The music of the highly awaited Shah Rukh Khan- Deepika Padukone starrer Chennai Express is out. The names involved in the movie are huge: SRK, the hit machine Rohit Shetty, actress on a roll Deepika and UTV. The music in Rohit Shetty films are not usually the highpoints, but considering the presence of Shah Rukh Khan, who is always known to have hit music in his films makes one to expect good things from this album and of course, at the helm of affairs in the music department is the ever reliable Vishal-Shekhar. So lets check out the songs.
The album kick starts on a bang with "One two three four- get on the dance floor" - a high energy south Indian styled dance number. With a fair sprinkling of tamil lyrics throughout the song, it is crooned by Vishal Dadlani and Hamsika Iyer. Vishal is at his usual energetic self and Hamsika is the X factor in this song with a tapori rendition. The lyrics are ignorable and though one expected a better start to the album, this song works quite well and is sure to rule the dance floors till the movie releases.
My Rating: 3/5
The next track is titled "Titli" with lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya and sung by Gopi Sunder and Chinmayee. I expected a soft romantic number looking at the title and what a song it turns out to be. With Tamil lyrics at the beginning, the song impresses on first hearing itself. The singing by Chinmayee stands out big time and though the male part would have suited Shekar himsef, Gopi Sunder does a good job. Vishal- Shekhar are famous for tracks like this and they dont disappoint here with a fabulous composition. The lyrics gel well with the mood of the song and it’s a sure shot chartbuster and will make hearts flutter like the wings of a butterfly!
My Rating: 4/5
Next song is Tera Rasta Chodon na. It’s the lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya at the helm of affairs this time along with Anusha Mani. He had a good outing in a song in lootera and one looks forward with anticipation about what he brings to the table here, especially after the superb Titli. But the results are not as good as the previous song. The song begins well, but does not hold your attention till the end. Amitabh does a fair job here, ably assisted by Anusha. It might work well once the video releases, and overall an above average track.
My Rating: 2.5/5
Next up is ’Kashmir main , tu kanyakumari" sung by Sunidhi Chauhan, Arijit Singh and Neeti Mohan. It’s a fun song which depicts the differences between the 2 protagonists in terms of culture and language. Arijit Singh, fresh from his Aashiqui 2 grand stint chooses a different song this time and does quite well, though one expected a better rendition by Sunidhi. This is a situational song and one can be sure of a funny picturisation on screen.
My Rating: 2/5
The title of the next song "Ready steady po" promises another fun, high energy outing and that’s what we get to hear.Sung by Brodha V, Smokey, Enkore, Natalie Di Luccio and Vishal Dadlani, it is a good amalgamation of cool hip hop and rap. It has heavy beats and cool music arrangements and is a good listen, which might be incorporated in the background in the film.
My Rating:3/5
The last track to come up is the title track "Chennai express" and the surprise is the return of the legendary S.P.Balasubrahmanyam to hindi after a very long time and he does make a forceful impact with a rendition which can compete with even a 20 year old. He has even done a rap with a heavy tamil accent, and the song gels well with the theme of the movie. This is another fun song which can be expected to roll in the end credits.Jonita Gandhi chips in with a small bit, but this is SPB’s song all the way.The music by Vishal Shekar is impressive and ends the soundtrack on a good, entertaining note.
My Rating: 3/5
As far as the remixes are concerned, there is one dubstep version of titli and a mashup. Titli was best left untouched, but they have incorporated a remix here done by Phoenix and Zoheb Khan which dilutes the sweetness of the original and can be skipped. But, eventually it might find its takers.
The mashup is also not as good as one expected. But, it works quite well on repeat hearings and once the video releases, it should do well. This one is an average attempt by DJ Kiran Kamath and brings the album to an end.
On the whole, Chennai Express is a fun, entertaining album with very few dull moments. The standout track of the album is undoubtedly Titli and songs like 1234, kashmir main, ready steady po and chennai express keep the entertainment quotient high.This one can be expected to find the top of the charts quickly, aided by the heavy promotions. But, one expected a bit more from Vishal Shekhar and though the end result is not as brilliant as expected, it’s a safe album and IT IS ENTERTAINING.