Album: “Bhool Bhulaiyaa”; Music: Pritam; Singers: Neeraj Shridhar, K.K, Tulsi Kumar, Shaan, Shreya Ghosal, M.G. Sreekumar; Rating: **Director Priyadarshan’s forte is remakes. Take any of his past flicks like Hulchul, Garam Masala, Bhagam Bhag and the more recent Dhol and you will certainly observe that they are all comic remakes of Malayam movies. And for these kinds of projects, he has a tendency to attach strong music and if necessary and fitting, crazy music!
With a title like Bhool Bhulaiyaa (another remake) you expect another crazy flick and if there’s one composer you would want to back it, that man is Pritam for sure! And the signs are good too; he certainly achieved a good soundtrack for Priyadarshan’s recent Dhol and brings out all his big guns here i.e. his favorite singers such as K.K, Shaan, Shreya Ghoshal and Tulsi Kumar. The only worry would be the lyricist Sameer but even he can be inspirational when he wants to be (let’s be positive listeners!).

The first offering here is the title track Bhool Bhulaiyaa and it’s not a bad start to the soundtrack at all. It is peppy with a hip-hop nature and holds a mystical flavor to it which will no doubt help promote the movie but without on screen frills, you have to say it’s a little short on quality. Having said that, at least it’s fresh which is saying a lot for this soundtrack although I’m not too sure about the constant cries of ‘Hare Krishna Hare Ram’ which might not be to everyone’s taste! Singing by Neeraj Shridhar and the simple mix of English/Hindi lyrics by Sameer are fitting. In short the track portrays the zany theme of the movie perfectly!

The Remix by DJ Amyth is just alright but you feel the pace of the original is more suiting.

Sadly the next track, Labon Ko is a lacklustre love ballad from the off and has nothing new or interesting to offer! What’s worse is that the music is a straight port over from Pritam’s earlier soundtrack Darling (Hasaye Bhi Rulaye Bhi) albeit at a much slower pace. K.K suffers the most here as he is required to croon repeated verses such as ‘Bahon Mein Mere’ etc. Lyrics by Sameer are woeful. You have done well if you can get to the end of this track. A huge let down!

At least Labon Ko Remix by DJ Kiran, DJ G and Earl is more bearable than the original as it peps things up.

Thankfully K.K’s vocals are put to much better use in Sajda in which Pritam returns to the peppy dance theme. However in reality it’s still an uninspiring effort! I can see this one appealing to the youth for sure but everyone else can pass over this one. Lyrics are simple but ineffective. Run of the mill has never sounded better!

Sajda Remix by DJ Suketu is arguably as good as the original. Give it a try especially if you liked the original.

Let’s Rock Soniye continues the dance theme but is irksome for the horrible English verse ‘Let’s Rock Soniye’ which forms part of the main chorus, ouch! However lyrics aside, it has at least a few things going for it including some flowery dance music (resembles River Dance without the foot tapping!) and some credible singing by Shaan and Tulsi Kumar. It’s very apparent that this track supports a celebratory theme in the movie and is consequently more suited to the screen than on your iPod. Another let down!

The Remix tries its best to infuse something extra here but cannot eradicate that irritating verse!

Allah Haafiz is K.K’s third and final appearance in the soundtrack and one that he will want to forget very quickly because it’s the worst score of the lot! One feels for the singer who has been quiet since his mesmerising performance in ‘Life In A…Metro’ and this marks a disappointing return for him. All blame pointed at Pritam and Sameer here for their obvious lack of creativity. Stay clear of this dud!

Having given us a mixture of dance and love ballads, Pritam then switches themes to classical/semi classical as if to provide some variety to the soundtrack. Desperation is another way of describing things!

Firstly you get Sakhiya, a semi classical arrangement in the main part of the track whilst Pritam tries to give it a current flavour by infusing it with electronic beats amongst other arrangements. Suffice to say it’s a failure overall as you quickly lose interest with this one. Tulsi Kumar’s talents deserve better than this. Sameer’s lyrics on the other hand are painfully dull!

Ironically and arguably the best track of this entire soundtrack is the ultra classical based Mere Dholna which features all the arrangements you would expect from a ‘mujra’ based song including the dhol, tabla and ghungroo. To give Pritam some credit, his arrangements stand out crisply for once. As expected Shreya Ghoshal performs admirably with her delivery ably supported by M.G Sreekumar and although the track provides a welcome relief to the listener, you feel it is too little too late. It also drags towards the end (at 6.30mins - it is too long!).

Overall Bhool Bhulaiyaa is a massive disappointment especially when you consider the amount of talent on show. Some of the industry’s leading singers are here, yet rarely you feel like you are enjoying their performance. That’s mainly down to the bland musical arrangements (from supposedly one of the leading composers) which are far too average and familiar for the seasoned listener. In fact when so many remixes sound better than the original, you know something is wrong! The biggest culprit however is Sameer who needs a major rethink of his writing style that has become ultra repetitive and stale. Simplicity is good but only with originality.

Pritam delivered with Dhol but fails here and it is evident that he (clearly with a lot of work on his plate) is struggling to keep his music fresh. He is fast eclipsing the Himesh of Bollywood (as far as quantity is concerned) and needs to get his act sorted preferably by concentrating his efforts as opposed to diluting them! ‘Life In A…Metro’ seems a distant memory, so will the real Pritam please stand up?

Cast: Irrfan Khan, Shobana, Anupam Kher, Rajat Kapoor, Dhruv Piyush Panjnani, Utkarsha Naik, Nassar Abdulla, Barkha Singh; Director: Kaushik Roy; Rating: ***Watching Apna Asmaan came as a refreshing break from the usual big budget extravaganzas churned out every week

The film opens with an urban, middle class couple struggling to come to terms with their autistic child (Dhruv Panjuani). Hailing from a family of scholars, the mother (Shobana) is almost embarrassed about her son’s limited intellect and tries every possible remedy to make her son normal (read studious). The father (Irrfan Khan) is burdened with the guilt of dropping his son as an infant. It is however suggested in the plot that the accident has no link to the boy’s autism.

Although the boy is a talented artist his parents fail to recognise his skill and keep giving importance to studies. One evening, Irrfan meets Dr Sathya (Anupam Kher) who claims to have a medicine called ‘brain booster’ which can turn any human into a super brain. The side effect – amnesia; the patient will lose all contact with his past. Willing to risk their son’s life, the parents inject the boy with the brain booster. As promised he transforms into a genius, performing the most complicated mathematical calculations with ease. So much so that the boy becomes a celebrity. He however refuses to acknowledge his parents and turns into a person devoid of any emotion… almost a robot.

This forces the parents to rethink their decision, as they start missing their mentally challenged but loving son.

Irrfan Khan once again comes up with a brilliant performance. With his trademark witty one-liners, he is a ‘natural’ throughout the film. The music though situational, flows well with the film’s storyline. The film has a message for those over-ambitious parents who don’t appreciate their children for what they are.

The entire Anupam Kher track about the brain booster seems a little far-fetched. A more believable therapy would have worked better. Also in the second half, the boy’s transformation into a selfish wizard who develops criminal tendencies is a trifle hard to digest. A tighter editing would have also helped as the director adds too many unnecessary scenes in the name of symbolism.

All Irrfan Khan fans should just go for it. As for the film, it works but only in parts.

Cast: Fardeen Khan, Esha Deol, Isha Koppikar, Zakir Hussain; Director: Ram Gopal Varma; Rating: * 1/2

A philandering husband Aditya Soman (Fardeen Khan) finds himself in a soup when he accidentally kills his ‘other woman’ Gita Menon (Esha Deol) after a night of passion. Despite all efforts to put the mishap behind him, he finds himself being haunted by his past, literally. What follows are strange incidents for which he is unable to give any explanations whatsoever to anyone around him.

His wife Ashwini (Isha Koppikar) is at a loss to understand his irrational behaviour. Meanwhile the police get an inkling and a certain Inspector Reddy and Sub-Inspector Malti Pande are hot on his heels. Gita then begins targeting Aditya’s loved ones. At the end, sitting next to his unconscious wife, a crestfallen Aditya confesses his mistake and his love for Gita. Little does he know, however, what is in store for him after this little confession.

Besides Esha Deol’s acting there is practically nothing to write about here. However the girl has really proved she has a lot to offer to a film besides skin show. Her role as the revenging ghost reminds one of Urmila’s performance as an obsessive lover in Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya (eerily also an RGV production, starring Fardeen Khan).

Don’t bother about the plot sounding similar to Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya because Darling has far too many flaws than just that. After Aag, this is yet another half-hearted effort by Ram Gopal Varma. A dreary storyline and an uninspiring screenplay are the biggest drawbacks of this film. The overall look of Darling also leaves a lot to be desired. Camera angles and frame selection seem contrived, somewhat pseudo.

But the most unpardonable of them all is the film’s shoddy editing. In the scene where Gita is sitting under Aditya’s office desk, feeling up his new secretary’s legs, you cannot miss Aditya’s left hand on his face in one shot then on his lap in the other, back on the face in the third and again on his lap in the fourth. Certainly such amateurish direction (and indeed editing) isn’t expected of an RGV film.

Then again, like most of his films, Darling too is told from an essentially male point of view. But it crosses the line when it takes an almost chauvinistic stand on the issue of extra-marital affairs.

You DO NOT watch this film. Unless of course you consider yourself as regressive as Aditya who tells his dead mistress, “I wished I could have you both with me.” RGV may be up-to-date about the latest trends in filmmaking. But when it comes to themes and storylines he just gives in to stereotypes like any other average filmmaker.

Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Ritesh Deshmukh, Arshad Warsi, Sharman Joshi, Tiku Talsania, Asrani, Javed Jaffrey, Aashish Chaudhary, Murli Sharma, Sohail Khan, Aftab Shivdasani; Director: Indra Kumar; Rating: ***

His Masti and Pyare Mohan were about male bonding, and director Indra Kumar repeats himself again in his latest, Dhamaal. Starring Arshad Warsi, Riteish Deshmukh and Ashish Chowdhry, the film revolves around four friends and a cop, police inspector Kabir, played by Sanjay Dutt. Deshbandhu Roy aka Roy (Riteish Deshmukh) believes that he was born to be the best detective in the world. Then there is Manav Shrivastav (Javed Jafferey) and his elder brother, Aditya Shrivastav aka Adi (Arshad Warsi), whose half-knowledge about everything only adds to their problems. The final component of the group is Boman Contractor (Aashish Chowdhury), whose greatest fear is his father, played by Asrani.

These four friends live and work together. Their idea of work? Doing small-time con jobs! One day, they hit the jackpot while trying to save a dying man, Bose (Prem Chopra). Unfortunately for them, inspector Kabir Nayak, who has been chasing Bose for the last ten years, also reaches the spot to find the foursome next to the dead body. He questions them. They inadvertently blurt out their plans about whacking Bose’s money before managing to escape.

Now begins the chase. One misadventure follows another, and the four friends and the inspector are thrown into hilarious situations.

For now, Riteish seems to be caught in the comic swamp. Although Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi and Javed Jafferey were at their individual best, it was Riteish who stands out with his ‘intelligently-funny’ act. After scoring the soundtrack of Salman Khan-starrer Lucky-No Time to Love, singer-composer Adnan Sami is at it again. The title track is already climbing the charts.

The basic storyline of Dhamaal has nothing to boast of. It’s far too predictable. A complete brainless comedy, a few sequences in the film, especially the chase sequence, has a stark resemblance to Priyadarshan’s Malamaal Weekly. The treasure-hunting scene too reminds us of the last sequence in Don (old version), where every other person tries to catch hold of a red diary.

Sanjay Dutt should have put in some extra effort to make his character look palpable on screen. Javed Jafferey was a complete waste, considering his excellent performances in Salaam Namaste and Ta Ra Rum Pum.

Best to give this film a miss! It offers nothing outstanding or extraordinary. Lock your brains and throw the key in the sea as the curtains go up. Don’t look for logic, don’t ask questions.

Album: “Manorama”; Music: Jayesh Gandhi and Raiomond Mirza; Rating: **It’s rare to come across an album which has a collection of only soothing tracks. Also, it’s not always important to have a variety which caters to all genres of music. Manorama Six Feet Under, which boasts of a bunch of unconventional actors, seems to have a promising album. Jayesh Gandhi and Raiamond Mirza’s compositions can be slotted under one class, yet dissimilar in nature. 

Woh Bheege Pal may sound like one contemporary composition from Pritam’s equalizers but on repeated hearing, the difference is evident. It’s one of those few songs where the music does not have an overpowering effect; the vocals have a dominant role to play. And Jayesh does total justice to it. The lyrics make an attempt to sound different from that of ‘Woh bheegi bheegi raatein-Zeher.’ It’s definitely a complete song! 

Zubeen Garg of Ya Ali fame croons Woh Bheege Pal in his own definite style. It is indeed difficult to make out whether it is his voice or the beautiful composition that adds flavour to this song. But Garg’s voice is sure to touch one’s heart, no doubt!

Coming from Dj Akbar’s table, Woh Bheege Pal’s remix sounds just fine, neither great nor okay. It seems the song has just been compressed a bit adding the fast paced digitized beats. Or is this what remixes are all about?

The lyrics of ‘Tere Sawalon Ke’ will make you think. It’s an emotional, sensitive and yet has a reasonable feel to it. Roopkumar Rathod’s ever melodious voice enhances the lyrics and the whole song is on a high pitched note. Mahalaxmi Iyer’s vocals do balance out the song, but she hardly has some lines to her credit. One will barely remember her voice as Rathod steals the audio space.

Kailash Kher’s sharp vocals sound excellent with lyrics penned by Irfan Siddiqui. ‘Dhundla Jo Sama Bandha’ has been given an unusual treatment. The music has a classical feel to it yet modern and playing strong. Kher’s voice is unparalleled and like all his songs, this one too juts out. Apart from a great composition and inspirational lyrics, the beats of the music will have a lasting effect.  

‘Dhoka’ sounds like a track from RGV’s spooky thrillers. The lyrics by Rowdy fail to leave a great impact, however Richa Sharma’s voice does strike a chord. On a whole, this song lags behind in the completeness expected. Raiomond Mirza’s music is fairly okay and could have been better.