First up we have Lut Jaon that is already doing the rounds on TV and quickly turning out to be a favourite. The track starts off on a haunting new note with Harshdeep Kaur giving a soulful opening. Himesh’s vocals follow soon after and it is a pleasant surprise to hear that the singer has toned down his nasal-y vocals. The melody and musical arrangements of the song are praiseworthy and beautifully put together and are the winning factors of the song. The Lut Jaon Remix speeds it up with the techno background beats switching the track into a foot tapping dance number although one wonders whether this remix is actually necessary.

Usually with remade soundtracks, we get oldie goldies butchered to death with unnecessary techno beats and fast tempo. So in that sense, it really is to Himesh’s credit that he steered away from that route (except for one track, but more on that later!). Hari Om serves to be the alternative to the original’s ‘Om Shanti Om’. Himesh starts off the track with a few less than effective dialogues expressing his dire need to find his love. The guitar strums a beautiful note as it smoothly blends with the drum beats. The musical arrangements once again grips you to the song. The song also comes in an Indian Mix and Electro Mix and both are equally good and give a new flavour to the original. With each and every song in the album, the musical arrangements keep getting better and better.

Now when you have a song titled Tandoori Nights, your expectations lower a bit. It really comes as a shock when you actually start singing along to this catchy tune. The guitar beats are amongst the best and with the reggae flavour, the track is a sure-fire hit. The English lyrics have been done to taste. Himesh and Sunidhi’s vocals compliment the vibe of the song perfectly. The Remix version goes for a much faster tempo although the repetition of the chorus line tests your annoyance.

Soniye Je Tere serves as the first emotionally charged love track of the soundtrack. The last three tracks were more modern compared to this track. This one puts more emphasis on classical tunes but also mixes in a few hip hop and rap beats. Tulsi Kumar gives Himesh company in this duet and gives a nice rendition. The track will most likely take you back to vintage Himesh tracks from a year back, along the lines of ‘Aafreen’ from the film Red. This track lacks the engrossing musical factor that seemed to be present in the last three. Even the Remix is worth the skip.

Beginning with a beautiful melody, Dhoom Tere Ishq Ki gets off to a great start with fantastic musical arrangement. Himesh softly croons this number and doesn’t go over the top very often, which is a very pleasant surprise. He gets all the notes right and even if this track doesn’t catch on as fast as the more fast-paced tracks, it slowly grows on you. The Remix version completely butchers the wonderful original.

Sisak Sisak Ke initially sounds like an average track but as usual, Himesh is able to come up with a chorus that sticks in your head even if you don’t want it to. After a while, you just begin to accept it for what it is and enjoy it to the fullest. He uses his far from original formula of repetition but it still makes for a fairly enjoyable track even if it isn’t the best of the album. The Remix is a club version of the song and it serves its purpose quite well.

Now if you’re looking for classic Himesh, along with his nasal twang, Tere Bin Chain Na Aaye is the track for you. This is a classic Himesh duet and Tulsi Kumar also does a decent job of holding her own. The instruments are used very well even if the lyrics aren’t too creative. It’s absolutely nothing compared to the outstanding ‘Lut Jaon’ but it makes do for a romantic duet. The Remix doesn’t suit this song very well and I’d personally stick to the original.

Don’t let the title fool you, Masha Allah is nowhere close to the magical number from last year’s Saawariya. Personally I feel that another singer might have been able to sing this song which more soul but Himesh does what he can. He takes a risk by moving away from the slow tunes for a few portions here and there, but what really annoys the listener is the fact that there is absolutely zero variety in the lyrics. The melody isn’t too bad and the musical arrangements are very pleasant, however the monotonous lyrics ruin this track. But don’t let this deter you because if you’re a fan of Himesh’s slow tracks, I suspect you won’t mind this either. The Remix is fabulous and works extremely well!

Finally, we come to the most highly awaited track of the album since it’s the only one which has been retained from the original Karz. Retaining the melody and lyrics of Ek Hasina Thi, Himesh replicates the original almost exactly and surprisingly does a very good job. Some may disagree that it doesn’t have the same old world charm (which it doesn’t!) but Himesh seems to have put a lot of effort into maintaining the essence of the original. This is probably one of the tracks that he’s sung the best in a long time because you can tell that it’s vocally challenging and he doesn’t overdo it at all. Shreya Ghoshal is a delight to listen, as usual. Even the Remix track is fairly good, though it really could have been avoided.

Earlier we asked whether Himesh Reshammiya has re-invented himself with this album. We can safely say that he has at least started to venture into a new direction with his compositions. Over the last few years, the nasal voice and monotonous compositions were highly criticized and it seems he has taken this as constructive criticism and worked around it and the result is appreciable. Most of the tracks are very well composed and Himesh’s effort in the vocal department is apparent. Without a doubt, there are several tracks in this album that are sure to add to Himesh’s impressive chartbuster repertoire.

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1. Monday May 12th (Mumbai) — Sanjay Gupta threw a grand bash for his forthcoming film directed by Suparn Verma, Acid Factory. Verma debuted with Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena couple years back. The glittery event entertained the cast, crew and a few familiar faces from tinseltown. Acid Factory is set to release later this year.

Glitz 3 | Glamour 3.5 | Star Power 4

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1. Monday May 5th, 2008 (Mumbai) – Hollywood writer/director Manoj Night Shyamalan was seen promoting his forthcoming movie titled The Happening in Mumbai. The movie ventures into Shymalan’s forte of dramatic thrillers and tells the story of a family on the run from mysterious and bizarre events that threaten humankind. Ronnie Screwvala, CEO of UTV Motion Pictures, was also present at the press conference. Shyamalan’s latest is a co-production between UTV Motion Pictures and 20th Century Fox.

Glitz 0 | Glamour 2 | Star Power 2

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10. Mumbai Police Show

The pre-Diwali Mumbai Police Show surely pulled in the star power. Amitabh Bachchan seemed to be having a ball as he walked in with son, Abhishek Bachchan and daughter-in-law, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Soon after Shah Rukh Khan graced the event with his OSO team to keep the promotion going for his latest flick. Rumour had it SRK and Amitabh did not see eye to eye in the event but all that was flushed down the toilet as pictured surfaced of the stars giving each a warm welcome. Not too far behind was Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor doing their promotion bit for Saawariya. The performances consisted of Dia Mirza, Urmila Matondkar doing a surprise rendition and showing off her singing talent, Kareena Kapoor shaking her legs to some funky beats and ofcourse Himesh Reshamiya doing what he does best (we’ll leave it upto you to decide what that really is).

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Bubbly, bold and beautiful; mix these three charming qualities together and you get the ever loving Preity Zinta. Even though this Shimlaite is trying to lose the bubbly tag, we can all agree that the tag is branded on her because of her high-spirited and cheerful attitude but surely there is more to Preity. Described by many as the only man in the Bollywood film industry, Preity Zinta started off her career with Mani Ratnam’s Dil Se co-starring Shahrukh Khan and Manisha Koirala. I still clearly remember the summer of 1998 when I saw Dil Se for the first time. It was at a family friend’s house and the movie was playing in the background and being an avid SRK fan at the time, I was glued to the television screen. The movie itself did not captivate me much, at the time, due to its mature subject matter but nevertheless, I sat through it all especially after Preity’s entrance. Preity’s presence in the movie brightened up the screen instantly and this is the very quality of the actress that I simply adore. Preity’s exuberant charm is exactly what the movie needed to balance out the serious undertone of the narrative. The same year Preity took home the Filmfare Best Newcomer Award for her work in Dil Se, as she rightly deserved.

After having a dream debut with artists like Mani Ratnam and Shahrukh Khan, there was no looking back for the pretty actress. Following her first break, Preity managed to work with the best of the best in the industry and along with it delivered some great performances every year since then. Preity’s choice in films showed diversity and allowed her to depict various different characters from a young single mother in Kya Kehna to a headstrong Muslim journalist in Mission Kashmir to a prostitute in Chori Chori Chupke Chupke. Recently her depiction of an angry young woman in Kal Ho Na Ho bagged the actress her first Filmfare Best Actress Award. Preity’s choice in movies has been both appreciated and criticized as they have always brought up controversial issues. Movies like Kya Kehna brought the issue of pre-marital pregnancy in front of a greater audience and described a woman’s perspective into a situation where they are the first to be blamed. In Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna she portrayed a strong, working parent and wife whose husband ventures into an extra-marital affair. In Salaam Namaste they tackled the issue of a live-in relationship. By being associated with movies with such touchy and debatable issues, Preity wishes to play a part, no matter how big or small, in educating and giving awareness to the audiences of the reality that we live in today. Preity Zinta is not your average actress who entered Bollywood for the love of acting, or for fame and money but she is an actress with a mission to empower the women of the 21st century in whatever way and whichever she can. Preity has been quoted in various interviews about her interest in doing strong woman orientated roles that does not degrade the female gender instead shows respect for them and this has been an ongoing factor she keeps in mind while selecting a script. This is yet another wonderful quality that makes me appreciate her even more. It is nice to know that there are actresses in this industry, such as Preity, who wants to do more in her movies than just dancing around in their bare minimums.

Moving now from the professional front to the personal side of Preity Zinta, and the woman impresses even more. A daughter who is making her parents proud, a sister who is supporting her siblings every step of the way and friend who offers a helping hand when needed, Preity Zinta does it all with ease even while balancing a successful career. One note of criticism that I always hear about Preity and one that annoys me to bits is that she is a talkative and opinionated woman (and that apparently is a bad thing nowadays). Preity is known to voice her honest opinion regarding current issues the world is facing and for this she is put down every step of the way. Mahatma Gandhi once said that you should “be the change you want to see in the world” and I think this perfectly fits Preity’s case. Just because she is playing her part in this change for a better world, she is criticized and this could either be because she is a woman or because she is an actress. No matter how much we tell ourselves otherwise, gender roles play a great part in our society till date. Many people in our community do not appreciate an outspoken woman because they are stereotyped to be quiet and shy people. Preity on the other hand is just the opposite; she does not tolerate any kind of misbehaviour against her. The lawsuit against the entertainment newspaper Mid-Day is the perfect example; it has been quite sometime since she has been fighting this case but regardless of the long, strenuous battle, Preity has not given up. Preity is also well-known for her part as a social worker as she has worked with underprivileged children, supported organizations such as Shiksha and been an active part of the Godfrey Philips Award Projects among various other things. I think it becomes quite difficult for an actress to take part in all these amazing social causes because there comes a point when the media is bound to question their intentions regarding their associations with charitable organizations. It becomes a question of whether they do it for fame, publicity, money, etc. The media is known to twists anything around just to get their juicy gossip for the day but I think this crosses a certain limit. They are actors/actresses by profession and they are given money to act on screen not in real life and I think it is extremely disrespectful to just assume they are putting up a fa

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The single Mahiya was debuted last year by singer Annie and was an instant favourite. However, Suzanne D’Mello has been roped in to do the honours in the film. If we were to compare it to the original, then it surely disappoints. Nevertheless Suzanne gives a fairly nice rendition. The song has be re-composed by Pritam with some hip and peppy beats and re-written with a mix of English and Hindi lyrics by Asif Ali Beig and Sayeed Quadri. A flaw that stands out in the re-created version is that it tries too hard. Annie’s original version had a sense of simplicity in both the composition, delivery and lyrics. This innocence and simplicity is lost with the addition of unnecessary rhythms and beats. To get a taste of the original, Annie is presented in the Mahiya Remix by DJ Suketu. Annie’s sweet and innocent voice makes the song more appealing instantly. The problem with remixes lies in the fact that useless and misplaced musical intruments, beats and rhythms are used to “recreate” the original track. The question is why is there a need to recreate thesedays? Whatever happened to being original or just sticking to the original? FYI remixers: We like the originals!

Maula Maula is a traditional Sufi track originally written by the 12th century poet Baba Farid. Rafaquat Ali Khan takes over the mike to render this spiritual piece. Various numbers of classical intruments from the harmonium to the sitar to the tabla are used in this track and the result is beautiful. Rafaquat’s passionate classical rendition is simply flawless.

Mustafa Zahid makes his entry with Tera Mera Rishta which is originally sung by the talented singer himself and composed by band Roxen in which Mustafa is also a member. Mustafa makes his presence felt and proves to be quite an able singer. Sayeed Quadri’s lyrics are touching. Pritam’s composition is first-rate. DJ Suketu presents the Remix which successfully rips the song apart. Next …

Mustafa delightfully closes the album with the already extremely succesful and popular track Toh Phir Aao, once again originally by the band Roxen. The song follows the same genre as ‘Woh Lamhe’ and ‘Tere Bin’ and is an instant hit. Mustafa’s emotional and soulful rendition is exceptional and leaves a lasting impression on the listener. The singer reminds one of Atif Aslam but with a much more mature voice. Pritam’s composition in this track is best of the soundtrack as are Sayeed Quadri’s passionate lyrics. A winning track! The remix devils are at work again, that too in full force, as this track comes in a Lounge Version and the DJ Suketu Remix; skip both and stick to the original.

The soundtrack of Awarapan stands to be a showcase of some new talented singers and introduces them to a wider range of listeners. After listening to such great tracks as ‘Mahiya’ and ‘Toh Phir Aao’, Annie and Mustafa Zahid are sure to gain a bigger fan following, as they should. The music of Awarapan is definitely worth your time.

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Shankar Madhavan gets the party started with a BANG! We have already heard and loved the teaser of the title track, Jhoom, in the theatrical trailer but after listening to the entire track, we can definitely show it some more love. Mixed with Indian classical beats, it is an extremely high spirited and catchy track and within 1 minute into the song, listeners are sure to sing along with the chorus.

Bombay Viking’s frontman, Neeraj Shridhar, takes over the mike in Ticket to Hollywood with the kajra re girl herself, Alisha Chinoi. The song mixes together hip hop and bhangra rhythms where both singers do their thing effortlessly. As the song title might suggest, this one is a fun and dance number with some wicked beats. At first listen the song probably will not appeal to many but with due time you will be hooked especially now that Yash Raj has released the song trailer where Abhishek Bachchan can be seen showing some of his ultra cool moves.

The second version of the title track comes to us in the form of JBJ and is sung by Shankar Madhavan, Zubeen Garg and Sunidhi Chauhan. This can hardly be called a second version because after listening to it you will get introduced to an entirely different track with an entirely different musical arrangement. If the party was started by Jhoom then JBJ is definitely keeping the party moving. The team of singers roped in for this song is perfect as all three vocals are strong and racy; two qualities that make the track enjoyable.

After three consecutive heavy voltage tracks, the soundtrack hits the brake and goes the subtle route with Bol Na Halke Halke. It is a love song, sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Mahalaxmi Iyer with lyrics by Gulzaar saab; what more can one ask for. Rahat’s voice adds a classical touch to the piece as Mahalaxmi’s rendition magically sways with the melodious music. The track stands as a superb example of what a romantic song should offer. The song speaks for itself thus the less said, the better.

Following the short break from the racy numbers, Kiss of Love gets you grooving once again. Vishal Dadlani and Vasundhara Das’ husky and saucy vocals spice up this track. However, regardless of great vocals the song fails to impress and even after couple of hearings the song is below average and does not match up to the rest, not to mention how irritating the chorus tends to get. Hopefully, with good picturization the song will be more appealing in the film.

The third version of the title track greets us towards the end when Jhoom Barabar Jhoom makes its entry. This Punjabi flavoured track brings together KK, Shankar Madhavan, Sukhvinder Singh and Mahalaxmi Iyer. It is very refreshing to hear all three versions of the title track to be completely different from each other. It would be wrong to label them as remixes because simply said, they are not. The musical arrangements, the lyrics and the complete feel of each song are a world apart and most importantly the music flows together beautifully; we do not hear any awkward beats or rhythms just for the sake of it. Props to the musical team!

Unfortunately, this colourful little soundtrack comes to an end, a sweet end if I may add, with the instrumental version of the title track, Jhoom Jam. It is a tuneful piece that brings together the instrumental version of all the tracks and weaves it all together very nicely.

Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy have succeeded once again with another entertaining soundtrack. The album is sure to rock the charts in no time while the rest of the world hums, sings and whistles to the tuneful tracks. The music of JBJ works because it does not try too hard. The musical team behind JBJ succeeds because even with keeping with the current trend of Western music in Bollywood soundtracks they do not overlook classical Indian melodies that all music lovers are craving for at present; the smooth interweaving of both genres is done beautifully. A highly recommended soundtrack!

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Getting right into the album, the first track we are introduced to is the one being aired in the all the music channels these days; Mere Yaar. It is a Punjabi flavoured item number sung by Sunidhi Chauhan who without a doubt was the perfect choice as this song is tailor made for her sexy voice. Joining Sunidhi is Anand Raj Anand who has also composed this rhythmic track. The song fulfills its purpose as a perfect item number with lots of fusion and Indian beats blended together and from the looks of the trailer, the picturization of the song is very nicely done too.

Aakhri Alvida arrives as the best track of the album. It is an emotional rock song with very soft undertones and is sung by the Pakistani band, Strings with lyrics by Anwar Maqsood. This sentimental track is beautifully written, composed and sung. Last year they gave us Ye Hai Meri Kahani (Zinda) and this year we are lucky to hear them again in this track and one can always expect for the best whenever a unique and talented band such Strings is at work. The Club Mix is equally good with the addition of faster beats.

Ganpat is quite an indescribable track which is written, composed and sung by Mika Singh. The song basically has the Bhais of Mumbai hype about their superiority in the city. It is quite a laid back and witty track. Give it a listen and move on. Skip over the Ganpat Rap as it offers nothing but Mika’s unimpressive dialogues.

Unke Nashe Mein is a tuneful and musical track composed by Anand Raj Anand, written by Sanjay Gupta and sung by Sukwinder Singh, Anand Raj Anand and Mika Singh. It is not an extraordinary track but enjoyable nevertheless. The Club Mix sounds all over the place with various beats and rhythms; stick to the original.

Live by the Gun is a complete English track composed, written and sung by Biddu. The track has a dark and lingering appeal and it takes a bit of patience to sit through the whole piece so it is better if you skip it.

Sone De Maa is a touching track composed by the band Euphoria, written and sung by Palash Sen. The track does not have a mass appeal but it is a good melodic composition by the team.

If we had to compare the soundtrack of SOAL to that of Sanjay Gupta’s other project then the album surely falls short. However, having said that, the album is not that big of a disappointment as it does offer some quality tracks that should definitely be heard by anyone who appreciates music.

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Aditya made his singing debut at the age of ten when he sung along veteran singer, Asha Bhosle, in 1995’s Rangeela. He has also acted in well known movies such as Pardes and Jab Pyar Kissi Se Hota Hai. He recently completed his diploma in English Contemporary Music from London and has also been trained in classical music from Satyanarayan Mishra.

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Emraan Hashmi will be donning a fresh new role; one he has never done before and he is also sporting a new look for the movie with long hair, a moustache and stubble. The film revolves around a gangster with a tragic past that continue to haunt him. Awaarapan is said to be the most expensive film to come out of the Bhatt camp, budgeted at Rs. 18 crores. The movie is due for release on June 29th, 2007.

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