Music Review: ‘Bol Bachchan’
Rohit Shetty has been making slapstick Bollywood comedies for more than half a decade now with the ��Golmaal�۪ (2006) series going up to ��Golmaal 3�۪ (2010). ��Sunday�۪ (2008) and ��All the Best�۪ (2009) are some more names to add to his list of average box office comedies. Then came along Ajay Devgn�۪s iconic role of ��Singham�۪ (2011) that proved Shetty as a standout action movie director. It would not be easy for him to return to comedies and continue on the success lines of ��Singham�۪ within the comedies genre. ��Bol Bachchan�۪ thus has a lot to prove as a comedy and continue Devgn and Shetty�۪s winning streak at the box office, this time with junior Bachchan taking on a lead with a double character role.
A movie title with the huge Bachchan name builds up expectations for entertainment all round including the soundtrack. To further add to the expectations, Ajay-Atul�۪s name features on the cover of the album. After delivering chart-topping hits in ��Agneepath�۪ (2012) and ��Singham�۪ (2011) one would not expect anything less from them ��Bol Bachchan�۪. But it is disappointing to discover only one song by them on the album with Himesh Reshammiya taking the lead on most tracks. A variety of artists contribute to the lyrics and the mix continues with numerous DJ�۪s producing the remixes of the four songs on this album.
Bollywood Boliyan in the voices of Devgn, junior Bachchan and the superstar Bachchan starts off the album in a unique style with some nostalgic and famous tongue twisters of the superstar in the title track Bol Bol Bachchan. But what follows the verbal twists is quite disappointing to say the least! The composition by Reshammiya lacks creativity and sounds like just many senior Bachchan songs and not catchy enough. The two things to look out for are the lyrics by Farhad-Sajid and the verbal jugalbandi between father and son. Amitabh makes is quite clear at the onset of the album to rest all doubts that it is just his name and he is not really in the movie.
Expect lyricist Shabbir Ahmed to come up with a good dance tune in the Mumbai flavour and Reshammiya delivers it really well with his own vocals and composition. Finally a good track to come out of the ��one-time-dance-superhit-maker�۪ Himesh. The instrumentation with the harmonium and duff are very well laid out to complement his voice and melody queen Shreya Ghoshal�۪s short vocals. Chalao Na Naino Se is a track that any DJ would be happy to play at a high point on the dance floor to take a party to a new high.
Nach Le Nach Le is another dance number to feature on the album and is the only track on the album by the hit music director duo of Ajay-Atul. A clear winner in its musical taste with the flawless vocals of Sukhwinder Singh and Ghoshal, Nach Le Nach Le will remind you throughout of Chikni Chameli. Singh proves he is still by far one of the best male voices in the Bollywood industry even today with his classical renditions. Swanand Kirkire�۪s lyrics will leave no doubt in your mind about his versatility to write anything from soft romantic numbers to dance hits and his ability to keep up with Ajay-Atul�۪s musical twists and turns.
Reshammiya brings back the lyrical genius of Sameer back to his studio with Jab Se Dekhi Hai. This romantic ballet could not have any other voice other than Mohit Chauhan to deliver the magic. Unfortunately the song fails to make a big impression as the arrangement is very clich̩d and the vocal performance is average. The soulful lyrics hide behind these negatives and will only get some basic radio play.
To really enjoy the fun aspects of Bol Bol Bachchan Remix song one has to listen to this remix by DJs A Sen and Amann Nagpal. Although the remix is simple and lacks innovation but it brings out the true flavours of the song that the original masked so well.
DJ Shiva�۪s version of Nach Le Nach Le Remix is ordinary and does not compare to the original. DJ Sheizwood�۪s mix of Chalao Na Naino Se Remix is yet another remix gone bad and easy to hit next on.
Teenu Arora decides to follow a different path and delivers a lounge Drum N Bass mix of Jab Se Dekhi Hai Remix. This surely is a remix that uplifts an average original to new styles and musical tastes, and if you have a taste for DnB then you will surely like this mix.
Final word
The soundtrack of ��Bol Bachchan�۪ is above average but disappointing on many aspects. For one, the album lacks the fun aspect which Rohit Shetty�۪s previous comedy projects so clearly delivered on. The album follows on the trends of the current Bollywood music culture and delivers the item dance hits but lacks depth and character in different genres of music required to deliver an overall entertaining soundtrack. Most vocal performances and Reshammiya�۪s compositions lack a punch in most cases but Chalao Na Naino Se, Nach Le Nach Le and Bol Bol Bachchan Remix would be recommended to those after good dance numbers to shake to.
RATING ��� 6/10
