Dus Kahaniyaan - Music Review

By Joginder Tuteja for IndiaFm.com, Click Here for Original.


With as many as 4 composers (Gourov Dasgupta, Shafqat Ali Khan, Anand Raaj Anand, Bappa Lahiri), two lyricists (Virag Mishra, Panchhi Jalonvi) and six directors (Sanjay Gupta, Apoorva Lakhia, Hansal Mehta, Jasmeet Dhodhi, Meghna Gulzar, Rohit Roy) coming together, Dus Kahaniyaan, as claimed by publicity brochures, is 'The Biggest Album Of The Year'. Is that true? At the face level yes, since it is world's first 3 CD soundtrack with a Lounge version, Club version and a special CD that has a Gulzar penned poem for each of the 10 stories in the film which is recited by stars from the film.

Does the album live up to the tall claims? Indeed yes as Sanjay Gupta does it again. Kaante, Musafir or Zinda - Pick up any of the films directed by him and what is bound to stand out is not just some technical wizardry but also the film's soundtrack. The filmmaker seems to have the formula for getting just the right balance of rock, pop and Sufi melodies and Dus Kahaniyaan is not an exception.

As expected, it is a rocking beginning to the soundtrack with the title song 'Dus' composed by Gourov Dasgupta that carries its punch throughout it's six minutes duration. A track, which would be a delight for any live performance on stage in a packed stadium, ‘Dus’, brings with it an adrenaline rush which cannot go wrong. Also refreshing is to hear the voice of newcomer Anchal who crooned the English portion for 'Ganpat' [Shootout At Lokhandwala]. There is a Westernized accent to her voice which works for a song belonging to this genre.

KK is reliable as always and enjoys his stint behind the mike for this Virag Misra written track which boasts of some excellent chorus effect. It has that extravagant feel about it which is the hallmark of Sanjay Gupta soundtrack/background score and promises to make its presence felt in the film as well. DJ Aqeel's club remix version makes 'Dus' further spicier and promises to make you go 'high on a highway' once the track is played in a repeat mode. Go for it!

Gourov Dasgupta, Virag Mishra and Anchal come together again, this time with Sunidhi Chauhan for company, for 'Jaaniye'. If you liked the sound of Shibani Kashyap's 'Zinda Hoon Main’, [Zinda] then you would appreciate the setting of 'Jaaniye' too. The sound belongs to the same genre though the mood changes to love and romance with all the zany feel intact. Anchal and Sunidhi enjoy a seamless outing together and ensure that Dus Kahaniyaan has yet another potential chartbuster in the making.

It would be criminal if a music video for the song is not created pronto. Especially so, after one is through hearing the remix club version by Gourov and Roshan Balu. The pace increases a wee bit here though the essence of the track is kept intact with no major intrusions from unwanted arrangements.

If you thought that Dus Kahaniyaan was all sound and fury all this while then catch on 'Aaja Soniye’, which changes the course of the album. Sheer melody is the epicenter of this well written track by Virag Mishra who incorporates the poetic feel of Javed Akhtar's words in 'Aaja Soniye'. Club remix version by Gourov/Roshan is created for 'Aaja Soniye' as well and though it is not heavy on ears, one would still want to go back to the Lounge version due to its overall simplicity.

However, the title of 'Aaja Soniye' indicates yet another Punjabi-influenced composition, there is a pleasant turnaround as Gourov Dasgupta along with singers Sudhanshu Pandey and newcomer Shweta Vijay let melody dictate terms and bring on a heartwarming number.

Well, for those who were missing the Punjabi beats all this while, there is 'Nach Le Soniye' for them which has Mika returning for a Sanjay Gupta film after 'Ganpat' [Shootout At Lokhandwala]. In Mika's voice, one can sense sheer confidence which comes after earning some success as the singer comes up with one of his best rendered tracks in recent times.

Fourth song in succession, which has Gourov holding the baton along with Virag, ‘Nach Le Soniye’, is a Western-Bhangra-Indian melody mix number, which just cannot go wrong with the listeners. Hear the stylishly remixed club version and you know that this is going to be yet another popular song from the album.

In the past Pritam and KK have come together to create numerous melodious songs with Western arrangements. KK does the same with Gourov for ‘O Maahiya’, which has Shweta Vijay for company whose voice is digitally modified to get an electronic feel. Her prime contribution is to croon the punch line 'O Maahiya' although it is KK, who drives the song from beginning to the end. Club remix version gets a little innovative here as the sound of 'Dus' is merged with that of 'O Maahiya' at the very beginning before KK takes over here this Panchhi Jalonvi written number. This is a kind of number that cannot go wrong when the man by the name of Emraan Hashmi is on fray! Wish he was a part of Dus Kahaniyaan!

Kshitij Tare, who made a splash with 'Javeda Zindagi' [Anwar], croons the best track in Dus Kahaniyaan so far - 'Mushkil Kushaa'. Written by Panchhi Jalonvi, this Bappa Lahiri (son of Bappi Lahiri) composed track boasts of excellent lyrics, soothing music and some heartfelt rendition. Kshitij's voice is truly different from numerous other singers around which makes 'Mushkil Kushaa' a delight to hear. Most lightweight song in the album with minimal arrangements around, 'Mushkil Kushaa' moves at a slow pace and invites your attention throughout its six-minute duration.

The album seems to be getting into a different zone altogether, hence bringing on some welcome variety, with Shaqat Ali Khan singing and composing two back to back tracks - 'Vichodeya Ne'’ and 'Kaala Peela'. Written by Ambar Hoshiyarpuri, 'Vichodeya Na' reminds one of 'Yaar Mangiyasi' [Kaante] that carried a pensive mood too. After all the rock and fun, it is a delight to hear a song immersed with 'Sufi' melody in the ear pleasing along with the vocals of Shafqat Ali Khan.

A smooth number, it is followed by even better 'Kaala Peela' which carries a philosophical feel to it but is still accessible to a regular listener due to it's melodious feel and easy pace. For an album that started with 'Dus' and gets into a completely different zone with 'Kaala Peela', it is a wholesome experience for a music lover.

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Panchhi Jalonvi and KK return with 'Bin Tum’, which has Anand Raj Anand at the helm who had given some fabulous tunes for 'Kaante'. He delivers one of his best for Dus Kahaniyaan too with 'Bin Tum' turning out to be a quintessential Bollywood melody, which cannot go wrong. A love song, which carries an Indian feel throughout sans any Western influences, 'Bin Tum' is for those who are lovers of soft music and 'Ghazals'.

Finale of Dus Kahaniyaan is endearing too with Anand Raaj Anand taking it on himself to come behind the mike for 'Bhula Diya' along with taking charge of composition. Ibrahim Ashq's lyrics are sheer poetry as they delve into a different terrain and make even a sad track entertaining. While there is a distinct Anand Raaj Anand stamp on the song, what impresses most is the composer's rendition which is quite balanced and controlled. Later he also assigns himself the responsibility of remixing the track for the club version even though one feels that the original should have been just left intact.

So is the soundtrack through with 10 original songs with six of them also arriving in the club version? No, not yet. There is more to come in the form of Gulzar saab's poems which Sanjay Gupta has dedicated to his wife Anu. What is special about these 10 poems is that they are rendered by an actor from each of the 10 stories with music accompanying the delivery.

First, to come is Nana Patekar who is just perfect in the way he recites 'Tere Utaare Hue Din' for the story Gubbare. Gulzar saab must have been proud of the way Nana goes about his recitation as he comes up with just the right pauses and punches. The subtle music that plays at the beginning of 'Der Aayad' instantly brings your attention before another great artist, Naseeruddin Shah, recites for Rice Plate. Hear the words in 'Der Aayad' which has it's essence in timeless love and togetherness and you can't help but bow down to Gulzaar saab's magic behind the words. Naseeruddin Shah also ends the album with 'Khuda' (Rise and Fall) which comes across as antitheses of 'Chaal Chalo Tum' which arrives later.

For the story High On The Highway, Dia Mirza is the chosen one as she opens 'Khudkhushi' with the words 'Bas Ek Lamhe Ka Jhagda Tha'. One would have never imagined Dia to bring such sensitivity in her voice but she does just that which demonstrates a different facet of hers in the poem around human relationships. On the other hand from Manoj Bajpai one does have expectations. Does he live up to them? Yes, he does as he recites 'Khaali Samandar' for Zaahir at a slightly higher pitch though 'Mujhe Talaash Nahi’ [Sex On The Beach] takes a regular route.

When there is a Sanjay Gupta film, how can Sanjay Dutt not come behind the mike for the music album? Though he has not sung a song, he compensates for that by reciting 'Chaal Chalo Tum' for Rise and Fall. Taking a listener through life being a game of chess, Sanjay Dutt gets philosophical as he goes through a pensive journey. His co-actor from the 80s, Amrita Singh, is heard later in 'Raat Tamir Karein' (Puranmashi) which has one of the most enticing music pieces played in the gaps when she is not busy reciting.

Another senior actor whose voice stands out in this CD is Anupam Kher who gets into a romantic remembrance with 'Bauchaar' (Lovedale). Boasting of some of the best poetry heard in the album so far, 'Bauchaar' is for those in love. For Matrimony, Sudhanshu Pandey speaks about ‘Talaq’, which deals about relationships, break ups, and reconciliations. Neha Dhupia's recitation for Strangers In The Night is good even as the poetry boasts of some heavy duty Urdu words. The music playing in the background is soothing yet again which brings on consistency in this special CD.

There are albums which cater mainly to masses. Then there some which cater to class audience. And then there are some which take a middle route. Well, Dus Kahaniyaan doesn't take a middle route. Instead it gets everything for everyone and that too in a lavish and wholehearted manner. This is why on one hand you have got a Lounge and Club outing which mixes dance numbers with heartfelt melodies while on the other you have got an out and out class offering in the form of Gulzar poems.

Let go off the cliché, this one is truly different!