. Both the interludes are high on orchestra with harmonium leading the arrangements from the front. Expect some visual extravaganza for this commercial masala number which can prove to be a perfect marketing tool for the promotions if picturised lavishly in the movie. Fantastic!

If that wasn't enough, comes the 'Remix Specialist' Abhijit Vaghani with "Jhallah Wallah Remix" with added English Raps and some western Hip-Hop beats converting the commercial Indian song into more of a Western style like early days of Neeraj Shridhar. It gives a much needed break from other stereotyped remix which just acts as a filler these days in almost every soundtrack. Must Hear!

Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra

The song made viral 10 days ago on the internet finds its place at the end.."Aafaton Ke Parindey".. an adrenalizing, energizing and electrifying composition. Any other day, Vishal Dadlani or Sukhwinder Singh would have easily appeared beside the credentials but the 'Zehereelay' (Rock On) and 'Give Me Some Sunshine' (3 Idiots) fame Suraj Jagan is no ordinary singer and he proves with some special  High and Low notes, especially the last 30 seconds..plug in your earphones and let the powerful three minutes absorb you completely. Divya Kumar credited as another singer has nothing to do apart from some alaap in the prelude and then in the first half and I was surprised as the male voice in the previous song 'Pareshan' was no where credited which should have been. 

Amit Trivedi compositions in Ishaqzaade are symbolic to commercial and masala entertainers while providing enough innovation in some tunes like 'Pareshan' and 'Aafaton Ke Parindey' which are bound to get appreciation with time. 'Jhallah Wallah' will be a rage as soon as the video is out and will lure the audiences to the Big Screen. All in All, a good- fun-quality soundtrack which certainly deserves a hear or two..Go grab your CD's now!

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

Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (2012) Music Review

Rating: ★ ★ ★ 1/2

A young film often offers a good opportunity to a composer to go ahead and get some funky tunes in place. "Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu “comes from the house of Dharma Productions, who after a long association with the composers Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy has moved on, first Ajay-Atul for 'Agneepath' and now the young talented Amit Trivedi, who shot to fame with 'DEV.D'-2008 (a soundtrack that was called as the 'Baap of all genres') and produced some handsome stuff in 'Aisha', 'No One Killed Jessica', 'Udaan' and 'Chillar Party'. Amitabh Bhattacharya (lyricist) has been a regular associate with Amit Trivedi since his debut in 'Aamir' and now when these two artists come together under a banner like Dharma Productions with Imran Khan and Kareena Kapoor coming together for the first time, one expect the soundtrack to be lively, peppy and at the same time rich in quality. So, let's dwell inside and hear what these artists have to offer in the five originals and two remixes!

It opens with a crackling title track "Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu" that has been making roars and catching lots of eyes with its quite eventful video. Benny Dayal and Anushka Manchanda's dictions are as usual perfect and brings on the required attitude to the song, Shefali Alvaris supports them well and being a non-admirer of the auto-tuned effect, simply loved how the vocals have been auto-tuned here. The composition has a mild peppy orchestra going through its four minute run which never gets too loud neither too pacy and that's what makes it a winner. Amitabh Bhattacharya keeps it simple this time without getting into some provocative forte with his writing. (As in 'Agneepath').

No second thoughts and the number returns back with the same set of singers as "Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu-Remix". This time it's fast paced loaded with some usual remix protocol, which should make up for an adrenalizing dance number in New Year parties! 

Remember 'Sham' from the movie 'Aisha'?..Yeah, who can forget such a beautiful composition, here is another lively number "Gubbare" which lands in the same corridor as 'Sham'. Some pretentious instrumentals starts off in the first 30 seconds, from there on , Nikhil D’souza takes centre stage with Amit Trivedi and Amitabh Bhattacharya providing the backing/supporting vocals and Shilpa Rao joining in at the end. Amitabh Bhattacharya gets his poetry in motion and what draws attention is the affluent use of Trumpet/Saxophone (from 2.00 to 2.30 and onwards)-a certain trademark of the composer. Few hearings and the song will grow on you and should definitely be used well in the movie.

"AuntyJi" develops some curious expectations due to its unusual name and moreover the singer's name Ash King, who has till now crooned some beautiful romantic numbers- 'Te Amo' (Dum Maaro Dum), 'I Love You' (Bodyguard) and 'Suno Aisha' (Aisha) specifically and with AuntyJi, he enters a completely different genre (fun/comic) which is still unexplored for a voice like him. The song is a take on the middle aged woman with a touch of Retro to it reminding me some crazy numbers of Late Shammi Kapoor. Much emphasis is laid on the instrumentals (trumpet and guitar) for both the interludes with some Spanish vocals added in the first. Ash King breaks the shackles certainly in this number, Amitabh Bhattacharya's lyrics are worth a hear at least once, especially the 2nd antara, but on the musical front as a dance number, this number fails to lure you to the dance floor. Interesting attempt although!

The soundtrack takes a 180 degree turn with "Aahatein", an absorbing soft-sad-soulful number that goes unplugged for the first 1.30 minutes on piano and vocals and digs in deep with Karthik and Shilpa Rao weaving magic around some simple yet intriguing lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya that makes up for a 'High Repeat' value. Of course a track like this does have a restricted/niche audience for itself but in the context of the film, it should fit in pretty well.

What surprises though is the other version "Aahatein-Remix" with Shekhar Ravjiani and Shilpa Rao behind the mike. A conversion of a soft number into a remix is a risky affair and sometimes composers do spoil the whole ambience of the original through addition of some unnecessary thumping beats and high tempo. But Amit Trivedi makes sure to keep the mood and aura of the original intact with some ornamented and refined innovation. Shekhar Ravjiani strikes gold with his deep low/whisper notes and the final outcome is even better than the original. Plug in your earphones and take special notice how the song picks up at 1.07 and then at 1.42, simply WoW! 

"Kar Chalna Shuru Tu" brings Vishal Dadlani and Shilpa Rao together once again after some terrific compositions in "Anjaana Anjaani" last year and as a mere co-incidence, the song knocks at the doorsteps of ‘Aas Paas Khuda' and 'I Feel Good' if the overall theme is taken into consideration. Shilpa Rao falls flat at high notes (2.10 to 2.15) but overall does well to match upto Vishal Dadlani's vociferous voice. Amit Trivedi makes his presence felt with his trademark use of 'Chorus' and 'Trumpet/Saxophone' in tandem with the vocals, which is certainly the USP of the composition, especially at 4.06: Majestic! After a long time, a talent like Vishal Dadlani has been used to his full potential and the result is an engaging, philosophical composition which marks a perfect end to the soundtrack.

If compared to soundtracks like 'I Hate Luv Storys'; 'Anjaana Anjaani', 'Break Ke Baad' , then Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu will find a middle spot between all these soundtracks. Listeners searching for some 'masala' numbers may feel disappointed with just one (title track), but with the soundtrack of 'Agneepath' settling well along the listeners (apart from its Chikini Chameli), expect the soundtrack to grow with time and more specifically as the movie inches close its silver screen release. The Title track is already a hit with 'AuntyJi' getting a mixed response after its video, 'Gubbare' and 'Aahatein' requires some time, while 'Kar Chalna Shuru Tu' should definitely be an interesting watch onscreen, whether used as a background score in a situation or something else innovative!

I rate it 3.5 out of 5

Chillar Party : Music Review

Rating:★ ★ ★
Chillar party as the name suggests,a movie based on kids,already limits the scope for music,not everyone could produce sountracks like that of Taare Zameen Par(Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy).

For this venutre ,the path-breaking musician,Amit Trivedi,takes up the job,who has given hits like Dev D, Aisha,Udaan,No one killed Jessica and few more.When the name reads Amit Trivedi,one expects something innovative and high on lyrics.Chillar party offers 8 tracks with 7 originals and 1 sad vesrion and surprisingly no remixes at all(good).

The album starts with a tapori number Tai Tai Phish which has Amit Trivedi & Jaishree Trivedi behind the mike with Ranbir Kapoor doing an item number in the video.Amit trivedi has gone a bit south in this one due to the drum arrangements which gives a feeling of Dhinka Chika(Ready) solely on the music front.The song defines the carefree attitude in a tapori style.A good number which will get more ears due to Ranbir making a special appearence in the song.

The 2nd track Aa rela hai apun,is a mere sequel to the earlier song Tai Tai Phish,the only difference is that Armaan Malik,Tanmay Chaudhari,Amitabh Bhattacharya & Arvind Vishwakarma joins in with Amit Trivedi  as the vocalist.The song offers nothing different from the 1st track,lyrics are almost the same.
After a fast pacy start comes the best track of the album Chatte Batte sung by none other than Mohit Chauhan.The song is an instant catch due to Mohit's voice(does he ever disappoints?) and the sweet-innocent lyrics like Yeh to murgiyon ke chooze se, sang ek dooje ke,Idhar udhar titar-bitar daudte phirein.
No wonder Chatte Batte comes again as a Sad Version in the end with Mohit Chauhan doing an unplugged version of about 2 minutes.Nothing much to hear in this one.


I was waiting desperately for Amit Trivedi trademark style and Ziddi Piddi just stands tall on my expectations with Amit Trivedi,Armaan Malik,Tanmay Chaudhari & Gaurika Rai doing the vocals.Its the style for which Amit Trivedi is known for,a rocky-techno-new age music.The album goes situational from here on and all the songs will add direction to the narration of the movie. 


Remember In Panchiyoon ko dekhkar from Koi Mil Gaya,here comes Ek School Banana Hai with the similar innocence, sung by Gaurika Rai,Keshav Rai,Firoza & Students of Ajivasan School.The songs is brilliantly written and brilliantly sung with a strong message.Children with their sweet,innocent voice will make you fall in love with the song and make you understand the pain that the song wants to convey.Hats off to Amit Trivedi for composing such a tune.A must hear.


As the next track, Behla Do,starts,one hears the same tune as in Ziddi Piddi being played but on different instruments.Its sung by Armaan Malik & Firoza and focuses on  how the kids are being Behla & Fusla by the guardians as Bacho ka dard koi Dard hi nai.Again the lyrics are a big plus for the song and will work well along the narration in the movie.


Liar Liar Pants on fire,no its not the polygraph machine,its the next song in the album which has vocals in english by Gaurika Rai & Keshav Rai.In the first hearing,the song will sound unusual,but with multiple hearings,the innocence with which its being sung will catch your attention and the sweet humming line Liar Liar Pants on Fire will take you back to your childhood days.The song if listened carefully has the power to bring tears in your eyes with some brilliant english lyrics and some brilliant singing.A song that will have a shelf life for sure.
All in All,Amit Trivedi provides some nice tracks that will help the movie do better on the whole.While Chatte Batte and Tai Tai Phish will get instant attraction,Ek school banana hai and Liar Liar Pants on fire will gain popularity depending on how they are being used in the movie.Its not an easy task to create music for a movie based on Baccha Log and all the tracks in Chillar Party makes sense and should reach everbody.I strongly recommend this album to everyone.