DJ Munks.com

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Pyaar Impossible, Badmaash Company & Lafangey Parindey.. 3 average movies on the box office this year by Yash Raj Films. They need a big hit to make up before this year ends. Will Band Baaja Baaraat (BBB) be that big hit? Who knows.. we will find out on the 10th of December. What we know is this movie launches two new careers. Director Maneesh Sharma is the new man behind the camera while lead actor Ranveer Singh is the new face in front of the camera. He is the son of actor Sunny Deol if you don’t know that already. Thus the man has some big responsibility on his shoulders considering his fathers & grandfathers fantastic reputation on the big screen. Lets hope he can make it work on screen with Anushka Sharma in a movie about weddings in Delhi.

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Winter time in Delhi is the season of weddings. For a movie on that theme & based in that city, the expectations are really high on the music front as it should be able to deliver the music that will be playing at every party of every wedding in this peak season. The guys who producer Aditya Chopra can close his eyes and trust to deliver big hits is the pair of Salim-Sulaiman. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi & Aaja Nachle are couple of the big names of their handy work. Joining them are Amitabh Bhattacharya writing the lyrics and the projection of debutant director Maneesh Sharma. It will be interesting to hear what Delhi sound can this album bring to the market in peak wedding season. Let us listen..

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REVIEW

Track 1 – Ainvayi Ainvayi – Quite a tune.. Salim Merchant voices this song himself with Sunidhi Chauchan. This is after a very long time that I am loving Sunidhis work in a song. Her vocals are bang on with the perfect texture & tone in a song style that suits her perfectly. Salim kicks butt too.. The music is a really good mix of the Punjabi tumbi start & blends into a modern deep base beat pattern. The music is funky and works in the growing & evolving Delhi music scene. It is not a style of music that you would have heard in Bollywood. The lyrics hook line Ainvayi Ainvayi is soo damn catchy & will stick in your head & your tongue for a long time just after the first listen. The lyrics are proper Delhi talk & work very well. This is still not the traditional Bollywood dance songs & so will take some time to grown in the market.. and even longer in the super traditional UK Asian music market. But for the music innovation I give it 7.5/10.

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Track 2 – Tarkeebein – The brilliant voice of Benny Dayal that Rahman once discovered is still one of the most smooth voices in the industry. Salim teams up with Benny on the vocals and they sound unique & fresh together. A good partnership on some fantastic lyrics by Amitabh. Really love the flow of the lyrics on this song which talks about ideas, confidence and the fight to excel in this world. This could be the anthem of the college kids this year. The music is really cool with a unique beat pattern with some exciting mix of sitar & harmonium on this modern mix. Like this song. 8/10.

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Track 3 – Aadha Ishq – The queen of romantic Bollywood songs – Shreya Ghoshal gives this song some effortless vocals. The mix on her vocals does not seem right at some points but I guess that is just me… Salim-Sulaiman cannot get that wrong. The music is an average traditional romantic composition. Nothing flashy about it.. but the highlight of this song are the lyrics. The title hook Aadha Isha has been very well placed in by Amitabh delivering a beautiful song. This song will easily find it’s way to the radio waves but will not rock the boat a lot here in the UK as it lacks stunning music & vocal work. 7/10.

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Track 4 – Dum Dum – Another Benny Dayal number this time with Himani Kapoor who has not been around for a long time. She does well but does not create a lasting impression. The lyrics are catchy but the music composition is not. Although Salim Sulaiman do a lot with the music with fantastic instrumentation & creative use of bass guitar & percussion, it still lacks mass appeal. It sure is a different & good song but something about it does not stick and create an impression. I think it is the arrangement & composition. That is why probably it has been placed in the middle of the album as it could not make place anywhere else in the OST. 6.5/10.

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Track 5 – Mitra – The creators of the song jump on the mic here as well. Lyricist Amitabh & Salim sing this song quite well. It is an easy going number for some background listening in your car after a tiring day at work. A song about separation & loosing your friend but with a rather bright composition. It is not a dark song that will make you cry & thus I like it more as it is a contract of emotions on the music & lyrics front. Something really cleaver & well done by both these boys. It is very situational & the music has a good use of synths & keyboard work with guitars. Must listen song. 7.5/10.

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Track 6 – Baari Barsi – Finally the wedding Punjabi number we have been waiting for. A salute to Salim Sulaiman & Amitabh for what they have done with this song. The traditional lyrics of Baari Barsi has just been totally transformed into a modern spin off with a bold pop RnB beat with a very cleaver use of shenaai & dhol. It still has the classic fast typical Punjabi clossing of the song which will surely get you up on your feet. The lyrics are very interesting and new. It still incorporates all the family members in the rhymes and gets them up to very modern phrases. Vocals by Harshdeep Kaur & Labh Janjua are brilliant. It is absolutely fun when Labh Janjua says “buggi wuggi” instead of “boogie woogie”.. lol. Check this song out as you hear it in the next wedding you attend. Fabulous work. 8/10.

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Track 7 – Band Baaja Baaraat (Theme) – This is soo the new sound of Bollywood.. and the new sound to be of Indian weddings. A complete modern version of your traditional brass band at a baaraat. It is brilliant & perfect creative musical mix by Salim Sulaiman. Love this short 1:55 duration piece. The instrumentation & arrangement of the various instruments & effects is just genius. It is experimental & learning for music producers around the world. 8.5/10.

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Track 8 – Ainvayi (Dilli Club Mix) – This dude Abhijit Vaghani brings in a new sound to remixing all together in Bollywood. He seems to be re-inventing Bolly remixes. He is producing some really classy remixes that have spirit & essence and have not been done just to fill up the CD. This is quite an upbeat & the name clearly describes what sound is working in the Delhi clubs these days. The vocals have been re done by our UK boy Master Saleem of Kangna fame with Sunidhi. The effects & rhythm of the song is bang on the money. This is to be my next favourite mix song for the London parties. 8/10.

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Track 9 – Dum Dum (Sufi Mix) – Ok now.. this mix does not really work for my. It is by Abhijit & in his support he surely has done something different & unique with the original with new more powerful vocals by Sukhwinder Singh. But the song in itself and the whole idea just does not work. The sufi side of it is not even clear.. It completely misses the trick. I rather don’t like this song at all. 5.5/10.

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FINAL WORD

Very Good – 7.5/10

Except for one composition of Dum Dum, rest of the songs of BBB are pretty cool and right there where you would call it a good album. All credit goes to the innovation, creativity and pure musical talent of Salim Sulaiman and the beautiful lyrics of Amitabh Bhattacharya. The performances by the singers are good as always with a come back by Sunidhi Chauhan. The OST lacks a huge range & variety of music but it delivers on the expectations for a wedding centric movie. For the UK market the album will actually pick up & make the best use of its potential when the next wedding season kicks in the summer. Till then it will be slow & steady rise in popularity for this OST & it’s Punjabi numbers Ainvayi Ainvayi & Baari Barsi. Tarkeebein & the theme song are my personal favs. Buy this album. Music on YRF Music.

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Kunal Kohli has not written, produced or directed a movie in over two years now with Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic being the last one that did well at the box office. A gap of two years..?? Not at all surprising with Kunal because all his movies are done with a gap of 2 years. He does not necessarily always come out with a good final product but Break Ke Baad does look like it could be an entertaining hit at the box office. Directed by Kunal Kohli’s old assistant Danish Aslam making his directorial debut with current Bollywood heartthrobs Imran Khan & Deepika Padukone, this movie sure has the potential and the look to make an impact closer to Christmas this year.

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One of my all time favourite lyricists – Prasoon Joshi is back to mainstream big budget movies after a while. His last big budget movies included Ghajini & Delhi-6 that were fantastic on the music front with Mr. Rahman’s involvement. This time the man with the magic pen teams up with hugely talented Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar boys Vishal Shekhar. They are already on a roll this year with hit soundtracks including I Hate Luv Storys and Anjaana Anjaani. The guys are brilliant and know how to make the hits. With Prasoon Joshi’s lyrics to add on, I have really high expectations from the OST of Break Ke Baad.

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REVIEW

Track 1 – Adhoore – Rock star Vishal’s vocals are always a good option for the opening of an album. His vocal texture suits the modern international look going around in Bollywood these days. Supporting him on the mic is Alyssa Mendonsa who does a good job too. The composition & sound of this song is quite similar to Anjaana Anjaani in the main chorus. Did not expect Vishal-Shekhar to run out of ideas. But nonetheless I don’t see the harm in reusing a tested formula that works with some fresh new lyrics by Prasoon Joshi. The lyrics, music & vocals are not path-breaking but the song works and will be heavy on radio. A hit.. not a super hit! 7/10.

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Track 2 – Ajab Leher – A very cool start to the song by funky Sax by Rhys D’souza & electric guitar. It sets the tone for a light fun song with a very catchy element to it. The overall composition & instrumentation of the song is fantastic and very modern American pop jazz. The lyrics are perfectly set in this music. Even though they are fun they still carry a bit of complexity in them that Prasoon delivers fantastically. Neeraj Sridhar’s vocals are banging and cool with backing vocals by Vishal & Shekhar themselves. This is a much better song that does not take long to grow on you. 7.5/10.

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Track 3 – Dhoop Ke Makaan – If you concentrate on the vocals of this song you will appreciate the sheer talent that Prasoon is. The song is about inspirations & motivation and it does just that to future writers. The music & composition are not aspirational but work for the song. It lacks innovation & feels like Vishal-Shekhar decided to play it safe. Although they do mix a brilliant guitar solo in the 2nd chorus. The vocals are by Shekhar & Sunidhi Chauchan with backing vocals by Caralisa Monteiro & Mikey McCleary. An average song unless you let the vocals inspire you. 7/10.

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Track 4 – Dooriyan Hain Zaroori – Don’t know where I last heard the voice of Monica Dogra Could be a new entry into Bollywood… and quite a pleasant one. She is very good & has a range from a soft voice to that of a rock chick. It takes some talent to stand next to Vishal on a rock song!! She totally has it.. This is a very catch Indian-rock song & could easily rock a venue like Rang Bhavan in Mumbai or a Hard Rock venue in UK. The electric guitar work & solo’s are fantastic. The lyrics and composition are versatile & show the great relationship between Prasoon & Vishal-Shekhar. I recommend this song. 7.5/10.

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Track 5 – Main Jiyoonga – Nikhil D’souza is clearly the best male vocal lead entering into Bollywood this year. With a line up of hits including movies like Aisha, Anjaana Anjaani, Crook & now Break Ke Baad. This time he delivers a theatrical feel good song with some exciting drumming by Mr. Gino Banks himself. Some excellent guitar work again on the music front in a composition that could easily work for a musical theatre show. Some good lyrics to this song as well. It is not your normal big hit song.. but I like it. 7.5/10.

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Track 6 – Don’t Worry About Me – What a song..!! Vishal pushes everyone away on this song. He takes the pen from Prasoon, takes a keyboard & tells Shekhar + musicians to rest the day off.. and also gets up on the mic. The man is brilliant in all the roles on this purely English song. This is not Bollywood anymore and I strongly suggest releasing this song in International markets on your regular English radio channels. It will get lost in India as I know no radio or TV will play it. It is different & not mainstream but I can imagine listening to this on XFM or Heart FM in the UK. A song with true potential. Well done to Vishal!! 7.5/10.

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Track 7 – Adhoore (Remix) – Remixed by Abhijit Vaghani who doesn’t sound like a DJ but sure knows how to rock a club with a proper tune. This is a good remix that I can’t find any reason to criticize. It is not cheesy or sluggish and has a good rhythm to it. It will surely make you dance… and I will surely play it in my sets. This is as good as the original. 7/10.

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Track 8 – Dhoop Ke Makaan (Acoustic) - You have to listen to this song!!! Shekhar has completely redone the vocals and they are simply BRILLIANT!! Plus the guitar work by Hitesh Sonik is exemplary. This is now perhaps the best song on the album and much better than the original. 8.5/10.

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FINAL WORD

Quite Good – 7.5/10

Break Ke Baad is a decently good album. It comes in the league of Anjaana Anjaani and is almost similar in many aspects but better in some. It has a similar sound to the music which comes from Vishal-Shekhar but the tone & variety of the album is different which comes from new director Danish Aslam. The types of song in the OST have a good variation to it spanning over different genres. The aspect that this album is very prominently better in is the lyrics that come from the genius of Prasoon Joshi. All the respect to him. Listen to Break Ke Baad and it will grow on you. It has no massive hit song to go by but for the UK audience it sure has something for everyone. OST on T-Series.

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Sanjay Leela Bhansali is a class apart. You have to admit that when you read names like Devdas, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam & Black next to his name credits. The man is an artistic genius and his vision & direction is exemplary. The colours, cinematography, artistic camera work, fantastic performances with a good story are some of his strongest points that he brings to the table. Guzaarish looks to be another classic piece of work from him starring supremely talented actors Hrithik Roshan & Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the lead roles. It shows similarities to Black in look & the disability concept where Hrithik is a disabled magician now pleading to be put to death. The concept is very interesting and I am sure the movie is the one to watch for at least excellent direction & acting by both the stars.. if nothing more.

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Ronnie Screwvala usually always spends his money wisely. Co-producing a movie like Guzaarish under the UTV banner is a big risk in a market that is recovering from recession & thus not taking risks with non-mainstream movies. He must have immense confidence & faith in the script of the movie and most importantly in Sanjay.

Sanjay has taken multiple roles in this movie.. Producer, Director being his usual roles.. but he is the music director for the first time for a full OST. He has done this before in his last movie where he successfully created a massive hit with his first composition – ‘Thode Badmash‘ from the movie Saawariya. He has now composed the full OST of Guzaarish with no help except for the lyrics of Vibhu Puri & A. M. Turaz. You ofcourse don’t know these 2 names as Vibhu is a newcomer and Turaz has never made a hit song in his 3 year career so far.

I am quite excited to hear this OST and see if Sanjay can bring the same emotions, his classic unique style & untapped vision in the aural domain as he quiet easily delivers these characteristics in the visual domain.

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REVIEW

Track 1 – Guzaarish – In his first project Sanjay has decided to at least play safe with his singers and use his most reliable vocalists who have delivered hits on his past projects. He gave K K his big break & K K gave him Tadap Tadap in HDDCS which is by far one of the most powerful songs in Bollywood & one of the most difficult songs to sing. But KK takes a rather softer touch to his vocals in this song. He gave Shail Hada his big break in Sawariya and he is here too but contributing mainly with background vocals. The lyrics by Turaz are brilliant. The song is purely artistic & theatrical with clear sad elements. Violins by Suresh Lalwani are just brilliant with some excellent guitar work. Kudos to Sanjay for the composition in the opening track. Watch out.. this song almost makes you cry. 7/10.

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Track 2 – Sau Gram Zindagi – The piano melody at the start of the song sets the tone of the song with the soothing voice of Kunal Ganjawala. The vocals are good and brings out a different aspect of Kunal’s performance capabilities but it is not the best of him. But the choice of taking him is evident as there are English lyrics towards the end and Kunal does them very well like many of his other songs. The whistling is great too & adds more definition to the song. The song is a recipe in a sing song fashion and explains the main characteristics of 100 grams of life. Very well & carefully written by Vibhu Puri. The orchestration in the second bridge is of Rahman calibre and shows the amount of effort & detail Sanjay has put in doing his first music OST. The overall composition is almost like a ghazal. I still love it. 7.5/10.

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Track 3 – Tera Zikr – I would like to credit musician Tapas Roy who plays the Odu on this track almost effortlessly. The music in the first 30 seconds of this number is very exciting and truly innovative in the Kashmiri style of music. The arrangement by Sanjay is fresh & noteworthy for any aspiring musician. Shail Hada finally gets his song as the main vocalist and he does not disappoint at all. It is almost like you have been waiting for him. He literally makes you welcome him. This song is probably now one of my all time favourites!! It is a piece of genius. The lyrics by Turaz are absolutely simple but gorgeous. I could kiss his hands for writing this song. You will fall in love with it. These lyrics make Shail’s job very difficult & you thus have to applaud his work when you have heard the full song. The instrumentation variety & arrangement is fabulous. A very unique set of instruments blend together over different ranges taking your mind & heart up the mountains. Even the use of Rakesh Pandit’s high pitch voice is a perfect fit to the song. I cannot find enough words to prise this song. Must hear!! 10/10.

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Track 4 – Saiba – After the Kashmiri mountains Sanjay now takes us to Goa & it’s Portuguese musical heritage. The Spanish guitar & bongo-Congo arrangements with Accordion give a good variety & range to the OST so far. The vocals by Vaibhavari Joshi, Fancois Castellino & Shail Hada are good for this Goan style of song. The lyrics are average & thus so the overall composition of the song. It is simple & thus nothing much worth noticing except the instrumentation. You can miss this & you won’t miss much. 6/10.

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Track 5 – Jaane Kiske Khwaab – This is very short & sweet song. It says a lot with a beautiful concept in a matter of 3 minutes with K K’s vocals. An acoustic guitar, cymbals & piano are all to accompany him. The words by Turaz are simply beautiful and touching. They say a lot in a few lines. The composition by Sanjay is good. A good listen. 7/10.

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Track 6 – Udi – This is a situation party song again with a Spanish dance music inspired tune. Probably used for one of magical performances situation in the movie. The rhythm is a good mix of Goan & Spanish musical styles but lacks the click factor to catch on. You won’t latch onto this song & sing along. The vocals by Sunidhi are good but do not show her full potential and talent. Lyrics by Turaz are average. 6/10.

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Track 7 – Keh Na Sakoon – This is another acoustic guitar & piano based song with very soft vocals by Shail Hada. The artistic flavour of this song is again in its composition & lyrics. “Keh Na Sakoon main itna pyaar, seh na sakoon itna pyaar.. itna pyaar karta hoon“. Such a deep & beautiful thought penned by late Jagdish Joshi & Vibhu Puri. The sad & loving expression is well reciprocated in the vocals and music of this song. The piano work by Jarvis Menezes is excellent. 7.5/10.

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Track 8 – Chaand Ki Katori – You will immediately notice the powerful & classical vocal style of Harshdeep Kaur make an impression on you. Her vocals go to a higher pitch with every line of the lyrics. She hits every note perfectly & then eases into the next note pitch. The vocals are very beautiful. The lyrics by Vibhu Puri are deep and very interesting. Concentrate on every word and you will notice the different aspects about life that Vibhu has covered in this song. Musically Sanjay uses a deep bass Flugel horn which I don’t think I have ever heard in a Bollywood song. It fits in very well with the vibe of the song. Great arrangement. 7.5/10.

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Track 9 – Daayein Baayein – Another K K song with lyrics by Turaz. Unlike most sad songs in this OST so far, this song takes you to a happier place under the sun. It does not have the dark indoor musical feel which comes with a good amount of strings and high pitch K K voice. The lyrics are happy & talk about happy lovely memories. Very good variation to the OST but as a standalone song it is not the best or a catch number. It is quiet average. 7/10.

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Track 10 – Dhundli Dhundli – The album ends with a very different and poetic song. It is still very artistic in every aspect and is also situational to the movie. The pitch keeps rising as this song has the pleasure of Shankar Mahadevan’s voice with some high pitch violin. The lyrics by Turaz are very well framed to the situation and are a story in itself. Musically this is a big violin orchestra work. Sanjay has conducted and executed it a perfectly grand and intricate style. This is a very well thought and well executed song. It has a system & different levels that it reaches on the music & the vocals. It is not a job of an amateur but a genius. 7.5/10.

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FINAL WORD

Very Good – 7.5/10

Sanjay Leela Bhansali likes to do things in an artistic larger than life way and this is very clearly noticeable in his music as well. For a first time music director he has done a fantastic job. You can easily compare the music of Guzaarish to international world music albums and you will not be able to undermine Sanjay’s work. He truly has the calibre to be the next Rahman.

What this OST & Sanjay’s style lacks is mainstream variety in the music styles. Whether he is capable of producing something like that is what needs to be seen to make him the next Rahman in Bollywood land. His attempt in Guzaarish is purely situational and is quite versatile within that domain. He does not explore beyond that. Most songs are average as they are within the same delivery style and thus limited. But there is definitely no bad song in there.

The vocal performances by K K & Shail Hada are the highlights with some phenomenal lyrics by Turaz and Vibhu Puri. Both should have really bright futures from hereon. I also have to give credit and mention all the musicians of Guzaarish as the instrumental work is very good. Sanjay deserves all the credit for managing this to the dot. For sure buy the album available on T-Series.

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Sajid Nadiadwala has been producing movies for over 40 years now and he has made a number of hits in this time. He has a way with sleazy comedies and recently he even tried to write one.. but Houseful did not get a single houseful even with a star cast of Akshay Kumar, Ritesh Deshmukh, Deepika Padukone & Lara Dutta. Good lesson for Sajid to stick to producing films..

This time he tries something different in the form of a genuine romantic comedy which is not sleazy and is with a hugely talented young director Siddharth Anand. Siddharth has a knack for making young & modern romantic hits in the form of Bachna Ae Haseeno, Salaam Namaste and Ta Ra Rum Pum.. and Sajid truly needs that after flops like Houseful and Kambakht Ishq in his kitty.

Anjaana Anjaani with Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra has definitely been promoted as the biggest pre-Diwali release of the year and has the elements to make a hit movie. Ranbir can never say no to Siddharth who gave him is first hit movie in the form of Bachna Ae Haseeno and he is on a roll with super hits like Raajneeti, Wake Up Sid & Rocket Singh making him an ideal choice for the male lead. While Priyanka has the cuteness & hot factor that would work ideally with a script like this. Plus there is a special guest appearance by Zayed Khan.

The marketing for this movie has been brilliant with ‘Making of the movie’ taking centre stage on every channel. They have used the amount of fun that they have had on the sets to promote how much fun the actual movie is… which is an excellent strategy. On top of that the trailer and the music of Vishal-Shekhar is ‘killing it’ on every TV & radio channel. All these are perfect for the making of a hit movie..

But is it really or is it just another over hyped disappointment? I found out at a special screening in London..

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PLOT

Akash (Ranbir) is a dynamic & ambitious wall street guy in NY who picks up a massive loan to reach his goals. The market crashes and he finds himself on the Brooklyn bridge with the aim to end his life. He has no family, no friends & the bank has taken over everything he owns. Sitting by the bridge is a drunk Kiara (Priyanka) who is attempting suicide as well with her broken heart. They are unable to commit suicide but land up in the hospital just to escape & try to end it all again. Their attempts never succeed and they decide to give themselves 20 days to finish what is pending of their lives and end it at new year mid night. They also decide to fulfill their last wishes & do all that they wanted to. That’s where the fun starts & Akash realises that he now has a reason to live.. that is Kiara. But she is stuck on her broken heart & love for Zayed Khan. He sends her back to Zayed to give her relation a second chance while he goes back to making up for the losses in his business. What happens next is something you can easily guess but I rather that you watch it.

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REVIEW

Siddharth’s direction has never gone wrong in this genre & style of movie making… and it doesn’t once again. The bonus here is that he has written the screenplay as well and that is a brilliant job overall. He has a story telling style of his own which works seamlessly with a young audience. The plot of the movie is different and genuinely funny at times but like most Bollywood movies it is predictable. It also has a message with a tag line saying “Live each day as if it is your last” which is inspiring too. Other than this the movie gives a very strong message to the youth saying suicide is not a solution to any problem. Facing your problems and giving life a chance is the only rightful thing to do.

The movie thus has all the important elements to make a good movie including romance, comedy, educative message, good cinematography & US location shoots in LA, NY & San Francisco, good direction & screenplay, good music and most importantly.. good performances by Ranbir & Priyanka. Zayed does a decent job too in the limited time that he gets on the screen but Priyanka outshine everyone. You will really love her work and the cuteness factor that she caries effortlessly & with glamour.

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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MOVIE

- Fantastic screenplay with good direction.

- Perky story with a perfect mix amount of romance, comedy, fun & locations.

- Ranbir & Priyanka are very cute and fresh.

- Performances are genuine, good, dynamic and in-your-face-noticeable.

- No villians.. no baddies.. no fights.. no action.. making it a good family or couples movie.

- Good edit and thus a good flow to the movie that keeps you hooked throughout.

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LOWLIGHTS OF THE MOVIE

- Most dialogues are average & could be funnier or more touching in the sad scenes.

- Attention to detail goes missing at times.. especially in case of the weather. Within 20 days of the movie the temperature changes between 5 to 40 degrees!!

- Predictable story line with guessable situations.

- No action & no baddies.. thus missing a big element of Bollywood movies.

- Songs at really short durations at times.

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FINAL WORD

Pretty Good – 7.5/10

Anjaana Anjaani is an overall entertainer. It has most elements of a modern day hit with a global appeal. It is based in US but with that Indian connect which brings it to a perfect balance for the UK audience. The movie is not age specific but does require you to be young at heart. The movie has a message which I think is the most important aspect of it. The fun moments & the sad moments come along in the movie with equal prominence and leave you touched. The story is simple but cool. It is predictable but still keeps you engrossed. The riveting factors are Ranbir & Priyanka’s performances. Both are pure talents mixed with hard work and expert guidance in the form of Siddharth & Sajid Nadiadwala.

I won’t say this is the best movie of the year but it sure is entertaining and should not be missed. Watch it once and that is it! You wouldn’t want to see it again but you will not forget the experience either.

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There are a very few talented writers in the Bollywood land.. Abbas Tyrewala is one of these extremely talented bunch. Whether it is a screenplay, dialogues, film story or song lyrics.. he leaves a mark behind. With his portfolio with some of biggest names like Main Hoon Na, Maqbool, Salaam Namaste and Munnabhai MBBS you would not doubt his talent with the pen. But his new found passion for writing and directing young love stories fit in a different league of their own and leave a stamp rather than a mark behind. Jaane Tu.. Ya Jaane Na was his first project and now Jhootha Hi Sahi is his next biggie starring John Abraham and Tyrewala’s wife Pakhi. In reality the story of the movie is her idea and concept while the screenplay, lyrics and direction are husband Abbas’s handy work. Quiet a good family affair and the trailers look exciting.

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On the music front Abbas is trying to reuse the Jaane Tu formula where his lyrics meet the creative music head of the genius Mr. Rahman. the Oscar winner is still riding high on his recent successes of Slumdog Millionaire, Delhi-6 and Raavan but the radio channels are also playing his Robot music which has seen a lot of negative comments for his work. He is truly better than what he has produced there.. and so it remains to see if Jhootha Hi Sahi can help him keep his head above the criticism levels. The expectations from him are always high more so now with the Oscar fiasco… and I am sure Abbas will bring out the best of him. For a movie based in London the music should definitely have something for the London audience from the most versatile music man in the business. Let us play and find out what this duo have in store for us for this off-beat sublime romantic comedy.

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REVIEW

Track 1 – Cry Cry – You must have definitely heard this tune on the TV music channels and some of the Asian radio channels as this song has already found its way up there. Rahman & Abbas had featured newcomer Rashi Ali in Jaane Tu.. Ya Jaane Na simply making the man’s career. You ofcourse knew he would be opening their next OST album after he delivered a brilliant vocal. His vocals on Cry Cry are just perfect as well. He sings it in a very low key with a soft touch to it which gives the song a very natural touch of a man singing at home rather than a pro in a studio. The lyrics are fun and of the Kabhi Kabhi Aditi style.. Aditi was about trying to make one smile and this song is about making one to stop crying with a good message. The Mumbai touch comes with the kayko slang used throughout. Shreya does her vocals in her true classy style too but not her best work as you don’t see the full potential of her vocal range.

The most outstanding part of a song with which the name Rahman is associated is the music. Cry Cry in its soothing style has a simple tribal drum beat on a single drum giving you the lows, a deep keyboard bass note on the mid’s and a continuous shaker on the highs. The other variations that come in are classical acoustic guitar, saxophone & flute solo that fill up most of the frequency range. You barely hear any traces of other sounds. Keeping it simple but beautiful is the genius of a man named Rahman. A song for the music aficionados. 8.5/10.

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Track 2 – Maiyya Yashoda (Jamuna Mix) – Javed Ali’s vocals have been around for nearly a decade and still a pleasure to hear his voice. He still has the youthfulness & charisma in his voice although there is not much for him to show in this song. Chinmayi on the other hand you find featured mostly only in Rahman songs. The classical and traditional flavour of this song is a good east meets west demonstration. The lyrics have been well composed to recite a little story in a fun composition. Called the Jamuna mix for the very traditional touch to the music using modern instruments by Rahman. The deep bass in the background fills up so beautifully that you don’t even realise it is around unless you look out for it. The flute solo at the start is very cute while the tempo pump up for the latter of the song is exciting. Most prominent part of the song is the outstanding sitar solo that blends in like chocolate in a chocolate cake. Overall the song lacks a mainstream approach but musically it is still a piece of genius with the sitar solo. 7/10.

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Track 3 – Hello Hello – The movie is about a phone call and telephonic friendship. This song is situational and seems to be around to fill a desperate need of the script. The lyrics are purely average and the music has nothing innovative to offer. The composition is very Rahman style and his south Indian modern music influence. The vocal effects on Karthik’s voice make it totally distinguishable as a Rahman job. The use of an orchestra is a waste. Skip this song. 5/10.

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Track 4 – Do Nishaaniyan – Sonu Nigam has sung very few but amazing songs for Rahman. This composition is probably one of them. The lyrics and ambiance of this song along with the texture of Sonu’s voice reaches the next level in lounge music. A perfect song for weddings in the background and in restaurants while having a candle light dinner. Sonu’s control on his vocal pitches on every syllable of a word is worth all the praise. The lyrics by Abbas are rhythmic and touch the soul. Although the music might sound like many others we must have heard before but the overall feel & instrumentation fits brilliantly. A really good track. 7.5/10.

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Track 5 – Pam Pa Ra – 2nd Shreya Ghoshal song on the album and this time it is a solo. The na na na na.. start to the song must be the creative simplistic genius of Rahman. The expectations really drop when the main vocals and music start. The lyrics are purely average if not boring. The music loses its momentum but then comes back with more instrumentation and excitement. There are just many ups & downs in the music throughout the song. The variations & orchestration is good but just too much. The vocals are probably only good and consistent factor of the song. 5/10.

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Track 6 – I’ve Been Waiting – Vijay Yesudas returns to music after a 3 year slump. He has been around for decades and it seems Rahman has pulled him out of the dungeons for a brilliant blues composition. Only Rahman could be experimenting with music genres like this. A pure blues jazz orchestra gives this song the perfect melody and support to Vijay’s excellent vocals. The lyrics are simply brilliant, pure and perfect blend of English and Hindi.

“I’ve been waiting for the moonlight. I’ve been waiting for the moonlit sky all night…

Stranger in the moonlight, I’ve been waiting for a lifetime for you..” 7.5/10.

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Track 7 – Maiyya Yashoda (Thames Remix) – The western mix of Track 2 sounds almost the same except for a synthetic drum beat in the background and more effects on the vocals. It has a good amount of Indian instrumentation on it. It still has the fantastic sitaar solo to complement the western drum beat. Can’t give this version much credit as it is almost the same. 6.5/10.

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Track 8 – Do Nishaaniyan (Heartbreak Reprise) – The absolutely perfect vocals of Sonu Nigam in Track 4 just sound better all of a sudden in this version. So soothing, calm, ambient, pure and brilliant. The background flutes and keyboard/piano work by Rahman is simply breathtaking and perfect to every note. A true classic in the making. 8/10.

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Track 9 – Call Me Dil – This is not the normal Bollywood OST trend to have an original as the last song of the album after remixes but it kind of works here as this is the title song. The song is not brilliant in any aspect but just works with the feel of the movie and Rashid Ali’s voice. The lyrics and composition are average. Not much to check out in this song. 6/10.

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FINAL WORD

Average – 6.5/10

What Jhootha Hi Sahi lacks musically is consistency between songs. The vision and feel of the songs is consistent but the brilliance and beauty of every song is inconsistent. Except Cry Cry, Maiyya Yashoda and Do Nishaaniyan other songs are purely average. The OST clearly has the stamp and feel of a Rahman album with a fair bit of his creativity and uniqueness with certain advantage of having a Abbas Tyrewala as the director & lyricist in one body thus making it easier. But as I guess some songs demanded being average to go well with the script of the movie as I can’t imagine an average job from the geniuses of Abbas & Rahman. Overall I would recommend the movie without even watching it.. but not to buy the OST. It’s not there and that is why they have included a disc 2 with Karaoke version of the full album. Just get the top three songs. Album of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa – HMV.

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Brothers Mahesh & Mukesh Bhatt have created a number of hits under their banner Vishesh Films including Raaz, Raaz 2, Jannat, Zeher, Kalyug, Gangster, Murder and many more.. A few common names to a number of recent hits out of Vishesh Films include director Mohit Suri & actor Emraan Hashmi. Another common feature to Mahesh Bhatt movies is the introduction of a new face.. and this time it is a cutie called Neha Sharma playing Emraan’s love interest in Australia. So what is left to see is if all these common factors together once again deliver another hit with Crook: It’s Good to be Bad. The movie revolves around the recent racist attacks on Indian students in Australia and the growing ambition of a man who cares nothing about the world..

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Hit music maker Pritam has worked for Vishesh Films and made some of the biggest hit soundtracks including Jannat, Woh Lamhe and Gangster. Mahesh & Mukesh Bhatt sure know how to make a hit movie and Pritam knows how to deliver the best OST. But it has been a while since they all hooked up together on a project. Will Crook be able to deliver the big hits with the lyrics of Kumaar and the big melodies of Pritam? Answers are as below..

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REVIEW

Track 1 – Challa – Bollywood is moving in 2 directions.. Western and traditional Nothern India. This song is the perfect example of that. Superstar Punjabi singer Babbu Mann who is almost worshiped in Punjab makes his Bollywood appearance with this inspired cover of Gurdas Mann’s traditional folk song Challa with a musical twist by Pritam. The English vocals and lyrics are by Suzanne D’Mello give it that western feel. The lyrics by Kumaar are purely authentic and true to the Punjabi flavour. This is a smart business song by Pritam rather than a brilliant composition. This song truly has appeal to not just the Bollywood lovers but to a huge mass of Punjabi music lovers in the UK & USA where Babbu Mann has a massive following. Thus Pritam captures it all with this tune. Definitely a dance floor tune. 7/10.

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Track 2 – Mere Bina – Nikhil D’souza is the man in demand these days in Bollywood and is sure worth every second of listening and every second of the work of the music director & the lyricists. He knows how to deliver a romantic tune with a very melodic deep voice. His talent & gifted voice is unmissable as he hits some really accurate notes. The harmonies he has done for this song under the genius direction of Pritam is commendable. The music is simply beautiful.. and better are the lyrics by Kumaar. It just reminds you of the beautiful songs of Raaz 2 that Kumaar had penned & were super hit on all airplay. This is the next big song. Love it.. 8.5/10.

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Track 3 – Kya – This song starts off with very synthetic keyboard work with filter effects on Neeraj Sridhar’s voice. Totally not required!! Don’t get what Pritam is trying to deliver in this song. The composition is below average and totally inspired with a fair amount of English lyrics. The Hindi lyrics are decent but not the ones you will find yourself singing after listening to the album a couple of times. I say ignore this song as you will rarely be hearing it anywhere on TV or radio. Quite disappointing after Mere Bina.  6/10.

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Track 4 – Tujhi Mein – This song has an interesting keyboard melody with an alternative rock composition. It is something you would expect from Pritam & his rock band background. The vocal performance by KK is spotless & powerful as always with average lyrics. You really have to listen to the electric guitar solo about 3 minutes into the song. Absolutely brilliant guitar work with a very different texture sound to the strings and very well recorded. This is a good listen but could take some time to grow on you. Do listen to it a few times. 7.5/10.

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Track 5 – Challa (Remix) – Our Scottish Punjabi boys Tigerstyle excel in reviving folk Punjabi songs with their hands exactly on the pulse of the UK Bhangra lovers. Their use of absolutely unique and culturally specific Punjabi instruments and composition is classic and brilliant with a modern beat. Give this song a couple of weeks and it will be at the top of BBC Asian Networks chart.. Guaranteed..!! My definite favourite from this album. 8.5/10.

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Track 6 – Tujhko Jo Paaya – If Mere Bina was brilliant then this is supertastic!! A bit of shuffle on the lyrics by Kumaar and a rename of the song title gives you Tujhko Jo Paaya.. that too in Mohit Chauhan’s voice only to the sound of an acoustic guitar. His vocals are soo warm that you just feel like snuggling in with a loved one. Mohit also does a harmony rendition at the end that you have to listen to without fail. Genius version. 9/10.

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Track 7 – Tujhi Mein (Reprise) – This is a more acoustic and ambient version of Track 4 with almost new lyrics except for the chorus. Sung again by KK and you really don’t see any other singer who can sing this song. But I’d settle with track 4 and don’t really feel the need of this version. It is present in the album totally to cover the story and is purely situational. 7/10.

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Track 8 – Mere Bina (Unplugged) – A third version of this beautiful song out of a total of 8 songs…. and you know what.. you don’t mind it.. As this time it has the deep & powerful voice of KK to it. No complaints to his singing or the unplugged melody composed & arranged by Pritam.. but I prefer Mohit Chauhan’s acoustic version in Tujhko Jo Paaya. It just sounds better in his voice. This version is again in the soft rock setup with a really good keyboard solo this time and fantastic band instrumentation. It is lyrically and composition-ally a brilliant song and thus will sound good with any vocalist & musical setup. 8/10.

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FINAL WORD

Very Good – 7.5/10

Crook gets a ‘very good’ simply because the total of individual scores of each track gets it a high score. It deserves that… but all thanks to a brilliant song called Mere Bina which is a treat to listen to in every setup and in every version. Also contributing to the high score is the presence of a Punjabi hit number in the form of Challa with an international appeal. Other than these 2 songs, the rest of the album is average. There is not enough variety & not enough creativity to boast off. Thus as an overall album I would classify Crook to be an average OST. But it sure deserves all the airplay and all the recognition to Challa & Mere Bina. Good job yet again to the team of Pritam, Kumaar, Mahesh Bhatt, Mohit Suri & the fantastic lineup of singers. OST available on Sony BMG.

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