Music: R.D. Burman, Ikka Singh & Intense, Arko Pravo Mukherjee, Krsna & Dj Khushi Lyrics: Puneet…  

<b>Music: </b> R.D. Burman, Ikka Singh & Intense, Arko Pravo Mukherjee, Krsna & Dj Khushi<BR> <b>Lyrics: </b> Puneet Sharma, Ikka Singh, Arko Pravo Mukherjee & Krsna<BR> <b>Music Label: </b> Zee Music<BR><BR> <b>Expectations: </b> <BR><BR> Moderate, but the hype over the remix ups the ante. <BR><BR> <b>Music: </b> <BR><BR> Finally the twain meets - Bappi Lahiri (as singer) and R.D. Burman (as composer, 20 years after he passed away!) 'come together' for a re-creation of Pancham's popular <b><i>'Pyar Mein Dil Pe Maar Le Goli'</i></b>, the Kishore-Asha duet from the 1983 Mahaan. Like so many recent re-creations, the song here is actually a new composition, using the original <i>mukhda</i> and its tune and orchestral nuances to maintain the nostalgic appeal. <BR><BR> Krsna (of <i>Tanu Weds Manu</i> fame) spins the composition well, fashioning RD-esque <i>antaras</i> that are freshly penned by Puneet Sharma in sync with the needs of the present film. Asha Bhosle, one of the original singers, comes in, this time with real-life nephew (Bappi) instead of maternal uncle (Kishore Kumar). <BR><BR> Asha is in normal form, and Bappi in his standard current singing voice (<i>Special 26 et al</i>), but it is Krsna, who admirably comes up with an RD-like orchestral feel as well even in his original portions, much like Pritam did in <i>Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai</i>. <BR><BR> The link is clear: just as real 'Tamanchey' (guns) need 'goli' (bullets), this film, in keeping with form nowadays, needs the right retro track to set the marketing ball rolling. <BR><BR> However, as songs go, we preferred two other original songs here, <b><i>'Dildara'</i></b> (Sonu Nigam) composed by Arko Pravo Mukherjee and <b><i>'Khamakaa'</i></b> (Mohit Chauhan) composed by Krsna again. This are the songs that have a fresher connect and need to be pushed. <BR><BR> Arko's <b><i>'Dildara'</i></b>, written and composed by Arko Pravo Mukherjee, is a pleasant little litany of love. Sonu's rendition hovers between the straight and nuanced (in which he truly shines high) and the gimmicky (which is probably the composer's brief). <BR><BR> The lyrics are clever but impressive by their own parameters (<i>'Mujhe hai qubool rabba jo bhi tu sazaa de / Sab kuchh le le rabba yaar se milaa de'</i>). The soft tenor of this romantic number grows in subsequent hearings, a unique quality for any song today. The reprise version by Arko obviously pales in comparison, despite his being its composer. <BR><BR> Mohit Chauhan carts us back, alongside composer and lyricist Krsna, straight into '50s Kishore Kumar terrain with a piquant mix of his distinctive vocals and voice in the interesting <b><i>'Khamakaa'</i></b>. With a lovely stylish feel of that era, its lyrics are saucy and audacious - definitely, this is one of the best-worded songs of this year. <BR><BR> Krsna, as vocalist, tries to match up with the singer he has fixed for his creation, and does not really come anywhere near in his version of the same song. The reprise version, also rendered by Krsna, fares a shade better, though it does not come within touching distance of Mohit's rendition. <BR><BR> Both these compositions therefore highlight the great and much-forgotten (or ignored?) truth today that composers need full-on, genuine <i>playback</i> singers to let their work glitter. Composers may understand their own work better, but good compositions have to be couriered through proper means (read playback singers rather than half-baked crooners) to their listeners. <BR><BR> This is again doubly proved when an Ikka Singh writes, sings and scores (with someone called Intense!) a track that is the only sore point on this soundtrack, <b><i>'In Da Club'</i></b>. Suffering from a Yo Yo hangover, just like another singer in the recent <i>Khoobsurat</i>, Ikka crams the usual Hindi-Punjabi-English cocktail with a cacophonous mix, repeated catchphrases, puerile words complete with references to alcohol, rap, technical gimmicks and everything else into this 'item'. Clearly, Yo Yo comes expensive and so there are economical alternatives when such tracks are perceived to be saleable. <BR><BR> But honestly, this is the only blemish on this album. Even the two different (but similar-sounding in general!) remixes of <i>'Pyar Mein Dil Pe'</i> by Dj Khushi sound good for a passing listen, though we do not see why a re-created fast dance number has to also be remixed - that too twice! <BR><BR> <b>Overall:</b><BR><BR> This is a pleasant album that raises expectations from this film. Four compositions have been blown up into nine, but two of these tracks have a very fresh feel and do not fit into overdone genres. The lyrics also eschew currently fashionable language and go in for straight, quite meaningful verse. <BR><BR> <b>Our Pick:</b><BR><BR> <i>'Dildaara', 'Khamakhaa', 'Pyar Mein Dil Pe'</i>