Ek – The Power of One Review {2.0/5} & Review Rating
EXPECTATIONS
When a film comes with entire focus on action and drama, there isn't much that one can expect from the music. Yes, director Sangeeth Sivan has stated that Ek - The Power of One could well be termed as DDLJ meets Die Hard but frankly, if promos are any indication, then the music belonging to the class of DDLJ is pretty much like a distant dream.
MUSIC
Even though the soundtrack has Pritam on the credits, one plays on the album apprehensively. The opening track is barely decent too as done-to-death Punjabi 'bhangra' outing with some rap thrown in is turning to be passé. Still, it's the vibrant feel of 'Sambhale' and a passable rhythm that doesn't really make you move away from the song completely.
DJ Phukan recreates and composes 'Sona Lagda', a number based on a traditional Punjabi folk song. The song sticks to the basics and doesn't quite make you go 'wow'. A harmless song that could have made the cut a few years in a film belonging to Yash Raj Films School of music, 'Sona Lagda' is about a young girl dreaming of her new found love. However, the 'Kilogram Mix' version that appears later is completely unwarranted as it practically kills an otherwise melodious tune.
The best song of the album comes a little later in the day in the form of 'Tum Sath Ho'. Not that it will become chartbuster of the month but in the given scheme of things, this contemporary love song is the first in the album to bear a Pritam stamp to it. If you have liked his urban melodies so far, you will like 'Tum Sath Ho' as well.
It's time for some 'rock on' with some full on orchestra in place as the title song 'Bang Bang' comes. The number is required to carry a punch to it and has good power in it to bring on some 'dum' into the proceedings if used at the right points in the film's narrative. A background piece which isn't the kind that you would play on at your home in a repeat mode, it is good for action sequences in the film.
LYRICS
Shabbir Ahmed writes lyrics for Ek - The Power of One and begins the album with 'Sambhale', a conventional 'ched-chaad' number between the two young protagonists of the film. Later he moves on to spin a tale of love for 'Tum Sath Ho' but chances are high that audience won't really be concentrating much on the typical 'pyaar-mohabbat-se-bharpoor' conventional lyrics. Later Mayur Puri writes 'Bang Bang', a song that deals with hailing the lead protagonist (Bobby Deol) and his escapades around taking people single handedly!
VOCALS
Sukhwinder Singh sings 'Sambhale' but the tune by itself isn't any great shakes that could have made him do anything more than average. He is as usual in his rendition of the song while Sunidhi Chauhan too barely goes through the motions. URL doing the rap is more of an interruption than a value add, and how one wishes if the song came sans his vocals.
Shashwati, who has surprisingly been missing from the Bollywood playback singing for long, makes a comeback of sorts with 'Sona Lagda' and does well in a setup that was tailor-made for Shreya Ghoshal. The number required certain innocence in the voice and attitude and Shashwati gets it right bang on. Shreya does make her presence felt later in the album as she pairs up with Abhijeet for 'Tum Sath Ho'. Together they perk up the proceedings and get some more energy on.
Rana Mazumder gives a good account of himself as he transitions well from being pensive in 'Door Na Jaa' [Jannat] to getting seriously vociferous in 'Bang Bang'. Even though his 'Door Na Jaa' was mercilessly dropped from the narrative of Jannat, the young singer can hope for a better outing in 'Ek' considering this is film's title track.
OVERALL
Ek - The Power of One comes with a decent soundtrack that may not have any chartbuster-in-the-making but at least helps in filling up the gaps during the narrative. In this aspect it does its job well and chances are that this is what the makers of the film too would have hoped for.
OUR PICK(S)
'Tum Sath Ho'
