When Akshay Kumar and Sajid Khan get together to make a movie, you expect two things: a good time and a good soundtrack. Heyy Babyy certainly delivered both, with ‘Mast Kalandar’ becoming one of the smash hits of 2007. Housefull, about a man with three wives – Deepika Padukone, Lara Dutta, and Jiah Khan – seems poised to do the same thing because music directors Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have given us a real crowd-pleaser of an album.
The action kicks off with O Girl You’re Mine sung by Alyssa Mendonza and Tarun Sagar. It’s a laid-back tune, punctuated with funky synthesizers, percolating percussion, and a romantic harmonium. ‘O Girl You’re Mine’ is a perfect slice of pop perfection and because it’s picturized on a topless Akshay Kumar cavorting with the three leading ladies of the film, this is one that should be with us well into the summer. The O Boy What A Girli Mix keeps the whimsy while pumping up the tempo and is a worthwhile addition to the album.
Moving from the beach to the bedroom, Papa Jag Jayega starts off with a whispered warning: “Hush, hush Papa’s sleeping.” The rhythm is down and dirty with a raunchy synthesizer line and a pounding kick drum. Alyssa Mendonza, Neeraj Shridhar, Amitabh Bhattacharya, and Ritu Pathak sound like they are having so much fun, it’s a wonder that Papa doesn’t wake up! The Insane Insomnia Remix is a fairly standard club mix.
I Don’t Know What To Do is a funny little gem of a wedding song. The verses, sung by Sunidhi Chauhan, are bright and optimistic and lead into tentative choruses sung by Shabbir Kumar. The pair have a fun time playing off one another and it’s surprisingly refreshing to hear an update of such a vintage song genre. The Shabbrs Sexy 70s Mix keeps the mood light hearted and may soon find it’s way to a wedding reception near you.
Mika Singh and Sunidhi Chauhan tear it up on Aapka Kya Hoga (Dhanno). The driving beat doesn’t let up for a second as Sunidhi beckons the people on the floor to “come and get some more” and Mika lets his voice crack a bit with the effort of breaking it down. This one is a real foot-stomper and by the time the bhangra drums come in towards the end, you will be shouting “Balle Balle!”
Finally, there is Loser, a bluesy R&B track sung by Vivinenne Pocha with more than a dose of Macy Gray to her voice. From the wailing guitar to the infectious chorus telling us “he’s such a loser,” this is the perfect crowd-pleasing track to complete a sure to be crowd-pleasing album.
With Housefull, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have turned out an album for the masses that also manages to be creative and unusual sounding, proving that you can write for a popular audience without repeating the same old songs over and over again.
