Joker Review {3.0/5} & Review Rating
EXPECTATIONS
One carries good expectations from the music of Joker. After all, Akshay Kumar films have time and again boasted of popular music. Whether it is Rowdy Rathore, Housefull 2, Desi Boyz, Patiala House, Tees Maar Khan or Jaan-E-Mann (which was Shirish Kunder's debut directorial affair), each of them has boasted of chartbuster tracks. Now with the actor-director 'jodi' reuniting for Joker, one looks forward to the compositions put together by G.V. Prakash Kumar who has been entrusted the responsibility of delivering goods. Shirish brings himself on board for the lyrics.
MUSIC
It is guest composer Gaurav Dagaonkar who kick-starts Joker with a smash track 'Kafirana (Just You) ' which is all over the entertainment channels. The sound of drums at the beginning of the album reminds one of 'Dhoom Again' [from Pritam's Dhoom 2]. However, that effect remains only for 20 odd seconds as this 'lavni' inspired song comes to its own once Sunidhi Chauhan takes over the proceedings. While she is obviously spirited and energetic enough to ensure that the song makes an instant mark, what adds on to all the fun are the beats, pace and an overall lively atmosphere created by the composer.
A chartbuster all the way, it has all in it to find itself playing in a repeat mode in all sort of celebratory events. With Adarsh Shinde and Gaurav Dagaonkar providing good support to Sunidhi, 'Kafirana' has been rightly promoted as the flagship song of the album as it is a clear chartbuster all the way.
It is a pleasant surprise to hear Udit Narayan who returns with 'Jugnu'. A situational track which has good contribution coming from the chorus, it has the kind of feel that one experiences in films that are made for children, what with sounds of various kinds making an appearance in the background. The lyrics suggest 'Jugnu' to be placed in a different world altogether and one can expect Shirish to have created a different visual experience with here. Though as a standalone song, it doesn't quite make you sing along, when seen with visuals it may just create a different impact.
What doesn't really require visuals to fetch your attraction is 'Sing Raja' which has clear A.R. Rahman inspiration not just in the way it begins but also the thump that follows. With Daler Mehndi bringing on his full throated rendition, you know that this one is a dance number that should keep the mood upbeat when it arrives in the film. Meanwhile Daler Mehndi gets good company of Sonu Kakkar who turns out to be his able partner in 'Sing Raja' which stays in the Rahman zone right through its near four minute duration. Added attraction are the few lines where Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Gujarati and Marathi make their presence felt as well, albeit quite briefly.
This is followed by another upbeat, though situational number 'Yeh Joker'. A foot tapping number that is again quite catchy, though restricted to the play of the film, 'Yeh Joker' has an unlikely candidate in the form of Sonu Nigam who one normally relates to far more melodic outing. However he seems to have let his hair down for 'Yeh Joker' as well which should come at a crucial juncture in the film when it is finally established that aliens have indeed arrived in the Paglapur village. Shweta Pandit, though playing a supporting role to Sonu, does well too and completes the package.
A couple of instruments follow next with 'Tears of Joker' being the first to come. A little over three minutes in duration, it has a serene feel to it though with a definite touch of pathos, as is the requirement of the setting. One can well imagine the villagers to be sharing their grief either over the loss of aliens or some other mishap. On the other hand, 'Alien Arrival' has a 70s feel to it, what with a statement being made loud and clear about the 'entry' of aliens. A good high voltage outing with the sound of Joker playing quite clearly in the background, this is for one of those 'bring on the trumpets and lay the red carpet' situation.
OVERALL
Joker is a good album that is a good mix of foot tapping as well as situational tracks. Going by the film's genre, there is no unnecessary romantic number added to the album. While 'Yeh Joker' and 'Jugnu' should make their presence felt as situational tracks, the ones that will ensure good sales, downloads and ring-tones are 'Kafirana (Just You) ' and 'Sing Raja'.
OUR PICK(S)
Kafirana (Just You), Sing Raja, Yeh Joker
