DJ Munks.com

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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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Oooohhh.. This seems like an exciting project. Not just because Deepika Padukone is looking hot & Saif+Deepika are looking great together.. but because Imtiaz Ali is back after the smash hit Jab We Met. He made a superstar actor out of Kareena in that movie.. & now it seems she has recommended her boyfriend to the director man. I don’t really see the problem with that cause Saif can be brilliant if the role fits his profile (as demonstrated in Omkara & KHNK).

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Saif Ali Khan has gone a step ahead this time though & is not just acting but also producing Love Aaj Kal with Dinesh Vijan. He is also picked up the trick from Akshay & dressed Singh in this movie.

The trailers look fun & the star chemistry is looking good with a good light story line typical to an Imtiaz Ali movie.

Another factor prominent in an Imtiaz Ali movie is good music. Jab We Met’s music was ground breaking with songs like “Mauja Hi Mauja”, “Yeh Ishq Hai”, “Nagada Nagada” & the romantic “Tum Se Hi”. The man behind all of that is back on Love Aaj Kal. Pritam is the most sought Music Director in the industry & is back to prove why he is the man most in demand when it comes to making hits.. This time he is back with Irshad Kamil who he worked together with on the songs of Jab We Met & Aa Dekhen Zara.

NO doubt they all make a great team together.. but lets find out if their magic works yet again with the OST of Love Aaj Kal for the UK audience.

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REVIEW

Track 1 – Twist – This is a big one.. !!!!! A hit & a dance floor blazer in Neeraj Sridhar’s super style. It’s a cross of Nagin meets Panjabi MC with the Snake Charmer theme. The vibe of the song sounds similar to “Ab Toh Forever” from Tara Rum Pum but it is still a genuine hit. The lyrics are rubbish but the fun factor is so prominent that you wouldn’t pay attention to that and just do the “Twist”. This is for the clubs.. for weddings.. for birthday parties.. & for every damn party. Its now at the top of my DJ set list of must play songs.It is not as good as Mauja.. but Pritam sure is back to put this composition up there in that category.

We have a winner at the start of the album ladies & gentleman   Hit Hit Hit – 7.5/10.

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Track 2 – Chor Bazaari – This song is a care free.. give a damn to the world type of song. The musical texture is great with a smile beat pattern, trumpets, Spanish acoustic guitar & a touch of the village sound. The arrangement is superb with the drops & come backs with versatile use of instruments. To top all instruments are Neeraj Sridhar & Sunidhi Chauhan’s voices. They sound great together & you can feel confidence oozing out of Irshad Kamil as he beautifully plays around with words to give some good lyrics. I like this song as it has a soft feel with still a dancy grove to it. 7.5/10.

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Track 3 – Aahun Aahun – This is my favourite song in the album so far !! A different side of Pritam’s work that I have never heard before. He demonstrates talent competing outright with AR Rehman on this one. The vague guitar at the start leads into 70′s disco effects with Master Salim’s phenomenal Punjabi lyrics. If you have not heard of him before then look for a song called “Teri Sajni” and you will find out how talented this man is. The beat when it comes in shocked me like the beat in “Genda Phool” did. The fusion of Neeraj & Salim’s voice is genius along with great looping & vocal scatting effects. This is so 21st century with roots set in traditional Indian music. I love the lyrics too with a good mix of English, Punjabi & Hindi. Aahun Aahun is totally catchy & genius. Production at it’s best.. 9.5/10.

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Track 4 – Dooriyan – Pritam tries to create another “Tum Se Hi” style slow romantic number with Mohit Chauhan but does not do too well. This song does not have the simplicity of Tum Se Hi in lyrics & composition although it has great deep meaning lyrics. The music & arrangement are average with a good flute solo in the middle. Mohit’s vocals are great as usual but not the best. This song might work for some for not for the masses. 7/10.

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Track 5 – Ajj Din Chadheya – I somehow knew there will be a song like this in the album. Typical Pritam.. & thus he brings in Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. An almost acoustic romantic song for the background. Very basic instrumentation but very neat & calm.. Love the acoustic guitar work!! Good lyrics about a man talking to God about what he wants for his love & how badly he wants her. The combination of powerful lyrics with soft music & vocals is striking. Great job. 8/10.

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Track 6 – Thoda Thoda Pyar – Am hearing a good typical Mehndi night Ladies Sangeet type of a song after a long time. This one is different too with a good mix of Dholak, Tumbi & Dhol to typical Punjabi shouts from a good all female chorus. Sunidhi then takes the lead to give a true Bollywood song.. something like you would have last heard in the 90′s. No comparison to Pritam’s Punjabi song production skills as he is the best at that.. but what is worth noting is Irshad’s lyrics who creates a great Punjabi intro rhyme and main lyrics that fit the composition really well. A must play at all weddings in UK. A definite hit with the desi ladies. 7.5/10.

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Track 7 – Main Kya Hoon – This is probably the only song I don’t like on this OST. Doesn’t quite fit the bill. It sure add’s variety but does not seem to gel with the variety above. It’s got this trippy trance synth to a slower beat. It is something you would hear in a remix but definitely not in an original. The lyrics & KK’s performance are average too. Hate the vocal effects Pritam has used on KK’s voice. Skip this one please. 5/10.

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Track 8 – Twist (Remix) – DJ Sanj from US is back with Pritam after doing a dudd job in Aa Dekhen Zara. But this time he does a good job. I love this mix. This is the one that I have already started playing at my parties & it works beautifully with the crowd. People love it.. I love it… This is good with a double beat grove & female rap but still sticking with the Nagin style. Neeraj’s vocals sound much better here. 7.5/10.

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Track 9 – Chor Bazaari (Remix) – DJ Sanj goes the Reggae beat side for this remix. Although it sounds fair & doesn’t sound too bad.. but I din’t quite enjoy this one much. I could do without it to be frank. 6/10.

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Track 10 – Aahun Aahun (Remix) – Reggae done.. it’s Bhangra time.. !!   I loved the original and now this remix thrills me too. Instead of taking Pritam’s innovative music, Sanj takes his innovative composition & Salim + Neeraj’s great vocals and blends them to a Dhol beat with Punjabi shouts. This now sounds like a normal song & not an innovative experiment. You can imagine this to be original & the other to be a remix. Both are great though. 8.5/10.

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FINAL WORD

Really Good – 7.5/10.

Bollywood has been waiting for a biggie this year. This is it.. !!

Love Aaj Kal is commercial Bollywood at it’s best this year. It has the big dancefloor number called “Twist”, the romantics “Dooriyaan” & “Ajj Din Chadheya” and the fun song “Chor Bazaari” & “Aahun Aahun”. A overall complete package of good commercial Bollywood music that the masses will like all over the world.

Pritam uses all his favourite singers like Neeraj, Rahat Fateh Ali, Sunidhi & Mohit Chauhan.. & they do not disappoint him. Pritam is back in form with some fantastic work in “Twist” & “Aahun Aahun”. These songs are already getting lot of hype and air play on Radio & TV. With the movie release (July end) & some good filming by Imtiaz for these songs.. they have the potential of being the biggest hits of the year !! Twist is going to be a rage..!

A must buy CD as it is total value for money and pure funnnn for the UK audiences !!

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Yash Raj films is back with Aditya Chopra producing NEW YORK with a highly commercial cast of John Abraham, Katrina Kaif, Neil Nitin Mukesh & Irrfan Khan. The movie is directed by Kabir Khan who’s last directorial venture Kabul Express was a flop with average reviews & a couple of decent songs on the OST. But with New York your expectations are bound to be higher as it is first of all a Yash Raj movie.. then has the hottest cast in Bollywood right now.. is based in the most glamorous city in the world.. plus it has Pritam doing the music.. All in all it has commercial written all over it !!

But on the other side the agenda of the movie gets you wondering if New York is a commercial music hit maker.. If you don’t know what the movie is about.. have a look at the wallpaper above..

Cant spot it..?? Look closer…

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Yup.. so you spot the ghost of twin towers there & so you know the movie is about 9/11. Not really about the attack but the after effects on the life’s of 3 Muslim students in New York. I still expect the OST to be bright & fun with a few elements of romance & a few serious songs.. Lets find out if it actually sums up to our commercial value expectations..

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REVIEW

Track 1 – Hai Junoon – Doesn’t sound like the start of a commercial album.. Well maybe it’s not then..!! KK renders his soulful Yaaron style vocals but the overall performance is average all thanks to simple & average music composition by Pritam. It has the typical soft college rock style which might go with the movie story but is overdone & cliche in the music market.. Lyrics by story writer Sandeep Srivastava are good & hold the other elements together making it a fun listen.. but with nothing special.. 5.5/10 .

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Track 2 – Mere Sang – Another non-commercial song..! The flow of this album is telling me it is more of a off-beat serious style of a album rather than a fun up-beat Yash Raj type.

Sunidhi Chauhan sings this song using her softer tone & sublime style. It’s not the best side of her & sounds monotonous. Composition style & arrangement by Pritam are just about the same as Track 1 & million’s of other such songs. It lacks innovation.. not just on the music side but also on the lyrics by Sandeep. It’s a decent one time listen but you may not like to come back to it.. 5/10 .

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Track 3 – Tune Jo Na Kaha – Finally something different with still on the down-beat lounge style… n I like that style..   Mohit Chauhan’s voice does something to a song.. it creates a vibe & gives it the depth of feelings. A romantic ballad with good lyrics that are perfect for a chilled out evening, sitting in the balcony in moon light.. Try it   The composition is simple with a good arrangement of backing vocals, light string instruments & a neat flute solo. Overall the track works for me.. 7/10.

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Track 4 – Aye Saaye Mere – The Persian style of this song is the work of Pankaj Awasthi. He has composed & sung this song as well. It’s the song with a message that would play in the background half way through the movie in a sad sequence. Very situational with an intense vibe. The lyrics are by Junaid Wasi & are pretty good with a traditional poetic feel to it. It’s a good song but lacks commercial appeal because of it’s theatrical situational feel. Listen to the lyrics carefully.. “Na Koi Kaala Na Koi Gora.. Ik Rang hi Sabhi ko rang de“. 6/10 .

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Track 5 – Hai Junoon (Remix) – Remixed by Julius Packiam. I have never heard his work before but this is a good start. He plays around well with KK’s vocal harmonies at the start & concentrates on his vocals throughout the mix which is a good relief. The beat is simple & makes the original more fun to listen to. The song now has this energy that it needs to go with the feel & lyrics of the song. 6.5/10 .

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Track 6 – Mere Sang (Remix) – Julius does a decent job trying to revive this dead track. I dint enjoy the original at all.. but this is bareable. There is not much scope in the original to play around with & the best creative element that Julius could come up was to add a subtle tabla sample throughout with ‘Hai Junoon‘ shouts which mix well. 5.5/10.

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Track 7 – Sam’s Theme – Sam is John Abraham in the movie. The theme makes his character sound like a serious & troubled guy.. Doesn’t go very well with John’s glamorous girl man looks & charm. Sound like he is experimenting.. lol. Good in a way.. as we’ll come to know if he can act.. !

Caralisa Monteiro’s classic vocal harmonies are truly amazing while our remix man Julius Packiam shows he’s not just the one with beats. He can surely compose & deliver good theme music to the standards of Yash Raj films which is a common feature in most of their movies. I like this classic music piece as it has some really good orchestra work. 7.5/10.

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Track 8 – New York Theme – Electric guitar’s with tribal drums give this instrumental the intense feel that describes the movie for us.. NO it’s not a fun commercial film.. but rather a serious flick with a message to convey. Sounds like something I have heard before. 6/10.

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FINAL WORD

Average – 5.5/10

The soundtrack for New York is nothing special. It does not even have the basic elements of a Yash Raj movie. No fun dance tunes, no big romantic numbers & no Bollywood style biggies either. An off beat non-commercial album totally opposite to our expectations.. and it is not even outstanding in it’s off beat category. Ignore this OST as am sure you can do without it in your collection.

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Runway seems to be the movie with a lot of careers on it inspiring to take off to the skies. Actor Amarjeet could be another star in the making & is making a come back after a low budget flop back in 2006.

Its exactly the same situation for producer Reeta Shukla who is family to Amarjeet & partner in crime for the flow Iqraar in 2006. They seem to be taking another shot at making it big in Bollywood together.

Director Sunil Tiwari’s story is not quite different either with his directorial debut back in 2003 with a movie called 2nd October. He disappeared after that on the Bermuda Triangle & has some how found his way back to the Bolly land Runway.. lol. Lets see if he can take off skywards again..

Even all the supporting cast like Deepal Shaw, singer – Lucky Ali & cute Tulip Joshi need a hit somehow to be able to sustain in this industry.

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The only established person in the team is music director Shamir Tandon who has done projects like 99, Mission Istanbul, Superstar & also Page 3 back in the good ol days. He is known to strike an off beat sound..

Lets find out what he has done with lyricist Shabbir Ahmed on the soundtrack of Runway…

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REVIEW

Track 1 – Khuda Ke Liye – The album opens beautifully to the soulful voice of Mustafa Zahid [lead singer of Pakistani band Roxen] who sang the amazing hit “Toh Phir Aao” back in 2007 in the movie Aawarapan. The acoustic start of the song create an ambience around you with just his deep sufi rock voice. Shamir keeps the music simple with acoustic guitar & a simple drum pad beat. He lets Mustafa’s voice be the instrument & the medium for some brilliant lyrics by Shabbir Ahmed. This is the kind of a song you usually hear in a Mahesh Bhatt movie & is a definite hit. Am loving this track. Repeat .. repeat.. repeat… 8.5/10.

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Track 2 – Teri Yaadein Leke Dil Mein – A soothing romantic song with a simple melody that works. KK is back in the game with this song as he has been giving average performances in most songs these days. But this is definitely better. It is the not best of him but his voice fits perfectly in the entire setup of this song. The music is good as it relaxes you..  & the rest of the calm is induced by the lyrics. Romantic lyrics with a cross of Kishore Kumar’s “Musafir Hoon Yaaron”. Definitely worth a good audience & international radio airplay. 7.5/10 .

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Track 3 – Roshan Dil Ka Jahan – Now this is a disappointing song.. Nowhere as good as the above two although it has Shaan & Sunidhi providing the vocals on it. The reason I feel for this is the composition of the song. Shamir Tandon fails to give this song any character although it has decently good lyrics & vocal performances. Not my taste.. 6/10 .

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Track 4 – Pyaasi Machuriya – Another very crude item number by Sunidhi Chauhan & almost sounds like “Beedi” from Omkara on her vocals. Ravindra Upadhyay on the supporting vocals is totally wasted. The music is purely rubbish & thus in the final mix the music has been left in the background with full focus on the vocals of Sunidhi. But this song does not have any substance to it. It is neither fun nor sexy. The video will be crap too I recon… Skip this track & save yourself the misery. 4/10.

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Track 5 – Roshan Dil Ka Jahan (Dance Mix) – Now this is not as bad as the Track 3. The reason being they have changed the male lead singer to Raaj with Sunidhi on this. Somehow his vocals suit better on this melody. But the overall remix is average with not much future for it. 6.5/10.

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Track 6 – Teri Yaadein (Remix) – DJ NYK is one of my fav guys in the recent Bollywood remix circuit because of his deep electro house basslines. He makes a good team with DJ Chetas and they make some good stuff. This is one of them. They keep the original melody & excellent vocals of KK intact and just add a good electro beat & keyboard solo to it. It creates a good dancefloor vibe altogether.. & I love the drop in between with just KK’s vocals.. Love it overall & a definite track on forthcoming club mix CD’s…. 7/10.

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Track 7 – Khuda Ke Liye (Remix) – This is a good mix too !! A little too good & grows on you as you listen to it more .. but that is only if you have a thing for electro house cause this is purely Electroooo.. !! The overall psychedelic vibe is funky & a definite spinner in all house sets. Once the original song picks up & is labelled as a hit song.. this remix will become a cult for it. Make sure you ask the DJ to play this song next time to at a desi party.. in case he forgets.. Well done to NYK & Chetas. 8/10.

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FINAL WORD

Average on a whole with a couple of good tracks – 6.5/10.

The soundtrack for Runway is riding on 2 good tracks. Khuda Ke Liye is a definite winner with Teri Yaadein a close second. These two songs definitely deserve 15 MB space on your Ipod’s & your text requests to your favorite radio stations. Other than these 2 & their remixes, the rest of the album is a waste. Shamir makes an impression with the music on these 2 tracks while lyricist Shabbir does a good job on all of them. Mustafa Zahid & KK are the stars of the album & give personality to this OST. If not the CD.. make sure you atleast buy the above two songs of Itunes.

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