MUSIC REVIEW: Phata Poster Nikhla Hero

Where music is packaged, there poster is merely posturing.

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In Shahid Kapoor’s wobbly dance moves for Tu Mere Agal Bagal, a re-charged Bhagwan Dada returns to that familiar goanese mando sound on slow-swing and shlock words bunting to playful love pap. Mika’s if-not-gin-soaked, feni chalega drawl works well for this sprightly, highly infectious number.

Atif Aslam’s staple presence as some sort of heady cocktail sharbat, Main Rang Sharbaton Ka where Chinmayi breaks the metre, is the sappy love song. Arijit Singh gets to reprise it, can’t say its better, till we tire of the template, which will be soon if we keep hearing Arijit sing in the same flat style as Aslam. No improviso?

Benny Dayal, Shefali Alvares, Shalmali Kholgade use the acoustics of auto-tune for Hey Mr Dj, where the trio ‘go bananas’. Gad with it on a dance floor.

Rahat Ali cannot be far on a Pritam soundtrack if Atif Aslam is around. He sings the mournful Mere Bina Tu, and one version with Harshdeep is rudimentary packaging.

With Janam Janam – this has 3 versions, twice sung by Atif Aslam (one sad version) and a reprise by Sunidhi Chauhan. Janam Janam is a paean to mothers who toil and this is the child’s return gift – a melodic, mild dirge. The last time a ‘maa’ song worked was in Taare Zameen Par, perhaps because of how it was written, a child’s accusatory tone asking his mother to love him unconditionally. That somewhat smack is a lump of a song stuck in any vocal chord choking, tearing for heart. Janam Janam is clever by half.

Dhating Naach oddly matches the tempo of 1 2 3 4 Get On The Dance Floor (Chennai Express). Nakash Aziz and Neha Kakkad amp it up. The video cranks it further. They have a thumping hit on their hands.

Two hit songs, and the rest as fillers, this poster packaging underwhelms. That tireless cliche, don’t judge a film by its poster. The music is an early reminder.

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Manish Gaekwad

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