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 Imtiaz Ali writing for a film directed by someone else, produced by a house whose debut venture had Imtiaz Ali’s fresh direction, making the final product a worldwide grosser that was known to be Love Aaj Kal : this should certainly hold some promise, shouldn’t it? Now if that’s not enough, the director’s debut venture was an English film with Saif Ali Khan playing the lead – an antagonist, generated rave reviews. So we now have a terrific on-screen pair that’s been successful in generating chemistry in their last two flicks, a terrific writer who’s also directed four talked about films that have ruled the youth in the past decade, and a terrific director whose debut has generated a cult status as one of the best thrillers a film buff can watch. Now obviously if all of this turns out to be the crème de la crème of the industry, the music as well needs to have chartbuster material. In fact, with the release of the two singles (Tumhi Ho Bandhu and Daaru Desi) the mercury of expectations just got hotter, and finally, after quite a trying wait, the album finally breaks out. I’ve already expected the moon out of it, and quite rightly so, which is why I know I’m going to be terribly disappointed if I get anything less than a chartbusting album full of hits that have the potential to make me go crazy over any song of the album – and Pritam’s last Jannat 2 and Desi Boyz had all the ingredients of a terrific album, with Agent Vinod coming a close second, which technically means he’s going to have to keep his track record consistent.
Yeah baby! Let’s start this mad, crazy party! Yes, right from the first few seconds of Tumhi Ho Bandhu, you are sucked into the groove of it all; the feel of it all! And right when you’ve settled into the song – your feet tapping, your head bobbing – Kavita Seth’s extraordinary vocals croon to Kamil’s interestingly written lyrics that are almost Sufi in soul, yet wear a jacket of modern poetry that still sounds so seductively attractive. If this wasn’t enough, Neeraj Sridhar’s energetic vocals make the mukhda all the more attractive, and this is where the song actually blows your mind: The mukhda derives it’s inspiration from a religious couplet, it doesn’t really sound all that cheap, and in fact, the ring it throws off your ears is just perfect! Kavita Seth’s lines have also been strikingly adorable, and I can’t help but give a couple of them out below:
Jag kyaa Jaane, Dil Ko Mere, Ishqaa, Kiskaa While the lyrics, as I’ve repeatedly stated, are just mesmerizing, the music by Pritam is undeniably the scoring point of the song. Yes, the song is one of those you’re simply going to fall in love with, be addicted to, and can’t part away from! A perfect iPod companion! The tempo goes all smooth, almost reggae-y and R&B/Hip-Hop styled with Daaru Desi . The calm guitar strums make you go, “Hmm! Not bad at all!” With the lyrics designed on some of the greatest moments of friendship one can experience, as is the theme of the film, the singers are just the perfect choice. Benny Dayal gives the proceedings a very polished, almost-international feel, newcomer Shalmali Kholgade (of Pareshaan fame). Irshad Kamil has given friendship a new metaphor – addiction – and it gels in well with the friendship of now, a fact that one can easily relate to. I am amazed by Kamil’s versatility, and the fact that his unstoppable talent just makes one go Wow! What with his intense Rockstar, his previous outings with Imtiaz Ali and Pritam, and some other charming numbers, the guy just seems to keep outdoing himself! Another perfect breezy, summery song that has a bit of beat-boxing here, some hip-hop here, some R&B there, and that minimal dash of reggae. There, you’ve got another chartbuster on your hands! This is quality stuff, and though not the kind that immediately clicks on you immediately – a reason why Tumhi Ho Bandhu became a chartbuster – this one takes it’s own sweet time to grow on you, and once it does, it’s just pure eargasm!
Party’s back on, people, with the Amitabh Bhattacharya written Second Hand Jawaani! The music sure does sound a lot like an inspiration of international Bhangra. The lyrics here are pretty light, albeit preatively punchy and absolutely hilarious – and it’s not surprising, considering Bhattacharya's holding the pen! Nakkash Aziz sure does provide some difference, but Miss Pooja and Neha Kakkar’s vocals have a whole lot of raw spunk. Nevertheless, this one’s a loudspeaker track. This is one song you’ll wonder why you heard, but as you listen to it a couple more times, you’ll be hooked! And with another winner here, we wonder what’s going on, with every track hitting bulls-eye! The deadly cocktail party gets deadlier when the class comes back in. Groovy gets back, with Kamil the ustad getting back in form for this hardcore track called Tera Naam Japdi Phiran that attracts you from the word go! With Punjabi lyrics that intersperse in a beautiful blend of international fusion, Javed Bashir’s semi-classical energetic vocals complement Nikhil D’Souza’s cool, classy chorus, and Shefali’s “I’m a bad-bad girl” doing the right rounds, not overdone, the drink just got all the more intoxicating! Pritam’s added just the dash of beats and bass – not too much, not too less – with the rest – percs, pads and instruments – fitting in so well you’ve just gotten a liking to this song in the first thirty seconds itself. From what I feel, I think this song complements Deepika’s character arc of Veronica very well, and it should be used in the introductory reels of her entry. Another iPod keep! And do keep your ears open for the second version. This one just ups the level of addiction several notches higher, and will be used in clubs on sets – and regularly! Romanticism from semi-spiritual lyrics has always been a fascination. But for a song with such lyrics, with the music teetering on the electronic side, one tends to get skeptic because of the ravage that some people have created in the name of music and experimentation. But this one - Luttna - is just so trippy to listen the person will but conclude, “This is an experimentation gone successful”. The last time I’ve heard an experimental Sufi track was Sukhwinder Singh’s scintillating Heer. Luttna comes a close second with the collage of genres fitting in really well. Crank up the loudspeaker volume to experience something absolutely crazy. And probably if you’re looking for something slightly mellow, this one comes in a far softer, more romantic version! No, this track isn’t disappointing. It’s given a completely new avatar, and the music has reinterpreted the way it looks and feels – it’s been given a moody touch – the writing has been overused to a certain point that we all do feel that we need a break from any and every one of those Jugnis that’s been made. But after that ‘certain point’, the minute and fifteen seconds that pass, we come to appreciate this track, as this is far different from the others. This is mellower, classier, and right from the heart, which is what makes this not just another radio song. Worth a listen, and a track that’s bound to grow on you in the first few listens, whilst also being a fitting end to the album before the other versions start to pop in. Cocktail is a fabulously packaged album that will appeal to the youth, whilst also not even a single while dipping on the quality factor. With immediate chartbusters like Tumhi Ho Bandhu, Daaru Desi, Second Hand Jawaani and Tera Naam Japdi Phiran to experimentations like Luttna and mellow outings like the traditional Jugni and Yaariyan, the album is but complete, and the songs will move on to become hot favorites of the public in days to come.
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