Y-Films are ready with their latest release Mere Dad Ki Maruti, which stars Saqib Saleem and Rhea Chakraborthy, with Ram Kapoor as the Dad. It looks to be a fun caper during the wedding season in Chandigarh where the Maruti goes missing and it is up to Saleem to get it back. The album is expected to be the baap of all music albums, with Sachin Gupta at the helm and Panjabi MC making a guest appearance with his song ‘Haay’. The album is unabashedly entertaining and there’s not a dull moment throughout these tracks. Sachin Gupta has created an album that works with the young-theme and managed to do something new with the stock Bhangra numbers that we often here.
I was immediately excited from the initial trailer to hear the full, Punjabiyan Di Battery, and it’s a funky track that launches you on the dance floor from the opening tumbhi strands. Honey Singh chimes in with his safer rap verses, and then the real star of the show emerges – Mika. This is a much better song where Mika can show off his vocal prowess and some of the usual swagger. It’s a real feat to have Singh and Mika on the same track and they don’t sound like they are trying to outdo each other too much. The arrangements are fabulous, and the tempo keeps the party going right until the bridge where it speeds up. Kumaar’s lyrics are quirky and celebrate all that Punjabi spirit which is complemented by Mika and Honey Singh’s vocals. Keep this on your most played list.
Main Senti Hoon carries Kumaar’s witty and fun lyrics to a more romantic-clubby number with Jaspreet Jasz and Shalmali Kholgade taking the lead. Gupta’s arrangements are great here with the electronic style that merges very well with Punjabi sounds. Gupta seems to have a good command over reinventing the usual staple numbers and making this track with its innate appeal. Jasz and Kholgade are fabulous together and create a cute chemistry throughout the track. Jasz has the right energy and excels in the faster section, and Kholgade is getting more songs and making us adore her precise and versatile style. The song could do without the moans and panting in the background, but that is minor quibbling. Try this one out.
The most anticipated track on the album is Panjabi MC’s Haay, and it doesn’t disappoint. Collaborating with Manak-E (of ‘Paisa’ – De Dana Dan fame), Panjabi MC makes sure to create a surefire chartbuster with its thumping bass line and an addictive chorus. The initial rap lyrics are typical Panjabi MC and work to establish the hip-hop style of the track. Manak-E is reliable and sounds like he’s having fun with the track, as well the addition of the female chorus breaks up the pace and re-establishes its roots. Although it does not feel like a stretch for Panjabi MC, it’s a well-crafted track that does what it sets out to: make us want to dance and go racing around!
Next up is Hip Hip Hurrah, which isn’t sung as clunky as it sounds on the page with Sonu Kakkar vocals. The song is another clubby number with more rustic Punjabi elements in it with the dhols and tumbhi making their mark during the interludes. From opening ‘dhan-te-nana’ and it’s varied arrangement of the clubby sound to the folksy sound, Gupta keeps the track energetic and addictive. Kakkar does sound a bit like Miss Pooja in the earlier portions but regains her footing and makes the song much more entertaining. The Hinglish not too distracting and Kumaar’s lyrics are perfect for a sangeet or reception setting with its teasing and joyous energy.
The title track, Mere Dad Ki Maruti, is entertaining for Kumaar’s lyrics where the Maruti is at the focus. Whether it’s the whispery vocals from Diljit Dosanjh and then launching into the techno track, the chorus is instantly catchy. The lyrics are witty with the Maruti as the love object at the centre with its ‘red rang di bonnet’ that urges him to “kendi hor ghumna.” Dosanjh manages to deliver these lyrics with aplomb without it being too clunky and distracting. It’s a groovy track that becomes an earworm with its tumbhi and dholak in the chorus line. Give this Maruti a spin!
The last track is Mere Dad Ka Mash-up, remixed by DJ Shadow and DJ Raamji Gulati. It continues the new trend in an interesting way and it doesn’t end up too messy. It’s uses the dubstep and techno beats in a way that improves on the originals. It manages to be one of the better examples of how to do a remix and mash-up properly in that it does not lose the essence of the tracks.
Mere Dad Ki Maruti is one of the most energetic and original albums around, because Sachin Gupta manages to do something new with the Punjabi style that we often hear. It helps that he’s aided by Kumaar’s fun lyrics that keep the celebrations and pomp going. The album fulfills its purpose in getting the audience pumped for the film and the Maruti’s hijinks!
