Music: Ram Sampath Lyrics: Mrigdeep Singh Lamba, Munna Dhiman & Vipul Vig Label: T-Series…  

<b>Music: Ram Sampath</b><BR> <b>Lyrics: Mrigdeep Singh Lamba, Munna Dhiman & Vipul Vig</b><BR> <b>Label: T-Series</b><BR><BR> <b>Expectations</b><BR><BR> The director last made a film called <i>Teen Thay Bhai</i> that did not have any recall-worthy track. This time, since the film is produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar for Excel Entertainment, we expect a decent or better soundtrack despite the offbeat title. The music is by Ram Sampath, the jingle whiz, whose film soundtracks include <i>Khakee, Family, Delhi Belly</i> and Excel's <i>Talaash</i> too, so our hopes are raised more. <BR><BR> <b>Music</b><BR><BR> However, the first thing that arrests one's attention is that <i>Fukrey</i> is an unique soundtrack for Excel Entertainment - unique because it is their first album in 12 years (and 11 films) that has lyrics by someone other than Javed Akhtar, father to Excel's co-producer Farhan Akhtar. <BR><BR> The lyrics are shouldered by Munna Dhiman, Mrighdeep Singh Lamba (the film's director) and Vipul Vig, the film's co- writer and are the highlights of the score, meaningful, light in tenor and bitingly satirical when needed. Clearly, this score is about <i>situational</i> numbers. <BR><BR> The songs celebrate the protagonists being <i>fukrey</i> (show-offs or big talkers) to lucky breaks in fortune and also use a paean to God for getting the characters to a better station in life. There is also the adaptation of a Punjabi folk song, '<i><b>Ambarsariya</b></i>', that is the only romantic track on the thematic album. Ram Sampath's tunes are contemporary, apt for the setting of the film (in Delhi) and variegated. <BR><BR> Rock tenors complement Punjabi percussive beats and a wild abandon in the vocals in the title-track, '<i><b>Fuk Fuk Fukrey</b></i>' (Amjad Bagadwa-Ram Sampath), which has the perfect street-side ambience. Vig's lyrics are saucy, like <i>Ladki ghamandi jeb hai thandi / Maang udhaar ho jaa lachaar / Maal bane to phasega tota / Shirt pe thoda deo to maar</i>! <BR><BR> The celebration song '<i><b>Beda Paar</b></i>' begins with some techno gimmickry but settles down into a rhythmic fusion-like feel. Mika Singh gets into the spirit with an infectious rhythm and Tarannum Malik provides the softer, contrasting relief. The attention-getting line (Lamba) here is very identifiable for the have-nots: having achieved money, the guy says <i>Ab to hum khaayenge beta dono time chicken</i>. <BR><BR> The jingle-like rhythm of another celebratory number '<i><b>Lag Gayi Lottery</b></i>' (Ram Sampath-Tarannum Malik) continues this blend of folk and Western with a <i>filmi</i> touch. The best part of the track is the smooth flow even as the song traverses different rhythmic grooves, so at no point do we get a hybrid, uneven feel. <BR><BR> The best track on the album, resembling the good old <i>qawwalis</i> we have been hearing from the '70s and '80s, is the Kailash Kher-Keerthi Sargathia ace '<i><b>Karle Jugaad Karle</b></i>', with its rich melody. A deadly combination of Sufi melodies and satirical lyrics (opposite genres in music actually!), the song arrests immediate attention thanks to its exquisite melody and Kher's inspired singing. The cross-line (where the <i>antara</i> returns to the <i>mukhada</i>) is the highlight of this supple song that inarguably is one of Ram Sampath's finest compositions. The lyrics by Dhiman are razor-sharp in their satire (<i>Ummeedon pe nahin teeki hai nahin teeki hai yeh duniya teeki hai jugaad pe</i>) and cynicism (<i>Sadak pe gira note uthaa le / Koi to kahaayegi hi tu khaa le / Aankhen na phaad jeb bhar lena / Saare karte hain tu bhi kar lena</i>). <BR><BR> '<i><b>Rabba</b></i>' (Clinton Cerejo-Keerthi Sargathia-Ram Sampath), another rhythmic folk song, has clever lyrics (Dhiman again), beseeching the Almighty making a hole in the box that has all their dreams locked within it! <BR><BR> '<i><b>Ambarsariya</b></i>', the Punjabi folk song adapted here, is extremely melodious, but the orchestration with guitar riffs seems a tad incongruous for the song, even if the intention may be to impart a novel touch. Sona Mohapatra is technically a very good singer, but guess a little more open-throated rendition and livelier expression would have done a world of good to this haunting song. <BR><BR> <b>Overall</b><BR><BR> Though its reception will depend on the box-office fate of the film, it is a soundtrack that is definitely worthy for the discerning listener. The trick will lie in making the songs appealing to the wider consumers including the youth with the right promotion. <BR><BR> <b>Our Picks</b><BR><BR> <i> 'Karle jugaad karle,' 'Rabba', 'Ambarsariya'</i>