ZB

Music Reviews

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Ek Paheli Leela - Music Review

Ek Paheli Leela is a musical/erotic thriller starring Sunny Leone and assortment of male actors like Jay Bhanushali, Rahul Dev and Mohit Ahlawat.

Music like most of the T-Series movies is by various composers.

The promo for obvious reasons managed to go viral and music seems to have got popular as well.

1. Desi Look - Music : Dr.Zeus - The Baby Doll team continue their association in this movie as well after Lovely in Happy New Year. It almost sounds like a sequel to that song, but will work for its foot tapping beats and the video. Kanika Kapoor is quite good with her vocals here. Irrespective of the heard before feeling, it's already a hit.

Rating - 3/5

2. Tere bin - Music : Uzair Jaiswal recreated by Amaal Mallik - Uzair gets to sing this recreated version and is one of the better songs on this album. The track scores with it's high on melody quotient. The lyrics are your standard bollywood love song, but the vocals and nice tune keep you engaged. There is female version by Tulsi Kumar, and I need not say more.

Rating - 3.5/5

3. Khuda bhi - Music : Tony Kakkar - Even Mohit Chauhan cannot do much to save this number, though he has sung it fine.The tune is similar to countless songs from the Bhatt camp, the music arrangements try to cover up but it does not manage to hold your attention for much.

Rating - 2.5/5

4. Glamorous Ankhiyan - Music : Meet Bros Anjjan - I do not know what to say when they try to mix classical feel to a song with a terrible mix of hinglish lyrics, techno beats and classical based singing. The beats/tune may not be bad, but the lyrics completely put you off. Skip.

Rating - 2/5

5. Main hoon deewana tera - Music : Recreated by Meet Bros Anjjan - This one is a  plain remix of Sonu Nigam's 1999 hit Deewana tera in the voice of Arijit Singh, whose vocals are simply wasted here.

Rated - 3/5

6. Dhol baaje - Music : Recreated by Meet Bros Anjjan - The recreation specialist Meet Bros try to recreate their own version of Dholi  taaro from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam which you would be happy to skip whenever it plays. Fans of Sunny Leone may like to see her on the screen dancing to this number which otherwise will make you scratch your ears in disbelief.

Rating - 2/5

7. Saiyaan Superstar - Music : Amaal Mallik - The scratching of ears will continue with this song, where even the video cannot do music which is bad by itself. Skip.

Rating - 2/5

8. Ek Do Teen Chaar - Music : Tony Kakkar - For this song, you will simply want to shut your ears or throw the music system at the person who is playing this. The lyrics are like begging for money to shop in nursery rhyme style to disastrous effect.

Rating - 1/5

Barring Desi look and Tere bin nahi laage, there is not one song which one would want to hear.

A forgettable soundtrack.

Overall Rating - 2/5

My pick - Desi look, Tere bin (male)

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Hunterrr - Music Review

Hunterrr is a movie about an unassuming sex addict and his journey. An amusing topic and it does look interesting from its promo.

Produced by Phantom films, it stars Gulshan Devaiah in the lead along with Radhika Apte and few others.

Music is by debutante Khamosh Shah.

1. Hunterrr 303 - Bappi Da's very own disco dance music from the late 80's is revisited by Khamosh Shah, with Bappi Da singing this one himself. A funny number staying true to the topic of the movie makes for a fun listen.

Rating - 3.5/5

2. Chori Chori - Best song of the soundtrack, a breezy retro love song with shades of the 70's. The music arrangement will remind you of the bygone era. The singing by Arijit Singh and Sona Mohapatra is lovely. A nice melody which will make you hum.

Rating - 4/5

3. Thaali hai khali - A fun light hearted number with double meaning lyrics sung brilliantly by Nakash Aziz, star of the song. There is a faint Goan flavour in the way the song is arranged.

Rating - 3/5

4. Naina - The composer sings this one himself which is largely saved due to its engaging arrangement, there is a heard before feeling about the tune.

Rating - 3/5

5. Bachpan - High on nostalgia, a song about the character's childhood. Composer keeps it light and compliments the lyrics. Amit Trivedi gets to sing this one, and is just about ok here.

Rating - 3/5

6. Ye naa gade - A typically marathi folk number, with foot tapping numbers and high on percussion. It's appeal will be limited for people who do not understand marathi, but just for the sake of dancing and jumping around, it will serve fine.

Rating - 3/5

7. Dil lagaana - There is some more nostalgia on offer here, this time it's Altaf Raja and his brand of music. Assuming it's more as a spoof and would be used for humour in the movie it serves its purpose and does it well.

Rating - 3/5

A decent debut by Khamosh Shah with one brilliant number in the form of Chori Chori. It works well for the movie, and some of the tracks might become popular if the movie works at the box office.

Overall Rating - 3/5

My pick - Chori Chori, Hunterrr 303

Listen to the soundtrack here : Hunterrr Jukebox

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NH10 - Music Review

NH10 is supposedly inspired by Eden Park (2008). The movie is about a couple's road trip which goes awry when they run into a gang of violent criminals.

Movie stars Anushka Sharma and a host of other supporting actors. It is directed by Navdeep Singh.

It also marks the debut of Anushka as a producer and is also jointly produced by Phantom Films.

Music is by assortment of music composers.

1. Le chal mujhe - Music : Bann Chakraborty - 5 versions! of one song. After Raabta this the first song which has so many versions. But it's a very well composed number. The waltz based rhythm is impressively mixed with rock music flavour. Le Chal mujhe comes in three versions, one by Mohit Chauhan, female version by Shilpa Rao and reprise version by Arijit Singh and all of them handle the vocals really well. The music arrangement and the way the song progresses is what I enjoyed the most. The other versions titled Khoney De takes a slight different approach. The underlying tune is the same, but the arrangements are different. The jazz feel is more prominent and the singing is more intense. Mohit Chauhan and Neeti do well with the vocals. The chorus make it a little eerie, but the song is fine otherwise. The last version is the instrumental, which is not as enjoyable as the previous versions.

That's some long review for one song, but I could not possibly make it shorter with having to squeeze 5 versions into one.

Rating - 4/5

2. Chil gaye naina - Music : Sanjeev-Darshan - An out and out rock number which has a heard before feel to it, but the arrangements help you go though it without boring you. The song is being heavily promoted, and it has an easy recall value. Kanika Kapoor for a change does not sing an item number and does a good job of it.

Rating - 3/5

3. Main jo - Music : Ayush Shrestha/Savera Mehta - The only happy number of the soundtrack and a very likeable one indeed. A breezy melody with some nice saxophone and lovely singing by Nayantara Bhatkal/Savera. An easy on ear melody, you just have to hear it once to like it.

Rating - 4/5

4. Kya karein - Music : Ayush Shrestha/Savera Mehta - A very pensive number, rendered well by Rachel Varghese. The arrangement is minimal, with just the vocals and the piano in the background.

Rating - 3/5

5. Maati ka palang - Music : Samira Koppikar - A decent tune with pretty neat arrangements, the table/sitar combo in a rock based tune makes for a good touch. Samira the composer impresses more than the singer here.

Rating - 3/5

The soundtrack stays true to the theme of the movie and is equally hard hitting. The movie does have a few good track up its sleeves. It's appeal may be limited for the masses, but it will work well for it's target audience.

Overall Rating - 3.5/5

My pick : Le chal mujhe, Main jo.

Listen to the soundtrack here : NH10 Jukebox

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Dum Laga Ke Haisha - Music Review

Dum Laga Ke Haisha is a comedy and a love story between two most unlikely people. It is one of the few movies in recent times to have been shot entirely in Hardiwar and Rishikesh. The influence of the place is evident in the way the characters speak/dress up in the movie.

Ayushmann Khurana and Bhumi Pednekar are the lead actors supported by an interesting star cast.

Movie is directed by Sharat Katariya, produced by Yash Raj Films and the talented Maneesh Sharma.

I was extremely surprised to read Anu Malik as the music composer and was very curious to see what he has come up with.

1. Moh moh ke dhaage - A lovely start to the album, a simple melody with very minimal yet melodious arrangements. The shehnai, flute and guitar is used to good effect. Papon is equally spot on with his rendition, there is a female version too by Monali Thakur which is impressive as well. One of the better tracks by Anu Malik in many years.

Rating - 4/5

2. Dum laga ke haisha - A lively number, which is apt for the theme of the movie. It would work well as a background piece. Again a good tune, arranged well keeping the movie in mind. Kailash Kher and the Nooran sisters sing it with the right amount of energy.

Rating - 3/5

3. Tu - The 90's make a comeback, quite literally. Kumar Sanu, Anu Malik, cheesy tune, synth and octopad dominated arrangement. Listen to it for the nostalgia and you will not be disappointed.

Rating - 3.5/5

4. Sunder susheel - The perils of an arranged/traditional marriage are well brought out in this humorous number. Malini Awasthi and Rahul Ram sing it really well, and special mention to the quirky lyrics.

Rating - 3/5

5. Dard karara  - An epic number, with it's amazing recreation of the mid 90's. The torch bearers of that era, Kumar Sanu and Sadhana Sargam sound exactly the way they did 20 years back. The video is equally funny in it's homage to that era.

Rating - 3.5/5

6. Prem's theme - A breezy melody, with some lovely guitar and humming by Papon. One of the better instrumental piece I have heard this year.

Rating - 3.5/5

An album which exceeded by expectations by some distance. The 90's throwback was quite an entertaining experience. One had almost forgotten Anu Malik over the years, a come back of sorts and definitely a good one.

Overall Rating - 3.5/5

My pick : Moh moh ke dhaage, Dard karara, Tu.

Listen to the soundtrack here : Dum Laga Ke Haisha Jukebox

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Badlapur - Music Review

Sriram Raghavan has always impressed me with his skills, he did go wrong a little with Agent Vinod but otherwise he has been good at what he does. Badlpur's first promo made one thing sure, whether or not he has got it right or not as a director his star cast seems to be in superb form.

Movie stars Varun Dhawan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Divya Dutta, Huma Qureshi, Vinay Pathak & Yami Gautam.

Music is by Sachin-Jigar.

1. Jee Karda - An intense number, sung superbly by Divya Kumar. Sachin-Jigar are equally good here keeping the intensity high with a punchy hook and beats. It's got a heavy metal feel to it, but never gets too loud. The rock version is equally good fun where the duo put guitar and harmonium jugalbandi to good use.

Rating - 4/5

2. Jeena jeena - Sachin-Jigar have always worked well with Atif Aslam and given some really good numbers over the years. A true blue romantic number, with some nice guitar and good singing. The duo keep it simple, letting the voice and guitar dominate with some nice touches in between the interludes.

Rating - 3.5/5

3. Judaai - Soundtrack comes to an end with this haunting number which delivers in spades. Arijit Singh and Rekha Bhardwaj who also are becoming regular with the duo are in great form and make all the difference here. Lyrics deserve a special mention. The use of sarangi along with the synth throughout is done neatly.

Rating - 4/5

Sachin-Jigar's good run continues and I hope they keep their consistency going.

A short soundtrack, but a pretty good one.

Overall Rating - 4/5

My pick : The whole soundtrack :)

You can listen to the soundtrack here : Badlapur Jukebox

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Shamitabh - Music Review

R.Balki, Big B and Ilaiyaraaja come back together for the third time, Dhanush and Akshara Hassan join the camp this time around.

Like all their previous works, Shamitabh also has generated good interest due to its unusual story.

This was not an easy album to review, for more than one reason.

1. As much as the orchestration and the synth dominated arrangement was highly impressive in all the tracks, barring couple of tracks I was just unable to connect to the lyrics.

2. Ilaiyaraaja is a living legend in India with a massive fan following. My exposure to his music has been limited to what he has composed in Bollywood only. Any kind of review good or bad on his work manages to garner lot of reactions.

3. I started to like the songs more over time, hence I thought it was best to listen to it over couple of weeks before writing the review.

So, this is what I felt about the soundtrack.

1. Ishq-e-phillum - Album gets off to a good start with this superbly arranged track. The orchestration and synth based tunes are the highlight in all the songs and works well throughout. Suraj Jagan is in good form with his vocals. Ilaiayaraaja's touches in terms of orchestration is something you will enjoy the most here, particularly the interludes.

Rating - 4/5

2. Sha sha mi mi - This one is Ilaiyaraaja's show all along, the flow of music in the background keeps you engrossed, and saves the otherwise not too impressive lyrics. An apt song for the rolling credits/opening of the film. Caralisa Monteiro sounds quite different than her previous tracks, but is good nevertheless. The composer's great skills are evident in the way he delivers a larger than life feel to the title track.

Rating - 4/5

3. Piddly - My favourite from the soundtrack, I got hooked to it instantly. The music is lovely, with an extremely hummable tune. Big B's voice is cherry on the cake, and the Raja-Big B combo works like a charm here. Ilaiyaraaja smartly keeps the music minimal when Big B is singing, keeping all that in between the interludes. A feel good tune which keeps repeating in my head and is bound to make one smile.

Rating - 4.5/5

4. Sterophonic Sannata - The composer remixes one of his melodies from his earlier work in Johnny (1980). Quite an engaging tune with impressive arrangements all along. The techno beats with some of the trademark touches of the composer is very enjoyable. Shruti Hassan sings with loads of attitude. The lyrics are something I just could not connect to, due to the engaging tune I ignored it but after a point it does get annoying.

Rating - 3.5/5

5. Thappad - It took me many hearings to get some kind of liking going for this crazy number, and I feel it will have a limited appeal. What again stands out is the interesting arrangement and the music in the background and not much the lyrics and the song in totality. Suraj Jagan and rapper Earl D'Souza revel with their voice in this crazy song.

Rating - 3/5

6. Lifebuoy - The Lifebuoy soap ad jingle gets a completely new makeover. If Lifebuoy was ever a video game made specially for Indians or if it was an animation movie, then it's theme would sound exactly like this song. A short number at 1.54, it keeps you amused. I do not know ho popular it would get in future, but it does have something new to offer.

Rating - 3/5

A very well composed soundtrack no doubt. It requires time and patience and is bound to grow on you with every listen. It's appeal will be more with the composer's fans and music buffs.

Piddly and the title track are sure shot hits, and the rest will depend on how the movie fares at the box office.

Overall Rating - 3.5/5

My pick : Shamitabh, Piddly, Ishq-e-phillum

You can listen to the soundtrack here : Shamitabh Jukebox

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Roy - Music Review

T-Series has been quietly churning out successful movies one after another over the years. Roy is their next venture, directed by Vikramjit Singh.

The project has been through quite a ride before it finally it settled into this movie. It stars Ranbir Kapoor in an extended cameo, Arjun Rampal and Jacqueline Fernandez.

Ranbir was earlier to do a full fledged role, which then became a special appearance and then got extended to a proper role. The promos so far have been interesting, and looks to be a decent thriller.

Music is always important for a T-Series film. They know the pulse of the market and what works well.

1. Sooraj dooba hai - Music : Amaal Mallik - The albums kicks off with this highly enjoyable dance track. It was one of the dance anthem this new years and is already high on the popularity charts. Arijit Singh and Aditi Singh Sharma are great with their vocals. Amaal Mallik gets the beats spot on.

Rating - 4/5

2. Chittiyaan Kaliyaan - Music : Meet Bros Anjjan - It was a matter of time before the "Baby Doll" team from Ragini MMS 2 was back for one more dig at the charts. The results are likely to be foot tapping this time too. Kanika Kapoor continues her good run and Meet Bros have another popular track in hand. I can picture this one being a red hot favourite at the sangeet functions and marriages.

Rating - 3/5

3. Tu hai ke nahi - Music : Ankit Tiwari - Ankit seems to have become the go to man for intense slow melodies. In last one year, almost every such track has been composed by Ankit and sung by himself. Not that he has done any bad, but probably he should not over use himself in such a short span to keep the shelf life going. This track did not appeal much to me earlier, but the melody grows on you. The unplugged version is a drag and runs out of steam mid way.

Rating - 3.5/5

4. Boond boond - Music : Ankit Tiwari - This one ups the ante and Ankit betters his effort from last track. A very well orchestrated number, with the a lovely indulgent melody going for it. A song to be enjoyed on a lazy weekend evening and a one you will not mind on repeat mode.

Rating - 4/5

5. Yaara re - Music : Ankit Tiwari - Good to see K.K after a long time. Slow soft rock numbers are his forte, he can sing them in his sleep and still sound amazing. A pensive number about a lost friend, it has a decent melody and KK keeps you engaged.

Rating - 3/5

Roy is a good album from start to end, with two really good numbers and couple of chartbusters up its sleeve it should do well.

Overall Rating - 3.5/5

My pick - Sooraj dooba hai, Boond boond.

Listen to the soundtrack here : Roy Jukebox

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Dolly Ki Doli - Music Review

Arbaaz Khan ventures out from the comforts of his brother Salman being the lead actor and produces a small budget but a rather interesting Dolly Ki Doli.

The male leads are all handpicked to entertain, the immensely talented Rajkummar Rao, Pulkit Samrat and Varun Sharma (Fukrey fame). Sonam Kapoor is dolly of the movie.

Music is by Sajid-Wajid.

1. Phatte tak nachna - This follows the Delhi style band baaja baaraat template. A familiar territory naach gaana territory which would work at most marriages. Sunidhi lights up the song with her highly energetic vocals.

Rating - 3/5

2. Fashion khatam mujhpe - One has to give credit to the dedication with which Sajid-Wajid and Mamta "Munni" Sharma keep coming time and again with one more item number. They manage to improve a little over their last few attempts. The music arrangement is much better and so is the singing. It has the potential to work with mass audience. I have never been a fan of item numbers, but cannot take away the popularity it generates for  the movie.

Rating - 2.5/5

3. Babaji ka thullu - A surprisingly good number by Sajid-Wajid. For once I enjoyed the singing by Wajid, he is in good form, singing it hilariously. The music arrangement is peppy and funny, with the guitar put to good use. Special credit to the lyrics which are tailor mode to enjoy when you are high on life.

Rating - 3.5/5

4. Dolly ki doli - This ones for the background score, it is a decent track with desi rock elements thrown in. Divya Kumar keeps you engaged with his rendition.

Rating - 3/5

5. Mere naina kafir ho gaye - Rahat Fateh Ali Khan has been a regular with Sajid-Wajid and they work well as a team. The word "Naina" is quite an integral part of their collaborations over the years. A well composed song, the tabla/harmonium makes for a a good fusion with piano/guitar and drums.

Rating - 3/5

Sajid-Wajid do much better this time around, and come up with a good soundtrack which would work well for the movie.

Overall Rating - 3/5

My pick - Babaji ka thullu

Listen to the soundtrack here : Dolly Ki Doli Jukebox

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Baby - Music Review

Neeraj Pandey has made a good name for himself with his two movies A Wednesday and Speical 26. I do expect he will make something better with his next venture Baby.

The movie stars Akshay Kumar, Anupam Kher, Rana Dagubatti, Kay Kay Menon, Sushant Singh, Dany Denzongpa and few others.

It's jointly produced by T-Series and Akhay Kumar. The promotion and the hype is surprisingly low for such a big budget movie.

It's an espionage thriller, and the first promo was very promising indeed.

The movie has only two songs to offer, and like Neeraj's previous movies, the music will have a very minimal role to play.

1. Beparwah - Music : Meet Bros Anjjan - Not a part of the movie, it's promotional video makes it to the screen rather late, but nevertheless it's appeal either ways would be limited to the screen only. Apeksha Dandekar sings it with style, and Meet Bros take a complete turn from their usual dance numbers and come up with a decent theme track. There is a remix version which is forgettable.

Rating - 3/5

2. Main tujhse pyaar nahi karta - Music : M.M.Kreem - MM Kreem comes up with a nice melody, one which could have been a part of any movie. It may not have much to do in the movie, but it makes for a soothing hear. Specially the female version, which hits the right chords. The male version is by Papon and female by Ramya Behra. The female version is an unplugged version with a lovely use of guitars and violins.

Rating - 3.5/5

Definitely the shortest soundtrack I have reviewed in last three years and most likely the music will go unnoticed as well.

Give the female version of main tujhse pyaar nahi karta a listen, some of you may like it.

Overall Rating - 3/5

My pick - Main tujhse pyaar nahi karta 

You can listen to the soundtrack here : Baby Jukebox

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Khamoshiyan - Music Review

The Bhatt camp can call the horror/erotic genre in India their very own. They have managed to make a monopoly of such movies. Made on shoe string budgets, with some good soft rock romantic numbers and at times unknown actors, they have made money with almost all of their outings.

The trend continues with their new venture Khamoshiyan. It stars Sapna Pabbi, Gurmeet Choudhary & Ali Fazal.

The music has always been the USP of Bhatt productions and they have managed to make it work time and again over last decade.

Last few years the Bhatt camp has made a small cosy club of a well oiled machinery of music composers.

1. Khamoshiyan - Music : Jeet Ganguly - The best track the album has to offer, it is amazing how Arijit Singh can make a cliched and a decent track punch above its weight. If you have enjoyed the soft rock numbers from the Bhatts over the years, then there is hardly anything to complain about this song. There is an unplugged version too, but I prefer the original one.

Rating - 3.5/5

2. Baatein ye kabhi na - Music : Jeet Ganguly - The cliched saga continues, which I assume will run through the album. However, the flute part and the music arrangements make it sound much better than it actually is. A standard melodious bollywood love song. The male version is by Arijit Singh and the female version is by Palak. Both are identical in terms of the sound, pick the singer you like of the two.

Rating - 3/5

3. Bheeg loon - Music : Ankit Tiwari - The utility margin drops a little in this track. Ankit's only song for the album, he does a decent job out of this sensuous number. The male version is sung by Ankit himself, the female version is by Prakrit Kakar and both do a fine job.

Rating - 2.5/5

4. Kya khoya - Music : Nawed Jafar - A very standard rock anthem, likely to have been heard to death over the years, but the weak vocals pull the song down and not so much the music which is alright. A better singer may have made it sound better.

Rating - 2.5/5

5. Tu har lamha - Music : Bobby Imran - Arijit Singh does exactly what the previous track could not do, save a heard before soft rock tune. We have come to hear these kind of songs in a Bhatt movie, started by Pritam and pioneered by Bhatt's over the years.

Rating - 3/5

6. Subhan allah - Music : Bobby Imran - The basic tune is similar to the last track, this one is more of an unplugged version with different lyrics. The vocals may not be as good as Arijit, but due to it's different music arrangement it comes out a shade better.

Rating - 3/5

One more year, one more scary/mystery flick from the Bhatt camp and once more the same music all over again. It does have few songs up its sleeves to be big hits, specially all the Arijit Singh sung tracks.

A decent album, may lack a long shelf life but it's good as long as it lasts.

Overall Rating - 3/5

My pick : Khamoshiyan, Baatein ye kabhi na.

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Alone - Music Review

Bipasha Basu can call the horror genre her very own, by now she's made quite a good catalog out of it and most have been hits.

The movie is directed by Bhushan Patel of Ragini MMS 2, it also marks the debut of Karan Singh as an actor on the big screen.

1. Katra katra - Music : Ankit Tiwari - I feel Ankit Tiwari's voice is heading towards diminishing returns for me. There is a sense of heard before in most of his songs off late, which does not mean the music is any bad. Maybe he using some other singer may work better. The song otherwise is well arranged, and for its erotic quotient it has already become popular. Ankit and Prakriti Kakkar are decent behind the mic.

Rating - 3/5

2. Awaara - Music : Mithoon - A very familiar Mithoon track, but he does well to use different voices from time to time which reduces the heard before feeling to some extent. An acceptable love song, it has a decent melody going for it. Sung adequately by Altamash Faridi and Saim Bhatt.

Rating - 3/5

3. Chaand aasmanon se - Music ; Jeet Ganguly - One more from many of Jeet's tune bank, I will not be surprised if it's one more of his Bengali tune making its way to Bollywood. The cliched and heard before feeling is at its peak in this track. A decent melody which ticks off all the bollywoodish ticklist.

Rating - 2.5/5

4. Touch my body - Music : Dr.Zeus, recreated by Raghav Sachar - It's flashback, but not a very engaging one. A not too impressive rehash of an older track. Aditi Singh Sharma's voice is the only good thing about this track.

Rating - 2.5/5

A short soundtrack which ends up being very high on heard before feeling for me. None of the songs are bad, yet none of the songs will end up being on my playlist.

Overall Rating - 2.5/5

My pick - Aawaara.

Listen to the soundtrack here : Alone Jukebox

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Playback - Top Songs 2014

This is the third year of Playback, my annual music roundup. Like every other year, this was also a mixed bag with some really good music and some really bad ear hammering stuff.

There are times when you might rate a song very highly when you heard it first, but some other songs which were good but not so highly rated end up being longer on the playlist.

Like previous years I'll follow the same pattern, irrespective of the popularity of the music on the charts or commercially my list is strictly all personal favourites.

When I started short listing the music it did not take me much time and I ended up with more than 60 songs. To cut them down to 30 was not easy.

Top 5 Soundtracks : 

1. Happy Ending - Sachin-Jigar 

2. Haider - Vishal Bhardwaj

3. Queen - Amit Trivedi

4. Bang Bang/Hasee Toh Phasee - Vishal Shekhar

5. Lekar Hum Deewana Dil - A R Rahman (A highly under rated album)

A special mention to Shankar Ehsaan Loy for Kill Dill, 2 States & One by Two. They were consistently good this year.

The Top 10 - (Format - Song-Movie : Music Director l Singer l Lyricist)

1. Bang bang - Bang Bang : Vishal Shekhar l Benny Dayal/Neeti Mohan l Vishal Dadlani

2. Zehnaseeb - Hasee Toh Phasee : Vishal Shekhar l Shekhar/Chinmayee l Amitabh B

3. Maahi Ve - Highway : A R Rahman l Irshad Kamil

4. Khamma Ghani - Happy Ending : Sachin-Jigar l Papon l Amitabh Bhattacharya

5. Dil ka mizaaj - Dedh Isqiya : Vishal Bhardwaj l Rahat Fateh Ali Khan l Gulzar

6. Jaise mera tu - Happy Ending : Sachin-Jigar l Arijit Singh l Amitabh Bhattacharya

7. Mileya Mileya - Happy Ending : Sachin-Jigar l Jigar/Priya/Rekha B l Amitabh B

8. Khul Kabhi to - Haider : Vishal Bhardwaj l Arijit Singh l Gulzar

9. Harjaiyaan - Queen : Amit Trivedi l Nandini Srikar l Anvita Dutt

10. Aao na - Haider : Vishal Bhardwaj l Vishal Dadlani l Gulzar 

You can listen to the playlist here : Playback 2014 - Part 1

The Next 10 - 

11. Chaar Kadam - PK : Shantanu Moitra l Shaan/Shreya Ghoshal l Swanand Kirkire

12. Bismil - Haider : Vishal Bhardwaj l Sukhwinder Singh l Gulzar

13. Mast magan - 2 States : Shankar Ehsaan Loy l Arijit Singh/Chinmayee l Amitabh B

14. Tumse pyaar ho gaya - Shaadi Ke Side Effects : Pritam l Nikhil D Souza l Amitabh B

15. Sajde - Kill Dil : Shankar Ehsaan Loy l Arijit Singh/Nihari Joshi l Gulzar

16. Galliyan - Ek Villain : Ankit Tiwari

17. Patakha Guddi - Highway l A R Rahman l Irshad Kamil

18. Beqasoor - Lekar Hum Deewana Dil l A R Rahman l Shweta/Nakash Aziz l Irshad Kamil

19. Uff - Bang Bang : Vishal-Shekhar l Benny Dayal/Harshdeep Kaur

20. Humdard - Ek Villain : Mithoon l Arijit Singh

You can listen to the playlist here : Playback 2014 - Part 2

The last 10 - 

21. Samjhawan - Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania l Sharib Toshi/Jawab Ahmad l Shreya/Arijit

21. Sweeta - Kill Dil : Shankar Ehsaan Loy l Adnan Sami l Gulzar

22. Paaji tussi such a pussy cat - Happy Ending : Sachin-Jigar l Divya Kumar l Amitabh B

23. Manwa laage - Happy New Year : Vishal Shekhar l Shreya/Arijit Singh

24. Tu meri - Bang Bang : Vishal Shekhar l Vishal Dadlani

25. Ala Hada - Lekar Hum Deewana Dil l A R Rahman l Shiriz Uppal l Irshad Kamil

26. Offo - 2 States : Shankar Ehsaan Loy l Aditi Singh Sharma/Amitabh B l Amitabh B

27. Meherbaan - Bang Bang : Vishal Shekhar l Ash King/Shilpa Rao

28. G Phaad ke - Happy Ending : Sachin-Jigar l Divya Kumar/Shefali Alvares l Amitabh B

30. Besharmi Ki Height - Main Tera Hero : Sajid-Wajid l Shalmali Kholgade

You can listen to the playlist here - Playback 2014 (Part 3)

The Rest : 

31. Shaayrana - Holiday (Pritam)

32. Pakeezah (Gulraj Singh) & Auliya (Salim-Sulaiman) - Ungli 

33. Title Track - Revolver Rani (Sandeep Srivastava)

34. Love Me Thoda Aur - Yaariyan (Pritam)

35. Shehar Mera - One by Two (Shankar Ehsaan Loy) 

So that was my list for the year 2014. Looking forward for an even better 2015 at the movies and music!

Have a great new year everyone!

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Tevar - Music Review

Tevar is a remake of Telugu film Okkadu (2003), and it was remade into Tamil, Kannada, Bengali after that before finally reaching Bollywood.

A home production in true sense, starring Arjun Kapoor, produced by father Boney Kapoor and uncle Sanjay Kapoor. It also stars the eternal favourite action movies actress Sonakshi Sinha and Manoj Bajpayee. Directed by Amit Ravindernath Sharma.

The movie certainly has two trump cards up its sleeve, it's shot very well and the good production values are on display in the promo and Manoj Bajpayee looks sinister as the bad man of the movie. I expect Arjun Kapoor to be in top form since it's a home production.

Music is by another action movie favourite Sajid-Wajid.

1. Superman - It sounds a tad similar to Jalwa from the composers earlier work in Wanted if you put the same beats to it. But the music arrangement is better here and Wajid sings it with the right attitude. For a masala action, the out and out loud energy suits fine.

Rating - 3/5

2. Radha Nachegi - A good tune, well sung, and well arranged stretched beyond it should have. At over 6 minutes, I got restless by the end of it. It's shot pretty well though, on screen the length of the song may not seem a drag. Ritu Pathak along with the Sabri brothers is impressive. The rustic feel with the contemporary sound work well.

Rating - 3/5

3. Madamiyan - The law of average catches up, Sajid Wajid get into Salman Khan template mode and dish out one more item number. Salman would have loved to dance to. I cannot the say the effect of it is same seeing Arjun Kapoor and Shruti Hassan. Mamta Sharma and Mika are at home singing one more of the many item numbers they have.

Rating - 2.5/5

4. Joganiyan - Shruti Hassan is pretty good in this soft rock number. Once again the composers let go off the track longer than they should have by adding unwanted music pieces. A good listen nevertheless.

Rating - 3/5

5. Main nai jaana pardes - Best song of the album, the composers keep it simple here and let the singer do the talking. A nice tune, sung superbly by Shafqat Amanat Ali who manages to create the right nostalgia and feel for the song. 

Rating - 3.5/5

6. Let's celebrate - Imran Khan ends the soundtrack with his solo composition. Styled on the lines of many English hip hop number with a little bit of Punjabi words at places, it has got a nice hook to it. It's already been promoted heavily and likely to get popular.

Rating - 3/5

A much improved effort by Sajid-Wajid, the album works fine for a masala action movie. For the section of audience who loves such movies, will not have much to complain about the soundtrack.

Overall Rating - 3/5

My Pick - Main nai jaana pardes.

Listen to the soundtrack : Tevar Jukebox Part 1 / Part 2

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PK - Music Review

2014 will end with one of the biggest release of the year, PK. Rajkumar Hirani has been like the new age Hrishikesh Mukherjee with his brand of feel good movies.

Aamir Khan teams up again with Vidhu Vinod Chopra-Rajkumar Hirani after 3 Idiots. There are usual actors from the camp, like Boman Irani, Sanjay Dutt, Saurabh Shukla with Anushka Sharma and Sushant Singh Rajput being the new additions.

Shantanu Moitra is the usual favourite for composing the music and there are two more composers for one song each.

Music has never been the selling point of Hirani's movies till now, but most worked after the release due to its connect with the movie and story.

1. Tharki Chokro - Music : Ajay Atul - Over the years we have heard many Rajasthani folk numbers and this too is one of them. But it is to the credit of the music composers they do not make it boring and the feel good factor stays intact. Swaroop Khan sings it really well. The video with Sanjay Dutt and Aamir is shot nicely too.

Rating - 3/5

2. Dil Darbadar - Music : Ankit Tewari - This song carries forward the feeling of Ankit Tewari's earlier Teri Galliyan from Ek Villian, but not to the same effect. A decent track, it may become more popular post the movies release. Ankit sings it himself.

Rating - 3/5

3. Love is waste of time - From here onwards it's all Shantanu Moitra. Sonu Nigam and Shreya sing this, and Sonu especially is in good form. A feel good love song, which has a nice jingle to it. I started to like it more after few hearings. It would be good to hear Sonu more often, but sadly he does not.

Rating - 3/5

4. Chaar kadam - Felt nice to hear Shaan after a long time, and he does not disappoint. He sings the best song of the album, with Shreya giving him good company. There is an old world charm to it, specially with the way the song is arranged bring back the memories of the melodious 80's and I have been humming it few times a day.

Rating - 3.5/5

5. Nanga Punga Dost - Feel good factor continues, this one sounds more like a nursery rhyme which kids might enjoy more. A well arranged track and has a nice ring to it. Shreya sings it well.

Rating - 3/5

6. Bhagwan hai kahan re tu - A situational track which I found a little drag to hear, even though Sonu manages to hold it together with his vocals. Its impact will depend on how it is used in the movie, but either ways the song is more suited for the screen than your playlist.

Rating - 3/5

7. PK dance theme : This one's for the background music and the narrative of the movie.

Rating - 2.5/5

A feel good soundtrack on predictable lines like all other previous Rajkumar Hirani movies. It may lack a chartbuster but can end up being a popular album if the movie clicks which it most likely will.

Like always with Rajkumar Hirani, it's the movie which people are eagerly waiting for more than the soundtrack.

Overall Rating - 3/5

My pick - Chaar Kadam, Love is a waste of time.

Listen to the soundtack here : PK Jukebox

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Action Jackson - Music Review

Action Jackson brings Prabhu Dheva and Ajay Devgn together for the first time. Over the years Prabhu Dheva has given some good hits, and usually works when it comes to mass oriented action movies (cars, people flying in all directions)

It has quite a list of female leads starting with Sonakshi Sinha, Yami Gautam and the 2010 Femina Miss India winner Manasvi Mamgai.

Music is by Himesh Reshammiya.

1. Keeda - Our action jackson, henceforth to be called AJ has one song each with all the leading ladies. This one AJ shakes a leg with Sonakshi Sinha. The beats are fine, so is the tune. But all hopes of a nice song goes up in thin air, when HR starts singing it. He is a far better music director than a singer, but HR is HR. Giving him company is Neeti Mohan, who does not have much to do here. Why do we need a reprise version of this as well? No answer to it, but there is one.

Rating - 2/5

2. Punjabi Mast - AJ and HR relive their Son of Sardar days with this Punjabi can show the world how to drink and be fun after sunset. By the end of the song, the point that Punjabi's are rockstars after sunset with drinking is hammered in your brains and ears. AJ has this track all to himself.

Rating - 1.5/5

3. Dhoom Dhaam - Turn for some romance and mush with one of the leading ladies, this time with Yami Gautam. Cliched to the max, and like one of the many romantic numbers of HR. Love becomes predictable and boring by the end of this track.

Rating - 2/5

4. Gangster Baby - Once the song comes on screen, people pretty much will not care much how good or bad this song is. Manasvi Mamgai will be a good enough eye candy for a lot of people. Coming back to the song, there is not much to write about other than Neeti Mohan, who sings it with style.

Rating - 2/5

There is one theme song, doing the rounds of the television and social media. It stays true to the rest of the soundtrack. The production values are good for the movie and the music, sadly the music does not measure upto it. 

Mass action movies are unpredictable, the same music which gets lowly rated and panned, end sometimes up being a big hit. 

Overall Rating - 2/5

My pick : None

Listen to the soundtrack : Action Jackson Jukebox

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Ungli - Music Review

Dharma Production's Ungli takes on corruption as its theme. The movie is already out and I have been late in reviewing the music.

Directed by Rensil D Silva (first being Kurbaan). It stars Sanjay Dutt, Emraan Hashmi, Randeep Hooda, Kangana Ranaut and a few others.

Music is by assortment of music directors.

1. Dance Basanti - Music : Sachin-Jigar - This is standard dance affair. Some foot tapping beats and a catchy tune, stir it up with some good singing by Vishal. A decent enough item number, but unlikely to have a long shelf life. Shraddha Kapoor does look good in the video.

Rating - 3/5

  2. Ungli pe nachalein - Music : Aslam Keyi - One more tailor made dance track, with a bit of Punjabi tadka. With Emraan Hashmi it has some chance of being popular, but again low on shelf life.

Rating - 2.5/5

  3. Auliya - Music : Salim-Sulaiman - Undoubtedly the best song on the soundtrack. The S-S duo give their best work for this year in this song. Armaan Malik is great with the vocals. The unplugged treatment is apt for such a nice tune. The guitar bits with the piano are particularly impressive.

Rating - 4/5

  4. Pakeezah - Music : Gulraj Singh - I finally get to see Gulraj compose a track, he had disappeared after his promising start in the rather listless Tuteya Dil (2012). He sings this breezy track himself. He is backed by some creative chorus vocals, and he impresses with the easy on ears arrangements.

Rating - 3.5/5

  5. Aadarniya - Music : Gulraj Singh - This track reminded me of Satrangiya Dil from Tuteya Dil. The arrangements are similar, dominated by energetic guitar and singing. He creates a wacky sound, with amusing lyrics by Manoj Yadav. Vishal Dadlani & Neeti Mohan are fun to listen to, and also the chorus vocals.

Rating - 3.5/5

  The soundtrack may not boast of chart toppers, but it does well for a movie which may not have much scope for music.

  Overall Rating - 3/5

My Pick - Auliya, Pakeezah, Aadarniya.

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Happy Ending - Music Review

It is great to see Govinda back in meaningful roles and the ones which absolutely suit him. First Kill Dil and now Happy Ending.

The first promo has really raised my hopes for this movie. Saif Ali Khan, Ileana D'Cruz, Kalki Koechlin, Ranvir Shorey & Govinda complete start cast.

Saif's home production is directed by Raj & D.K.

Sachin-Jigar have composed the soundtrack.

1. Mileya Mileya - The moment the song starts, you know this is going on the loop for next many days. Priya Andrews, Jigar & Rekha Bhardwaj are great in this lovely melody. Sachin-Jigar come out trumps in this breezy melody. Rekha is an odd choice, but she has a lovely voice.

Rating - 4/5

2. Paaji tussi such a pussy - Give hilarious lyrics and trust Sachin-Jigar to have a ball. Amitabh Bhattacharya the lyricist and Divya Kumar the singer are not behind with their humor quotient held high.

Rating - 4/5

3. Jaise mera tu - This track gets its hindi makeover, the original being Meher meher from D for Doipidi (Telugu). It was good then, its pretty good now too. Arijit Singh & Priya Saraiya are top notch. A love song worthy of being on loop.

Rating - 4/5

4. G phaad ke - Sachin-Jigar get into whacky mode and dish out this high on energy dance track. Lyrics with load of style and attitude, so is the music and so is the vocals by Divya Kumar and Shefali Alvares. Oh and it also has a super hook up its sleeve. Hit the dance floor.

Rating - 4/5

5. Khamma ghani - Papon sings after a long time, and does it very well. He dominates this track, which has a nice fusion feel to it. Folk lyrics in soft rock mode, the lights dim, a nice pleasant evening with winds blowing, by the window. There you go, the perfect setup.

Rating - 4/5

6. Haseena tu kameena - The conversational tone of the song makes for a nice light hearted hear. More than the music, it's the vocals which are more fun here. Siddharth Basru, Rahul Pandey & Shruti Pathak are impressive behind the mic.

Rating - 3.5/5

Sachin-Jigar come up with their best work this year by a long margin. There is not a single dull moment throughout the soundtrack, the right mix of fun and soulful melodies.

A refreshing album, bound to work with the urban audience.

Overall Rating - 4/5

My pick : The whole soundtrack :)

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