Anjaana Anjaani: Music Review

Album: Anjaana Anjaani

Director: Siddharth Anand

Music: Vishal-Shekhar

Lyrics: Neelesh Misra, Vishal Dadlani, Shekhar Ravjiani, Amitabh Bhattacharya, Anvita Dutt Guptan, Caralisa Monteiro, Kumaar, Irshad Kamil, Kausar Munir

Singers: Nikhil D'Souza, Monali Thakur, Lucky Ali, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Shekhar Ravijani, Caralisa Monteiro, Mohit Chauhan, Shruti Pathak, Vishal Dadlani and Shilpa Rao.

Anjaana Anjaani, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Zayed Khan promises to be a romantic comedy about two strangers who meet and vow to remain strangers but inevitably end up falling in love. The music does not disappoint either as the tracks all string different melodies, meaning that there's no chance at getting bored with the album.

 

The album starts out with the lively and fast-paced 'Anjaana Anjaani Ki Kahani' crooned by Nikhil D'Souza and Monali Thakur. The two singers have very fresh voices that  appeal more to the youth audience that the movie markets to. The music is catchy and we can most certainly envision this song becoming popular in dance clubs. By opening with this track, the album sets itself up to be a fun, light-hearted listen.

 

By contrast, 'Hairat' has a more somber beginning. The melodies feel more threatening, more depressing, a stark contrast to the first track. Lucky Ali's voice is simply perfect as he belts out the lovely lyrics. The lyrics suggest that this is a love song, but with the contrast of the music, one cannot be too sure. Definitely an interesting song!

 

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's soothing vocals line up with the similarly mellow rhythms in 'Aa Paas Khuda'. The mellow music alternates with a powerhouse of guitars and drums, giving the song multiple levels that are quite pleasing to listen to. Rahatji's voice sends shivers down your spine leaving you eager to hear the unplugged version, which is also featured in the album.

 

'Tumse Hi Tumse' starts off with a guitar riff that reminds one of 'Kabhi Kabhi Aditi' from Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. But as the song progresses, the resemblance passes. Shekhar Ravijani's voice is debatable, but there is no denying that he has done a good job conveying the upbeat tone that the music portrays. Caralisa Monteiro, who croons the English lyrics within the song, complements his voice well. The lyrics are sweet but this song could have been slightly better with a different singer. Nonetheless, a pleasant track.

 

'Tujhe Bhula Diya' has a lovely beginning, starting with Shruti Pathak before giving way to Mohit Chauhan and a guitar melody, with Shruti's voice in the background. The song takes on a more wedding-song feel as Shekhar's vocals come in and Mohit's soulful voice takes over again. This contrast is positively heartbreaking, giving off the impression that it is sung at the heroine's wedding to another man, while the hero tries his hardest to forget her. This song is definitely one of the best in the album.

 

Vishal Dadlani and Shilpa Rao take the next track, 'I Feel Good', which boasts a catchy beat. The song breaks out into a strong rock vibe in the middle, which I feel mars the happy, contented feel of the song's beginning. Shilpa's and Vishal's voices meld well together and Vishal is definitely a good choice to carry off this song. Other than that, the song is upbeat, one to tap your feet along to.

 

The title track of the album, 'Anjaana Anjaani', is also sung by Vishal and Shilpa. In contrast to the previous track, the melody for this one is slower, more tentative and sadder. The lyrics are equally sad and the duo manages to pull off this song rather well. A lovely song on the whole.

 

'Tujhe Bhula Diya' is the only remixed song in the album. The piano melody in the beginning is a wonderful listen. The song becomes little more fast-paced as the techno melodies come in. Although the sorrowful tone is still conveyed through the melody, the remix does not live up to the original.

 

Rounding up the album is the unplugged version of 'Aa Paas Khuda'. This one features Shruti Pathak alongside Rahatji. Unlike other songs where the second singer only has a verse, Shruti is quite prominently featured in this one. Being the unplugged version, the only instruments are the guitar and the piano, and this suits the song just fine. In fact, this gives the song a different meaning altogether and is definitely not to be missed.

 

All in all, the album is worth a listen. The songs do not bore or blend into one another as all  have their own special quality, making for an interesting album that makes you eager for the movie.

 

Rating: 4/5

BC Picks: 'Tujhe Bhula Diya', 'Aa Paas Khuda (unplugged)'.