Producer: Suneel Darshan
Director: Suneel Darshan
Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Rakhee, Akshay Kumar, Juhi Chawla, Karisma Kapoor, Mohnish Behl, Simone Singh, Ashish Vidyarthi, Sharat Saxena, Kunika, Alok Nath, Anang Desai, Kanika Kohli, Shakti Kapoor, and Nagma
Music: Nadeem-Shravan
Lyrics: Sameer
Singers: Kumar Sanu, Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan, Mohammed Aziz,   Sarika Kapoor, Anuradha Paudwal, Milind
Audio on: Tips
Number of Songs: 9
Reviewed by: Manish Dhamija
Reviewer's Rating: 7.5 out of 10

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It was not too long ago when Suneel Darshan announced the launching of his film, Ek Rishtaa – The Bond of Love. The film boasts of an extremely impressive star cast, including some of Bollywood’s biggest names, like Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Juhi Chawla, Karisma Kapoor, Rakhee, and a very underrated Mohnish Behl. Centered on the trials and tribulations of a close-knit family headed by Mr. Bachchan and Rakhee, the film is basically an emotional family drama with melodious music by the ever-popular music duo, Nadeem-Shravan. When I first sat down and listened to the songs of Ek Rishtaa, I was honestly expecting some tunes along the lines of Nadeem-Shravan’s earlier effort, Dhadkan, incidentally directed by producer-director Suneel Darshan’s brother, Dharmesh. Who can forget the memorable Dil Ne Yeh Kaha Dil Se and Tum Dil Ki Dhadkan Mein? Much to my dismay, the songs for Ek Rishtaa were not very similar and not instantly catchy. Yet, after listening to the songs several times, I realized that the songs did have a way of making themselves quite impressionable.

The album begins with the Kumar Sanu-Alka Yagnik duo, who do their best with Dil Lagane Ki Sazaa. Quite popular with Nadeem-Shravan since their foray into music, the duo dominates the album, presenting themselves in three other tracks. This song is the first one that Mr. Darshan has released as part of the film’s promos. It is a very catchy, upbeat tune that is instantly likable. I have a feeling that this track will rule the charts immediately.

The next song, Mohabbat Ne Mohabbat Ko, is sung by Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik. At first, the track seemed pretty average. Yet, Udit’s mellifluous voice makes the song quite enjoyable and a delight to listen to. He flows through the song with ease, as does Alka who sounds like her usual self. The music is very Nadeem-Shravan, with the very familiar beats in the background.

Probably the best song on the soundtrack, the third song is Ek Dil Hai, featuring Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik once again. The song begins with Alka Yagnik’s voice with faint sounds of music in the background, eventually leading into the traditional wedding instrument, the shehanaai. The song is a bit on the slow side, but is a very romantic song that should be popular among those who have a soft spot for nice Hindi love songs. Both singers do a fine job with the tune, making the song one to look forward to on the big screen.

Next is Hum Khush Hue, a song that marks the return of popular 80s singer, Mohammed Aziz, who is most probably used as a playback singer for Amitabh Bachchan. The song begins with Kumar Sanu’s voice, and the tune is used in the first several trailors of the film. Undoubtedly, the song is very situational – a song that speaks of togetherness and family happiness. It hints at the joy one experiences when another member is added to the family, hence hum khush hue. Alka Yagnik and new-find Sarika Kapoor accompany Kumar Sanu and Mohammed Aziz in this family ditty, making the overall tune a very pleasant one.

The fifth song is entitled Dil Deewana Dhoondta Hai, sung by Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik. Another fast-paced track, the song was one that I immediately liked irrespective of the fact that it probably does not offer too much lyrical poetry. In a way, the song reminded me much of Jatin-Lalit’s Ladka Bada Anjaana Hai, from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Yet, the singers transform what is a seemingly mediocre tune into something that is fun to listen to.

The sixth track is definitely the most average song of the album. Called Ek Raja Hai Ek Rani Hai, it is sung by Mohammed Aziz, Anuradha Paudwal, Sarika Kapoor, and Milind. There is not much to say about the song. The music is again very typical of the musical duo. It is nice to hear Mohammed Aziz after such a long time, but the song does not do him complete justice. Anuradha Paudwal is average. Sarika Kapoor, who does a fine job for her first film, is only present for a few lines. The same can be said for Milind, who probably contributes only a few lines himself. Interestingly, it almost sounds as if in one of the verses there are three distinct male voices, as opposed to two. Yet, only two are given credit for the song. While on the subject of the song, the album also offers a very short, melancholic version of the song, Aur Kya Zindagani Hai, sung by Mohammed Aziz.

The last song of the album is Mulaqaat, a solo sung by Alka Yagnik. Another song on the fast side, it is catchy mainly because of the refrain, “Aaiye Humse Mulaqaat Ki Jiye”. Alka Yagnik’s voice is nice, but she is much more suited for slow, romantic songs, which take full advantage of her voice. Still, she manages to keep up with the pace of song, making it another asset to the album.

The album ends with an instrumental version of Dil Lagaane Ki Sazaa.

Overall, the album is above average. Nadeem-Shravan continue to give good music after their beautiful scores in Judaai, Pardes, Sirf Tum, Saat Rang Ke Sapne, Dhadkan, and Kasoor. The album is definitely worth a buy on CD, which also comes with a free CD featuring Kumar Sanu-Alka Yagnik duets. Now, only time will tell whether or not Suneel Darshan’s Ek Rishtaa – The Bond of Love will live up to all of its expectations. My hope is that it will – with such an amazing cast, it would be a tragedy to have this film bite the dust at the box office.