Well where do I begin? Yash Chopra?s Veer-Zaara has been creating a buzz in Bollywood for months now and we have been seeing promos on big screens that are teasing and leave one wanting more. Then we hear that the music album for Veer-Zaara is supposed to be just phenomenal. But as we have learned from history, if the music is not great - it is not great.
Music is by the late Madan Mohan and lyrics by Javed Akhtar. Below I will go through each song and give you a snapshot of how each of them fair (as I have heard all of them dozens of times) and then I will list some pros and cons about the album...
1. Tere Liye - This is the so-called ’’theme song’’ of the movie, sung by Roop Kumar Rathod and Lata Mangeshkar. First-off, Roop Kumar Rathod has a great voice but the song is just not that great. Lata, as you might agree, is aging by the minute and is not as great as she used to be. Still, with Rathod’s talent of singing sad songs and Lata’s name value, not to mention Yash Chopra hyping the musical piece of this song everywhere he gets a chance, the song should fair well.
2. Main Yahan Hoon - My favorite singer Udit Narayan gets to sing this peppy yet sad song and he does a pretty good job of keeping the song interesting. The lyrics are pretty good.
3. Yeh Hum Aa Gaye Hai Kaha - Sung by Udit Narayan and Lata Mangeshkar, this might be one of the best songs this album has to offer. Udit, as usual, lifts this song and Lata gently brazes it with her vocal cords. Though this is one of the best songs, it still seems like an ’’average’’ song to me.
4. Aisa Des Hai Mera - Gurdas Mann, who is a pioneer of Punjabi pop bhangra, lends his vocals for this lively yet sensitive song but Udit sings most of the song and again, I usually have no complaints abouts Udit Narayan. Good lyrics by Javed Akhtar. This is though another typical ’’mera des’’ kind of song and reminds me of ’’It happens only in India’’ from Govinda’s ’Pardesi Babu’ or ’Shehar Ka Jadoo Reh’ picturized on Abhishek.
5. Do Pal - sung by Sonu Nigam and Lata Mangeshkar is good but has an ’’old’’ taste to it and whoever sits in my car and I am playing this song asks me what decade this song is from.. ’70s? ’80s? I still have to give Sonu and Lata credit for doing a fine job.
6. Kyun Hawa - Yash Chopra starts with song with some wanna-be dialogues in tge beginning of the songs. The lyrics try to be sensual but the voice is really deep and kills the mood. Then Sonu and Lata Mangeshkar take charge of the mike and try to resurrect the song. The song is so simple even I could have done a good job singing it (I do sing, by the way).
7. Hum To Bhai Jaise Hain - Its a playful song with Lata on the mike. This song is the same old item song where the girl is saying... ’’I am who I am so live with it’’ and being a stuck-up stubborn girl. Lata is getting old - doesn’t anyone else see this? Give Asha Bhosle or Alka Yagnik this song, please! She is not a ’’naughty girl’’!
8. Aaya Tere Darr Par Deewana - The new ’’thing’’ with hindi music albums is there has to be a qawwali song in there so here it is, sung by Ustad Ahmed Hussain & Mohd. Hussain. They are fine but the song is not. Such a typical qawwali I have yet to hear the ending of this song - I just skip it! Maybe it will grow on me when I am bored of the other songs or after I see it picturized in the movie.
9. Lodi - A village mast/dancing song that is so often in Shahrukh khan movies like Bole Churiya or Soni Soni Akhiyo Wali. This song is pretty good but give it sometime. It does not have your typical feel-good lyrics but again, this is a good song! Gurdas Mann and Lata sing most of it and Udit pops in and out.
10. Tum Paas Aa Rahe Ho - Bonus track sung by Jagjit Singh and Lata Mangeshkar. Thanks God this won’t be in the movie. Such a typical song Jagjit song. I have a list of great Jagjit songs that I love! This one isn’t on the list because it is not original at one. You can play it if you want to go to sleep. Works great on insomniacs (I have heard).
11. Jaane Kyun - Another Bonus song by Lata, just through in the mix. Lata is fine but this is primarily an experimental song. I wouldn’t mind this song being in the movie but it probably wont.
So, in conclusion, the album is AVERAGE! Javed Akhtar does good with the music the is given and the music tunes are kind of old and boring. Go buy it or better yet download it from somewhere cheap. Good to listen to when shooting breeze but you won’t be hearing any of these songs at parties or wedding, at least I hope not.
AAPKAAHMAD
Pros : Average, Oldish, Lacking Originality
Cons: Great cast of actors, great cast of singers, great promos