From the ‘leaked’ promos and the catchy ‘Papa Toh Band Bajaye’, Housefull 2 looks to be another sure-fire hit for Sajid Khan. However this time around, Khan has roped in Sajid and Wajid to help with the music unlike the usual Shankar Ehsaan and Loy. S-E-L actually did some of their most commercial and innovative work in Heyy Baby and Housefull so the expectations are very high for Sajid-Wajid to measure to those previous gems. However Sajid-Wajid are capable composers and they definitely add their masala sound to this hugely anticipated film.
Papa Toh Band Bajaye or Papa Toh No Speak Americano? Already the song is surrounded by controversy, as their main track sounds suspiciously similar to ‘We No Speak Americano’ by the Australian DJ Americano and Melissa Kool. The beats are quite uncanny as the rhythm and repetition is plainly the same, yet in spite of the straight lift that they’ve done, the song is infectiously catchy. With the hypnotic clarinet in the back and Neeraj Shridhar in his usual Punjabi smooth crooning style, it sounds like a Pritam song in a good way. Shridhar is as usual having fun with the limited lyrics, which are quite situational in the promo but also quite hilarious too. Where else would you get Sameer trying out lines like “idiot hai, gudhe ho, whatever whatever we do, Papa Toh Band Bajaye”. With a song like this, you do feel like this might be a rage for a few months after the film, but eventually it’ll fade out. It’s not that it’s totally unremarkable but it sounds rather routine despite the fact that it makes you nod your head along to the clarinet and electronic interludes. Listen to this as a warm up for the next chartbuster!
One of the absolute favourites on this soundtrack is this gem, Anarkali Disco Chali, sung by the inimitable Mamta Sharma. Inevitably, we’ll start by saying no it’s not a Munni or Sheila, but it’s neither as crappy as Tinku Jiya. It reminds one of ‘Kajra Re’, with its funky mix of seductive backbeat that laces the track alongside the tabla interludes. It sounds like a complete desi track with the polishing of some hip-hop beats in the back. Sharma sounds so good here, and naturally she’s again singing for the original item gal Malaika Arora Khan, which is the perfect package. Yet the surprise element in the song is Sukhwinder Singh who sounds like he’s having a ball with the interestingly phrased sexy lines of “Ohh tu mita de meri tension!” This mujra definitely beats the recent ‘Dil Meri Muft Ka’ as it just sounds so much more pleasing and rollicking on the ear. Definitely during the bridge of the song is fabulous with Sharma and Singh sounding so heavenly and spicy with their banter together! This looks to be the song that should capture the audience long after they’ve left the cinema. Keep this one on repeat! It naturally comes with its set of remixes. The Hyper Mix is only necessary if you want to lose the essence and fun of the song into mindless house music. The regular remix is pretty good as it intersperses the tabla beats alongside all the techno sounds, finally a remix that isn’t the usual overproduced electronica we usually get.
Despite 2 good tracks so far, we get into blehh territory with Right Now Now, which seems to be the usual R&B number that’s part of the Akon wave. The song sounds like a match for ‘Oh Girl You’re Mine’ yet that track had a better composition and made all the repetitiveness at least a tad engaging. This one is rather middling as the rapper on the track is given so many of the cheesiest lines. Sajid sings with some autotune along with Sunidhi Chauhan and Suzanne D’Mello. When the bass picks up during the chorus then it gets you in a dancing mode. The bridge of the song with some gritty guitar and D’Mello crooning makes this part so good. However, maybe it’s the autotune that lets the track down, coupled with the repetitive chorus. This is bound to be the seductive track in the film and given that mood the song is very slinky and sexy, it does work. Quite shockingly, the Remix version of this song definitely sounds better and improves the original material. Expect this one to be played in all the clubs, with its fabulous rave sounds. The vocals are often singled out in this track and the autotune is not too glaring. Stick to the remix!
The last track on the album is Do You Know, which sounds similar to ‘I Don’t Know What To Do’ with its retro sound and Hinglish verses. This tune sounds great, and is a perfect homage to the music of RD Burman. The disco beats and fun guitar riffs that pepper the track definitely make you want to dance around and it soon becomes another favourite on the album. Shreya Ghosal and Shaan share the vocals, and they are perfect together especially in establishing a rapport with the fun lyrics. Nostalgic songs that combine the sound of the 70s and 80s are the new trend, and this track is truly a good throwback to those times with its breezy style. This one also comes with a remix version, which takes out all the vintage appeal and throws in the electronica to mixed results. This remix is hardly the one that will bring you to the dance floor unlike the previous track where the remix improves the song. This one is strictly a romantic number that didn’t need it.
Comparisons to the previous Housefull soundtrack are inevitable, but here Sajid and Wajid are clearly having fun in making the album. Yet it’s not without its faults as the key song ‘Papa Toh Band Bajaye’ sounds like a direct lift of a western song, yet it manages to invert the same rhythm to its advantage. Maybe one or two more songs would have improved the album, but what we’ve got here is an album that is sure to be a hit with the audience, but one that might not be remembered months later. With this pretty good album, Sajid and Wajid show that they can deliver outside of a Salman movie. So give this one a try!
