Music Review: Ajab Prem ki Gazab Kahani (Pritam)

Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani (APKGK) is dangerous. You get afraid you first get to see there are 14 songs in the album. Then it comes back that half of them must be remixes. And I won't write about them.

OK. This review starts from the second song, Tu Jaane Na, the one sung by Atif Aslam. Hmmm. Here is something new from Atif. Atif this time doesn't sing in Atifish style but the song is more like a song of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. Interesting thing is that you love the song you hear it the first time and you know it will last long at the same time. In short, it's superb, go for it.

The next song Oh By God starts with Aamir Khan's preview given before Bam Bam Bole. OK. It's not by Aamir and it's not the same. But it's just like that. And then, there is the song by Sunidhi and Mika, who, for once, doesn't take over the whole song and gets to sing a proper duet. Dance mode, not too fast, good one this too.

Next is the song everybody was waiting for. Tera hone laga hoon is what it promised to be. A typical Atif with Alisha Chinoy sounds good. No big words. It is what you knew it would be. Listen to it. The only thing I'm wondering about is the singer of background vocals.

Prem ki Naiyya by Neeraj Shridhar for once stumped me when I heard Neeraj Shridhar singing something other than he's supposed to sing. But then he came back to his style. Once again, Neeraj Shridhar needs more freshness. The song is fine again. Will do.

Javed Ali and Jojo. That's a combination that is enough to create something in my mind. The song, Aa Jao Meri Tamanna, opens beautifully but goes a step down when Javed's voice goes below other things. But then, the guy comes bak and then fades again. Jojo gives beautiful effects in the three words 'Aise mujhmein samao'. A 'wow' love song. Go for this one. Recommended.

The next song on the list is Follow me, by Hard Kaur. Typical Hard Kaur, nothing much to tell about her rap. OK. Don't think anything huge there.

Okay. Now that original songs are over, I'm back to the first song. The song starts with Hard Kaur's voice and the same rap that the last song in my list was. And then, KK and Sunidhi Chauhan join in to sing Mujhe Pyaar Nazar nahi aata, the song you first saw in the promos. In fact if you hear the songs in the same order as written here, the song will be a good surprise to you. You can try that. ;)

Fine, songs are over, but then Pritam knows there was a really good song in the album called Tu Jaane na. And here we get a reprise version of the song. The best part is that this one, sung by Soham, Rana Mazumdar and Ashish pandit, also sounds good.

No, it's not over. Pritam knows the song is good and it's working still. So, at the end of the album, there is another, huge surprise. Kailash Kher, Paresh and Naresh, that is entire Kailasa, sing the song again in an unplugged version. I know, the song is good, and it works, but I'm wondering when Pritam will know who is the best singer for which song and give him that instead of giving three versions of same song everytime.

Oops, forgot to summarize. Good album. Buy it if you're not a Pritam-hater. You won't regret. Atif won't let you.

Some More Female Voices, Please!

It's a male dominated world. And since the film Industry is a part of this very world, the industry is, fortunately or unfortunately, male dominated too. And recently, I have noticed a newly developing aspect of the fact. We have less and less female singers behind the microphones now.

Did you notice neither Tum Mile nor London Dreams has a single female singer in their credits. The concern goes worse when one says both the movies are musicals, Tum Mile, with Pritam trying to give his best compositions/collections, and London Dreams, based on singers' lives itself. Still, there is not a single song in either of the movies where you get to hear a female voice.

While in Indian film industry the fairer sex rarely gets a fair share in anything, getting no share at all in a field like singing is new and strange. Previously we have seen many examples of movies with female voices appearing in just one or two songs. Also, there have been movies based on certain subjects where we have less songs or songs based on certain characters, be it Dosti of Laxmikant Pyarelal, or Taare Zameen Par.

Going by music composers, A R Rahman, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Vishal-Shekhar, Salim-Sulaiman and Pritam can be considered as major music composers. While A R Rahman quite regularly gives some songs to Madhushree for a long time now, Shreya Ghoshal is a main league singer who has found place in Rahman's choices.

Vishal and Shekhar also seem to have a few songs for Sunidhi Chauhan and Shreya Ghoshal in their albums. In fact they have admitted that at times, they compose certain songs with these singers in mind. Salim Sulaiman don't use the voices of Sunidhi and Shreya regularly but they seem to experiment with newer or lesser known voices like Shruti Pathak, Neha Bhasin and Hema Sardesai.

Pritam is generally found using a voice or two for his dance numbers while he relies more on band singers like Neeraj Shridhar, Mohit Chauhan and even Atif if available. Last time when he tried to put all these singers in duets, in Kismat Konnection, the results were not very good and probably that's the reason he is coming up with less and less female voices, finally to give an all-male Tum Mile.

As far as Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy are concerned, they tend to take lesser known or no female voices for their albums. While their London Dreams has no female voices, Wake Up Sid's only song with a female voice is the one composed by Amit Trivedi. Their Heyy Babyy had just one song sung by Shreya and Taare Zameen Par had no female singers except in backgrounds.

So, what is the reason we have lesser and lesser female singers now? Are various reality shows any measure? Because almost all of them seem to have a male winner except a few Saurabhis and Sanchitas. well, I do not think that it's men who sing all the good songs. And variety is something we will anyways, always need. I hope we not only have more singers like Mohit Chauhan and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan but also like Sunidhi, Shilpa, Anushka and Sona. Are the composers (all males) listening?

Dil Ibadat (lyrics)

Ok. I cannot not write the lyrics of this beautiful song. Pritam and KK, superb work. And lyricists, Sayeed Quadri and Kumaar. Good job.

Lyrics:

Dil Ibadat Kar Raha Hai
Dhadkane Meri Sun,
Tujhko Main Kar Loon Hasil Lagi Hai Yahi Dhun.
Zindgi Ki Shakh Se Loon Kuchh Hasin Pal main Chun
Tujhko Main Kar Loo Hasil Lagi Hai Yahi Dhun

Dil Ibadat Kar Raha Hai
Dhadkane Meri Sun
Tujhko Main Kar Loon Hasil Lagi Hai Yahi Dhun
Zindgi Ki Shakh Se Loon Kuchh Hasin Pal main Chun
Tujhko Main Kar Loo Hasil Lagi Hai Yahi Dhun

Jo Bhi Jitne Pal Jiyoon
Unhe Tere Sang Jiyoon
Jo Bhi Kal Ho Ab Mera Use Tere Sang Jiyoon
Jo Bhi Saanse Main Bharoon Unhe Tere Sang Bharoon
Chahe Jo Ho Raasta Use Tere Sang Chaloon

Dil Ibadat Kar Raha Hai
Dhadkane Meri Sun
Tujhko Main Kar Loon Hasil Lagi Hai Yahi Dhun

Mujhko De Tu Mit Jaane
Ab Khudse Dil Mil Jaane
Kyun Hai Yeh Itna Fasla..
Lamhe Ye Phir Naa Aane
Inko Tu Naa de Jaane
Tu Mujh Pe Khudko De Luta.....
Tujhe Tujhse Tod Loon Kahin Khudse Jod Loon
Mere Jism O Jaan Mein Aa Teri Khushboo Odh Loon

Jo Bhi Saanse Main Bharoon Unhe Tere Sang Bharoon
Chahe Jo Ho Raasta Use Tere Sang Chaloon

Dil Ibadat Kar Raha Hai
Dhadkane Meri Sun
Tujhko Main Kar Loon Hasil Lagi Hai Yahi Dhun

Bahon Main De Bas Jaane
Seene Main De Chhup Jaane
Tujh Bin Main Jaaun to Kahaan
Tujhse Hain Mujhe Ko Paane Yaado Ke Wo Nazrane
Ek Jinpe Haq Ho Bas Mera

Teri Yaado Main Rahoon
Tere Khwabo Main Jagoon
Mujhe Doondhe Jab Koi
Teri Aankho Main Miloon

Jo Bhi Saanse Main Bharoon
Unhe Tere Sang Bharoon
Chahe Jo ho Raasta Use Tere Sang Chaloon

Dil Ibadat Kar Raha Hai
Dhadkane Meri Sun
Tujhko Main Kar Loon Hasil Lagi Hai Yahi Dhun...

Music Review: Tum Mile (Pritam)

Tracks: 9
Songs: 5
Versions: 8
Instrumentals: 1
Composer: Pritam
Singers: Javed Ali, KK, Mohit Chauhan, Neeraj Shridhar, Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan
Best ones: Dil Ibadat, Tu hi Haqeeqat, Tum Mile Love Reprise
Verdict: Good

Tum Mile: One song. Three versions. Probably Pritam could not decide how will the song look best and put three versions of the song in the album. The album opens with this song in Neeraj Shridhar's voice. With Neeraj the song sounds like a typcial song of his and becomes a foot-tapping number that will rule the charts for a few months and then forgot.

But then, the same song is given to Javed Ali and you get 'Love Reprise'. This time, the song almost completely changes even though you know it's the same. This version is lighter, definitely better and relatively long lasting.

And then you have Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan singing a rock version for the song. For once you may not find much in this version after listening to the first two. But separated from the other two, the rock version also scores. My pick, though, is Javed Ali's Love Reprise version.

Dil Ibadat: A lovable track sung by KK. The song also has a Rock Version that is again sung by him. The compostion is good and lyrics, though usual, at some points are superb. Overall the song is a good one, of must listen category. Go for it, select which version you like better. Normal one for me.

Is Jahan mein: Mohit Chauhan is not made for 'fast' songs. Not that he can't sing them well or something, but he's so good with slow-soft-romantic numbers (and even not so romantic ones, remember Khoon Chala) that giving him a fast one is not generally a very good use of the depth in his voice. Iss Jahan mein has something like that only. Is jahan mein is a good song but if you start listening after seeing Mohit Chauhan's name, you may be disappointed. Okay song.

Tu Hi Haqeeqat: Khwaab tu, dariya tu hi, pyaas tu, tu hi dil ki beqarari, tu sukoon, tu sukoon... With good lyrics like these and slow, beautiful music, the USP of tu hi haqeeqat is Javed Ali. Javed Ali has sung the song in such a soulful voice that makes it worth listening. Tu Humsafar, Tu humkadam, Tu humnava mera.. Listen to this one just for Javed Ali.

O Meri Jaan: Yet another song by KK. This one is a sad number, though not a typical sad song we're familiar with, but a rock kind of song that one is expected to like in a long time, and then, the song stays. A good song, but only for those who have the patience as you will probably not like the song instantly. Try it anyway.

Overall, tum mile is a good album and in times when A R Rahman's Blue has not been able to deliver much, Pritam gives some songs somewhat beyond expectation. Credit to Pritam, but more credit to KK and Javed Ali.

Love Aaj Kal: Music Review (3.5/5)

It's simple. Love Aaj Kal looks like it's going to be a hit. And so does the music of the movie. On the very first listening, you get to know that you're going to love the songs and they're gonna be all over the FM. Well, why waste time then, start with the review. Shall we?

Love Aaj Kal, composed by Pritam, is an album where Pritam has left almost no stone unturned (except Atif) and half the album goes to Neeraj Sridhar. But, the results are not as could as one might have expected. Still, the album is worth listening to.

The album has seven tracks and three of them are remixed, to give a total of ten songs. Out of seven, Neeraj Sridhar gets to sing 3 songs and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, KK and Mohit Chauhan get one song each. Sunidhi gets one solo number while sings one with Neeraj. And Jazzy B is there in one song with Neeraj.

The first song opens up with Jazzy B singing in a style that is less like himself and more like some 90's singer. Soon, when Neeraj comes in, you feel that Jazzy B takes in some freshness and the song probably wouldn't be as good if it had been Neeraj alone. In fact, I get a feeling like Neeraj is being used too much and if he keeps on singing the same type of songs, people may get bored of him soon.

The second song, Ajj Din Chadheya is some typical Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, with some new touches, that resemble more 'Teri ore' than his old numbers. The song, slow, and with not much experiments, is quite soothing. The lyrics of Irshad Kamil are good. No doubt, the song is one of the best in the album.

Chor Bazari is again sung by Neeraj Sridhar, and Sunidhi Chauhan. The song has the same freshness that you see in the trailer of the movie and expect from the movie. The lyrics of the song are interesting, realistic, lovable, and above all, mast. The music is good and foot-tapping, and the lyrics will probably help the song long last. Go for this one.

KK is one of the singers who must be looked out for in an album. Here too, with just one song, KK again makes his presence felt as he sings 'main wo hoon jo chahun wo paaun'. The song sounds like a stage performance and is one of the best songs of the album, beating most except one by Rahat.

The next number, the only 'female only' song, is sung by Sunidhi Chauhan, and is mixed with folk music, with chorus sounding like from a 'mahila sangeet' of North India. As always, Sunidhi has sung the song well and though I don't know how Imtiyaz and Saif plan to promote the song, I hope it can go well if promoted well.

The next on the soundtrack is what you have been listening during the theatrical trailer of the movie. Twist, the song that starts with the ever-so-popular 'Nagin' tune, almost runs on the same tune half the way and the tune keeps coming back. The song is sung mainly by Neeraj Sridhar and he's the only person with the credits but it seems Saif also has done his share of singing and the female voie is uncredited too. The song is not big for separate listening but it'll be great for backgrounds. And surely for baraats.

The last song, Ye Dooriyaan sung by Mohit Chauhan, is a good number too, but at some points it seems like Pritam is trying to make another Tum se hi rather than a new song, especially in the start. The song is slow and Mohit Chauhan, like always, sings it well. And the song should gain popularity, though not as much as Tum se hi.

Overall, the album is good and some of the songs can be expected to top the charts soon. Go for it.

Song by Song: You get me rocking & reeling (Billu Barber)

Pritam and Neeraj Shridhar is a combination that almost never fails. And this time, as Sayeed Quadri writes lyrics for this always hit combination in You get me rocking and reeling, the result is a soothing-slow-romantic-foot-tapping dance number that one would love almost instantly, especially after seeing Shahrukh Khan dancing to the tune with Priyanka Chopra.

The song is a quite typical Neeraj Shridhar song with rap 'n' all but has more to it this time. Not only the level of lyrics has gone one step higher, Neeraj gets Urdu words like khudaya khair, not quite typical of him.

The song has two remix versions. One is a normal remix where just the speed of the song is increased and the song ends in 4 minutes and 5 seconds instead of 4 minutes and 49 seconds and some extra instruments are added. In fact, original song sounds much better than this one even though fast speed also suits this song.

The other one is a video edit for which Dominique is also credited along with Neeraj as she sings a few lines in the video edit. The original version doesn't bear her name as she gives only vocals there along with rap. This version is almost the same as the original except for Dominique's lines.

To sum up, You get me rocking and reeling is a beautiful song. Listen to it to love it. Or still better, see it if you are an SRK fan. (-:-)

Musical Notes: Billu Barber

Composer: Pritam.

Lyricist: Gulzar, Sayeed Quadri, Ashiesh Pandit, Neeraj Shridhar.

Singers: Abhijeet, Ajay Jhingran, Akruti Kakkar, Dominique, Kalpana, KK, Monali, Neeraj Shridhar, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Rana Mazumder, Soham Chakrabarthy, Sukhwinder Singh, Sunidhi Chauhan, Suraj, Tulsi Kumar.

Any one remaining will be taken in Pritam's next movie.

Well, jokes apart, for seven songs and their eight remixes, fifteen singers are roped in. (Yes, one remix also has separate credits) And thus, zero scope has been left to remixing DJs. Though it's a different thing that they will still remix the songs, because hits are going to be there. Sure.

The first song, Marjaani, sung by Sukhwinder and Sunidhi, is made to be a hit, or an instant hit according to me. Though I feel KK must have been Pritam's first choice for the song as a remix of the song is sung by him.

The second song, Love mera hit hit, sung by Neeraj Shridhar and Tulsi Kumar, is a good song, though not as great as Neeraj's previous hits with Pritam which used to be the best numbers in the album. Sukhwinder overshadows Neeraj and Tulsi hardly does something exceptional.

Third song, You get me rocking and reeling, is again sung by Neeraj Shridhar. This time Neeraj gets a better deal and he sings the song absolutely wonderfully. Rocking and Reeling is a comparatively slow romantic-dance-song and sounds quite good with rap. Sayeed Quadri's lyrics are good.

Rana Mazumder and KK come together for the next song, Ae Aa O, and I had hoped there will be some blast but the song, though not bad, is nothing that big. Rana Mazumder is the guy who had sung Door Na Ja in Jannat.

Now there is one song in the movie which has not been remixed. This honor is given to Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. Rahat sings Jaoon Kahan which is quite fast a song if compared to the songs he is singing for past some time. The song is no doubt good, as Rahat's all songs are, but the typical Rahat Fateh Ali Khan feeling is somewhat missing.

Another slow song is Khudaya Khair, which is sung by Soham Chakrabarthy and supported by Akruti Kakkar and Monali. The song sounds very fresh, even though one can find a slight touch of Pehli Nazar Mein in the starting of the song. The song is sung by Abhijeet also and the Abhijeet version is equally good, or probably better.

Billu Bhayankar is a non-song among all these songs and I don't think you'll find time to listen to the bhayankar thing a lot. Let's keep this one for the movie.

In short, music of Billu Barber is quite good and has a number of hits in the making. I you buy a CD, you won't be disappointed.

Song by Song: Marjaani (Billu Barber)

Pritam is Back. It was the first song of Billu Barber and I was listening to it for the very first time and still I could visualize the song being played on a DJ and people dancing to the tunes of Pritam once again.

Probably it's for the first time that Sukhwinder Singh is singing a Pritam's composition and the result is undoubtedly an INSTANT HIT. While Sukhwinder Singh singing for Shahrukh Khan has become a very common thing, Sukhwinder-Pritam and Shahrukh-Pritam are both quite rare combinations. In fact it's for the first time that Shahrukh Khan will be seen dancing on a song composed by Pritam and surely Pritam has given one of his best dance tracks here.

As it must have been clear by now, the song I'm talking about, 'MarJaani' is a fast dance track which comes with Pritam's trademark. The song has a few Punjabi words and some very desi lyrics like 'sochta rehta haiga' and 'sab kehte hainge'. The female voice is Sunidhi Chauhan's and she has once again been wonderful.

The song has two remix versions. One is an electro mix for which there was not a lot of scope but still there is some good mixing and the result is not bad.

The other, Kilogram Balkan mix is not actually a remix but the song sung again completely, this time by KK and Akruti Kakkar. My guess is that this song indicates Pritam's original choice of singers while Sukhwinder could have been brought in because of Shahrukh Khan as he has sung quite a number of songs in past some time, most of them hit.

This version, though sounding very good, doesn't challenge the original version of Sukhwinder/Sunidhi and will probably not be heard as much.

In any case, Marjaani is all set to blaze the dance floors. Listen, and start dancing.

Mit Jaaye.. Kidnap

"Hell is right here Raina!"

The last sentence of the Kidnap promo, and the not-gonna-fight guy of Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na suddenly starts looking like can-do-anything hero of Bollywood movies. And next, there is a song. Yet another from Pritam, who has been with Sanjay Gadhvi in Dhoom and Dhoom 2 also, but has given a bit different music this time as far as this new song from Imran Khan's new flick Kidnap suggests.

Check out for yourself. Here we go.

Hijack

After a long time, there is something worth talking about. Though music of C Kkompany is Okay, there has hardly been any movie worth a description after Rock On.

But now, there is Hijack.

Hijack's teaser and first song are out and I believe that this song will be a hit too, irrespective of absence of Pritam. I think Justin-Uday, the new composers, and Kumar, the lyricist have done well.

Wait for a review. Hope there is another Jannat on its way.

Singh is Kinng: Music Review

In one word, Singh is Kinng rocks. But there is a lot more that needs to be said about the rocking music, so read on.

Singh is Kinng is surely one of the most awaited movies of the year and the same can be said about the soundtrack of the movie. It's the fourth movie of the year for Pritam after Race, Jannat and Kismat Konnection, all of them chartbusters. And no doubt now Singh is Kinng is going to add to the list of these hits.

Though, there is one song that does not belong to Pritam. And Singh is Kinng starts with that one song only - The Snoop Dogg Version of Singh is Kinng. This one is a Rhythm-Dhol-Bass track composed by Calvin Broadus with Surjeet Singh, Manjeet Ral and Kuljeet Ral. The song is supported by Akshay Kumar himself along with Snoop Dogg and RDB.

The song, already heard by many during the IIFA 2008 presentation, is a good number and is interestingly as Punjabi as English. The song is a good listening, especially in the last minute of the five minute length where there is much more Punjabi. Akshay Kumar's part in the song is interesting too.

The second song 'Jee Karda' sung by Labh Janjua and supported by Labh Janjua is a comparatively slower song which is mainly based on the beats in the background. The renditions of Suzi Q add to the so called X-factor of the song. Still, the song is a well composed punjabi song that is going to run well with the other songs of the movie.

The remix version of 'Jee Karda' doesn't have much new to it when compared to the original number and seems to be remixed for the sake of it as there is not much difference visible between the two tracks, not counting a few added effects at points.

And then comes the 'Bas ek King' sung by Neeraj Shridhar, Mika, Ashish Pandit and Hardkaur, which you must have seen on TV by now. The song is a made-for-high-volume song and is going to be a hit in its original and many remix versions which are sure to come out very soon. Though the song doesn't have very much left after the promos as you don't see Akshay Kumar while listening to the song on your music, it is clear that the song will be getting another boost after the release of the music as the full video will be lovable.

The song 'Bas Ek King' has been remixed into a Dhol style version too, named Tiger style remix, as obviously because Dhol is the main instrument in Punjabi music. The remix is made well and of course, a good dhol remix of a good punjabi song can work wonders.

Period.

Get ready for a whole new Daler Mehndi who starts shouting 'Aaj khushi ka din hai aaya..' before he starts singing for a Baaraat in his usual high-high-high style. Yes, 'Bhootni ke' is going to hit Indian marriages more than anything with its completely Made-in-India tag.

'Bhootni ke' has lyrics that resemble the soul of Punjab where love is expressed entirely in its own manner. 'Bhootni ke' is probably the best song of the movie and it seems Pritam agrees with me as we see three different versions of the song including one normal remix and another tiger style version in Mika Singh's voice.

The first remix of the song is as good as the original one, as it runs on a higher speed which will make it more compatible for dancing. The Mika version is the same song in a new packing, and it is difficult to say which one will be more popular. Still, one thing that can be said about the songs is that Daler's version has more Punjabi and authentic feel to it whereas Mika gives a more casual feel to the song and if asked, I would prefer the former.

The next number, Teri Ore by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Shreya Ghoshal, changes the mood for a song and Punjabi dance numbers leave some space for a romantic song, typical of Rahat for past some time, be it O re Piya of Aaja Nachle, Bol na Halke Halke of Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, or Falak Tak of Tashan. Typically again, Rahat is a singer who has never failed a song and this one is no exception. Shreya starts off the song with Rahat having an entry through his alaps after a minute and half.

A new experiment in the song is where Shreya and Rahat both sing lines together but Rahat's voice seems to be in backdrop with Shreya singing in front. A chorus that goes uncredited has also given its taste to the song, though I could not understand the language which is probably Rajasthani or some similar dialect.

And then there is a Lounge mix to this too!

Believe it or not (you will when you listen to it), Pritam has made almost an entire new song in the name of lounge mix as the flavor of the song seems to have changed. The song uses some traditional instruments too but they have been given limited access here so they don't affect the song in a bad way. And hence, this lounge version of Clinton and Eric Pillai also turns out to be a song worth listening.

But fact told, 'original is original' is what comes to my mind when I go back to the original version. A wonderful song, in an album that lies in a completely different territory than the song belongs to.

Back to Punjab, Singhs and Dance numbers. 'Talli Hua' is Neeraj Shridhar in a slightly newer territory and he has done his job well. 'Talli Hua' is a song that is Hindi-Punjabi whereas Neeraj is primarily known for English-Hindi numbers. The song is well supported by Labh Janjua as one doesn't easily understand where the two singers exchange voices.

The remix version that adds rap and Style Bhai adds to tempo of the song too and the version comes out well. Neeraj may once again have a hit to his name though it is not expected to catch up with the heights of Hare Krishna Hare Raam or even Kismat Konnection as those are the in the comfort zone of the Bombay Vikings leader.

To summarize, Singh is Kinng is yet another feather in Pritam's cap, especially as he gets into full-fledged Punjabi flavor in some places, which I expect would be required by the movie too.

As an album, Singh is Kinng is a Must Buy if you like Punjabi hip hop music. The only negative point of the music is that in some places it gets too Punjabi which may not be understood by entire Hindi audiences, especially those in southern parts of India. Else, the bottomline is that Singh is Kinng rocks.

Only Singh can be the King

Salman Khan can be a Hunk. Hritik can have a body that changes the image of Indian heroes, Shahrukh Khan can have a six pack and Harman Baweja can be another Hritik dancing his way to glory. But when it comes to the real thing, it is Singh who is the King.

Yes. It is only Akshay Kumar who can perform those deadly stunts for real. At the IIFA awards 2008 he proved once again that he is the person who dares to do it not just on the big screen but even off the screen, in front of crowd of thousands. It is Akshay Kumar who can reach the stage from the other end of the auditorium hanging on a rope and then perform, that is, sing and dance together. And then, even run into the crowds and stand on the chairs in between while performing.

Akshay, who managed to give four hits last year, is all set to hit the big screens with his next movie 'Singh is Kinng' in August. And though there hasn't been much aired on music channels except for one promo yet, Akshay's performance on 'hun te to mera door jaan nu jee nai karda ni' has made it clear that Pritam is once again going to rock with his music in the movie.

Besides his new movie 'Singh is Kinng', Akshay is also ready to hit small screens with his big thing 'Khatron Ke Khiladi', which is the Indian version of Fear Factor, and will be aired on a new channel called Colors. In the show Akshay will be seen performing stunts and helping contestants perform them.

Shahid's Kismat Konnection

If you think Neeraj Shridhar's super title song is the best Kismat Konnection has to offer, you may be very wrong.

Aziz Mirza, who once directed Shahrukh Khan in Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman and Yes Boss, and later in Chalte Chalte, has finally moved on, and this time, with a bang.

If Shahid rocked you with the first song Kismat Konnection Ho Jaye, Bakhuda Tumhi ho from Atif Aslam is something you are going to fall in love with.

No doubts about it.

The fact that Tips is quite hard on piracy this time has made it possible that all songs are not available online even days after official music release. This has made people more curious about the movie and the songs. Interestingly, till now, the wait has been worth it.

Kismat Konnection is where Pritam has worked with three band leaders in a single movie. Pritam has worked with Atif (previously Jal), Neeraj Shridhar (Bombay Vikings) and Mohit Chauhan (Silk Route) in separate movies to give super hit numbers.

Where Atif sang 'Pehli Nazar Mein' for Pritam in Race, Neeraj has sung two almost similar songs 'Hare Krishna Hare Ram' (Bhool Bhulaiyaa) and Ishq ka Kalma (Goal). Mohit Chauhan's 'Tum Se Hi' from Jab We Met was of course one of the biggest hits of the year.

So after listening to the first two songs, the song I am waiting for is Mohit's 'Is This Love'. Wish it comes soon, and so do other songs. But till then you can sing a few lines with me.

Bakhuda tumhi ho
Har jagah tumhi ho
Haan main dekhun jahan jab
Us jagah tumhi ho
Ye jahaan tumhi ho
Wo jahaan tumhi ho
Is zameen se falak ke
Darmiyaan tumhi ho
Tum hi ho beshubha, Tum hi ho
Tum hi ho mujh mein haan, Tum hi ho
Tum hi ho...
Tum hi...

Summer 2008: Movies to Look For

2008 hasn't seen much in the name of hits. Where IPL became an instant hit with the ball crossing boundary line again and again, there were only two movies in the year, namely Jodhaa Akbar and Race, that crossed the boundary of hit. Nor have there been many movies that claimed critical acclaim, while 2007 had given a number of hits Guru, Chak De India, Om Shanti Om, Jab We Met and of course, Taare Zameen Par. Many of the movies were loved by critics also.

Well, that was the case with the movies released till now. But it seems that now there can be some change in the trends and I really hope for some good movies and hits too. Though Sarkar Raj hasn't brought very good results even after being good, there are a number of movies which must be good. So let's have a look.

Kay Kay Menon, Parvin Dabbas, Prashant Narayanan, Rajat Kapoor, Simone Singh, Sandhya Mridul, Sonali Kulkarni, Vinay Pathak. That's the cast of Via Darjeeling which is scheduled to release on June 20th. Whoever are the other people associated with the movie, the cast is expected to make a wonderful movie, which seems certain on seeing the promos of the movie. Though I do not expect the movie to be a blockbuster, it should be a great movie.



Next Friday, 27th June brings us Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic which is at least expected to fare quite good if not exceptionally well on the box office. The movie has a great soundtrack and the reviews have been good.

July seems to be the best bet with at least one movie every week to watch out for. The first Friday of July will see two long awaited launches -- Imran Khan, the nephew of Aamir Khan, in Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, and Harry Baweja's son Harman Baweja in Harry's sci-fi flick, Love Story 2050. Music of both the movies is out and Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na seems to be leading the race till now as AR Rehman's music has helped Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na a lot.
The second Friday will be seeing Apoorva Lakhia's big budget project, Mission Istanbul. The movie has Zayed Khan, Vivek Oberoi, Sunil Shetty along with Abhishek Bachchan in an special appearance. Mission Istanbul is Apoorva's most ambitious project till date and Zayed Khan has even gained 11 kg for the movie. So it will be worth seeing if the hard work will result in the mission getting accomplished or not.

Kismat Konnection will be released on the third Friday of July. The movie is in hype since the day the promos have been launched. The first song of the movie has been getting wonderful response even before the complete soundtrack being released and with Pritam bearing the credits of music director, the movie is expected to have some wonderful songs.

The fourth and final week of July will bring hopes with Nagesh Kukunoor's Aashayein which was previously expected in May. Aashayein not only stars John Abraham but it probably has John as a singer too. Nagesh has been reported to have many 'Aashayein' from the movie after his last movie Bombay to Bangkok which was a disaster.

On the same day, there will be two more movies which have been in news a lot. First is money hai to honey hai which is directed by Ganesh Acharya. Second one is Ranveer Shorey-Mallika Sherawat starrer 'Ugly aur Pagli'. Ugly aur Pagli has started showing on TV channels and I must say I loved the first promo. Being a Ranveer Shorey movie, Ugly and Pagli is almost certain to have a certain part of audience but this will be worth seeing what results does his pairing with Mallika Sherawat bring.


The trend may follow for a few days as C Kkompany, Singh is Kinng and God Tussi Great Ho will be hitting theaters in August. So keep watching.