Farhan Akhtar has taken on a huge gamble as he attempts to recreate a classic with his latest Don – The Chase Begins. When remaking one of Bollywood’s greatest hits, the expectations are bound to be high and the curiosity is growing with every new trailer, with every new poster and recently with the release of the movie’s much awaited music. The hype surrounding the album was predictable seeing the original offered some all time hit songs. Farhan Akthar once again teams up with music maestros Shanker-Ehsaan-Loy and lyricist Javed Akthar who previously gave us hit soundtracks like Dil Chata Hai and Lakshya. The question is, do they give us yet another hit? To a certain extent, the answer is yes.
Starting off the album we have the title track, Main Hoon Don sung by the very capable, Shaan. Lyrics by Javed Akhtar, the song goes on to describe the dangerous Don and his dangerous doings. Shaan does not disappoint as he gets into the skin of the Don and delivers the song exceptionally. The opening portion mainly stands out with its western theme. This track is quite reminiscent of the Mission Impossible rhythm. The Remix version of the title track is solely based on techno rhythms that can get really unpleasant at times and will only appeal to certain listeners.
Next we have the ever so popular track, Yeh Mera Dil, that was previously sung by the sensational Asha Bhosle but it is Sunidhi Chauhan that gives it a whole new touch. Sunidhi gives the song a more modern and youthful feel as she excels in this song. At first hearing, the beginning of the track very much sounds like the original version but as the song progresses SEL adds their own beats and rhythms.
Next on queue we have, Maurya Re, a Ganpati song which is sung by Shankar Mahadevan. It is a religious song that goes on to describe the affection for Ganpati by its followers. The song is highlighted by Dhol beats which makes it very high spirited and devotional.
Finally, comes the track we’ve all been waiting for, one of Big B’s most well known songs, Khaike Paan Banaraswala. This yesteryear hit is now sung by Udit Narayan and he does not disappoint the least bit. No one but Udit Narayan could’ve done justice to this song. Shahrukh Khan also takes part in this song as he raps a few lines penned by Javed Akthar. A very fun number that is sure to be loved by all.
One might say that the previous song is the sure hit of this album but they would be proved wrong after a listen of, Aaj Ki Raat. Sung by Alisha Chinoy, Mahalaxmi Iyer and Sonu Nigam; the latter’s voice is overpowered by the ladies. The song is simply mesmerizing with haunting lyrics and filled with musical beats from the 70s and 80s. The track is guaranteed to be ruling the charts. This proves to be one of the best composed tracks by SEL in recent times.
Don – The Theme, is a very westernized instrumental track that is most probably included during the opening or end credits. This one may bore some as it tends to get repetitive after awhile.
The album comes to a close with, Don Revisited, which is a techno track filled with fast-paced instrumental beats and dialogues going to describe how the Don cannot be captured and et al.
The trio does a fine job in composing this album but one can’t help but think how much more successful this album could have been if only new and original tracks were created instead of recreating old hits. The album’s success might increase after the release of the movie once the songs are seen pictured.
