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 There are very few bollywood composers that have produced music spanning several decades (and those that have are considered legends including RD Burman, Laxmikant Pyarelal etc) and out of the current ones you could only pick out a very select few including Anu Malik and of course the inimitable AR Rahman. However how many of you realized that Rajesh Roshan was part of this exclusive company? Actually Rajesh jee has been producing music since the mid 1970s and well before famous names (some of which have come and gone) like Jatin Lalit, Nadeem Shravan, Anu Malik and AR Rahman.
So why has he been quiet of late then, I mean a few soundtracks ( the average Koi Mil Gaya and Krrish were follow ups to his best selling and arguably greatest score in Kaho Naa Pyar Hai ) in the last decade is hardly a great return is it? Well to be fair to him he has been producing music pretty much exclusively for the Roshan family i.e. Rakesh Roshan’s movies and they only come round once every few years…this year it happens to be in the form of a comedy caper, the eagerly awaited Krazzy 4 . From a musical point of view, can Rajesh add value and keep it contemporary? Let’s face it the break should have given him plenty of time to re-invigorate his approach. Or will he be rusty after such a long break? Let’s find out… Whilst nothing groundbreaking, Rajesh jee makes a decent start with the catchy title track Krazzy 4 which has been widely aired on promotions and on listening to this entertainer you can see why…with groovy vibes and a wicked rhythm, the track is quite addictive! Vishal Dadlani’s harsh vocals are easily the highlight of this short but zany track. On a side note, it’s interesting how Vishal is carving out a niche for these types of club tracks and on the evidence of this long may it continue, the brilliant composer come singer is multi talented! The lyrics by Asif Ali Beg are in keeping with the title i.e. plain krazzy! But that’s not to its detriment at all and are in keeping with the theme of the movie. Having said all that this track lacks one thing but you can’t put your finger on it, that is until you listen to the remix… Cue Krazzy 4 Remix by the remix king DJ Aqeel and what a difference he makes! Adding tempo is the key but to his credit, he jazzes things up generally (more bass anyone?) and it all results in a more enjoyable listen. This beats the original any day!
Just like the title remix, Break Free Remix by DJ Aqeel is so much more fun too! Words fail to express the difference a little more pace and techno vibe make to this track which is transformed into something far more enjoyable and snazzy, again recommended over the original. Unfortunately the composer gets into bad habits with Dekhta Hai Tu Kya which is a mixture of old and new arrangements and the end product is neither here nor there. The one saving grace is Sunidhi Chauhan who sounds every bit as good as her reputation claims her to be, absolutely gorgeous vocals! Otherwise the lyrics by Javed Akhtar are pretty lackluster (how often do we say that of his work?) and the whole thing is strictly average. Dekhta Hai Tu Kya Remix is arguably more enjoyable than the original but is still only passable.
The penultimate track Ik Rupiya is a situational number about the ‘worth of money’ but sadly it’s one that fails as a stand alone audio track as there is very little here to warrant your attention. One takes nothing away from the wholehearted vocals by Sudesh Bhonsle, Kirti Sagathia, Bhavin Dhanak, Labh Janjua, Rahul Vaiyda, and Jimmy Moses but otherwise it drags with annoying dialogues in between breaking the rhythm…in short it will test your patience to the limit, eventually forcing you to reach for the ‘skip’ button. Another disappointment. The soundtrack ends with a soothing version of the national anthem, Jan Gan Man . To be fair to the composer, the music sounds very authentic and traditional. Ankita Sachdev's rendition is the icing on the cake. But by now you feel its too little too late to save the soundtrack. Ultimately Krazzy 4 fails to add much value to the movie and showcases a musician who is past his best with little signs of improving. Rajesh Roshan appears to be living in the past when it comes to producing music and his latest soundtrack is no different, in the main it sounds out dated (1990s anyone?) and mundane and relies largely on the singers to lift it. Without putting a finer point on it the heydays of Rajesh Roshan appear to have ended a long time ago with Kaho Naa Pyar Hai ….but this critic would love to be proven wrong.
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You also find Break Free on the soundtrack but it’s more or less a carbon copy of the title track albeit longer with more English verses. For added effects it’s picturised on Shahrukh Khan who makes a special appearance for this song. I suppose it’s an alternative of sorts but comes with a reserved recommendation due to a lack of change / innovation over the original.
After the previous disappointment, Rajesh jee thankfully refrains from experimenting and sticks to his traditional style with O Re Lakad and low and behold it ends up as the only decent alternative to the title track. Yes the music is old hat and the chorus line ‘O Re Lakad Ikra Pakad Pingla Chungliya’ (the lyrics are by Javed Akhtar) is odd indeed but you can’t argue with its otherwise pleasant nature. This is helped by the talented singing trio which includes Sowmya Raoh, Neeraj Shridhar , and Kailash Kher . Sowmya Raoh in particular stands out and sounds like she is from another era, very talented indeed! Overall the song is one of the few positives to come out of the soundtrack.