It seems as UNCONVENTIONAL is the theme of the season, starting from grim Aamir, side-splitting Sing is Kinng, bloodcurdling Phoonk.
Then captivating Rock On, breathtaking A Wednesday and daunting 1920 but this is not all, now be ready for Indian superhero Drona and a supernatural Hello. Hello, movie based on Chetan Bhagat’s bestseller One Night @ the Call Center*.
Is second offering from Atul Agnihotri (after Dil Ne Jise Apna Kaha) and have the real life pair Salmaan and Katarina in special appearance and Sohail Khan, Sharman Joshi, Isha Koppikar, Gul Panag, Amrita Arora and Arbaaz Khan in the lead role. Atul’s Dil Ne Jise Apna Kaha was good on the music front with HR as the main composer and AR Rehmaan as the guest composer so hopes were high with Hello too.
The music of this movie is given by Sallu’s present favorite composer duo Sajid-Wajid, who gave him a megahit Partner (each of its songs meeting with a chartbuster status) and a lackluster God Tussi Great Ho (each of its songs fighting for a status). Lyrics are by Jalees Sherwani. So let’s see what this album hold
1. Hello: The first track is the title track itself starting with a rap “Pick it up Pick it up, Hello, Now pick your phone up” and then Wajid holds the center mike along with Suzy Q, Ishq Bector, Herchelle, Merlin and Tim to tell you what to do when you pick up ur phone. See “Jab phone ki ghanti bajti hai To kehete hain Hello, Hello, Hello” (Thanks for increasing my knowledge). This song has peculiar Sajid-Wajid funky and groovy tune with an equally groovy kind of singing by Wajid that served as coriander leaf chopping on this mix bharta (Well if you don’t go on humourous and yeah some time out-of-sync lyrics which talk about everything as “Goron ki phatshala.
Tom dick n harry sala, jeeja sala, begani shaadi me abdulla deewana”). Oh one more thing, the back ground music, which is full of strange musical notes like the police siren, beep sounds of phone pads and sound of coin-box phone. This purely theme-based-number is an entertainer and will find its audience all over. If you liked “Do u wanna Partner”* then you will like this one too but after a few listening.
Party Mix: Mixed with peppy beats, additional rap and drum beats this song is electrifying enough to setup the mood for a Saturday night outing.
2. Rab ka banda: I think the failure of GTGH is still haunting Sajid-wajid, cos in next track “Rab ka banda” they are discussing about “mera apna Falak, sitaare, toofaan and kinaare”* (hota hai hangover, jab movie flop hoti hai). Neways, this track is a fast paced-sufi-mix-types crooned by Sonu Nigam with ample support from Zubin and Sunidhi. Lyrics are on philosophical sides and truly speaking it failed to leave any impact on me even after repeated hearing. But one thing is true that this one has a fantastic sufiana feel and fused well with western arrangements.
3. Karle baby dance Wance: Here comes the king of Bhangra Daler Mehndi with quintessential bhangra-pop “Karle Baby Dance Wance” and for me it is time to hit the floor. The lyrics of the songs are common but witty one talking about Chance-wance, Dance-shance, chaye-shaye, pappi-shappi, roti-shoti, dilli-willi, hero-shero and even composition is average but what does the magic is boisterous style singing by Daler along with Sunidhi, who put all their vigor and gusto to make it a foot-tapping track. This will surly going to remind you of Tera Rang Balle Balle from **Soldier. But this one could have been much better if the music has been better. But who cares, willing to dance just play this song.
4. Bang Bang Bang: Well, this track starts with sound of flying chopper and cheering crowd and then piercing electric guitar and drum beats joins along with "Bang Bang" and then Wajid holds the center stage to give voice to this stage-performance-dance-number featuring Sallu bhai as a ROCKSTAR and boasts about his feat. Lyrics, Well less I say is better for lyrics as I failed to understand the use of “Bang Bang, Boom Boom, and Zip Zap Zoom”.* Now coming to the music, this song has a concert type touch with rock arrangements but somewhere the charm is missing. An average sound track, which could have been much better if crooned by someone else but still I love the background music arrangements which are top class with some effective guitaring and drumming. The song will surly hit the charts only if Salman’s magic works on screen.
5. Mitwa Re: Oh well tired of Bhangra, Rock and sufi numbers? Cool!! here comes the only romantic track of the album “Mitwa Re” which starts as a promising love-ballad which reminds me of Jaaniye from **Summer-2007 but somehow the song got off the track somewhere and ended up as a everyday quixotic number. This is crooned by Shaan, Sadhana Sargam and wajid and has some decent background music and also followed by typical filmy lyrics as
“Mitwa Re, Mere Sajana Re, Chhota Sa Ghar Hoga, Sundar Shehar Hoga
Milake Banaaye Aashiyaan Mitwa Re Waada Raha Honge Na Hum Tumse Juda”
A nice track that again could have been much much better. But over all it’s a feel-good-to-hear song.
6.Carwaan: The best track of the album "Carwaaan" comes at the end of the album. This song is crooned by Shafaqat Amanat Ali Khan (who? Well he is the lead vocalist of a Pakistani pop band Fuzon and crooned song Mitwa in KANK and Yeh Honsla in Dor). This Sufi-philosophical-track is the most beautiful song with very nice lyrics and superb quality singing. This track queries about the journey of life of the lead protagonists working in Call center. The music is perfect with use of tabla and gungharu sounds to give the gloomy touch.
“Raat Simti Jaayegi Aur Chaand Behata Jaayega, Bas Raat Ke Hum Musaafir Hai Yahaan
Khwaab Badhate Jaayenge Aur Ummr Ghatati Jaayegi, Har Lamha Tututa Hai Aasmaan Leke Chala Jaane Kahaan Yeh Ajanabi Caarvaan”
My verdict:Salman Khan and Sajid-Wajid combo has delivered numerous chartbusters as Partner, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Tere Naam, Hello Brother, Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya etc etc but this combo failed miserably in GTGH. In Hello, the duo again failed to make a grand impact and the album ended up as an average effort with a couple of good numbers. Sajid-Wajid may not really scale the kind of height as some of their earlier albums with Salman Khan have, but even then these songs will find its audience. (Hello, Karle baby dance wance-for fast music lovers, Apne Rab ka banda and Bang bang – for Sallu’s fan and Mitwa Re and Carwaan* (the best of the lot) for soft music lovers). I would give 2 and ½ out of 5.