out of

Producer: Mansoor Ahmed Sidiqui
Director: Rajat Rawail
Music: Aadesh Shrivastava
Lyrics: Sameer

Reviewed by: Akhlaq Hussain
akhlaq@indolink.com

Oh No, what's this? Another GOVINDA film with music by AADESH SHRIVASTAVA? Yes RAJAT RAWAIL's long delayed DIL NE PHIR YAAD KIYA has music by Aadesh Shrivastava and is finally seeing the light of day. Although the film is meant to be a vehicle for CHICHI's nephew VINAY ANAND, the promos all feature GOVINDA and TABU who are present in the film along with JACKIE SHROFF and POOJA BATRA. The film has been in the making for several years due to financial problems and looks like it will release sometime this fall. The music is out and carries a variety of numbers.

The soundtrack opens with the title song sung by the current top singer SONU NIGAM and ALKA YAGNIK. DIL NE PHIR YAAD KIYA carries a soothing rhythm and will surely be the song on the countdown charts and in promos of the film. Sonu and Alka do a great job with this romantic number, making you want to actually hit the rewind button and listen to it again (a rare thing for songs in a Govinda film of late).

Next we have SARE SHAHER MEIN with UDIT NARAYAN and LATA MANGESHKAR. A decent number but nothing like the title track. Udit is in full form along with Lata (when is she not?). The song won't remind you of any of the gems the duo have sung in DIL TO PAGAL HAI but it is passable.

KAB TAK YUN DIL follows with UDIT again. Udit brings the song to life, the number is reminicent of the fast-paced, upbeat RAFI-SHAMNI KAPOOR numbers of the 60s. The song describes the plight of our hero waiting for the heroine of his dreams. How will she be and when will she arrive forms the lyrics for the number. It is pleasant to hear a number like this and it keeps with the tempo of the soundtrack.

The obligatory PUNJABI number is next, AAJ NACHNA. UDIT returns with ALKA YAGNIK to give their version of this Punjabi folk song. Since the duo have sung more songs like this than MITHUN has given flops, one knows they will do justice to the track.

One more romantic track YEH MAUSAM follows with KUMAR SANU and ALKA again. Sanu is in full form and delivers greatly. Alka as usual is great. Although the tempo of the song is vastly slower than the previous number, the song is a great addition to the current crop of love songs which lack that punch. Compared with BHEJA HAI EK GULAB in SHIKARI, YEH MAUSAM excels. Maybe because DIL NE PHIR YAAD KIYA is supposed to be somewhat of a romantic film, who knows, but Shrivastava has it the romantic spot with this number.

The soundtrack ends with DUPATTA SAMBHAL KE. VINOD RATHOD makes his presence felt along with KAVITA KRISHNAMURTHY, both for the first and only time in the soundtrack. The song is no great shakes but doesn't have you reaching for the EJECT button on your deck either. The duo have done countless of these numbers, maybe not together but the theme of the song is nothing new. Rathod does bring his usual liveliness to the song and so does Kavita.

Since DIL NE PHIR YAAD KIYA is supposed to be a social-romantic film, the presence of at least one or 2 above-average numbers is necessary and SHRIVASTAVA does finally deliver that. Unfortunately the PRODUCER of the film barely has any funds left to promote the film which is unfortunate with it's starcast. It would be a shame to see people forget Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya and remember numbers by Shrivastav for Govinda starrers like KUNWARA and JORU KA GHULAM. As for the film itself, it is a remake of an old BOLLYWOOD classic, which one you ask? Aaah for that you'll have to wait for the film to release sometime this fall, for now enjoy Sonu Nigam crooning to the title song.