Film: Yeh Saali Zindagi Music Director: Nishat Khan Lyricist: Swanand Kirkire Singers: Sunidhi Chauhan, Kunal Ganjawala, Shilpa Rao, Sukhwinder Singh, Javed Ali and Abhishek Ray
Though the album boasts of great names such as the renowned sitar player Nishat Khan as music director and various accomplished singers such as Sunidhi Chauhan and Sukhwinder Singh, the Yeh Saali Zindagi soundtrack does not have much new to offer the world of music.
The first track, the title track, is performed admirably by Sunidhi Chauhan, Kunal Ganjawala and Shilpa Rao, but the arrangement itself is far from stellar. There have been several songs in the past that could easily be mistaken for the title track and without a distinct sound Yeh Saali Zindagi suffers. The constant change in tempo also creates a disjointed feel. The title track is heard twice more – a female version performed by Sunidhi and Shilpa and a bonus version performed by Abhishek Ray, Chitrangda Singh and Jasleen Madharu. The female version is identical to the original track, although Kunal’s vocals are no longer present. The bonus track is quite different, with rapping and a more grunge feel in the hopes of making it appeal to the youth, but unfortunately the effort is not successful.
Next is Sarara, crooned by Javed Ali. Any fan of recent Hindi film music is well-aware of Javed’s masterful voice, yet the song does not do him justice at all. There is a second version of Sarara performed by Sukhwinder Singh, which is marginally more enjoyable as Sukhwinder’s vocals suit the fast-paced drum beats of the song.
The song Dil Dar-Ba-Dar is performed by Shilpa Rao and Javed Ali. Though the song stands slightly above the other tracks on the album, it is not enough to raise the overall quality of the soundtrack. Special mention must go to Shilpa Rao for her wonderful vocals on the track; she truly shines.
Shilpa and Javed have another duet in Ishq Tere Jalwe. This time around it is the instrumentation and composition that truly shines in this rock ballad. Both Javed and Shilpa do the track full justice, creating one of the better songs of the album.
Finally, is Javed Ali’s Kaise Kahein Alvida. The song is slow-paced, allowing Javed to express tender emotions in his vocals. For fans of slow, romantic tunes ‘Kaise Kahein Alvida’ will be enjoyable and nostalgic.
Overall, Yeh Saali Zindagi falls short of expectations and does not set itself apart from the pack. With so many Hindi film albums being released every week one hopes that songs will be memorable and able to stand the test of time. These sadly don’t.
