DJ Munks.com

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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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Sajid Nadiadwala is back after kind of a flop movie earlier this year in Housefull. Even though Housefull did well with its collections at the box office it still was a terrible movie.. But now he has teamed up with director Siddharth Anand who has made hit modern romance movies like Bachna Ae Haseeno, Salaam Namaste and Ta Ra Rum Pum. Thus Anjaana Anjaani could turn things around for Sajid with a hit that would be even appreciated by the audiences. The trailer looks like it could do the trick with super talented Ranbir Kapoor and super hot Priyanka Chopra leading the way.

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Vishal Shekhar have already had a big musical hit this year with I Hate Luv Storys and so the expectations are really high on the musical front for something new and different. They surely have the calibre and Vishal’s voice to create some magic… but what scares me is looking at the list of lyricists involved here for a total of 9 songs. Does it give a music director & the movie director variety with the songs or makes it difficult to get the right sound with the inconsistency? Let us listen and find out..

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REVIEW

Track 1 – Anjaana Anjaani Ki Kahani – The title song is definitely new not similar to anything that I think I have heard before. Although the start seems a little disappointing with English lyrics, the chorus is very catchy and you will instantly like it. It has the big sound with a full band including elements of rock, dance and brass. It is an upbeat song and will work well in the international circuit on radio stations and Bollywood dance parties… that is the beauty of Vishal-Shekhar’s composition! Lyrics by Neelesh Misra are average but modern and fun. We first heard singer Nikhil D’souza on the song Sham in the movie Aisha and we loved him. Knew he had a long way to go and here he is opening Vishal-Shekhar’s big budget movie with Monali Thakur supporting him on the female vocals. 7/10 for all the fun this song projects.

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Track 2 – Hairat – Vishal-Shekhar show how mature their music is with a modern global audience appeal. The music of this song could easily be used on a big budget Hollywood movie OST in the background of a suspense thriller.. with English lyrics ofcourse. But here Vishal shows not just how mature his music is but also his lyrics are. The wording and rhymes are perfect and the work of a pro. ‘Long time hiding’ but ‘never forgotten’ singer Lucky Ali delivers a performance to remember. His voice texture brings a different energy and flavour to the song. Love this song as the perfect high speed drive song. 7.5/10.

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Track 3 – Aas Paas Khuda – An OST for a romantic movie would be incomplete without Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s voice.. His Sufiana voice works magically on your listening senses. Although this is nothing compared to his other hits but it has it’s own feel. What doesn’t work too well here is the composition of the song. It is outdated and not unique. The instrumentation is average too. Saving the day a little are Vishal & Shekhar’s lyrics which too are not the best. 6/10.

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Track 4 – Tumse Hi Tumse – Three lyricists on this song!! Amitabh Bhattacharya & Anvitta Dutt have written the main lyrics while Shekhar sings it for them. Caralisa Monteiro has written and sung the English lyrics. I really like the vocals and lyrics of this song but the song doesn’t click for me overall.. and that is because of the arrangement. The rock instrumentation is something that I am not sure about was the best musical fit. Well that is just my opinion but something doesn’t make this song click and it becomes an average song. 6.5/10.

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Track 5 – Tujhe Bhula Diya – The start of this song is mesmerising with Shruti Pathaks voice and some innovative guitar strumming. What a come back on the composition and arrangement tactics! Fantastic and truly brilliant!! The bits of Qawalli thrown in on the bridge comes in beautifully.. especially after acoustic main stanzas. The music shifts into three different arrangements seamlessly with excellent classical instrumentation. The Punjabi lyrics at the start followed by the main lyrics are the work of Kumaar and Vishal himself again. They are very good and singer Mohit Chauhan’s harmonic vocals forces you to take notice of them. An overall great song.. 8/10.

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Track 6 – I Feel Good – This is a Vishal Dadlani song with his vocals, his lyrics and his music. Shilpa Rao who recently delivered a mind blowing performance in the song Nain Parindey in Lafangey Parindey joins Vishal on the vocals. Her presence helps but not much.. this is still an average song with another rock English lyrics song. The guitar solos in the bridge make it better but not enough. Only thing worth noticing is Shilpa Rao’s work who usually sings classical song and now delivers a rock chick song. 6.5/10.

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Track 7 – Anjaana Anjaani – This song starts off with very soothing music with ambient flutes and Shilpa Rao’s deep voice on the vocals with Vishal accompanying her again. The they do work well together and you can appreciate the pair as you hear them together in more songs. I love the lyrics by Kausar Munir & Irshad Kamil. Musically it is very well mixed and arranged with lounge taking on rock in the chorus. Innovative but this song needs to be heard a little too many times for it to grow on you. 7/10.

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Track 8 – Tujhe Bhula Diya (Remix) – The only remix on the album is by Abhijit Vaghani who has done an excellent job of making this great song a little different & upbeat. He has given it a twist with a piano melody and a trance feel. He has still managed to keep the traditional elements including a harmonium solo which goes almost dry without a beat which is very brave to play on a trance dance floor. Respect to this mix.. 8/10.

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Track 9 – Aas Paas Khuda (Unplugged) – So I guess I was right with the fact that the musical composition wasn’t working for the original song above. When you hear this unplugged version it sounds totally different and you really appreciate the beauty of it. What you appreciate more is the beauty of voices.. and this includes a feature by Shruti Pathak. Fantastic version! 7/10.

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FINAL WORD

Above Average – 7/10

Anjaana Anjaani has no bad song and no really good song. It is a bunch of average and above average songs with Tujhe Bhula Diya & Hairat being my favourite songs that truly stand out. Title song Anjaana Anjaani Ki Kahani is catchy and different too but not stunning. Is it the influence of too many lyricists? I don’t think so.. I think it is a Siddharth Anand thing. He usually has a couple of big songs in his movies with other average songs that don’t fight for too much attention. Maybe it is his weird strategy of his or just plain bad luck! Vishal-Shekhar do an decently good job like they always do but the influence of Vishal’s rock background is truly evident and maybe overused. Overall I would still recommend you buy this album as a whole. OST available on T-Series.

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Yash and Aditya Chopra are famous for romantic movies under their banner Yash Raj Films. Recently they have started experimenting with other genres and been extremely successful everywhere. Now they are trying to get a mix of genres with romance in the true Mumbai ishtyle. Lafangey Parindey is the story of a Mumbai street biker and fighter who comes across a blind girl who loves to skate dance. He teaches her to see and she teaches him to love in between their rough lives. Yash Raj have put their faith in an extremely talented director Pradeep Sarkar who made the hit – Parineeta for this challenging project. The trailers look good with a strange on screen combo of Neil Nitin Mukesh and Deepika Padukone. Will their on screen chemistry work is something we will have to wait and see but their typical Mumbaiya accents sure do work well.

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I would imagine a movie based around the streets of Mumbai will have the Marathi flavour to its music but that is something we can find out now. What I am also very curious to find out is if ad jingles composer R. Anandh can create a hit OST on his debut music direction work. He atleast has real good support on the lyrics side with Swanand Kirkire who has written fantastic lyrics for movies like Parineeta, Lage Raho Munnabhai, Rajneeti and 3 Idiots. Let us listen and find out if this 7 track OST works for the UK Bollywood listeners.

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REVIEW

Track 1 – Lafangey Parindey – Mr. Anandh brings along a new singer to open his first Bollywood OST project. That is quite brave.. but affective. Ronit Sarkar has a good voice with a pop-rock texture to his voice that works well in the setting of this song. Very urban Mumbai with good instrumentation in this composition. The fun element in the chorus with “Dhing-ra-k-ding” takes away the seriousness of this song that talks about the life of the streets of Mumbai and gels in well. The harmonies & range in Ronit’s voice are worth noticing. He is definitely a good find. The lyrics are good but sound familiar. Not the best song to start the OST but being the theme of the movie I guess they didn’t really have much choice. 7/10.

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Track 2 – Man Lafanga – Now this is a really good composition with fantastic lyrics and the best vocals of Mohit Chauhan. His voice gives feeling to any song to put him in. The acoustic guitar sounds unique in many respects throughout the song. The basic simple beat and rhythm gives it the easy going pace of a good romantic song in the making. The lyrics are just perfectly placed and are brilliant as a man talks about his recluse heart that he has no control on and it does whatever it wants when it comes to love. Plus this song grows on you the more you listen to it and is addictive-ly fun. Press repeat!! 8.5/10.

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Track 3 – Dhatad Tatad – Shail Hada comes along after a long time and impresses you with this vocal quality on this song. Anushka is here too and seems to be quite in demand these days. The typical Mumbai street fun angle of the song comes out clearly with the title phrase throughout the song. This song will be this year’s hit for all Ganesh Chaturthi dances in Mumbai. It surely has that fun quality in lyrics and music that the Mumbai audiences will love.. but here in the UK not so much It is very street and an average listen. 6.5/10.

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Track 4 – Nain Parindey – This song starts off with a beautiful piano piece that sets the tone of the song in a pure and blissful way. Shilpa Rao just makes that better.. She is a brilliant voice and has sung some excellent romantic, ambient and lounge songs. This is yet another beautiful song to add to her list. Kirkire’s lyrics are just perfect, poetic and meaningful. R. Anandh keeps the music simple and blends it just right to give it that soulful feel that makes this song one of the best on the OST. Worth every penny. 8/10.

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Track 5 – Rang Daalein – Rock star Suraj Jagan is probably the best rock voice in Bollywood these days and definitely the most talented. You must even remember him as an actor in Rock On! He was the lead singer of the competing band & director of MTV later in the film. He sure knows how to make a song his and that too very effortlessly. His vocals are just bang on. The music is a good rock composition with good use of bass guitar and electric lead guitar solos. The surprise element is the mix of dholki and Scottish pipes in the chorus. Check that out.. you will like it. The lyrics are not the best but work for a rock song. 7/10.

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Track 6 – Born To Fly – After a long time we hear an instrumental theme music based track in an OST. And it is a good one. The orchestration is well conducted and has elements of excitement, climax, pace and harmony to it. It uses inspiration from Rang Daalein, Dhatad Tatad & Lafangey Parindey songs on the album to blend them all together. 7/10.

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Track 7 – Man Lafanga (Club Mix) – Remixed by Joshilay who call it a club mix but it doesn’t work. Atleast definitely not for the UK clubs.. or even for radio for that sake. It just does not have that effect or feel to it. Joshilay have just used a deep bass line beat and looped it all over. It does nothing for the song and thus just frustrates you once you have heard and become a fan of the original. Ignore. 5.5/10.

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FINAL WORD

Pretty Good – 7/10

Well not the best of OST’s to hit the Bollywood music scene this year but it sure has 2 good songs including Man Lafanga and Nain Parindey. The others are average or above average but far from being bad songs. Thus Lafangey Parindey is overall a very listenable album that people with Mumbai roots will definitely appreciate and like. R. Anandh does a reasonably good job for his first Bollywood album with a good range of singers. He introduces Ronit Sarkar who has the potential to be a good lead singer. Swanand Kirkire does well on some lyrics but could have done much better considering his past work. What is really missing from this OST is a range of songs and versatility. The absence of a good dance tune could possibly affect its radio & TV airplay with no demand of the movie songs in clubs. And these are big parts of what go into making a hit film these days. Album available on YRF Music.

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Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai is the 7th movie under the Balaji Motion Pictures Banner. Not a single movie so far has had music that stands out or can boast of a hit. If we leave the music and talk just about the movie, not a single of their productions has delivered well the box office except for average business.

Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai could just about be the one to change it all for the biggest small screen banner who could now be the big screen banner that Ekta & Shobha Kapoor have dreamed of making it… and it all rests on the shoulders of brilliant actors Ajay Devgan & Emraan Hashmi. These guys usually always deliver the vision of their producers and directors. But does director Milan Luthria who has made movies like Kachche Dhaage, Chori Chori, Deewar & Taxi No. 9211 have it in him to deliver a hit underworld Mumbai theme movie? That we will have to wait till the 30th July to watch.

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For now let us analyse what hit maker Pritam can deliver with lyricists Irshad Kamil, Nilesh Mishra & Amitabh Bhattacharya for a movie with a very dark theme. Pritam has never actually worked on a Mumbai dark side themed movie although he has delivered some super hits with movies like Gangster, Jannat & Rajneeti recently. I would imagine this OST will have some street talk Mumbai songs with the slang and violent gun shots with a mix of romance & totally dark Mumbai themed music for background scores of the movie. I would love it if Irshad can repeat his magic of Karam on the lyrics cause that was sensational. Let’s hit play and check it out.

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REVIEW

Track 1 – Pee Loon – Very pleasant first 30 seconds of the album that set the tone of the album. And you can’t ask for more than Mohit Chauchan’s voice following the soothing 30 seconds of music. This Qawaali based romantic song reminds you of the sea side by Haji Ali. The melody and instrumentation are heart felt with a mesmerising harmonium solo in the middle bridge which you must take a notice of as that is not something you hear often in music these days. The team of Pritam, Irshad & Mohit make an instant classic romantic hit. A must listen. 8/10.

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Track 2 – Tum Jo Aaye – Seems like this is more of a romantic movie than a underworld bloodshed extravaganza. Tulsi Kumar along with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan perform a very soulful vocal rendition to Irshad’s poetic lyrics. Once again Pritam sticks to the Qawali style Bollywood music format with another good harmonium solo. The dholki played on this song is brilliantly recorded. The classical composition & recitation work well in the favour of this song and even has a Punjabi element to it. It is a good song but not the best. It won’t stick in your head as much as Pee Loon. 7/10.

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Track 3 – I Am In Love – We know Karthik from two really big songs – Behka from Ghajina & Behne De from Raavan recently. Both truly are brilliant. So is I am in love. You can really feel the emotion when he says “I am in Love”. His vocals & harmonies are spotless on a great voice. The lyrics by Nilesh Mishra will make you sit up and take notice of them as they rhyme all the way. Pritam’s composition & simple music complement this song perfectly. It is just simple & beautiful. You will surely like it. Do listen.. 7.5/10.

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Track 4 – Parda – Haha.. revival of the classic.. Remember Duniya Mein Logon Ko from Apna Desh? Sunidhi & Rana Mazumder do a revision of that classic and spice it up with some new lyrics by Irshad which are not that great. Rana freaks you out here sounding exactly like The Boss – R. D. Burman. Pritam very successfully gives you the 70′s feel with this composition and Sunidhi is his star that delivers it very well on the mic. You can’t help but sing along every time the “Monicaaa” shout comes along. I love going back in time.. & this song takes u there. A production & creative genius song. Lacks brilliant lyrics. 7.5/10.

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Track 5 – Babu Rao – From the start you will take notice of the unique music style. Kudos to Pritam for this coming up with this composition. It is genuine, unique and works perfectly with the theme of this song. The programming of the instruments is imaginitive & brave.  Mika has his usual fun and is perfect in the vocals department. He sounds like a street don. But the best part of this song are the lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya. They are cool, funny & represent all gangsters. I won’t be surprised if they start using this song as their gang theme song.. lol. 8.5/10.

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Track 6 – Tum Jo Aaye (Reprise) – If you liked track 2 then this version will blow you off with its calmness, style, purity & melodic feel. It is just genius. It is all about 4 instruments – gorgeous tabla, resounding ghungroos, brilliant harmonium and Rahat Fateh Ali’s voice. I don’t want to tell you more. Just listen to it & you will discover the beauty of Indian music. 8.5/10.

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Track 7 – I Am In Love – KK & Dominique do a 2nd version of Track 3 which is also like a reprise version. It is as good as Track 3. KK & Karthik each have their own place and you can’t really compare these 2 versions. Karthik has more depth while KK has a sharper stylish voice. Lyrically & composition-ally it is the same song. 7.5/10.

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Track 8 – Pee Loon (Remix) -DJ A-Myth is one of the best DJ’s in India and he really proves it this time with giving a decent remix which does not kill the original. And thank God they very selectively chose this song rather than doing a remix of every song on the OST. So overall a very decent & cute remix. Perfect for a warm up set or calm drinking party. 7/10.

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Track 9 -I Am In Love (Dance) – There you go.. that’s how you ruin a good song with a not required remix. A trance mix of a great song with 2 different versions already on the OST.. I don’t see why did they need a third version and too on a totally inspired trance beat. This is perhaps the only blunder on a perfectly good album. Please end the OST on track 8 to keep you ears safe. 4.5/10.

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FINAL WORD

Very Good – 7.5/10

This OST is definitely not what it feels like. It is more of a romantic album rather than a underworld album with Marathi influences. Every song is better than expected and there is no below average song except the last track.

3 beautiful romantic songs, 1 bar type song which is a production beauty as is a revival of a classic and 1 brilliant underworld song that thrills you in every way. Babu Rao, Pee Loon and Tum Jo Aaye (Reprise) are the definite picks of the album with all credit to Pritam once again for a masterpiece album. His choice of singers, instruments & lyricists is brilliant. Each of them perform with a simple goal to make this OST worth listening to. And it sure is.. So go buy Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai. 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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