Bollywood Music Analysis 2013

For the Bollywood music scene, 2013 proved to be pretty good. For once, the industry was entirely devoid of plagiarism accusations and there was one one or another great song playing around at any arbitrary time chosen. Music Directors, the A and B listers both churned out good music, while few let down expectations.

Nevertheless, there was still a handful of quality tracks which did well in terms of popularity too.

The top songs will be enumerated in the next post. For now, I'll discuss my views on the performance of composers and singers this year as well as the best albums.

Top 5 Bollywood Albums 2013

1. Raanjhanaa (A R Rahman)

2. Lootera / Shuddh Desi Romance (Amit Trivedi / Sachin-Jigar)

3. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy)

4. David / Kai Po Che (Multiple Composers / Amit Trivedi)

5. Ram Leela (Sanjay Leela Bhansali)

Top Composers

1. Sachin-Jigar

They've been around for more than 4 years now, and 2013 was the year they got due credit for the fantastic skill they've shown in composing.(They finally got a Wikipedia page too :D )This has been their biggest year yet with 5 full film scores(ABCD: Any Body Can Dance, Jayantabhai Ki Luv Story, Go Goa Gone, Ramaiya Vastavaiya, Shuddh Desi Romance)and guest compositions in 3 movies(Himmatwala, I Me Aur Mein, Issaq) as well. And apart from the templated Jayanta Bhai Ki Love Story, all the others were an absolute delight, with the stand out work in Shuddh Desi Romance coming right at top! No matter what, one or more Sachin-Jigar song was on hit charts all the time, round the year and with no compromise in quality and with no lack of experimentation. Their music continued to be in their signature style, bright electronic with great focus on melody, and for that they righteously deserves  the position of the Composers of the Year!

2. A R Rahman

How does he do it?!! This is the question me as well as the millions of  fans around the nation ask seeing Rahman consistently churning out quality music. Even with the humongous amount of expectations set on him, Rahman somehow manages to surpass them, raising the bar higher with every attempt. His Coke Studio @ MTV appearance catapulted the shows rating and elevated the shows quality to unexpected heights that most other artists failed to match up, even while giving their best. Rahman did 3 albums in 2013, two(Kadal, Maaryan) in Tamil and Raanjhanaa in Bollywood. Needless to say, all three were bloody good with Raanjhanaa being the pick of the lot! For me Raanjhanaa is the most repeat-worthy album of the year with each and every song so blissfully endearing. 9 tracks, and with a streak of experimentation throughout the album, Raanjhanaa proved to be a five course meal to music lovers!

3. Amit Trivedi

Mr. Trivedi opened 2013 with the exceptional Kai Po Che, delivering 3 solid songs, doing what he does best. Though what followed, Bombay Talkies and Ganchakkar, were average, he swooped in with he excellent Lootera, giving us bite into the 60's! Lootera, for me, is undoubtedly one of the best albums  of the year.

4. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

SEL remained in their usual goodness this year, with 3 albums(Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, D-Day, Vishwaroop) reeking with good songs. While Bhaag Milkha Bhaag rose to become immensely popular, D-Day too had a fair share of tracks heavily appealing to the music audience. Vishwaroop, intially done in Tamil, was satisfying enough. 

5. Pritam/Sanjay Leela Bhansali

While commercialization of quality music isn't exactly a new thing, Pritam is among the few who actually managed to give commercial music quality. While he wasn't in the stellar form he had shown in 2012, Pritam ruled the popular charts with his hotshot catchy songs. With 9 film scores this year, Pritam's presence was there every time though quality was compromised in many albums. Nevertheless, most critics will agree that Priam's music had a majority role in making Yeh Jawani hai Deewani a box office blockbuster, with a large number of people flocking the cinema halls only for the terrifically massy music! 

Sanjay Leela Bhansali had one release this year, the blindingly colorful Ram-Leela, which he directed as well as composed music. While he has evolved a lot from the Guzaarish days, his craft with his old style were noticeable. Ram-Leela was not a great album in overall, but it sure had some great songs!

Dhoom 3 Music Review

Dhoom 3 Music Review
Music Direction : Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics : Amitabh Bhattacharya

What I expected? : It is Pritam's music composing debut in an Aamir Khan movie. And with all he hype, glitz and glamour associated with the movie, nothing short of an excellent score!

Malang, as expected, intrigues at the first hear itself! The high point definitely being the track's topnotch, high quality production and the impressive wordplay. After the killer 'Zinda', Siddharth Mahadevan (with the subtle support from Shilpa Rao)can easily add a chart buster to his kitty! #Repeat

Kamli partly engages for Sunidhi's upbeat and meticulous voice modulation. Credit goes to the adept interludes too but the lyrical repetition somehow plays spoilsport along the way.

Tu Hi Junoon flaunts a brisk Russian-rock arrangement setup but sadly the middling base tune fails to excite. Mohit Chauhan puts in, at best, an OK effort, not that it helps.

The Title track is neither here nor there, somewhere in between Dhoom1 and Dhoom 2 title tracks. The mishmash gets a dub step treatment in between but for most parts it sounded like Sunidhi's 'Dhoom Machale' itself.

The disappointment is heightened by a lame Arabic Version of the song, sung by Lebanese singer Naya, which apart from the lyrics, has not a bit of Arabic feel in it.

Bande Hai Hum Uske is sweet and outright haunting at the same time! Loved the tune and the toned down rendition by little Shivam Mahadevan equally.

The rest two are instrumentals, Dhoom Tap and Dhoom Overtune where the former is presumably for Aamir Khan's reported Tap Dance scene and the latter most probably will serve in the background where again the signature Dhoom tune is repeated the zillionth time.

Verdict : For what it's worth, Dhoom 3 music score is somewhat a letdown. While Malang scores by its own merits the other tracks just doesn't have have that kind of a stellar punch a movie like this needs. And the repetition of the Dhoom tune throughout the album, wherever possible, is kind of weary. There is nothing much new and the score seems like to be made in a hurry, something we can assume from the lack of musical detailing in many of the tracks. Surprisingly, the man of innovations, Pritam, has run out of fuel here and that too for a prestigious project and I wonder why! Average.

Must Hears! : Malang

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Mickey Virus Music Review

Mickey Virus Music
Music Direction : Hanif Sheikh

What I expected? : Nothing

Tose Naina by Arijit Singh is pleasant, sufi-ish, but I have a feeling that Mohit Chauhan would have done a better job than Arijit.
Aakhan hi Aankhon makes the cut, the good tune as well as the singing by Mohit Chauhan and Palak Muchhal helps! #Repeat
Pyaar China Ki Maal Hai, Sajna Ve Sajna and the Title song are simply 'skip'pable!

Verdict : What intrigues is the fact that Hanif Sheikh manages to sound every singer incredibly nasal! Arijit Singh hasn't sung so nasal in his entire career, and the the guy who sang Pyaar China can beat even Himesh Reshammiya! Same goes with Sajna and the Title song. As the saving grace, Palak Muchhal doesn't go with the trend. Not for two hearable songs, Mickey Virus would have gone down to the poor zone. It maintains a Below Average identity somehow.

Must Hears! : Aankhon Hi Aankhon


AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Ram Leela Music Review

Ram Leela Music

Music Direction : Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Lyrics : Siddharth - Garima

What I expected? : Going by the trailer and the music direction track record Bhansali has, an emotional ensemble.

Raam Chahe Leela doesn't soar, its appealing in parts but that is it. Indian Idol find Bhoomi Trivedi does an impressive job though!

Lahu muh lag Gaya sounds pleasantly seductive, the traditional arrangements help while Shahil Hada shines his way through!

Ang Laga De works the same way, although the mellowed down arrangements and Aditi Paul's graceful vocals make it a bit more luscious affair! #Repeat

Poore Chaand has Shahil Hada again, but can't help getting a monotonous sound, the tune isn't exciting either.

Nagada Sang Dhol has Shreya Ghoshal in pure form, especially the vocal variations she brings into the framework fits in the garba dance mood perfectly! #Repeat

Laal Ishq flaunts a bhajan-like outlook for most parts, thanks to that hypnotic tune and temple sounds, while it is more of a romantic affair going by the lyrics. Arijit Singh gets the job done pretty well here, he aces it actually! #Repeat

Ishqyaun Dhishqyaun is weak in itself, lyrics and composition wise, while Aditya Narayan, the good singer he is, strangely sounds like his dad but somehow lacks the charisma and is oddly bleak.

Mor Bani Thanghat Kare is folk-ish in core, like the usual songs Osman Mir sings, nothing to brag about but.

Dhoop can be easily mistaken for an Ismail Darbar song, the sweet yet moody melody is marvelously crafted! With Shreya Ghoshal flowing in beautifully, it makes one hell of a hear! #MustHear

Tattad Tattad, again by Aditya Narayan has a loud south Indian dance template, boringly noisy. Skip.

Verdict : Maybe this is the kind of music the movie needs, but Ram Leela soundtrack leaves one somewhat dissatisfied. Bhansali does great when it comes to the arrangements, but he must really work on his tunes, I'd say. Good effort, could have been a lot better.

Must Hears! : Dhoop, Laal Ishq, Ang Laga De, Nagada Sang

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Krrish 3 Music Review

Krrish 3 Music
Music Direction : Rajesh Roshan
Lyrics : Sameer

What I expected? : Some really good and hummable tunes, like the usual Rajesh Roshan.

Krrish Title song may work in the movie background, but lacks any kind of repeat and addictive quality. Sigh, it doesn't sound much like a title song, constant electronic loops merged with Mamta Sharma's secretive vocals, and a tad too long.
Raghupati Raghav is thoroughly annoying. The 'Raghupati Raghav' part, which itself is an abuse of the original, barely gets along with the rest of the song where again the lyrics are as bland as possible and the techno arrangements strictly average.
Dil Tu Hi Bata's saving grace is Alisha Chinay's sweet vocal bit, the lyrics doesn't seem to go out of your head while Zubeen Garg is plain lifeless. Then again, the pallavi sounds strangely similar to 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam', or is it just me?
You are my love is cheesy blah, Mohit Chauhan's and even Alisha Chinay's presence doesn't help.
God Allah Aur Bhagvan has Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal in front but you'll be disappointed if you expect something with quality. The pseudo-motivational lyrics is, frankly, childish and the song itself seems quite out of date.

Verdict : Krrish 3 is an ensemble of 5 passive tracks, not even in the near neighborhood of the slightly huge expectations. 3 years after that very good score in Kites, Rajesh Roshan, seems to be in a strangely weary position. Below average.

Must Hears! : None

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Phata Poster Nikhla Hero Music Review

Phata Poster Nikhla Hero Music

Music Direction : Pritam Chakraborty

Lyrics : Irshad Kamil

What I expected? : Commercial, non-stop Pritam!

Tu Mere Al Bagal is routine yet addictive Mika-Pritam combo, something on the lines of 'Pungi', less interesting arrangements but. Enjoyable!

Mein Rang Shrabaton ka's sweety-catchy melodious tune is let down by Atif Aslam's average, heavily auto tuned vocals, while Chinmayi is the only saving grace.

Mein Rang Sharbaton(reprise) scores by leaps and bounds for the one reason Arijit Singh is singing it, and man, he makes it simply gorgeous! How I wish the original version were sung by him! #Repeat

Hey Mr. DJ has Benny Dayal, Shefali Alvares, and Shalmali Kholgade on fire, quite exotic techno dance track replete with spritely arrangements!

Mere Bina Tu gets to the mesmerizing level, the simple soft rock arrangements merged with the pitch perfect singing of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Harshdeep Kaur makes it a stunning listen! #Must Hear #Repeat

Dhating Naach will literally put your legs on fire! An amazingly fast tempoed desi dance track, the energy level with which Nakash Azi and Neha Kakkad sings it is quite remarkable! #Repeat
Janam Janam's heartfelt lyrics are justified by Atif Aslam's soulful, beautiful vocals which demands multiple listens and the same can be said for Sunidhi Chauhan's reprise version, where she shines from top to bottom with her soft, vehement singing act! #Repeat

Verdict : Phata Poster NH comes with strong musical elements, which are bright and refreshing throughout, slight flaws aside! Pritam switches his commercial, yet Very Good mode ON!

Must Hears! : Mein Rang(Reprise), Mere Bina Tu, Janam Janam(both versions)


AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Besharam Music Review

Besharam Music

Music Direction : Lalit Pandit, Ishq Bector

Lyrics : Rajeev Barnwal, Nikhat Khan & Himanshu Kishan Mehra

What I expected? : Another commercial outing from Ranbir must have good backing music. But pretty skeptical about what to expect from Lalit Pandit.

Tu Hai is your quintessential  romantic song, very good job composition and arrangement wise, but for singers like Shreya Ghoshal and Sonu Nigam, just plain cake walk. Nice one! #Repeat

Dil Ka jo Haal Hai definitely has the late 90's-early 2000's hangover and bringing Abhijeet Bhattacharya behind the mic helps only in increasing it with his retro styled vocals while Shreya Ghoshal tries her best to sound contemporary. 

Tere Mohalle is an attempt to ape 'Munni Badnaam' with the same singer duo, Mamata Sharma and Aishwarya Nigam, and the success of the item number track will depend heavily on the picturisation.

Title song by Ishq Bector is passable techno, with mind boggling lyrics.

Love ki Ghanti seems like an extension to 'Ala Barfi', same retro template complete with some fabulous singing job+voice overs from Ranbir Kapoor, Sujeet Shetty and Amitosh Nagpal and absolutely quirky lyrics! Loved it! 

Chal Hand Uthake Nachche is sufficiently trippy and foot tapping with the explosive trio of Daler Mehndi, Mika Singh and Sunidhi Chauhan raging all over it! #Repeat

Aa Re Aa Re, another item dance number it seems, thankfully remains safe within the usual but energetic vocals of Mika Singh and Shreya Ghoshal even with the mostly-absurd lyrics! #Repeat

Remixes for all the songs except Chal Hand and Tu Hai are included along with an unplugged version for Tu Hai.

Verdict : Lalit Pandit delivers an almost safe outing with Besharam, but the current form is only a shadow of the Jatin-Lalit duo of the past. Shelf life of tracks is on doubt but definitely will serve for good promotions of the film. Good attempt!

Must Hears! : Tu Hai

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Shuddh Desi Romance Music Review

Shuddh Desi Romance Music

Music Direction : Sachin-Jigar
Lyrics : 

What I expected? : Ever since 'Gulabi' released, the expectations were pretty high. Romance, quality and freshness.

Tere Mere Beech Mein stands justified to the 'fresh' expectations, Mohit and Sunidhi Chauhan aces the track while the tune is sufficiently romantic as well as quirky. The westernized arrangements makes things look even better! #Repeat
Gulabi can be readily recognized somewhere in between the A R Rahman-Amit Trivedi zone, an amazingly perky and lovely tune with Jigar coming up with his career best singing act along with Priya Panchal! The arrangements, especially the repetitive folksy interludes are seriously addictive! #MustHear #Repeat
Chanchal Mann scores at everything, the highly energetic background, Divya Kumar's one-man-show-stealer-show and the quirky lyrics. Can't help shaking your head! #Repeat
Title song cannot get any more crazy, the enchanting harmonim-dholak mix sandwiched between the highly spirited Benny Dayal-Shalmali Kholgade vocals and a purely desi dance tune! #Repeat
Mujhe Kiss Kar Sakte Ho is a vehemently brilliant instrumental, the slow buildup and the absolutely lovable middle portions have a strongly emotional feel! #Repeat
Love in Jaipur has Priya Panchal whispering Rajasthani, with an external coating of exotic desi arrangements! #Repeat
Tez Waala Attraction is basically Chahchal mann interludes rehashed, nothing much. Quirky BTW.
Boyfriend Banogey is again Gulabi interlude presented in a different avatar, charming!
Bhanwara Ma Bhatke has an impressive pedestrian lineup of instruments, interesting!

Verdict : Plain simply, all the songs work, to a large extent. Then again, majority are instrumentals with short running span so commercial prospects cannot be judged. The four original songs are rock-solid, will easily feature among Sachin-Jigars best works and the album on the whole is a must hear for them! The duo have successfully managed to fit the essence of Rajasthan into a modern frame! Very Good work, the four songs, gonna be on my playlist for the coming months!

Must Hears! : Gulabi, Tere mere beech

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!.

Satyagraha Music Review

Satyagraha Music 
Music Direction : Salim-Sulaiman, Indian Ocean, Meet Bros. Anjaan, Aadesh Srivastava
Lyrics : Prasoon Joshi

What I expected? : Nothing

Janta Rocks by Meet Bros. is partly engaging, mainly for the sarcastic-inspiring lyrics and the nice bit of percussion going behind the scene. Sitautional and a tad too long.
Hum Bhole De's anthemic sound may work well in the movie, signature Indian Ocean folk-rock template with Rahul Ram, Amit Kilam and Himanshu Joshi in great form!
The title track has a highly impactful start, the "Raghupati Raghav..." chants doing magic along with the neat electronica. But the initial high falters with the extra lyrics, which seemingly doesn't go in sync.
Aiyo Ji has Shradha Pandit in her brilliant crystal clear avatar, flowing through the fusion stuff the track is, ending up with seemingly good results!
A remix is added.
Raske Bhare Tore Naina is the best reserved for the last, Shafqat Amanat Ali is pitch perfect in this Hindustani semi-classical material which hits the bull's eye, composition wise. Minimal arrangements giving thankfully more space to the singer to showcase his vocal details cleverly does the magic here!
The House Mix of the song rendered by Aadesh Srivastava is just about OK. Aadesh, unlike Shafqat sounds folk-ish at times.

Verdict : Satyagraha started off with zero expectations only to end up with a fairly good track list. While Raske Bhare is going to be on loop, Aiyo Ji and the other songs scores for their own situational merits. All composers contributes expectedly, while Salim Sulaiman seems on an welcome high, compared to their recent status. Looking forward to see how well the songs are incorporated into the movie. Good one, worth a try!

Must Hears! : Raske Bhare Tore Naina


AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobaara! Music Review

Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobaara! Music 
Music Direction : Pritam Chakraborty, Laxmikant - Pyarelal
Lyrics : Rajat Aroraa

What I Epected? : Thinking on the lines of OUATIM, some sturdy melodies.

Chungliyaan has tried, tested, cliched Sufi-Qawaali template, Javed Ali shows his usual self anyway. Composition wise, just average.
Ye Tune Kya Kiya is no different, except for the raw, rustic vocals of Javed Bashir, which helps the song rise above average, still just film-worthy.(The Sitar piece in between, comprising hook lines of Tum Jo Aaye and Pee Loon was pretty nice!)
Tu Hi Khwahish throws a pleasant surprise, well composed follow up to 'Parda', Sunidhi Chauhan croons the disco song well while sounding quite Asha Bhosle-ish!
Tayyab Ali is plain boring. I'm not in for comparing this with the original 'Amar Akbar Anthony' song but this Anupam Amod recreation is lackluster, fails to entertain.

Verdict : OUATIMD is nowhere close to OUATIM. Lacking almost everything, Pritam delivers another dud.

Must Hears! : Nothing

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Chennai Express Music Review

Chennai Express Music

Music Directors : Vishal-Shekhar

Lyrics : Amitabh Bhattacharya

What I expected? : What else than an out and out masala entertainment affair with Vishal Shekhar's highly capable abilities merged with SRK's stardom! 

1234 opens to dysfunction, even the rhythmic Tamil kuthu dance template works in vain, falls flat outright on its face!

Titli helps the album bounce back like a boomerang, an amazingly serene tune set to occasional Carnatic classical backgrounds and sung to immense grace by Chinmayi Sriprada with Gopi Sundar's apt support! #Must Hear #Repeat

An unwanted, badly done Dubstep version is added! Why V-S Why?!

Tera Rastaa Chhodoon Na's swingy, youthful composition with the equally eclectic orchestration impresses big time! The singers, Amitabh Bhattacharya and Anusha Mani sounds lively! #Repeat

Kashmir Main Tu Kanyakumari is interesting for the snappy lyrics, but is immensely forgetful for the tune is dull and the good elements all scattered! Worth a hear, likely to work with the video!

Ready Steady Po has a lot of things going around it at a time, its hard to discern them all together. Techno-hip hop with the usual Bollywood edge, strictly functional.

Chennai Express, the title song, is sure-fire catchy if you forget the bizarre lyrics, with the high point definitely being S P Balasubrahmanyam's impeccable vocals which takes the song to further heights along with  the addictive techno swing! Jonita Gandhi's B-Town debut is impressive! #Repeat

Chennai Express Mashup is awfully fast tempoed, nevertheless neatly done.

Verdict : I don't know, Vishal-Shekhar seems pretty handicapped in Chennai Express, the album doesn't meet the mammoth sized expectations. While the 'hits-expected' dance tracks fail miserably(barring only the title track) the saving grace comes in the form of the two melodies. The songs may climb up the charts, thanks to SRK's stardom and the immense promotions given to the film, but the music definitely lacks professionalism and quality. Just above average.

Must Hears! : Titli, Tera Rastaa

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING

(Somewhere in the middle :P)

D-Day Music Review

D-Day Music
Music Direction : Shanker-Ehsaan-Loy
Lyrics : Niranjan Iyengar

What I expected? : SEL-Nikhil Advani usually produces good melodies. Looking forward.

Duma Dum Mast Kalander is repeated the gazillionth time, this time through Mika's lead vocals. Nothing much impressive, though interesting choice of a singer for a song like this.
Alvida has an inherent Patiala House hangover, nevertheless simple yet super swayful composition with justified singing by Nikhil D’souza,Shruti Hassan, Sukhvinder Singh and Loy Mendonsa!
Murshid Khele Holi is Qawaali perfection(The Tabla and Harmonium throughout for instance, stands out) with a highly discernible sufi edge and singing by Munawar Masoom, Javed Ali, Shankar Mahadevan and the chorus gives perfect results! #Repeat
Ek Ghadi has Rekha Bharadwaj producing a real stunner in the form of a ghazal, wonderful classical based Hindustani composition, though its only a cake walk as far as Mrs. Bharadwaj is concerned. #Must hear
Dhuaan comes with that definite anthemic sound, the vocals works immensely(Rahul Ram, Siddharth Mahadevan, Alyssa Mendonsa and chorus) as well as the Violins, though track is strictly situational..

Verdict : What has an action thriller to do with good music, God only knows, but D-Day has definitely very good music. SEL shows their usual capabilities and D-Day turns out to be a pleasant experience. Recommended!

Must Hears! : Ek Ghadi, Murshid Khele Holi, Alvida

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!.

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag Music Review

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag Music
Music Direction : Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Lyrics : Prasoon Joshi

What I Expected? : Expectations sky rocketed when I first heard Zinda. Expecting some very good stuff on its lines.

Gurbani gives a fantastic start, the very patriotic sounding verse is sung to indefinable highs by Daler Mehndi!
Zinda is total killer, the elevated rock arrangements along with Sidharth Mahadevan's exalted vocals create a true blue electric atmosphere! #MustHear #Repeat
Mera Yaar carries the sufi sound well, and who better than Javed Bashir to take it hands down?! Result? The vocals as well as arrangements sounds wonderful! #MustHear
Maston ka Jhund has Divya Kumar singing dance Punjabi in its purest, raw form! The orchestration plays well, but for most part its Divya Kumar's on-man-show!
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag works well as a title song, nothing like repeat quality in it, but the arete arrangements and Arif Lohar's  raw vocals help immensely. Situational, but serves the purpose. The rock version sung by Siddharth Mahadevan is better, due to the overall perkiness and faster tempo!
Slow Motion Angreza has childish, quirky but nuanced sounds, where Sukhwinder Sigh takes things in his hands and delivers expectedly. Loy and Shankar provide needed support in the chorus.

They say that the best is yet to come, and this time it strikes truth with the last song.
O Rangrez. I guess I need some extra sentences to describe this song. I say that this song is a classic. And why? Mostly because everything is bloody perfect in it. The mood is set right by the strings and Harmonium in the beginning before it dives into Javed Bashir's controlled vocals accompanied by Tabla and Sarangi! Now enter Shreya Ghoshal and everything is heaven! The song sways between the sweetness of a ghazal and sharp sound of a Qawaali. The super breezy tune is executed wonderfully by everything above, and every second of the 6:24 run time of the song is crafted elegantly! #Classic #MustHear

Verdict : Bhaag Milkha Bhaag doesn't disappoint. It doesn't score by leaps and bounds either. While it has its share of situational songs, namely Maston ka Jhund and the title song, having their own merits, it has couple of tracks which are largely appealing! O Rangrez is a sturdy gem, one of the best songs by SEL ever, I'd say and as far as Zinda is concerned it has every potential to become the new youth anthem, thanks to the brilliant setting. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy gives us one of their better soundtracks, made more in sync with the movie I think. Very Good effort.

Must Hears! : O Rangrez, Zinda, Mera Yaar

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!.

Raanjhanaa Music Review

Raanjhanaa Music 
Music Direction : A R Rahman
Lyrics : Irshad Kamil

Buy the songs legally, Here
Listen to the songs legally, Here or Here

What I Expected? : Rahman, big time!

Raanjhanaa is sound fiesta! The impeccable vocals of Jaswinder Sing & Shiraz Uppal infused into the hugely energetic yet lovely desi arrangements,(the Sitar for instance, stands out) makes up for a wonderful hear! #Must Hear #Repeat
Banarasiya is where Shreya Ghoshal and A R Rahman scores together, in the singing and composition departments respectively, it is hard to say who outshines whom for the song is one perfect example why Shreya is called the modern Indian nightingale and why Rahman is the nemero uno with all the sweet Sitar merged to the perky Indian composition(Sangeet song), making it highly intriguing! Meena Jain and Anweshaa provide ample support. #Must Hear #Repeat
Piya Milenge is basically a bag of too many good things, strong vocals(Sukhwinder Singh and KMMC Sufi Ensemble), brilliant composition, profound sufi touch, lilting classical base, the predominant urbane beat given a Qawaali edge and the deep lyrics! #Too hard to miss #Repeat
Nazar Laaye is absolutely breezy with the urbane coolness! A romantic ballad, where the soulful vocals of Rashid Ali and Neeti Mohan doesn't go wrong! #Must Hear #Repeat
Aisa Na Dekho surfaces with that lazy-lazy feel, aided heavily by A R Rahman's mastered vocals led by jazz strings and homely lyrics! #Repeat
Tum Tak is truly experimentation at its peak, a purposefully less engaging start then recreates itself in to a cat and mouse race of swaying composition and unmistakable singing, with the apt arrangements and brilliant lyrics setting the divine mood right! #Must Hear #Repeat
Aey Sakhi is has a highly sonorous sound, with the four ladies(Madhushree, Chinmayi, Vaishali and Aanchal Sethi) enjoying themselves in the cheerful yet funny composition coated with the standout sound of Ghatam! #Must Hear #Repeat
Tu Mun Shudi is desi-techno, presumably the less engaging of the lot even with Rabbi Shergill getting a nice piece of music to engage in his own favorite area of music. Good hear!
The Land of Shiva, the instrumental piece, is functional with the Mahadev chants and rudra beats.


Verdict : #MustHear! #Repeat! #Creativity at its best! #Classic Rahman, big time!

Must Hear! : The whole album!

Buy the songs legally Here 
Listen to the songs legally, Here or Here


4.25/5
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(This is the 2nd Outstanding! album rating in IndiBeats the first one being 'Thattathin Marayath'. With the test of time, 4.25 can translate itself into 4.5, for that we have to wait and watch.)

Shortcut Romeo Music Review

Shortcut Romeo Music 

Music Direction : Himesh Reshammiya

Lyrics : Sameer, Shabbir Ahmed, Sanjay Masoom

What I expected? : Fresh commercial entertainment.

Pe Pe Pe has Himesh Reshammiya nasal all the way, templated romantic techno, functional but forgetful in the long run. Remix is added.

Khali Salam Dua, much like HR's own 'Jab Se' from Bol Bachchan, has Mohit Chauhan as its high point placed in an intense melodic tune with minimal but constant arrangements in the background. Works for the rawness in Mohit's voice, good one! #Repeat

Ishq Gangster has a scintillating rhythmic verve to it, Vineet Singh and Himesh Reshmmiya contributing equally to the techno-pop perky track. Good hear!

Remix sounds definitely good with all the infused raps!

Shortcut Romeo, the title track presumably, goes mysteriously techno-jazzy with Ash King sounding the usual fresh. Situational, but one of the better hears of the album!

Shortcut Romeo(Reprise) has an anthemic-patriotic Indian touch to it, mostly due to the way Aman Triikha sings it, but I'm not sure whether the lyrics go perfectly in sync with the setup. 

Jaave Saari Duniya has Mika credited as the singer but I could definitely hear HR all through it, situational celebration song again, might work with the video.

Mashup is essentially well mixed.

Verdict : Shortcut Romeo. Music just for the movie, nothing more nothing less. With good promotions, might last until the movie hits the screens, all set to fade after that. Average

Must Hears! : Khali Salam Dua

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Ramaiya Vastavaiya Music Review

Ramaiya Vastavaiya Music 
Music Direction : Sachin-Jigar
Lyrics : Mayur Puri, Priya Panchal

What I expected? : Competent romantic stuff from Sachin-Jigar

Jeene Laga Hoon, even with the surprisingly heard before tune and retro feel, rides high on Atif Aslam's and Shreya Ghoshal's strong vocals giving an adequately engaging melody!
Bairiyaa has the singing duo again, singing a fairly fervid tune. Good effort but doesn't stay in one's mind.
Peecha Chuute has Mohit Chauhan as its high point as well as the strikingly perky setup! Good Hear! #Repeat
Rang Jo Lagyo is easily the best among the lot, the anthem-ish romantic tune goes perfectly in sync with Atif's voice, where he belts occasionally, with Shreya as good as ever! #Repeat!
Hip hop Pammi and Jhaadoo Ki Jhappi doesn't click, the former being a painstaking rehash of the gazillion Punjabi dance tracks we've already heard, and the later an all-familiar item number. Mika doesn't help in both. Just for the screen, situational songs.

Verdict : A good album with occasional good melodies and cliched dance tracks. Scores for the first four songs!

Must Hears! : Rang Jo, Jeene Lagaa, Peecha Chute

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Fukrey Music Review

Fukrey Music
Music Direction : Ram Sampath
Lyrics : Munna Dhiman, Vipul Vig, Mrigdeep Singh Lamba

What I Expected? : High quality entertainment!

Fuk Fuk Fukrey, is mad, insanely catchy, what with the addictive dholak beats merged with the neat electronic music along with some high energy singing from Amjad Bagadwa, Ram Sampath, Yash Divecha, and Vrashal Chavanand, builds up for a chart buster! #Repeat
Beda Pyaar is surprisingly leaps and bounds above the usual Mika club song affairs, thanks to the extremely catchy chorus and high level production quality. Tarannum Malik is perfect as the backing vocal! #Repeat
Lag Gay Lottery gets the Punjabi fusion sound right but is a nudge below the standards set by the first two songs, singing by Ram Sampath and Tarannum Malik is impactful enough though. Entertaining stuff!
Karle Jugaad Karle's predominant Indian flavour is accelerated by Kailas Kher and Keeti Sagathia, the Qawali mode executed perfectly by the apt arrangements keeping you engaged throughout with catchy hooks! #Repeat
Rabba is delightful, the fantastic layering of sounds on a folk-ish tune stand out along with some powerful singing from Keerti Sagathia, Ram Sampath and Clinton Cerejo!
Ambarsariya is just rightly made for Sona Mohapatra, seems just out of her 2007 album 'Sona', the breezy Punjabi tone set to some wonderful guitar with simple yet instantly memorable lyrics! #Repeat

Verdict : Fukrey is listeners delight! The dance tracks excels in quality, which you rarely get to hear, while the melodies are subtly alluring! Ram Sampath gets the tunes right, as he always does. Very Good effort this is. Fuk Funky Fukrey!

Must Hears! : Fuk Fuk, Beda Pyaar, Karle Jugaad, Ambarsariya


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Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 Music Review

Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 Music

Music Direction : Sharib-Toshi, Sachin Gupta

Lyrics : 

What I expected? : Punjabi masala

Yamla Pagla Deewana, apart from being a song for the Deols to shake a leg onscreen, nothing much. Catchy tune anyway.
Sadi Daru, a slightly different version offers same effect.

Changli Hai Changli Hai is no different
Main Taan Aidaan Hi Nachna has Sachin Gupta stamp all over it, more fresh with the hip hop mode, still basically the same feel

Suit Tera Laal Rang Da is templatized Punjabi melody, Sonu Nigam and Sunidhi Chauhan does a good job though.
Jatt Yamla Pagla Ho Gaya is adequately funky, thanks to Mika. The second R&B version with Sharib Sabri on vocals, equally good.
YPD Mashup serves the purpose.


Verdict : There is nothing wow about Yamla Pagala Deewana music, might click for Punjabi music lovers. To the others, just the occasional "balle balle" till the movie hits big screen.

Must Hears! : None


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Aurangzeb Music Review

Aurangzeb Music

Music Direction : Amartya Rahut(Song 1), Vipin Mishra

Lyrics : Puneet Sharma, Manoj Kumar Nath, Vipin Mishra

What I Expected? : Nothing much, after all what can you expect from a cop-don thriller?

Barbadiyaan is groovy, club track, an ear worm frankly because the chorus stays with you, once you hear it. Ram Sampath and Sasheh Aagha does an upbeat singing fare and with some neat DJing, does give a lively hear!

Barbadi the soft rock version of Barbaadiyaan is just brilliant! Riding on Mohan Kanan's elevated, deft vocals, the haunting, low pitch, well arranged track demands definitely multiple hears! Great Hear!

Jigra Fakira has Keerthi Sagathia doing a RFAK, the usual sufi-folk-rock template, but gets saved by some soulful Esraj in between. Listening again, oh what the hell, a good hear nevertheless.

Auragzeb, the title song namely, takes the Gospel choir route, slow and serene, clearly stressing on the lyrics while being sung well by Marianne D’cruz Aiman and Choir.

Aurangzeb Rock version hit the right chords, Vipin Mishra croons unmistakably and with some skilled orchestration, the song is strong but better be used in the BGM than as a standalone.

Trial By Fire - Main Theme (instrumental) Violins and Keyboard. Well composed.

Battleground Gurgaon (instrumental) instills an element of fear in you.

The Fathers Truth (Instrumental) Has some really good sax and keyboard.

Aurangzeb - Orchestral (Instrumental) Violins and drums. Impressive.

Verdict : In Harry Potter language, I'll give an 'E' grade to the album, to be specific, it 'Exceeds Expectations'. While all the instrumentals are done well, the rest songs are bloody impressive, even when being a tad situational. Composers Amartya Rahut and National Award winning, ex-Parikrama guitarist Vipin Mishra does a neat job and for a cop-don thriller, more than enough.

Must Hears! : Barbadiyan, Barbadi, Aurangzeb Rock Version

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Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani Music Review

Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani Music
Music Direction : Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics : Amitabh Bhattacharya

What I expected? : Understandably, Pritam will pull all strings to ensure a fantastic music score for a Ranbir Kapoor film which is huge in making and high on hype! Nothing but a 'fun'tastic album!

Batameez Dil is instantly trippy, quirky and peppy with highly imaginative lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya. This Benny Dayal & Shefali Alvarez sung track gonna be high on the discos! #Repeat
Balam Pichkari by Vishal Dadlani and Shalmali Kholgade, the holi song, is addictive from the word go! Especially the 'balam pichkari' hook stuffed brilliantly inside the largely colorful and energetic arrangements! #Repeat
Ilahi and Ilahi Reprise, respective versions sung by Arjit Singh and Mohit Chauhan, are exactly the same not for the singers, but definitely arranged well, especially for the sound placing of the chorus. Mohit edges over Arjit by a bit in the singing department, rawness in voice contributes, nevertheless, superb track! #Repeat
Kabira is soft rock melody, templatized by a bit, but sung well by Tochi Raina and Rekha Bharadwaj.
Kabira Encore, the second version by Arjit Singh and Harshdeep Kaur is actually way more likable due to the folkish rich arrangements, which suits the composition more in entirety. Good Hear!
Dilliwali Girlfriend by Arjit Singh and Sunidhi Chauhan comes with the heavy heard before feel which usual Punjabi songs give, enjoyable but situational.
Subahnalla, even with the prosaicness in the composition department, rises above the usual due to the flawless rendition by Sreeram with ample support from Shilpa Rao. Good hear!
Ghangra is strangely staid albeit the singers being concerned is Rekha Bharadwaj and Vishal Dadlani, mainly due to the mediocre arrangement setup and less lively singing. May work with a video.

Verdict : The score does not satisfy huge expectations. Its a 50-50 affair, Pritam begins the album in a fantastic note through Batameez Dil and Balam Pichkari but then falters through the middle of the album. While all the songs are good enough to ensure a good promotion round for the film, the album as a whole is not enough to satisfy the demands of the music audience. On the up side, the album does scores through the first three songs, which becomes its high point, and which makes this one lively and worth trying. Good effort!

Must Hears! : Batameez Dil, Balam Pichkari, Ilahi


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