I See You Review {2.5/5} & Review Rating
2006 may as well go down as the year that had maximum number of films with an English title. And what more tantalizing could be a film's title that goes as 'I See You'? Debut production of Arjun Rampal which also stars him in the lead, 'I See You' marks the debut of Delhi girl Vipasha who plays the invisible woman in the film. Chunky Pandey, Sonali Kulkarni and Boman Irani form the rest of the starcast for this romantic comedy that is directed by debutant Vivek Agrawal and is slated to be the last release of the year as it arrives on 29th December. With its music release just a fortnight before the film, it would need some aggressive publicity by the music company to bring this Vishal-Shekhar score in notice that has lyrics by Vishal himself!
Composer duo Vishal Shekhar had their last musical release as many as 6 months back when their 'Golmaal' arrived on stands. While its music is still registering decent sales, one looks forward to check out 'I See You' if it would follow suit.
What is pleasantly surprising about the album is the fact that it has not been overloaded with songs! There are only 4 songs in the film with each one fitting in to the situation while there are remixes for 2 of them. 'Subah Subah' is the opening track that begins with a sound of guitar. There is a surprise in the very first listening of the song as it sounds so different from how it appears in the promos. A number that looked quite dull there has a very pepped up feel to it as a part of the audio and that is due to the fact that the arrangements and the background vocals by Vishal and Shekhar are much better placed and brought to fore in the final cut of the song.
Sung by Zubeen Garg of 'Ya Ali' fame, the song is about this carefree guy who is enjoying the subtleties of life and is himself surprised at the way life is treating him on one fine morning! Nevertheless, the song requires repeated listening before you would actually start humming it along since when compared to the work of Vishal Shekhar in the past, it is not that catchy! Next to follow is the true blue DJ remix version of the song that has been given a club feel suited for a dance floor. DJ Whosane is the man who makes it possible and if one is looking forward to a rhythmic tune without worrying too much about the lyrics or the meaning that the song carries, this should make for a worthy inclusion in your dance floor compilation.
Techno mood of the album continues with 'Kehna Hai Jo' which is crooned by Shekhar Rajviani himself. There is an elaborate setting for around a minute before Shekhar comes on the mike and the innovative part of the song is that arrangements are on the fore here with vocals being in the background. Appearing to be composed for the situation where the character played by Arjun has fallen in love with invisible Vipasha, 'Kehna Hai Jo' is about ignoring whatever talks that happen around the two and just enjoy being in love. Second unusual song in succession since more than being a Bollywood track, it appears as a non-film number. Mainly for a select segment of the urban audience, 'Kehna Hai Jo' is just like 'Subah Subah' when it comes to taking its own time before catching up with a listener.
For the first time in the album, one hears a female voice when Sunidhi Chauhan arrives on the scene to croon 'Sach Hui'. A track that has a Vishal Shekhar stamp all over it, it is the best of the enterprise so far. Boasting of a melodious appeal due to the kind of arrangements that are quite easy on ears and belong to the genre of soft music, 'Sach Hui' is a love song that is composed as a western track with Sunidhi Chauhan singing in a style that is reminiscent of pop singers from the rest. Though the number again has a restricted appeal due to its genre, it would be appreciated by those who wish their music to be like cool breeze.
Album ends on a rocking note with 'Halo Halo' that has been set as a dance floor number which truly suits the mood of the song. Just like 'Kehna Hai Jo', even 'vHalo Halo' has arrangements taking precedence over vocals even though both Sunidhi Chauhan and Sukhwinder Singh come up with a smashing duet with Vishal giving background vocals. Though the lyrics are nothing much to write home about with words filling in the gaps for creating the required rhythm, the fast paced tune ensures that there is no moment to steal when the song is playing on the big screen. A potential hit if the film turns into a success, it also appears in a remix version by Whosane who does a good job in making it a good fit for the discotheques, clubs and lounges.
Music of 'I See You' is not conventional by any means and comes across as a little unusual when heard in totality. Targeted at an urban audience, the score won't be termed as a potential chartbuster over the period of time but as a part of the film, it should go well with the situations. Except for 'Halo Halo' which is instantly catchy, rest of the songs take a while before you find humming them along or appreciate them as a part of the audio.
