Touted as Bollywood’s first sperm donation comedy, Vicky Donor is certainly a risky film that could not have been made during previous eras. With the support of producer John Abraham, Vicky Donor made its debut with six other trailers for Housefull 2. Starring VJ Ayushmann Khurrana in the lead role, the film tackles the heavy and important issue of sperm donation with a comic twist. With a comedy film, one expected the music to be a bit of timepass but this album is quite fresh and fun. Akshay and Abhishek are the music directors for the film and they offer up a mixed bag of treats. The crowd pleaser tune ‘Rum Whisky’ is definitely going to have a long life after the film, and the rest of the songs try and equally match up to this gem.
We start with Rokda, which is a great way to begin the album as it’s a nice breezy track with Akshay Verma and Aditi Singh Sharma at the helm. It does remind you of the Amit Trivedi style with the minimal arrangements and solid lyrics, and that is a compliment to the track. The lyrics which talk about the hero’s various desires and how money cannot buy him happiness. It is very situational in tone, but the composition of the track is the plus point here. The lilting guitars in the background go seamlessly with Verma fresh and easy vocals. The bridge of the song is the best showcase of Verma’s unique voice. One gripe is underutilizing Aditi Singh Sharma who only coos the chorus, and stifling her powerful voice is a factor that keeps this song a tad unmemorable.
The next song is Kho Jaane Do, is definitely much better. The minimal arrangements makes this song rise above its repetitiveness, as the cascading guitars and piano make this one worth a couple of repeats. Aditi Singh Sharma thankfully is given some verses to sing here as well as crooning during the chorus. Clinton Cerejo sounds so soulful and rivals Amit Trivedi in excelling in acoustic territory. The bridge is one of the best sections of the song, as it slows down and small plucks on the guitar make this such an intimate and fun low-key song. The small addition of the horns in the background of the song makes this gem worth savouring. The verses are kept at a minimum, and it rises above its situational lyrics in order for the listener to catch on to the various layers of the composition and arrangement. Keep this one on repeat.
There are not many songs that can name-drop this reviewer’s alcoholic nickname, but Rum Whisky definitely made a fan out of me! The music video is already out for this song, and that is part of the appeal. Music directors are very savvy in releasing the most catchy song of their soundtracks, most are quite forgettable, but some can surpass their pre-packaged timing. This is certainly one of the songs that will be on the dance floors after Vicky Donor has earned its money and plaudits. The song is definitely not in the same league as the stock Punjabi tracks on most soundtracks. It’s incredibly addictive with its shifting sound that just hooks you in, especially with the catchy chorus. Akshay Verma shows us a different side to his initial soft vocals, he is aggressive and completely in control on this track. The fusion of the usual Punjabi sound of dhols and high production values with the trance sound is just so effortless. When the trance section comes in, it takes you by surprise but it sounds so seamless with the chorus and Punjabi feel. Thankfully, it is not the tacky and overproduced trance and club vibe we usually hear. This is gonna go on your most played playlist very quickly!
Following the great mood, we have another favorite Pani Da Rang, which is the debut of leading man Ayushmann Khurrana taking the mike. He does not disappoint as his voice is so nuanced and gorgeous in this track. Again, Abhishek and Akshay stick to the laidback sound, and punctuate with varied and cascading guitars with a fast tempo. The song is just beautiful, and the Punjabi lyrics are so eloquent and tender. Khurrana definitely keeps up with the pace and makes you want to hear more from him in the future. We also get a female version, sung by Sukanya Purkayastha, which is just as good. This one is much more haunting with Purkayastha’s gritty and unique vocals as she perfectly conveys the dard of the song. This version is more gritty with the heavy backbeat and twangy guitar in the back. This one has a very lounge and slower sound which makes it hard to choose between the two.
We then get to a more mediocre number with Mar Jayian, which sounds a bit too routine on the ears. At the vocals are Vishal Dadlani and Sunidhi Chauhan, and it does sound like Vishal and Shekhar’ “Tujhe Bula Diya” with its varying shifts. Maybe this is due to middling tempo of the song, which only speeds up in the chorus and then completely segues into a qawalli section by way of a trance-like entry. Vishal and Sunidhi sound a bit forced and flounder with the varying tonal shifts. We also get an alternate sad version sung by Bann, which is certainly interesting. It does make a better change from the original track with Bann’s soulful voice and the minimal guitar in the background. If you have to pick between the two choose this one!
We get to the final track, Chaddha, which ends the album off with a raunchy bang! I am definitely fan of all the new vogue of clever-raunchy lyrics like “Bittoo Sab Ki Lega” and this one fits into that category. The song is based on the Dr Chaddha, owner of the sperm donor bank, played by Annu Kapoor in the film. As with most cheeky song, Mika Singh is at the helm on this gem, and he sounds suitably raucous when uttering lines like: “Ho..spark plug mein carbon aaya, Kismat ke lag gaye pakode, Ho..sharme rodey bhalle batrey, Saari guilty fauj mein daude.” The song mixes in the harmonium and sarangi with a techno sound that works so effortlessly. The chorus are great too in emphasizing all the naughty lines as well as aiding Mika in making this a sure chartbuster!
With a comedy film like this, one’s expectations were a bit low in expecting some good and nuanced songs, but Abhishek and Akshay certainly proved me wrong. The album is a debut effort, which is allowed some hiccups but overall it has got a varied bunch of tracks that completely work. It definitely gets you excited to hear more from Abhishek and Akshay.
