My Friend Pinto Review {2.0/5} & Review Rating
EXPECTATIONS
With a title like My Friend Pinto, you expect a zany soundtrack in My Friend Pinto. However there is a fair degree of apprehension that sets in as well, courtesy the fact that music hasn't been promoted as a major selling factor of the film. Now this is all the more surprising since the project is backed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali but has still not been talked about for its music. Nevertheless one plays on this album that has Ajay-Atul as the composer duo with a song apiece by guest composers Shamir Tandon-Kavita Seth and Hitesh Sonik. Amitabh Bhattacharya is the lyricist.
MUSIC
First to come is 'Take It Easy' which is again a philosophical take on life in general, something that was witnessed exactly a year ago in Bhansali's own 'Sau Gram Zindagi' [Guzaarish]. The main difference here is that unlike the depressing mood that was set in the Hrithik Roshan starrer, 'Take It Easy' tries to be far livelier. Not that the results are any great as this Kunal Ganjawalla and Gayatri Ganjawalla sung number just about passes muster and hardly qualifies as the one that could have made it to the top of the album.
K.K. sings 'Yaadon Ki Album' which is all about getting nostalgic of the growing up years. Set as a soft rock number, it just doesn't have the kind of energy that could have made it stand out of the crowd. Even the normally dependable K.K. is unable to help the song rise above mediocrity while his soft rendition only makes one feel that My Friend Pinto doesn't quite have much ammunition in store when it comes to music.
Thankfully the song that follows, 'Intezaar' next makes the proceedings at least a wee bit lively, what with Ranjana Raja, Siddharth Menon, Pranil More and Vian Fernandes coming together for a contemporary love song that reminds one of the kind of music that was heard in Rock On. A guest song composed by Shamir Tandon & Kavita Seth and written by Charan Jeet with additional English lyrics by Deepa Seshadri, this one goes with the kind of flavour one had expected in My Friend Pinto. Again, the song is no great shakes or a chartbuster material but still compared to what one has heard so far, this one at least hangs on.
It is back to metaphorical references with Kunal Ganjawalla singing 'Do Kabootar'. A song that is set in the same mode as 'Take It Easy' when it comes to overall theme and genre, 'Do Kabootar' is yet another situational track and doesn't promise any shelf life outside the film's narrative.
Next to arrive is 'Tu' which is put to tune by guest composers Hitesh-Sonik. This is clearly the best song of the enterprise and has the kind of (slow) pace and setting to it that all you want is to switch off lights and play it in a repeat mode. You won't find yourself humming this one day in and night out but it works due to an intrinsic serene appeal. Other than the music here, it is also Sunidhi Chauhan's almost-quiet rendition that makes all the difference. I have always maintained that when she wants, Sunidhi can be much more than just being the girl for an item number and she proves it here yet again.
Last to arrive is 'Dhinchak Zindagi' which is a dance number that has been set as a fun outing. A Hinglish track that again sees Kunal Ganjawalla coming behind the mike, 'Dhinchak Zindagi' has an old fashioned appeal to it and reminds one of the kind of music that was heard in the 60s. A Tango number, it tries too hard to make an impression but eventually turns out to be barely average and hardly entices one to play it all over again.
OVERALL
My Friend Pinto doesn't meet expectations and eventually turns out to be a barely passable album. Though a song or two do manage to stay on with you as long as they last, overall the album doesn't throw a single song that would help it find good eyeballs amongst the audience.
OUR PICK(S)
Tu, Intezaar
