Yash Raj Films! Anything assoicated with that name comes with sky high expectations. Thus, it is no surprise that their latest project, Ta Ra Rum Pum, has generated quite a buzz. And why should it not when it stars the ever-so-charming Saif Ali Khan and the queen of hearts Rani Mukerji along with two of Bollywood’s young and adorable talents, Ali Haji (Fanaa) and Anita Idnani. Directed by Siddharth Anand of Salaam Namaste fame, the movie has music by Vishal-Shekhar and lyrics by Javed Akhtar. With a team as such, one expects nothing less than a melodious album.
The title song, Ta Ra Rum Pum, starts of with a short, delightful dialogue by Saif Ali Khan which gives us an intro to the narrative of the song. The chirpy track is sung by Shaan and Mahalaxmi Iyer, who never fails to impress, and supporting them are Sneha and Shravan Suresh providing vocals for the child artists. The track has already generated quite a buzz amongst little children after it was aired on television with an equally appealing video promo. The sad version of the title track, Ta Ra Rum Pum Tararumpum, begins with a beautiful piano version of the theme music. The song is sung by Shreya Ghoshal whose pleasant vocals mixed with Javed Akhtar’s emotional lyrics makes the track more likeable.
Hey Shona is, without a doubt, the best track of the album. This ideal romantic song is superbly rendered by Shaan and Sunidhi Chauhan. Their soft and subtle vocals brought wonderfully together by Vishal-Shekhar’s simple background music just add to the romanticism of the track. By keeping it simple, this track shines through.
Nachle Ve bursts into the album with a lot of energy, a lot of peppiness and completes the need for a Bhangra number that is almost always present in a Yash Raj production. As Shaan takes a break, Sonu Nigam takes over the mic and gives a spirited rendition. Sowmya Raoh joins Sonu but falls short in delivering the needed flair that comes with such a high spirited track. This piece has the potential to be better, preferably with more appealing background beats. Nevertheless, it does not fail to entertain.
Ab To Forever is a completely funky track which tells the story of a guy trying to woo his ladylove. Vishal Dadlani starts the song off with a wicked one-liner and paves the way for KK. When KK holds the mic, one expects nothing less than perfection to be displayed and surely we are not disappointed. Shreya joins us once again providing a fun element to the song. All in all, it is an entertaining and witty track.
Saaiyaan serves as the last track of the album. It is in complete contrast from the previous tracks and this quality may appeal to many while at the same time could be unappealing to others. The rich sounds of the guitar and piano blended with Vishal’s deep and raw vocals and Javed Akhtar’s emotive lyrics give a soulful touch to the song.
So what did the album of Ta Ra Rum Pum offer? It essentially offered a lot but at the same time it really did not offer much. To make it clearer, one expects a sense of uniqueness and originality from the team of Vishal-Shekhar and this is what lacks in their latest offering. The album is not a failure, not at all, as it presents some melodious and soulful tracks but at the same time one hopes for much more from the duo in the future.
