Dobara   Producer: Shashi Ranjan Director: Shashi Ranjan Starring: Jackie Shroff, Raveena Tandon, Mahima Chaudhary and Muammar Rana Music: Anu Malik, Jasbir Jassi Lyrics: Javed Akhtar, Jasbir Jassi Singers: Alka Yagnik, Hariharan, Alisha Chinoy, Jasbir Jassi, Anu Malik Audio On: Times Music Audio On: Times Music    Number of Songs: 7 Album Released on: 02 July 2004 Reviewed by: Shahid Khan  - Rating: 6.0 / 10   Let us know what you think about this review Movie Review

The music of "Dobara" is from the formidable team of Anu Malik and Javed Akhtar. There is a certain level of expectation that comes attached with the team. After all, they have given us memorable songs in ""Border", "Refugee" and "Virasat". Disappointingly, their work for "Dobara" is not along the line of what can be termed as great music. The positive thing is that Anu Malik has concentrated on old-fashioned melody and these situational songs will probably sound a lot better after you have seen the film. On the flip side though, in the age of "Mujhse Shaadi Karogi" and "Kyun! Ho Gaya Na...", these 1980´s style melodies will find it difficult to break into the music charts.

Alka Yagnik dominates this album with a few solo numbers. It opens with the first of the lot, "Mujhse Kyun Roothe Ho". This is a song that is slow yet playful at the same time. What would have been just another ordinary track is elevated by Alka´s rendition. A pleasing melody with nice lyrics, this number makes the most of Alka´s vocals, which is a nice change considering that she has been wasted in many forgettable songs recently.

Aware that the album is full of slow tracks, Anu Malik attempts to balance it out with a dance number in the form of "Humnasheen". The composer himself takes to the mike along with Alisha Chinoy. Ironically, this one turns out to be the weakest link of all. It sounds out of place amongst the slow melodies. Alisha´s singing is as good as ever but it seems to be a wasted effort in this corny cabaret track. Javed Akhtar´s usually dependable work takes a funny turn here with a few nonsensical English lines. "Humnasheen" is the soundtrack´s only attempt at a hit song but I can´t imagine it becoming a chartbuster. The picturisation should be fun to watch as Alisha makes a special appearance with Mahima Chaudhary and Muammar Rana.

There are two versions of "Tum Abhi". One is rendered by Alka Yagnik while the second one is by Hariharan. The ghazal is above average but it doesn´t quite hit the memorable mark. Alka´s version impresses more because she evidently has put a lot of effort into her singing. Also, it may have more impact in the film´s story seeing as Raveena Tandon´s character regrets the departure of her love from her life. Hariharan´s version is fine but he has sung many ghazals like this one. Alka´s version sounds fresher because she doesn´t get many opportunities to sing such ghazals. Overall, it is a decent song with thoughtful lyrics.

It has become mandatory for soundtracks to have a Punjabi song but where "Dobara" differs is that it has a slow love song whereas most albums tend to opt for a fast bhangra number. Written, composed and sung by Jasbir Jassi, "Pyar Mere" makes for a calming listen. Some may argue that Jasbir´s voice is a tad nasal but I think it is perfect for a folk song like this one. Again, emotion seems to be the order of the day and Jasbir´s lyrics express a man´s feelings regarding his love. Although Anu Malik has not composed this, it still manages to gel well with the overall theme of the album.

"Goonja Hua" is very 1980´s-ish in style and composition. It´s dramatic opening reminds me of a few songs from that decade. The way it opens suggests that it comes at an important juncture of the story. Again, the focus here is on melody and Alka does justice to it. Her emotive rendition makes the song an enjoyable listen. My only criticism is regarding the way it ends. It ends by having the chorus hum the main tune. As a result, it sounds quite clumsy and sudden. A more soothing and gradual ending would have been nice.

The "Dobara Theme" is a rather clichéd composition. It does not evoke any feeling or atmosphere regarding the film in an interesting way. While the other tracks have been more geared towards emotions, this one sounds out of place as it tries to generate a feeling of suspense.

If you´re a huge fan of Alka Yagnik then "Dobara" is probably a must-buy. It is nice to hear her superlative singing in the melodious songs. One wishes that more effort had gone into the compositions, to make it sound more modern and path breaking (yet melodious) instead of sounding like a time capsule from the 1980´s. This way, the songs would get more attention and Alka´s efforts would not be entirely wasted. However, I am looking forward to seeing how the songs are placed in the film (they are likely to have more impact on me there as a listener rather than just hearing it in the album). Let´s hope "Dobara" will actually be a movie worth watching... Good luck to Shashi Ranjan and crew.