BizAsia Music Review: ‘Ek Paheli Leela’
What looks like a sexually charged art film is actually a musical thriller with a possible double role for Sunny Leone in the lead role. A Bhushan and Krishan Kumar production directed by debutant Bobby Khan, ��Ek Paheli Leela�۪ (2015) should possibly be getting an A rating if the trailers are anything to go by. But for a ���musical thriller� a compilation of nine songs with Amaal Mallik, Dr. Zeus, Meet Bros Anjjan, Uzair Jaswal and Tony Kakkar seems to be an earful of music packed with big dance productions in the videos and of course, Sunny Leone delivering the eye candy effect. With Kumaar leading the lyrics the songs should have an extra zing in the item numbers that should be packed all the way in this album.
The song doing the maximum rounds on Youtube and the TV screens is Kanika Kapoor�۪s yet another hot item number called Desi Look. After the notorious rift between Dr. Zeus and Kanika on the Baby Doll song the duo seem to be doing well together with Lovely in ��Happy New Year�۪ (2014) and now for 2015�۪s possible biggest item number. Desi Look boasts a typical funky British Asian beat that Zeus pioneered back in 2003 with Kangna. Sadly, neither Lovely nor does Desi Look achieve the breakthrough heights of Baby Doll if one wants a direct comparison but Desi Look sure packs a punch and a very vibrant attitude to it thanks to the strong vocals of Kanika with tons of oomph to it. Kumaar�۪s lyrics are shady but with a touch of class in this category which is exactly what would work for an item number of this stature. Due credit to Dr. Zeus for finally breaking in big time into Bollywood and delivering some quality beats with a great composition that has been programmed and produced very well. With a touch of Punjabi backing vocals this is an easy winner for the UK listeners and worldwide.
Tere Bin Nahi Laage (male) is the work of new Pakistani singer Uzair Jaswal breaking into Bollywood for the first time with one of his own compositions that has been nicely recreated by Amaal Mallik. Uzair�۪s voice is very refreshing and has a soft innocence to it that works brilliantly for this easy listening love song. The acoustic touch on a traditional composition is quite good and melodic to listen to topped with his smooth voice. The best part of the song is actually the lyrics by Kumaar who brings in a lot of strong heartfelt emotions through his words confessing his love and the desire to not live without his lady love. Overall this is a hugely romantic song that should do really well on radio plays and climb the charts with love from both sides of the South Asian border.
Yet another item number on the album is Saiyaan Superstar in the voice of Tulsi Kumar and picturised on the ���queen of seduction� Sunny Leone donning a traditional avatar. Amaal Mallik delivers a good composition with an interesting trumpet hook on a very traditional Indian dholki beat. The arrangement is quite good with that goes effortlessly from a western beat structure in the paragraphs to a desi beat in the chorus and wedding brass band elements. The traditional element comes out even stronger with Tulsi�۪s voice that is very traditionally delivered with Rajasthani folk influences. Although her vocal delivery is immaculate does her voice work on Sunny on an item number is something debateable. This is what might hold the success of this song as it does not have an international appeal and would work mostly with Indian masses in in UP, Bihar, Haryana and Rajasthan. Kumaar�۪s lyrics are quite average here for an item number making this not a repeat track to listen to.
Romance goes to a different level next when Mohit Chauhan gets on the mic next! Khuda Bhi is the composition of Tony Kakkar who has worked on some really small budget B-grade Bollywood films but his work here really brings him in the limelight for big production houses to give him a break on forthcoming big budget projects. The use of a strong drum beat coupled with a flat tabla beat is simply genius and works as the base of the song throughout keeping it simple otherwise letting the great Chauhan do his thing. Melodic violins, karnatic acoustic guitar and flutes fill the rest of the music landscape making this one of the sweetest romantic songs in recent time. No compliments can be enough for Chauhan who goes from a low deep to a high pitch in a couple of words at times with zero effort. The depth of his voice resound in one�۪s head even when not listening to the song. The brilliant lyrics of Manoj Muntashir are just the perfect blend of emotions and rhymes that make this perhaps the best song on the album!
The next song is by the famous Meet Bros Anjjan to the lyrics of Kummar. Called Glamorous Akhiyaan, is a classical new age love song with a global lounge touch to it. The deep dub low bass beat blending to a modern electronic beat with tabla and electronic synths is quite neatly done by the composer duo. Singer Krishna Beura of Soniyo from ��Raaz 2�۪ (2009) and Maula Mere from ��Chak De India�۪ (2007) fame delivers an interesting vocal. Folk lyrics are classically perfect but with a modern touch of his vocals. He is perhaps one of the best off-beat genuinely talented singers in Bollywood who can make a classical folk song a commercial success and he does no different in this song. Anjjan brothers go a little overboard at points with the music which perhaps is the downside of the song making a little too psycadelic for the masses taste. But then some really good lyrics by Kumaar that anyone can enjoy might just change the fate of this song making it a surprise hit.
Remember Sonu Nigam�۪s top private album song ��� Deewana Tera? Well you sure do.. I can�۪t think of anyone who does not know this song that came the height of Sonu�۪s fame and success. Arijit Singh tries to do it justice as it is recreated by Meet Bros Anjjan for this film to brand new lyrics by Kumaar. Nothing against the new lyrics or the new vocals by Arijit here but this doesn�۪t come half as close to Sonu�۪s original. If everyone had heard this before Sonu�۪s original then this song would have had some metal but the simplicity and brilliance of the original that got everyone singing along to it back in the 90s that this 2015 version cannot match. Kumaar�۪s lyrics are rather complex and nothing similar to the original Deewana Tera except the chorus. The composition by the Anjjan brothers is totally different as well on a very bass guitar and keyboard heavy music that sounds very artificial. So much so, that Arijit�۪s vocals are rather held back as well and not to the best of his potential. But that chorus of Deewana Tera is good enough to take this song to the charts reminding everyone of the original and thus repeating a hit formula quite smartly on an average track otherwise.
Meet Bros Anjjan recreate yet another Bollywood superhit for 2015 with the help of Kumaar�۪s lyrics and Monali Thakur�۪s vocals. Dhol Baaje is a direct inspiration from ��Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam�۪ (1999) Dholi Taaro filmed to yet another traditionally dressed Sunny trying to be a glamorous Indian girl next door. The brothers do a much better job in adapting this song for a new take compared to the earlier track although it is not vastly different. With a few beat variations and slightly different instruments used, this is still very similar to the 1999 original musically but on the arrangement the lyrics give it a different take along with Monali�۪s very vibrant vocals. Her vocals are the best part of the song and very energetic making this song a good listen and a better number compared to Saiyaan Superstar and other folkish songs. Sadly it is not an original composition or vastly different adaptation to get a high score for itself or due credit to the team for its execution.
Tere Bin Nahi Laage (female version) in the voice of Tulsi Kumar again is a good take to Uzair�۪s original version to similar lyrics by Kumaar. Tulsi�۪s vocals are more suitable to this song compared to the item number earlier working to totally different instrumentation that is far more traditional and without the rockfish touch in the male version. This sounds far more Bollywood and thus has a different soothing romantic vibe to it making it a vastly different song to listen to.. and a good one at that worth checking out. Alam Khan�۪s high pitched backing vocals on a bridge towards the end is not to be missed!
One of the hottest female voices in Bollywood of Sunny Sunny fame delivers a party track next called Ek Do Teen Char. Neha Kakkar partners with Tony Kakkar on the vocals to deliver this fun party number that has a lot of traces of Sunny Sunny itself. Tony takes inspiration from Honey Singh on the composition as well but delivers nothing close to being that big a hit. Lyrics by Tony as well and boast of nothing much with very average party lines of a flirtatious nature. The song has a nice up tempo beat to it but it is really down to Neha�۪s voice that delivers a decent party number here. Not a bad track but not worth a repeat listens.
FINAL WORD
Director Bobby Khan manages to pull in the best team in the industry at the moment for commercial music to put a solid 9 track album together for ��Ek Paheli Leela�۪. With the provocative Sunny Leone in the videos dressed to thrill on mega sets, it is going to be easy to make each of these songs work well with the masses. A number of songs on the album including Desi Look, Khuda Bhi, Tere Bin Nahi Laage and Dhol Baaje are fairly good songs to listen to without even the videos out in full swing on the TV channels which truly showcases the potential of them to become major commercial hits. Dr. Zeus manages to get the headline opening track position and thus has finally done well to carve his way into big time Bollywood music. Meet Bros Anjjan deliver good tracks as well with Glamorous Akhiyaan and Dhol Baje while the new talent of Uzair Jaswal and Tony Kakkar is worth noticing and mentioning as well with two very strong romantic numbers viz. Tere Bin Nahi Laage and Khuda Bhi delivered by the two respectively. Mohit Chauhan delivers the best vocals while Kanika Kapoor, Monali Thakur, Tulsi Kumar and Krishna Beura are pretty impressive as well. Overall this album has the elements for an all-round entertainer designed and composed for the masses around the world using the best hit making formulas in the current industry��_ including recreating old hits. What that also means is that it does not have anything new, top notch and unique about it neither is this year�۪s biggest music thriller as it claims to be��_ but who cares as long as it entertains and works for the film!
BizAsia Showbiz Rating ��� 7.5/10
