Reviewed by: Mohammed Ali Ikram
ali@indolink.com

The collaborative efforts of brothers Rajesh and Rakesh Roshan are always eagerly awaited in the music markets.  From Khudgarz, Khoon Bhari Maang, Kishen Kanhaiya, Khel, Karan Arjun to Koyla, each of their film soundtracks has been a listener's pleasure.  And much was also expected of Kaho naa... Pyaar Hai, Rakesh Roshan's launch pad for his son, Hritik.  Alas, the bronze is kind of rusty this time around.  Rajesh Roshan's mediocre scores of late are beginning to catch up with him, and Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai, as a whole, amounts to little more than a time-pass effort.

The ever-reliable Alka Yagnik and an inexplicably off-key Udit Narayan jump at the opportunity to provide a lively rendition of the film's catchy title tune.  A cute ditty that you will like on repeated listening, this one is constrained from being immemorable thanks to one of the worst musical preludes I have ever heard in my life.   The song's hors d'oeurves do little justice to the main course.

Lucky Ali is probably the album's saving grace, a man gifted with much pain in his tenor vocals.  You'll savour Ali's emotive brilliance, and the breezy bass accompanying the puzzled questions of love in "Na Tum Jano Na Hum".  (Film actress?) Ramya lends the eery background to this song which reminds us that Rakesh Roshan still has a wealth of talent.  Too bad the creativity is so sparsely witnessed these days.

"Pyaar Ki Kashti Mein Hai" and "Jaaneman Jaaneman" sound like left-overs from numerous Roshan albums we have heard before.  Neither tune is irritating or bad, yet one also has little praise for the monotony of the former's voyage of love or the latter's brazen invitation to enjoy life.  It is sad that the vocals of Asha Bhosle, Alka Yagnik and Udit are thus wasted.

Saawan Kumar Tak's words, Roshan's music and Kumar Sanu's singing amount to very litte in the boredom of "Chand Sitare".   The fault is not so much the music or Sanu's awaaz (though there is a screecy and uncredited female humming in the background).  I know I am just picky but   the adjective 'tazaa' (fresh) is something I better equate with vegetables and fruits as opposed to flowers and blossoms.  In my opinion, this is a very unappealling attempt at meaningful poetry.

Give me Babul Supriyo's simple "Dil Ne Dil Ko Pukara" rock chant any old day.  You will notice this song uses much of the same music as the last tune.  It is just far more upbeat, less philosophical and pleasant on the ears.

Udit Narayan's sad version of "Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai" is effective enough in its shortness, but since Roshan insisted on adding it to the score, comparisons with the sad versions of other film's title tunes must be made.  This one is pretty conventional and could not hold a candle to the sad versions of "Yeh Lamhe" (Lamhe) or "Papa Kehate Hain" (Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak). 

A techno-heavy instrumental track called "Believe In Love" is billed as the film's Theme Music.  Critical though it is, I must say this music is better than most of the film's other tunes, and it is inexcusable why Roshan would not use Believe In Love's opening passages for the opening of the title tune also.  Both tunes are based on the same basic chords, but the instrumental version is far better.

Back to Lucky Ali to rescue us from that sinking feeling.  "Ek Pal Ka Jeena" is a subdued summary of life with some great sets of Ali's vocalized crescendos.  It is all interspersed with perfectly complimentary drums, string and bass instruments that fade in and out of the scenery.  I loved it, and hopefully, you will also. 

Like I earlier said though, Kaho naa... Pyaar Hai is pretty inconsistent in its musical quality.  For a Fimkraft banner production one expects much better from Rajesh Roshan.  Were it not for a few musical gems, the album would have been a write-off.  Let us just hope that the film is a better screen experience than a musical one.  We all know that Koyla was a below average theatrical dubba in spite of some amazing songs.  Let's hope this one is the opposite.