out of

Producer: Sajid Nadiadwala
Director: Raj Kanwar
Music: Anu Malik
Lyrics: Sameer

Reviewed by: Manish Dhamija
manish@indolink.com

Raj Kanwar is one director who realizes the advantage behind a good soundtrack. Remember his Deewana, Jaan, Kartavya, Judaai, Laadla, Badal, Itihaas, etc. and you'll know what I'm talking about. Maybe the songs haven't been the most memorable or maybe they haven't been the most popular, but they are usually very catchy and infectious. This year, he brings us Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega..., a film that stars current hot stars like Salman Khan, Preity Zinta, and Rani Mukherjee. After composing the tunes for Kanwar's Badal, Anu Malik is back with this soundtrack.

The title song is the first of the album. Sung by Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik, it is a very beautiful love song. Although it may be hard to differentiate it among the many love songs produced by Bollywood, it still has its own distinctiveness that makes it very catchy. Both singers do a wonderful job, and it is nice to hear Udit Narayan again, especially after the surge of so many Sonu Nigam tunes of late. Incidentally, the album also features a slow version of the title song, sung by Alka Yagnik. There is really not much to say about the slow version, except that it is, indeed, very sad.

The title song is followed by "Dil Dil Deewana", another duet by Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik. At first, the song sounds a bit weird with both Alka and Udit crooning 'dil dil dil, pyar pyar pyar' over and over again. But, once you give the song a chance, you will realize that it is worthy of a second listening. It is sung well by both lead singers. The pace of song is a bit faster than the title song, making the love song a bit more fun to listen to.

"Aisa Pehli Baar Hua Hai" - no, I am not repeating Kajol's famous line from her film Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. Rather, it is the title of the next song featured on the HDJPK soundtrack. Sung by Sonu Nigam, it is another one of those songs that requires multiple hearings before you actually realize its potential. Sonu sounds great, with the exception at the beginning of the song where he sounds like Anu Malik. The track is fast-paced and is designed specifically for Salman Khan. No points for guessing if he takes off his shirt in this one. It sounds very much like one of those club songs where Salman is probably performing to a big audience. If I am not mistaken, Salman does play a musician in this film, so the song is very appropriate.

Who are Pinky, Preeti, and Prashant, you ask? Well, I don't know much about them either, except for the fact that they are the singers behind "Piya Piya O Piya". This song is pretty catchy and will probably be a dream for all those remixers out there. It is also fast-paced and probably will make you want to dance along. The lead singer sounds like she comes from the Hema Sardesai-Poornima camp, but does a competent job given that the song is supposed to be a dance track. The lyrics are slightly reminiscent of Falguni Pathak's "Chudi Jo......", not too memorable, but catchy nonetheless.

Anu Malik makes an unfortunate appearance in the next song, "Ek Garam Chai Ki Pyali". There is absolutely nothing to say about this song except that it truly ruins the soundtrack. Anu Malik's voice is irritating - somebody should really inform him that he should stick to just composing music! The lyrics are stupid and pointless. Just hit the fast forward button and move on.

K.K. is back after his remarkable debut in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. He does a decent job with the next song, "Sahiba Sahiba". It sounds like a rip-off of a western song. The song is very short, but appears twice on the album. K.K infuses English lyrics into the song about how he 'wants just one chance'. This track is one that sounds like it was designed especially for Anu Malik. Fortunately, he passed it on and gave it to K.K. The premise of the song is very similar to Anu Malik's track from Akele Hum Akele Tum, "Dil Mera Churaya Kyon?". Overall, the song is pretty ok.

If you attended Millenium Masti in the United States, Canada, or U.K., then you will definitely recognize the last song, "Aate Jaate Jo Milta Hai".

Salman Khan showed off his singing skills at the concert with this song. He told the audience that he was in love with this song and could not get it out of his mind. After hearing it, there is no question as to why Salman was feeling that way. It is a very infectious love song, sung by Sonu Nigam and Alka Yagnik. The only unattractive feature of the song is the fact that Alka and an unidentified male singer interrupt the flow of the song with conversation. Regardless, the song is really nice and is probably the best one on the soundtrack.

All in all, Raj Kanwar does deliver some good tunes. The album is above average, with the only exceptions being "Sahiba Sahiba" and "Ek Garam Chai Ki Pyali". If you purchase the CD, you get the added bonus of a very attractive picture booklet featuring Salman, Preity, and Rani. From the looks of the booklet and the trailors, the film holds much promise. Musically, the film lives up to expectations and is on par with other Kanwar films.