Boyss Toh Boyss Hain: Music Review

Music Composers: Anuj Garg, Sayanthi-Shailendra, Willy, Dhiren Raichura, Dhwanit Joshi

Starring: Raj Kumar Yadav, Dhruv Ganesh, Aarya Kumar, Divya Dutta, Gulshan Grover 

Forget the others, I'm interested in the
mannequin without a head

What to say about the music of Boyss Toh Boyss Hain?  First of all the movie has quite a name, so it certainly needs a soundtrack to back it up. We have a variety of composers here, so each track has its own flavor. Boyss Toh Boyss Hain is exciting and experimental.

To kick off Boyss Toh Boyss Hai we have the title track, Boyss Toh Boyss Hain. This Hinglish track is sung by Neeraj Sridhar and Willii. Even though this is a title track, it is actually pretty catchy, especially when the female voice cuts in and says "Hai Ram, Boys Toh Boys Hain". Definitely one of the best on the album. 4/5

The next song we have is Mika Singh's Gol Gol. This song is tinged with Punjabi techno. The "Gol Gol" part  instantly catchy, but it does have English interludes saying "Shake your Booty", similar the booty shake in Chennai Express', One Two Three Four. Click Here For My Chennai Express: Music Review  But besides that booty shake piece, this is a fantastic track with tons of variation 3.5/5

Our most Punjabi style number is Kachha Papad features Labh Janjua and Anuj Garg. There is a interesting mix of rock, R&B, and Punjabi here. The guitar solos are wonderful, but besides these short intervals of instrumentals there is nothing to separate this song from other Punjabi numbers. Decent. 3/5

Out of all these eligible bachelors, I would
choose the creepy silver man in the middle

Mohit Chauhan's voice brings a good balance to the Boyss Toh Boyss Hain album in Sab Kuch Badal Gaya. This song literally begins with all clouds. It is starts of light and airy with a light flute beat, then  builds an inspirational sounding romance song. However, it is interrupted by a voice singing in English, Sayanthi-Shailendra. This spoils the song for only momentarily, until violins and sweet pianos come to the rescue. This is a different kind of song, and not something to be ignored. 3.5/5

Coffee Shop Mein is a song you would expect from a movie called Boyss Toh Boyss Hain. Shashaa Tirupathi's voice is seductive in this entertaining Hinglish number. This is a fast paced number flows rapturously, but there is not necessarily a hook, since the whole song is it a hook itself. 3/5

The composers pull Sunidhi Chauhan and Anup Jalota in for the uplifting song, Dreaming. This song has a light electronic beat, and is sung in Hinglish once again. The lyrics are a little cheesy, but the vocals of both singers are truely magnificent.  Jalota's voice is reminiscent of Bollywood from the seventies and eighties, while Chauhan brings in a modern twist. 4/5

Boyss Toh Boyss Hain returns for a remix. Boyss Toh Boyss Hain Remix picks up the electronic beat and speeds it up a little. There is not a huge difference between the two. 3.5/5

For a smaller film, with mostly unknown composers, Boyss Toh Boyss Hain soundtrack is very good. The composers genuinely tried to create unusual songs while staying true to the Bollywood roots. This soundtrack can work beyond the silver screen and into your car.

My Picks: Boyss Toh Boyss Hain, Dreaming, Sab Kuch Badal Gaya, Gol Gol

Check Out My Other Reviews:
D-Day: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/06/d-day-music-review.html
Ramaiya Vastavaiya: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/06/ramaiya-vastavaiya-music-review.html
Issaq:http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/06/bollywood-music-review-issaq_21.html

Which is your favorite Song?
BB

Chennai Express: Music Review

Music Director: Vishal-Shehkar
Starring: Shahrukh Khan and Deepika Padukone

So, after my Chennai Express: First Look Review I have come back to you with my music critique. Vishal-Shehkar has produced soundtracks for recent popular Shahrukh Khan films, so its  not surprising they would be the composers for Chennai Express. Chennai Express' songs, for the most part, are a ride to South India.

Chennai Express unfortunately begins with One Two Three Four sung by Vishal Dadlani and Hamsika Nayr, This song begins with Tamil verses and flows in to Hinglish for the remainder of the song. This song starts well, and is definitely catchy, but when the English verse "One Two Three Four, Get on the Dance Floor" comes in the song gets very odd. Especially when they say booty shake. These immature lyrics could have easily been done before, but there was a reason why no one else tried this. 2.5/5

Chennai Express redeems itself with Chinmayi Sripad and Gopi Sundar in Titli. This romantic duet song begins beautifully with Tamil verses and continues in Hindi with Tamil slicing through. Its ethereal instrumentals almost give it a magical touch. Chinmayi's and Gopi's smooth voices transition well with each other. Titli is reminiscent of Chandni Chowk to China's Tere Naina. Refined and delicate it is winner all the way. Officially obsessed. 5/5

Four! Booty Shake Booty Shake!

Tera Rastaa Chhodoon Na unites Amitabh Bhattacharya and Anusha Mani for a romantic number. This song plays a little on Titli's beats, but its a little fast paced. Bhattacharya sounds uninterested, while Mani excels. This song is purely situational, so it might go well with the film's narrative, but its not good to listen alone. 3/5

Next is Kashmir Main Tu Kanyakumari  featuring Sunidhi Chauhan, Arjit Singh, and Neeti Mohan. I'm glad to see Arjit Singh-Sunidhi combo.This song is not bad, but it sounds like it should be in a musical. It's cute, and definitely one of the better tracks of the album. Arjit Singh and Sunidhi's voice coincide with Shahrukh and Deepika's. 4/5

The fourth song is Ready Steady Po, primarily featuring Vishal Dadlani and a handful of singers. This song falls into the obscure desirap/electronica/dubstep category. This song is mostly rapped in English and is at the most mildly desi flavored. Its almost like a unbearable second theme for the movie.What were they thinking here? 2/5

"Our soundtrack is disappointing."
"I know. It's sad, isn't it?

SP Balasubramanyam returns to Bollywood with the song Chennai Express. This song starts off horribly, but when Jonita Gandhi's voice comes in it picks up pace a little. I was astonished that this song also had dubstep and a lot of English verses inside. The only good part is the hook "Chenai-ai-ai-ai", and there is nothing more to say. SP's voice has definitely aged. This is supposed to be the theme for the movie, and it's exactly what it is. 2.5/5

Dubstep comes back once again in Titli (Dubstep Version). This song doesn't compare to the original version of Titli, but can work for dubstep listeners, as it ties the major elements of dubstep together with all the right Bollywood elements. 4/5

Chennai Express Mashup is just a deranged swirl of all the songs in the soundtrack with yet another dubstep twist. There is nothing good about this. At moments it gets loud, unbearable and headache inducing. It will most likely be playing as the ending credits are rolling. 1/5

Chennai Express' soundtrack ultimately fails because of its overwhelming use of dubstep and English verses. The soundtrack could have been better if they stuck more to the Indian roots instead of trying to tackle multiple genres. I expect better from Vishal-Shehkar.

My Picks: Titli & Dubstep Version, Kashmir Tu Kanyakumari

Check out my other reviews!

Did you like this soundtrack?
BB

D-Day: Music Review

Starring: Arjun Rampal, Rishi Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Huma Qureshi, Shruti Hassan

Music Directors: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

The Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy trio is famous for catchy music that is reflective the overall theme of the movie, and  D-Day's music is no exception. D-Day is a Bollywood film that crosses over the border and into Pakistan, when Irrfan Khan is sent to Karachi on a spy mission. After viewing the trailer, it seems what follows is a chaotic, political thriller entangled with romantic trysts. Here we see many of our favorite singers come forward, such as Javed Ali, Shankar Mahadevan, and Sukhwinder Singh.

Mika Singh opens D-Day with the qawwali Duma Dum. This song is a remake of the popular Lal Meri Pat, that we have heard from popular Pakistani artists like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Abida Parveen, and Junoon. The instrumentals are rich and distinguish this song , however this song doesn't compare with the other others vocally. It would have fared better if another singer was put behind the mike. A good attempt, but nothing really new. 3/5

Alvida features Loy Mendonsa, Sukhwinder Singh, Nikhil D'Souza and Shruti Hassan herself . This mellow song has mostly delicate vocals and light instrumentals. Hassans' vocals are whispery and ghostly, but she is able to add a nice touch to the song. Singh and D'Souza's voice really takes this song to a higher level and really highlights the song. 4/5

"Exactly how much curry did you get under
your fingernails"

D-Day has another qawwali-esque song called Murshid Ke Holi. Shankar Mahadevan, Javed Ali, and Munawar Masoom voices blend well together with this traditional beats. The instrumentals are also rich here, as they are throughout D-Day. But what really distinguishes this one from any other fantastic qawwali? Nothing really. It runs over seven and a half minutes, and its so repetitive that its difficult to get all the way through. 3.5/5

Rekha Bhardwaj returns in a solo, Ek Khadi. The tabla is very soothing when used in unison with other instruments, but this song isn't really unique in any way. Not much to say about this one. No repeat value. 3/5

D-Day ends with the short track Dhuaan with Siddharth Madhadevan and Rahul Ram's gritty vocals. The orchestra instrumentals give the song a perilous touch of beautiful doom. It almost sounds like a some type of church prayer and chant. There are not many dark Bollywood songs like this, so something like this is very special.  4/5

If you are a die hard Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy or qawwali fan, just take a few of these songs from D-Day and be on your way.

My Picks: Alvida, Dhuaan

Check out My Other Reviews:

Chennai Express:http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/chennai-express-music-review.html

Issaq:http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/06/bollywood-music-review-issaq_21.html

Boyss Toh Boyss Hai:http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/boyss-toh-boyss-hai-music-review.html 

Share your Thoughts!

BB

Chennai Express: First Look

Director: Rohit Shetty

Starring: Shahrukh Khan and Deepika Padukone

Shahrukh Khan + Rohit Shetty Comedy= No. So far, it looks very dismal. The director of Chennai Express, Rohit Shetty, has brought us the Golmaal series, the fourth of which is slated to release in 2015, and other disasters like, All the Best and Sunday. So keeping the ridiculous action scenes in mind, imagine Shahrukh Khan doing these stunts. Now, look at the poster above. This is how they want to market Chennai Express, by gathering the largest, scariest South Indian men and having them stand around sunglass wearing Shahrukh Khan and Deepika.

Anyway, lets forget for a moment that Shahrukh Khan is Deepika's elder by about twenty years and focus on Chennai Express itself. From the trailer (link below) it seems like a combination of Jab We Met and Veer Zaara. Shahrukh needs to disperse some ashes so he travels from Mumbai to Rameshwaram to do so. On the train ride, he meets Deepika Padukone,  a spunky South Indian, who annoys him to that point that he falls in love with her. In between we have plenty of Salman Khan-esque fight scenes, lots of South Indian men, and exploding cars. I love Shahrukh Khan, but from what I've seen so far...I can already assume this one isn't going to be good.

On the bright side, I can only hope that the music will be great. Chennai Express marks the return of singer,SP Balasubramanyam, to Bollywood. SP was famous for voicing Salman Khan songs  for films like Maine Pyar Kiya and Hum Aapke Hain Koun. We hear snippets on this his voice in the title through the trailer. The music directors behind Chennai Express the super duo, Vishal-Shekhar, but so far I'm not expressed from the song trailer for "One Two Three Four" (below). To put it politely the song is a major fail. "One Two Three Four" is in the form of a low grade item song. The dancing is simple and the song is unintelligent. I'm sure anyone could have thought of the lyrics "One Two Three Four Get on the Dancefloor". I can only hope the other songs are good. High hopes for SP's return.

Chennai Express is quickly sinking boat. Hopefully the music and the plot will be able to compensate for the poor trailers.

What do you think?
BB

Issaq: Music Review

Music Director: Krsna, Sachin Gupta, Jigar
Starring: Prateik Babbar & Amrya Dastur

For some reason or another, there hasn't been much of a buzz about the Prateik Babbar starrer, Issaq or its music. The main actress is newcomer, Amrya Dastur. It is rumored that that she plays Juliet in this modern adaptation of the Shakespearean classic. So far not much is known about the movie, but I will confess that the music is superb. Issaq's music is directed by Krsna, Sachin Gupta, and Jigar. So with these great music directors come amazing voices like Mohit Chauhan and Mamta Sharma. Issaq offers unique arrangements and definitely is worth a listen.

So let's begin with the first track of Issaq, Issaq Tera (Male) by Mohit Chauhan.  This song begins with a beautiful instrumentals and continues with flute interludes. Chauhan's voice is smooth and creamy throughout this dreamy romantic number. However, it gets a little repetitive and doesn't have much of a a hook, except for saying Issaq Tera over and over again. 3.5/5

We have a second version to the song, Issaq Tera (Duet), with Mohit Chauhan and Smitha Jain as the lead vocalists. Jain's voice sounds almost ghostly when paired with Chauhan's  and does nothing to enhance the song. The duet runs barely over two minutes, which is too short for any Bollywood track. The male version is much more remarkable. 3/5

 "That boat has such beautiful sails"
"Oh that warship over there coming to kill you?"

Jheeni Re Jheeni Re is Issaq's classical number by Rashid Khan and Pratibha Baghel. It's a slow song complete light tabla and alaaps. The song is very well balanced, since Khan's voice is strong, while Baghel's vocals are very soft. Both vocalists are exceptional at classical singing and truly make the the song. 4/5

Next we have Bhole Chale by Rahul Ram and Sachin Gupta. This song, like several others that come after, is like a village song. This song is wild, and one of vocalists sound like they are screaming throughout. This is definitely some kind of celebration song, and there may be some drunk actors in this one. Bhole Chale becomes a bit more bearable after it reaches the third minutes. Its a little fun to listen to, but its no gem. 2.5/5

The rock song of Issaq is Aag ki Dariya by Ankit Tewari. This angry number has very hard guitar arrangement and vocalists, and Tewari's gritty vocals enhance this song further. The beat and Tewari's voice calms during the interludes, making it a much more pleasurable to the ear. This is by far the best track on the album. 5/5

We have the second version of Aag Ki Dariya (Unplugged) by Sachinn Gupta. The guitar and drums are stripped away for the much softer sweeter sounds of piano and flutes. It sounds like a completely new song. Its a nice a slow for a calm listen. Both version are great in their own way. This one carries a more sorrowful tune, while the original is filled with more anger. 4.5/5

Eene Unne begins with harmonium tying back to the village roots of this Issaq. This is much better than Bhole Chale, and is the dance number of Issaq, if not the item number. Many singers like  Papon, Mamta Sharma, Kirti Sagathiya, and Tarun Sagar are featured here. There some speaking between the male and female on the album, but it doesn't take away much from the songs. The quick instrumentals and vocals make the song very catchy. There are not many songs out like this these days. 4/5

Malini Awasthi and Raghubir Yadav unite for the traditional number Bhagan Ke Rehan Ke.  This is another classical, perhaps a wedding number, but this one doesn't have much of a hook at all. Its pretty good song with sad undertones, but its not a song worth repeated listens. 3/5

Issaq has many great memorable tracks and should not be overlooked. I'm really looking forward to see how all this is picturized on the screen and will hope the audience will recognize this soundtrack's value.

My Picks: Aag Ki Dariya, Aag Ki Dariya (Unplugged), Jheeni Re Jheeni, Eene Unne, Issaq Tera (Male)

Be sure to check out my other reviews:
Once Upon A Time in Mumbai Dobara: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/once-upon-time-in-mumbai-dobara-music.html
Boyss Toh Boyss Hain: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/boyss-toh-boyss-hai-music-review.html
D-Day: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/06/d-day-music-review.html
Chennai Express: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/07/chennai-express-music-review.html
Ramaiya Vastavaiya: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/06/ramaiya-vastavaiya-music-review.htm


Comment Away!
BB

Ramaiya Vastavaiya: Music Review

Music Director: Sachin-Jigar

Starring: Shruti Hassan, Girish Kumar, & Sonu Sood

Chocolate Horses

Shruti Hassan is back in Bollywood with Prabhu Deva's Ramaiya Vastavaiya, and newcomer Girish Kumar. The composers for this album are duo Sachin-Jigar. They worked with other composers like Pritam and AR Rahman  for soundtracks, like Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya and Ekk Deewana Tha. Ramaiya Vastavaiya boasts a variety of numbers, not all memorable.

Our first track Jeene Laga Hoon starts Ramaiya Vastavaiya off just right. Atif Aslam's soft and syrupy voice intertwines well with the magical instrumentals. Shreya Ghoshal's voice plays off his voice and the melody perfectly. This is a beautiful romantic duet with all the elements in the all the right places. Don't miss this one. It will have you addicted. 5/5

Mika Singh and Monali Thakur sing the dance number Hip Hop Pummy. The Punjabi hip-hop style number falls along the same lines of every Punjabi number that has been brought to us in recent times. It's not a bad song, its just not memorable or addictive. 3/5

Shreya and Atif team up again for Bairiya. This is a slower romantic duet than Jeene Laga Hoon. Shreya is more of the dominant voice on this soundtrack, and Atif's voice doesn't seem to fit the slow, romantic quality that is necessary. The instrumentals are of superior quality, but this song doesn't have any worthwhile hook and ends up sounding too long for it's four minute duration. 3/5

Peecha Chhute picks up the pace a little. The beat immediately catches the listeners ear, and then Mohit Chauhan's voice pulls us further in. This fun, frothy number will hook you immediately. It has catchy short interludes of a chorus "Rama Rama Re" that are sliced well into the song. 5/5

 "I hate you like I love you"

Shreya and Atif return for the third time in Ramaiya Vastavaiya  for Rang Jo Lagyo. This song builds beautifully, and features Atif's voice in a falsetto. At times, there seems to be a little strain on the vocals, but the light instrumentals and meaningful lyrics compensate for it. Atif goes solo for the first three and a half minutes and the Shreya takes over momentarily. They are a beautiful duo as usual. 4/5

We have a second dance number, Jadoo Ki Jhappi, that brings us back to the movie's original South Indian roots. This one has instantaneous South Indian flair and features the artists, Neha Kakkar and Mika Singh. Jadoo Ki Jhappi (Part 2) is almost the same except it has Mika Singh solo. Neither one is better than each other. This song is for the item song fanatic and no one else. 3/5

On the whole, Ramaiya Vastavaiya is not a bad album. Most of the songs are just okay, but when the songs are good they are fabulous. Snag the good ones and leave the rest behind.

My Picks: Peecha Chhute, Jeene Laga Hoon, Rang Jo Lagyo 

Check Out My Other Reviews:

Ghanchakkar, Issaq, Raanjhanaa, Lootera, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Once Upon A Time In Mumbai

Comments Welcome!

Love BB

Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani: Music Review

Music Director: Pritam

Starring: Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Kalki Kochelin, Kunaal Roy Kapur

Pritam is back with a new soundtrack, Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani. This Ranbir-Deepika comeback rom-com gives leeway for Pritam to experiment. This soundtrack brings the energizing rhythm, while bringing cool, refreshing songs into the mix. Of course, we can always expect a few memorable songs from Pritam album (stolen or not stolen) and here is no different.

Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani begins with the dance number Badtameez Dil. I have to admit I was obsessed with the 1 minute and 45 second long trailer until the release of the full length song. The sound of the saxophone and the trumpets add a classy touch to the nonsensical lyrics.Words flow seamlessly into each other like aloo bhatt, puri bhatt, and  bollywood, hollywood, jollygood. There is lots of rhymes and alliteration, so once Benny Dayal's voice pulls you in it never lets you go. However, Shefali Alvaris' voice is not very pleasant when it comes in at the end of the song. It sounds electronic and autotuned, and does not tie into Benny's smooth word flow. To me it should have been Benny solo. Nevertheless, still a good song. 4/5

Next is Balam Pichkari featuring Shalmali Kholgade and Vishal Dhadlani. Shalmali's voice is a bit eccentric, but its just what it takes to kick-start the song, after the traditional beginning. This is fun, quirky Holi song, we have traditional sounds with violin and whistling. The lyrics are as fun as the beat, and Shalmali and Vishal make an amazing pair. This song is a winner all the way through. 5/5

Our Mohit Chauhan track is Illahi. The song begins with chanting and guitar. This is definitely the young man refreshing song of the album. Illahi separates itself from the first two songs. In the interludes, there is a chorus of children chanting "Na Na Na". Because of the chorus wouldn't listen to this song on its own, but I think this works very well in the movie. 3/5

Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani picks up again with Dilliwali Girlfriend featuring Arjit Singh and Sunidhi Chauhan.  This one has small touches of bhangra and has a desi tune with some English thrown in the middle. This sounds like a typical Pritam wedding song, almost like Soniye Ve Dhak Dhak from Kismat Konnection. Pritam seemed to copy his own style this time. Its a good track, but its really nothing new. 3/5

There are two versions of Kabira. Kabira (Original) features Tochi Raina and Rekha Bhardwaj. This song slow rock melody and both artists' voice are raw with pain. The second version, Kabira (Encore) by Hashdeep Kaur and Arjit Singh has much more soul. We have a more traditional song with a lighter melody in this outing. The chorus and Indian instrumental enhances the beauty of this song.  The encore is like a slow, peaceful ride through the countryside. 3/5 & 5/5

Sreeram and Shilpa Rao's Subhanallah is the romantic duet of Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani. Its a light, uplifting song about falling in love that borders on cheesy at
times. To me, it sounds like a re-creation of Shukraan Allah from Kurbaan. Nevertheless, its fresh and exhilerating, with Sreerams squeaky clean vocals. 4/5

Lastly, there is Ghagra our item number staring Madhuri Dixit. So we have a older woman's voice, Rekha Bhardwaj, and a younger man's voice, Vishal Dhadlani. This song begins slow, but picks up pace. However, it lacks the spice and flash that other item numbers have. There are some hooks, but more is needed to make this song a chartbuster. 3.5/5

In the end, Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani has a few fantastic numbers, but most of the songs are lacking elements that will help them stand out from other songs like its kind.

My Picks: Balam Pichkari, Kabira (Encore), Badtameez Dil, Subhanallah

Issaq: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/06/bollywood-music-review-issaq_21.html

Ghanchakkar: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/06/bollywood-music-reviewsghanchakkar.html

Lootera:http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/06/bollywood-music-review-lootera.html

Raanjhanaa: http://bollywoodbegum.blogspot.com/2013/06/bollywood-music-reviews-raanjhanaa.html

BB