After years of struggle, Akshay Kumar has finally hit the spot with a line-up of hits this year, making him the undisputed king of the box office. Shall I say, Welcome to the era of Akshay Kumar?
With his next release directed by Anees Bazmee (No Entry), Akshay stays within his comfort zone in a mob-comedy co-starring Nana Patekar, Anil Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Mallika Sherawat and Paresh Rawal. After Bhool Bhulaiyya, one would hope that the strength of three composers (Himesh Reshammiya, Anand Raj Anand and Sajid-Wajid) could produce another hit album. Do we have another ‘Hare Ram Hare Krishna’ on our hands? Let’s find out.
After the first listen, the title track Welcome is extremely irritating and annoying. But after repeated listens, it eventually catches on despite silly lyrics and ordinary vocals by Shaan and Sowmya Rao. In fact, it’s only the chorus that’s catchy enough to keep you listening. Otherwise, this is by no means a chartbuster.
Anand Raj Anand composes the next track titled Hoth Rasiley sung by himself, Shreya Ghoshal and Shankar Mahadevan. This is an extremely upbeat track which is far more exciting than the previous for its sheer excitement even though it may not be a great composition. Even vocally, you can’t go wrong with Shreya Ghoshal and she delivers once again. So it may not be the greatest dance track we’ve heard recently, but it’s definitely listenable and even likeable to some degree.
Uh, was Himesh smoking something when he decided to sing and compose this Insha Allah? He can’t seem to decide whether it’s a classical or rock piece! The second Shaan and Akriti Kakkar begin to sing, you’ll heave a sigh of relief and hope that Himesh doesn’t attempt that high-pitched screech again. Oh wait, it’s back! Better skip this track to save your ears from mass damage.
From the very first beat its obvious that Kola Laka Vellari is a Himesh Reshammiya track. This is a quintessential Himesh track in every sense—routine, boring and bland. It’s really not worth any more words. By this point, you’re pretty much ready to throw the album out the window.
Finally, the Reshammiya tracks are done and Anand Raj Anand returns with Uncha Lamba Kad. This one isn’t so bad either, but really it’s nothing special at all and if it wasn’t part of such a big film it probably wouldn’t get a second listen. The tune is hardly catchy and just not worth the time.
Kiya Kiya is one of the better tracks of the album, the kind you might actually re-visit for a second listen. Still, this judgement is based in comparison to the rest of the album which is horribly below par. This one’s fun, peppy and though it doesn’t stick or linger, you enjoy it while it lasts.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much to say about the music of Welcome, hence the short and to-the-point review. Really, it’s below standards and if it weren’t for the fact that it was associated with big names, the album probably wouldn’t be given a second glance. Luckily for the team behind the film, the title track is catchy enough to at least make a minute impression on audiences if picturised correctly. Other than that, ‘Hoth Rasiley’ and ‘Kiya Kiya’ are the only two that are mentionable, while all of Himesh’s tracks are downright horrendous. Please, Reshammiya-saab, save us the time and don’t compose again until you have something worth offering. This is one of those albums that you try to ignore and hope that the film will be far more engaging.
