Mr. White Mr. Black Review {2.0/5} & Review Rating
What strikes most after picking up the album of Mr. White Mr. Black is the credits on the music cover that read Jatin-Lalit and Sameer. With Fanaa being known as their last bona fide album together, one wonders if Mr. White Mr. Black would be yet another offering from the composer duo, which has now split.
However, there are two factors which make one loose enthusiasm about this soundtrack - a) The music was composed quite a few years back and though the movie was shot quite quickly, it has taken some time to reach the theaters. b) There are just two tracks, which are actually composed by Jatin Lalit while Tausif Akhtar is the man in charge for majority of numbers. With not many hopes from the music of this Deepak Shivdasani film; one reluctantly plays on Mr. White Mr. Black only to come across an array of average sounding songs.
Even though Jatin Lalit and Tauseef Akhtar get maximum credit for their tunes in Mr. White Mr. Black, it is Shamir Tandon who kicks starts the proceedings with 'Tu Makke Di Roti'. Since the song has a Punjabi flavor to it (though it does well by refraining from tried and tested 'bhangra' beats), it has Daler Mehendi and Mika coming together behind the mike.
A fun number about two brothers, it has Asha Bhosle adding spice in her attempt to bring a truce between the brothers. Set in the 70's mode, it should be good to watch on screen and should be liked by audience, especially in the interiors. An 'alternate dance mix' version of the same song comes in the album's end and this time around, in addition to Hindi and Punjabi lyrics, there is also some English thrown in for good measure.
Tauseef Akhtar comes at the helm of affairs with 'Teetar' which only aids in helping the album move ahead by a decade and get into the 80s mode. A track for the gallery, as suggested by the lyrics as well as the treatment they get, 'Teetar' has Sukhwinder Singh and Vasundhara Das coming together who themselves can't do much to help this number rise above the average mark. The track just doesn't fit into the current times and is an easy skip. This is why one wonders what prompted the music company to in fact repeat this song in a 'remix version'?
Jatin-Lalit makes a belated appearance in the album with 'Samandar', which, as the lyrics go, is set on a beach. Rendered by Neeraj Sridhar, who has now delivered many a hits with Pritam, the song that is arranged and programmed by Tauseef Akhtar at least tries to flow with the current times. Suzzanne D'mello also does well in coming up with the English rendition, which is much more than just background voiceover. If promoted well and picturized at a better scale with some eye pleasing choreography, this song could well have helped the sales of Mr. White Mr. Black.
This is the very reason why one doesn't actually mind when the song arrives again not once but twice. First to come has newcomer Swata Mohanty taking it all on herself to croon the track. Well, though her voice isn't quite an enticing factor, it is the catchy tune which makes the version bearable. However, the much spiced up 'remix version', which comes later, does manage to revive the interest.
An old fashioned track about a man drinking in public and hardly being apologetic about his act, 'Namasteji' takes the album back to the 70's and doesn't really help it's case. Clichéd to the core as Kunal Ganjawala sings for a man who is drunk and questioning people around him, the only silver lining about 'Namasteji' is that it is set in a fun mode rather than being sad or depressing.
The song, which follows, 'Ek Dil Ki' by Jatin Lalit, is a feel good number about friends-in-arms who are plain happy to be together and are making merry while enjoying each other's company. Crooned by Udit Narayan and Shaan, what (pleasantly) surprises most is the voice of Alka Yagnik, which is heard after ages. She comes with the sound of trademark 'khanak', which she is famous for and one really gets to realize what has been missing for quite a while now. A melodious number, which is quite easy on ears and has in it to be given a repeat hearing.
The way 'Behna Ki Shaadi' begins with the sound of saxophone, one wonders if the tune was first set in a sensual mode before lyrics around 'behna' came in! However, soon Sonu Nigam starts singing 'Yaaron Meri Behna Ki Shaadi Hai', which solves all the doubts. With old warhorse Shailendra coming along with Sonu Nigam, this is yet another 70's style track which doesn't do much harm to the album but merely sticks on the film's genre and setting.
The biggest problem faced by the music of Mr. White Mr. Black is that it just doesn't fit into the current times. To the album's credit 'Tu Makke Di Roti' does add on to the fun quotient while 'Samandar' is pretty much foot tapping which aids in the album not going completely downhill. Overall, a passable soundtrack which has it's presence only limited to the movie's screening.
