Hisss Review {1.5/5} & Review Rating
EXPECTATIONS
Expectations are built for a product if it is visible. However, what can one really expect from the soundtrack of Hisss when the songs haven't been promoted at all. One would have been led to believe that this was perhaps because there were only 2-3 tracks in the album. There is a surprise in store though when it turns out that there are as close to half a dozen unique tracks in the album which has different composers and lyricists contributing with a song apiece.
MUSIC
When a film is about an 'icchadhaari nagin', you do expect a 'been' song to be played. This is what one gets at the very beginning of the album with Anu Malik actually doing a rather good job by coming up with 'Lagi Lagi Milan Dhun Lagi' which is in fact reasonably well tuned. Right from the time the sound of 'been' comes to the vocals of Shreya Ghoshal which do convey pain of separation to an overall chorus effect, there is an old world feel to 'Lagi Lagi Milan Dhun Lagi' which goes all the way back to the 80s/90s. The longest song in the album, it also features in another version by Sunishi Chauhan. It is surprising that the song was not promoted at all since it did have the potential to fetch eyeballs for the film.
Next to arrive is an English track that has a rock setting to it. Written and sung by Shruti Haasan who collaborates with composers David Kushner and Franky Perez, 'Beyond The Snake' is yet another theme track in the album which is about the waiting period before the lovers unite. Though one doesn't quite see how the song would indeed fit into the narrative of the film, it does sound decent as a standalone track.
Remember 'Mera Tan Dole Mera Mann Dole' from Naagin [1954]? The same lyrics are heard all over again in 'Sway (Mann Dole) ' which has the much hyped singing debut of Mallika Sherawat. The fact though is that first and foremost there is no hardcore singing involved here. Moreover, the effort falls flat with Mallika's moans and cries turning out to be more depressing yet funny rather than haunting. Even though as many as three individuals come together to compose this track - Julian Lennon, Mark Sipro, Peter Vitesse - the results belong to 'skip even before you are through with one complete hear' variety.
There is a Middle East flavour to 'I Got That Poison' which is again about a 'naagin' and her different traits. An average sounding track, 'I Got That Poison' is sung by Shweta Pandit who also writes this Hinglish song along with Shraddha Pandit. This is yet another track that doesn't have anything exciting about it to make you play it on for the second time around. The song also appears in another version 'Hisss' but the results aren't any different.
One hears the word 'Hisss' at the very beginning of 'Lafanaa' (what does that actually mean?) which brings back Anu Malik into the scene. Frankly, yet again it is the veteran composer who promises a worthwhile outing with the sound of 'been' arriving again. However, the moment Sunidhi Chauhan is heard, one well expects her to be getting into the 'dhoom' outing any moment. Does one mind that? Oh, of course definitely not because in an album like 'Hisss' where one was continuing to hunt for something worthwhile, a core Bollywood outing like 'Lafanaa' (written by Sayeed Quadri) is not a bad bet after all. If a promotional music video would have been made for this song, it wouldn't have been a bad bet after all.
OVERALL
Hisss could have possibly done reasonably well at the stands had a couple of songs, mainly 'Lagi Lagi' and 'Lafanaa', were promoted better. Not that they were chartbusters in the making but were decent enough to get the film and its music some visibility at least. However, lack of any promotional drive coupled with the fact that songs don't quite find a place in the film's narrative means that the album would go totally unnoticed.
OUR PICK(S)
Lagi Lagi, Lafanaa
