Film: Naqaab

Producer: Ramesh Taurani and Kumar Taurani (Tips Industries)

Director: Abbas Mastan

Music Director: Pritam

Lyrics: Sameer

Cast: Akhaye Khanna, Bobby Deol, Urvashi Sharma

Rating: 2/5

Barring the nerve-racking Tarzan: The Wonder Car, the filmmaking duo Abbas – Mastan have constantly provided wholesome entertainment through the medium of cinema. Their new venture Naqaab is being touted as the most shocking thriller. While that is yet to be decided by the masses at large, the music of the film provided for by Pritam is on stands.

Beginning the album is Ek Din Tere Raahon Mein crooned by Javed Ali. This slow paced track is a good hear as the competition between the musicians and the vocalist seems to be sorted out. There is a harmonious unison between the two, resultant in an audible song. While the lyrics are no great thread of expressions, they just about manage to get the message across. If you are low and have nothing to do, this track makes for a good hear.

Apart from the slow paced track, a remix version is also offered. This time around Zubeen Garg is seen replacing Javed Ali as the singer, while Garg croons the track well, it is the monotony of the looped beats that upset. Though the tempo has been increased, the song is still not dance worthy. This one is an average track, worth a one time hear.

Sonu Nigam begins singing Aye Dil Pagal Mere Dil, and he does extremely well. Unfortunately this track has so much going within it, with manufactured sounds and to add to that a wide arrangement of instruments, at the end of it each one is screaming to be heard. Nigam does well in building up the song and carrying it to the high notes, but then the battle amongst everyone providing for the song takes a toll on the track. What is a result of this is a track that sounds good in parts, but is not one that you want to learn and be singing all day.

This one has two remix versions. The one with Nigam is fast but pointless; each portion has him take a higher note and the sounds keep catching up. It’s not soothing and neither is it a number to wriggle to. All in all this one is yet another average number.

The other version has Sunidhi Chauhan croon the track, only this time she is not doing her usual stuff. She renders the track with a husky voice and soon begins building it up to what she excels in, taking it to the high notes. This track is like a roller coaster ride, traveling upwards only to come down and go back up. The staccato beats and the use of the guitar only make this version a splendid hear, of the three this one is the best.

Arabesque beats, drums and the words ‘Ana behibek’ (I love you in Arabic) initiate the track Aa Dil Se Dil Mila Le rendered by Krishna and Alisha Chinai. With these beats playing in the background, Krishna croons his lines; soon enough, a minute and a few seconds into the song, Latin beats take over while Chinai does her part. This alternation is seen throughout the track. The common thread between both these musical flavors are the drums, which have been used to fuse the two different pieces together. The track is great; however the mid paced song falls short of being club worthy.

To make up for the pace, the remix version kicks in wherein the Arabesque and Latin flavours are replaced for hip hop and techno ones. At a constant pace, it is interrupted with the words ‘Ana behibek’, thus breaking the track on the various occasions of its occurrence. More than a great track to let your hair down to, it comes across as a noisy and crowded track. This one is fast but not the least of the songs you’d want to dance to.

Disguised intentions is what the final track is called. This one is more of a theme track than anything else. For the three and half minutes it lasts, it rocks and is by far the best track in the album. The track has the same magnitude that the Infamous song by Era, The Mass has. One can only hope that this wonderful piece is used as a build up action theme in the film. This track is a winner, especially with the great sounding chorus.

With multiple remixes of a single track this album has you know the lyrics and tune of each song. There is no validation of why one would want to buy an album that has such less to offer. On the whole the music is best described as just another film soundtrack that has nothing great worth remembering. Save your cash for the movie instead.