Mukhbiir Review {1.5/5} & Review Rating
Frankly, how much expectation can one really have from the music of a film which deals with the journey of an informer? Even though the film Mukhbiir has youngsters like Sameer Dattani and Raima Sen, at the very outset one knows that this one won't really boast of a conventional soundtrack.
So would this Mani Shankar mainly boast of theme pieces? Would there be certain situational tracks? Will a mandatory item number make its presence felt? Would guest compositions by Pritam and Sandeep Chowta make any difference to the prospects of this album that has Sashi Pritam and Kartik Raja sharing 3 songs amongst themselves? Let's play on the album to get the answers.
It's a pity that a song like 'Tu Salaamat' had to make its way into Mukhbiir which may not actually see it's promotion to an extent that it deserves. Yet another rock number in a mode similar to that of Life In A… Metro, this one brings the superhit combination of Pritam and KK once again. A lovely composition which has the kind of sound that can so easily be associated with Pritam today, 'Tu Salaamat' is a love song which definitely deserved to find a much better platform for itself. Surprisingly, lyricist's name isn't mentioned against every song with blanket crediting to Iqbal Patni and P.K. Mishta on the album's cover.
A number which pretty much describes the state of point of the lead protagonist in Mukhbiir, Sonu Kakkar sung 'Jeena' follows next. Composed by Sandeep Chowta, 'Jeena' is an inspirational song about living life in spite of all the adversities around. A number about looking forward in life, 'Jeena', which is set as a pop track, turns out to be ordinary composition which doesn't really boast of an extended shelf life.
Hariharan sung 'Dhoonde Dil', which has composer Sashi Pritam at the helm is another soft rock track, turns out to be a decent hear after 'Tu Salamat'. The song may not really be very high on energy but the silken singing of Hariharan coupled by a melodious tune makes it a nice hear for the ears. No, this one is not a chartbuster in the making but as a part of the album it doesn't quite make you skip over to the next number in line.
Surprisingly, the two tracks to follow (which are composed by Kartik Raja) do not have the singers' name credited on the inlay card. First to arrive is a female voice for 'Tere Bina' which has a classical tone to it. A love song which reminds one of the countless songs belonging to this genre which were heard in the dubbed Tamil/Telugu films in the 90s, it is terribly outdated and results in setting the listener in a restless mode. One wonders if Mani Shankar would indeed incorporate the song for even a minute in the narrative of Mukhbiir which is touted to be a fast paced action thriller.
The last track of Mukhbiir, 'Piya Mera Banjara', isn't anything better and can be put under the same bracket as 'Tere Bina'. Yet another track which is nothing better than being a letdown and doesn't succeed at all while trying to be a peppy rhythmic North-South fusion number, 'Tere Bina' doesn't sustain itself for a listener at all.
Makers and the music company would have indeed been aware about lack of power in the music of Mukhbiir. This is the reason why apart from guest compositions by Pritam and Sandeep Chowta, they also incorporate three songs from Life In A… Metro ('In Dino', 'O Meri Jaan', 'Alvida') as well as Strings' 'Dhaani', Kailash Kher's 'Albela Saajan' and KK's 'Yeh Tanhai'. However, these inclusions too aren't good enough reasons to go for Mukhbiir which eventually has only 'Tu Salaamat' to boast of.
