Music Review: ‘Heroine’

A controversial film topic surrounded by controversies itself has made ��Heroine�۪ one of the most anticipated movies this year. Moving from Aishwarya Rai Bachchan��to Kareena Kapoor as the leading lady is a change that very positively reflects in the trailers with one of the biggest item number songs this summer, only��adding to the hype around the movie.

Madhur Bhandarkar is a director of substance who hasn�۪t delivered a hit since ��Fashion�۪ (2008). ��Heroine�۪ is a challenge as making a Bollywood film about the film industry itself leads to a lot of complications with the level of reality that can be��shown. But nonetheless, the reality is that music is a major part of Bollywood and Bhandarkar has to ensure he brings in the hits to pull the audiences towards this glamorous project. He has been inconsistent on the music front with hits only in some of his movies but has overall done well with some really memorable tunes with long shelf lives. With the talented duo Salim-Sulaiman by his side, it should not be difficult to repeat the success of ��Fashion�۪.

If one owns a TV set then they have surely seen the saucy dance moves being executed flawlessly by the hot Kapoor in the thumping tune Halkat Jawani. By far one of the sexiest songs this year, it gives Chikni Chameli and Munni Badnaam a run for their money to be the biggest dance number of the decade. Sunidhi Chauhan does what she does best in the type of fun-tastic and sexy item that really suits her. Compare her performance in this with Sheila Ki Jawani and Halkat Jawani would be an easy pick. Lyrics by Niranjan Iyengar are naughty with a touch of class and poetic quality that makes this song stand apart from every other item number. Salim-Sulaiman deliver a composition that is destined to become a dance floor smash-hit for every occasion. It has a mix of typical UP-Bihari style arrangement along with modern beats that will cater to all audiences. An easy pick for DJ�۪s at parties and on radio to liven up any dull moments of the day.

In the voices of Shraddha Pandit and Benny Dayal, the party continues with Tujhpe Fida. This house beat number with deep electronic bass gives it is a nice texture in the aural world that is most commonly heard on a remix. It is a rather good surprise to hear such music on the second track and on an original that is romantic enough to get couples at a party moving together. Dayal�۪s vocals are just sensational and Pandit doing a good job as well giving this song a really good vibe. Lyrics by��Neelesh Misra��are very catchy and fun making it an easy composition for Salim-Sulaiman to deliver.

Khwahishein in the voice of Shreya Ghoshal remind one of the theme music of ��Fashion�۪ at the start but flows into a totally different new melody that is characterised with some excellent piano work fused with rock themed electric guitar solos and raw drums. Although it is rare for Ghoshal to do a soft rock song her vocals are sublime that go really well with the music showcasing a different side of this talented lady. Irfan Siddiqui�۪s lyrics are inspiring but a little too complicated at points mixed with a complex arrangement of the song that make it a difficult song to stick even after repeated listens.

Saaiyaan is another destined-to-be hit number on the soundtrack of ��Heroine�۪ with the heavenly voice of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan gracing the microphone. The composition of this song is almost like a religious song being sung in a temple that depicts the depth that Amitabh Bhattacharya has written this song with the aim to compare their love to God. Khan�۪s vocals once again are exquisite as always with purity and a class apart. What best works for this song is the instrumentation with dafli drums, violins and other strings. A fantastic romantic song that will make its listeners emotions come alive.

The final track on the soundtrack is an innovative composition for the title song of the movie called Main Heroine Hoon. The dubstep drum and bass format mixed with full strings orchestra is very well executed. Breaking the mould further for Bollywood is the mix of sitar coming in for some really good fusion that gives the soundtrack depth and class while giving it pace and suspense. Lyrics by��Sanjay Chel��are genuine to the theme depicting the intensity of the character and the glamour profession. The highlight of the song is Aditi Singh Sharma�۪s sensational performance who delivers a very powerful vocal inherent to her rock career.

FINAL WORD

The soundtrack of ��Heroine�۪ does deliver. Salim-Sulaiman prove once again that they can innovate and repeat a successful formula together on the same album with as few as��five songs. The compositions and the style of music represented in the soundtrack are a good representation of the variety and the mix of cultures that exist in the modern Hindi film industry. Bhandarkar�۪s influence on the music is evident in the lyrics that he has been able to deliver with the help of Bhattacharya, Iyengar, Siddiqui and Misra��to keep it hard hitting and true to his style. Vocally Chauhan and Khan impress once again repeating their success formula while Sharma is the one to watch out for. It does not have the shock or the genius factor to it with some inspired elements but overall ��Heroine�۪ is a good music album that is short but encompasses different commercial music genres that will do well in the UK and European markets. Halkat Jawani, Saaiyaan and Main Heroine Hoon are the must listen numbers.