Ek Paheli Leela Review  

Music: Dr. Zeus, Uzair Jaswal, Amaal Mallik, Tony Kakkar & Meet Bros Anjjan Lyrics: Manoj…  

<b>Music:</b> Dr. Zeus, Uzair Jaswal, Amaal Mallik, Tony Kakkar & Meet Bros Anjjan<BR> <b>Lyrics:</b> Manoj Muntashir, Kumaar & Tony Kakkar<BR> <b>Music Label:</b> T-Series<BR><BR> <b>Expectations:</b><BR><BR> Decent, as the film is produced by music label T-Series.<BR><BR> <b>Music: </b><BR><BR> Kanika Kapoor takes yet another item number in her stride-'<i>Desi Look</i>'. Composed by Dr. Zeus with minimalistic lyrics by Kumaar, it is-believe it or nuts!-almost a patriotic song ('<i>Meri desi look pe mar gaye gore gore chhokre</i>') in tenor complete with sexist terrorism ('<i>Ek aankh mujhpe / Dooji kurti ke hook pe</i>')! Of course, after '<i>Chhil Gaye Naina</i>' (<i>NH10</i>), this is a sharp comedown in vocal and compositional quality for the singer, but then the transient gimmicky appeal of the song will see it through.<BR><BR> Simple guitar riffs begin the Uzair Jaswal-rendered '<i><b>Tere Bin Nahin Laage Jiya</b></i>''re-created' by Amaal Mallik and written by Kumaar. The lyrics are decent, which does not mean fresh (at all), and the tune appeals in the classic contemporary Sufi mould. The melody is familiar, with some good flourishes helping us overlook the over-stereotyped nature of the song and Uzair's Ankit Tiwari-esque breathless and edgy-voiced rendition.<BR><BR> What Amaal has added is that he has got Uzair to sing deeper rather than the superficial singing he has done in his original version (check YouTube), put in some soul and improved on the orchestration. This is evident even more in the other version sung by Tulsi Kumar, Daboo Malik, Aishwarya Nigam and Alam Khan, which is much more melodious. Amaal has mixed in Punjabi and Rajasthani folk and given it an almost Laxmikant-Pyarelal-esque melodic ambience. The male flourishes help in creating a haunting feel. <BR><BR> Amaal also composes the familiar strains of '<i><b>Saiyyan Superstar</b></i>', which would have been admirable had it been the first of such songs in the last few years. Here is where a smartly-written (Kumaar) song is sung with full zest by-surprise!-Tulsi Kumar, who is normally saddled with low-energy numbers. The tune is an energetic O.P. Nayyar-meet-Anu Malik number that is however given the kind of tepid desi treatment typical of Vishal-Shekhar and Salim-Sulaiman. Here is where some truly energetic orchestration and punch would have added lots to the number. <BR><BR> Tony Kakkar creates the over-familiar 'Bhatt'ian '<i><b>Khuda Bhi</b></i>' sung by Mohit Chauhan. We feel that it's high time this term 'Bhatt'-ian was incorporated in Hindi film music lexicon, going by the number of songs that follow this style created for the Bhatts by Pritam and lyricist Sayeed Quadri since <i>Gangster</i>!<BR><BR> Here, Manoj Muntashir reworks the concept of the classic 1970 song '<i><b>Khuda Bhi Aasmaan Se Jab Zameen Par Dekhta Hoga</b></i>' (<i>Dharti</i>) written by Rajendra Krishan. Manoj's words '<i>Itni anmol cheez de di kaise /Sochta hoga</i>' replace the simpler, more meaningful '<i>Mere mehboob ko kisne banaya / Sochta hoga</i>'. The lyrics have nothing novel, but the placid tones (except when Mohit is made to raise his pitch) and the mood orchestration work for a while. <BR><BR> Tony's other song, '<i><b>Ek Do Teen Chaar</b></i>' (sung by Neha and Tony Kakkar) is a gimmicky affair written by Tony himself. Neha tries to be saucy and coquettish, but the composition lacks the strength to let this mood bloom. The intended erotic element ('<i>Teri kamar pe mera haath / Haath yeh mera kare shaitaani / Wapas ghar pe chal na yaar</i>') falls flat on its face with its clumsy tastelessness. This is the kind of song normally composed by the likes of Yo Yo Honey Singh or Meet Bros. Anjjan. <BR><BR> And surprisingly it is Meet Bros. Anjjan who bring in a novel touch here with '<i><b>Glamorous Ankhiyaan</b></i>' (Meet Bros Anjjan, Krishna Beura), with its element of folk-meets-classical-meets a dollop of Western with clever lyrics (Kumaar). Krishna shows the felicity he showed in classics like '<i>Main jahaan rahoon</i>' in <i>Namastey London</i>. You have to listen carefully to Krishna, however, for his vocals resemble that of Himesh Reshammiya in the lower octaves in its nuances! <BR><BR> However, Meet Bros. Anjjan are next saddled with a re-creation of Sajid-Wajid's '<i>Deewana tera</i>' from the top-selling T-Series non-film album '<i>Deewana</i>' (2000). Sung by Arijit Singh (with the composers), it is notable for Arijit trying to salvage the song, a tough task in the absence of the original music composers! The modified lyrics by Kumaar are mundane. <BR><BR> Meet Bros. Anjjan next 're-treat' Ismail Darbar's classic folk adaptation, '<i>Dholi thaaro dhol</i>' (<i>Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam</i>) in the remaining track, '<i><b>Dhol Baaje</b></i>' (Monali Thakur, Meet Bros Anjjan, Ved, Ambresh, Ashish). Monali Thakur delivers the classical expertise needed to let the song pick up. But the overall composition fails to impress despite the R.D. Burman-like percussive beats. <BR><BR> <b>Overall: </b><BR><BR> Some tracks will help the film, some will be helped by the film, but the rest are largely fillers. With four of the nine tracks being re-creations, the score gets a fillip in theory. <BR><BR> <b>Our Pick: </b><BR><BR> '<i>Desi Look', 'Tere Bin', 'Glamorous Ankhiyaan</i>'