It seems like just yesterday that White Feather Films launched their mega project Shootout at Lokhandwala and we have already been graced with the film’s soundtrack. Produced by Sanjay Gupta and the Queen of saas-bahu dramas, Ekta Kapoor, the movie brings together a massive starcast of some of the biggest names in Bollywood: Sanjay Dutt, Vivek Oberoi, Sunil Shetty, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Arbaaz Khan, Tusshar Kapoor, Rohit Roy, Dia Mirza, Amrita Singh, Neha Dhupia and the list goes on. The man behind the director’s chair is the talented Apoorva Lakhia whose last release was Ek Ajnabee. This mega project is made out to be even bigger as, not only is the starcast huge, but so is the team behind the soundtrack. The soundtrack comprises of three composers; Anand Raaj Anand, Mika Singh and Biddu and four lyricists; Dev Kohli, Palash Sen, Mika Singh and Sanjay Gupta. Phew! That’s what we call teamwork.
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.
