Dekho Raste mein is a fast, peppy, but nevertheless romantic number that sounds good with KK and Shreya singing wonderfully. Though I feel the song would have sounded better had it been a bit slower. (I have tried the song at 90% and it does sound good) Anyway a lovable song. Go for it.

The second song, Hum Tum aur Ghost, comes with the so-typical-of-him voice of Vishal Dadlani as he sings the title song with Shankar Mahadevan. The song has a likable melody but the pace again sounds overcoming the melody as Vishal-Shankar sing Hum-tum-aur-ghost at such a speed. Still, the music in the song is worth listening to and the sound manages to remain above average.

Banwre se poochhe banwariya or Baawre se poochhe baawariyaa, the third song of the album, is sung by Shaan and Sunidhi Chauhan while almost the entire team of S-E-L has been roped in to give chorus sounds and has been credited on the cover too. The song is a fun piece, and quite catchy, something like man ko ati bhaave saiyyan, though not exactly similar.

And the last original song of the album is the one I had started my album with. And interestingly, Kal tum the Yahan IS the best song of the album. Dominique in her wonderful, wonderful voice teams up with Shankar Mahadevan to give this slow, soft song with beautiful lyrics. Must listen.

Talking of remixes, the remix of the title song is quite usual, while the remix of Dekho Raste mein is quite interesting to listen to, more so because it sounds a lot like Pump it up of Chance pe Dance. The last one is the remix of Kal tum the yahan which makes the slow song a bit fast paced one. Didn’t like that one much compared to the original.

Overall, Hum tum aur Ghost is a good album with some likable and sweet songs. Though, while I liked three out of four songs (all except title), I still had more expectations from Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy after KCK. My advice, get the album anyway. If nothing works for you, put kal tum the yahan on repeat n keep listening.

Taaron Bhari hai ye raat is a good composition which Adnan decides to sing himself with Sunidhi Chauhan. The result is a good song that will take some time to be liked. Now whether the movie is going to last that long is a question. Still, a good one from Adnan even though it sounds bit like a ’90s tune.

The next song, Sargoshiyon ke kya silsile hain, starts beautifully as Shreya croons ehsaas khwahishon ka saanson mein mar na jaaye, sadiyaan guzar gayi hain, lamha guzar na jaaye. But then, a beautiful tune again gets Adnan’s repetitive orchestration which works kind of negative for the tune. Still, Raja Hasan’s voice sounds fresh in the song and the melody is worth listening to, as a result of which I do not mind listening to this exceedingly typical Adnan tune too. A real good song, if only it had more fresh instruments in the background.

Dekha tujhe jo pehli baar is finally something new from Adnan, especially because of the way Shaan’s voice is made to sound prominent and above all instruments. Good tune. Even better singing. Certainly worth a try for it’s light fusion behind Shaan’s superb voice.

Manmauji Matwala starts with hurrrr, chak de, and hadippa (I don’t mean Yashraj movies) by Mika. But somehow I get a feel that this tune had potential to be much more than it is made to be. I think Man mauji matwala is a composition that deserved a Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and not a Mika, as it’s not that typical dance tune it has been used as. Anyway, the song in it’s present form is likable anyway. Try the song if you’re looking for one more Mika piece; he has tried his best to color the song in his own color.

With the next track, Sona lagda Mahi sona Lagda, Adnan gets more variety and quality to the album as Richa Sharma croons the song with the background vocals from senior Sabri Brothers (Sharib n Toshi should be the junior Sabri Brothers now, isn’t it?). A good song which either fails to make a typical Sufi song or simply doesn’t try to do that. Whatever it is, the result is fresh and sounds good to ears. Liked the song.

The next song, Pehla Pehla Tajurba hai is a good composition sung by Kunal Ganjawala and Sunidhi, but somehow I did not like the song a lot as it seems that Adnan tries to westernize a melody. Seems Kunal is getting typecast with a certain type of songs and most of his songs are sounding the same recently. Wonder when he will be back to charts.

The last song of the album, Sadiyaan Ve, or Waqt ne jo bij boya as it is credited, is one of the best songs of the album and so Adnan Sami brings Rekha Bharadwaj to sing the song. The song is a good composition and has some good lyrics too, though the difference between Sameer and Gulzar or even Javed Akhtar can be clearly seen and felt. The song is actually the story of a mother’s journey and Rekha sounds perfect for singer.

Overall, Sadiyaan is an above average album by Adnan Sami that could be very good had he tried to keep it fresh. Also some songs are ‘excruciatingly’ long, just like the word. Still, the album has some melody that you may like to hear. If you’re not in a mood to hear the long soundtrack, just try Taaron bhari, Dekha tujhe jo, Sona Lagda and Sadiyaan ve. Not necessarily in that order. ‘Sargoshiyon’, though good, is very Adnan-like but can be tried.

So try the song, which reminds me vaguely of Border, especially because of its length. Here are the lyrics of the song.

waqt ne jo beej boya
wo zameeno pe na dikhayi de
kisne paya kisne khoya
har ghadi har pal wo gawahi de
sadiyaan ve…..

waqt ne jo beej boya
wo zameeno pe na dikhayi de
sadiyaan ve….

Yup, Click starts exactly on the same note as Shamir Tandon’s first composition Rubaayi starts exactly like Atif’s Doorie even though it changes its path early. The song though is good, and all singers, especially Sunidhi sound well. Lyrics of the song are slightly better than average for a usual love song. Overall, other than Atif effect the opening song of Click is not bad.

The second song of the album, Aameen Suma Aameen Suma, sung by Shamir and Master Saleem is a westernized Sufi song filled with beats. The song doesn’t have much new but sounds okay. Saleem sounds good in the song which is one of the major strengths of the song. Wondering if the song would have been better had there been a different mixing, with less beats and a better Sufi effect.

The third song of the album Mehroom hua na dil kabhi starts with Shreya Ghoshal’s beautiful voice on a melody that would find itself completely in place in the ’90s, mixed with a tune that matches Shamir’s own Roshan Dil ka Jahan from Runway. Shreya and Shaan sing the word Mehroom sounding completely like Roshan from the Runway song. Now it’s not plagiarism when you copy from your own song but Shamir clearly lacks originality here.

The next song of the album which happens to be the title song of the album is sung by Adnan Sami while Shamir’s name appears on all songs anyway. The song is not really great but at least it’s one song that remotely sounds like made for the movie as it has more scope of fitting in the movie compared to previous songs. Also, at 5+ minutes the song looks bit too long.

The next song of the album, Yaadein Yaad Aati Hain, is expected to be the best song of the album as Shamir brings in Three big names together as KK, Vijay Prakash, and Sunidhi. But all those big names don’t make a great impact on you as the song starts. The good part, though, is that Shamir seems to be trying something new after four typical songs. The bad part is that for some reason Shamir decides to keep the music shallow and nothing reaches deep into your heart while it seems KK’s voice has been left largely unused. Vijay Prakash’s nainam chhindanti shastrani is ineffective. A song that could be good I guess. Makes me feel the composer has talent but is not coming out as it should.

The original songs of the movie end here. The next is a male only version of Rubayee, sung by Shamir and Raaj. Though there is hardly anything extra. There are two remixes of Yaadein Yaad aati hain and Rubayee at the end. No comments on them.

Overall Click is an average album with run of the mill songs. There is hardly anything new but whatever is there sounds okay. That is all I can say for now.

And of course, if you have an eye for Shahid Kapoor’s dance, you may like the movie anyway. He starts right from the start and keeps your foot tapping. The music is good but Adnan Sami leaves scope in places. For example, Pump it up hasn’t been the great song it could be with its wonderful foot tapping beats. Sandeep and Ken’s Just do it is good as you might have already seen.

The end of film is quick and comes quickly too, without much hullabaloo. Something that doesn’t make you all that euphoric you might expect. But the last scene of the movie is good again when Sameer becomes a star.

Talking of acting, while Shahid and Genelia are good, Mohnish Behl’s sincerity shows on his face. Still, if Rolly Ji (Rishi Kapoor, Luck by Chance) is a standard for a movie making man, Mohnish is way behind, mostly because of the script. Parikshit Sahni is good enough as father even though he is capable of much more. Satish Shah comes in for a small role while child artistes are fine. Matter of fact, CPD doesn’t really give much chance to anyone other than Shahid, and for a bit, Genelia, who, too hasn’t been given her fair share of dances especially playing a choreographer in the film.

The good part of the film is that it has some good acting and even better dance moves by Shahid Kapoor. The bad part is that you always remember it’s a movie and know what is going to happen next. As I said, watch it if you love Shahid’s dance and/or have nothing better to do.

Remember that ‘Sach hai ki dil to dukha hai‘ sung by Sonu Nigam in Kal ho na ho? I record them as one of the very best lines of Sonu Nigam. In Noore-Khuda, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy go on the same lines, trying it with Shreya this time. This time it’s done in a main track instead of a slow/sad version and I hope the words are pictured perfectly by Karan Johar.

My problem with S-E-L is that they perform even their oldest tricks in such style that one cannot resist them. My Name is Khan maybe half an album running on the lines of Mitwa, songs with a signature of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and a Sufi touch to almost all of them, but you cannot stop once you start listening to it. The good part is that even with their old formulas, they never stop experimenting and add at least something new. For example Adnan Sami, and Shreya Ghoshal starting in between (as Sonu did in KHNH slow) is a bit new. Certainly like that.

Lyrics:

Noor e khuda, noor e khuda, noor e khuda ..

Ajnabi mod hai, khauf har ore hai
Har nazar pe dhuan chha gaya
Pal bhar mein jaane kya kho gaya

Aasman zard hai, aanhein bhi sard hain
Tan se saaya juda ho gaya
Pal bhar mein jaane kya kho gaya

Saans ruk si gayi, jism chhil sa gaya
Toote khwabon ke manzar pe tera jahaan chal diya

Noor e khuda, noor e khuda
Tu kahan chhupa hai hume ye bataa
Noor e khuda, noor e khuda
Yun na humse nazrein phira
Noor e khuda, noor e khuda
Tu kahan chhupa hai hume ye bataa
Noor e khuda, noor e khuda
Yun na humse nazrein phira
Noor e khuda ..

Hoo nazarein karam, farma hi de
Oo deen o dharam, ko jaga hi de
Oo jalti huyi tanhaiyan, roothi hui parchhaiyan
Kaise udi ye hawa, chhaya ye kaisa samaa
Hmmm rooh jam si gayi, waqt tham sa gaya
Toote khwabon ke manzar pe tera jahaan chal diya
Noor e khuda, noor e khuda
Tu kahan chhupa hai hume ye bataa
Noor e khuda, noor e khuda
Yun na humse nazarein fira
Noor e khuda

Aaa.. (Aalap by Shreya)

Ujde se lamhon ko aas teri
Zakhmi dilon ko hai pyaas teri
Har dhadkan ko talaash teri
Tera milta nahin hai pata
Khali aankhein khud se sawal karein
Aman ki cheekh behaal kare
Behta lahu fariyaad kare
Tera mit-ta chala hai nishaan
Rooh jam si gayi, waqt tham sa gaya
Toote khwabon ke manzar pe tera jahaan chal diya
Noor e khuda, noor e khuda
Tu kahan chhupa hai hume ye bataa
Noor e khuda, noor e khuda
Yun na humse nazarein phira
Noor e khuda

noor e khuda noor e khuda
Aaj kal tu kahan hai ye bataa
…
Noor e khuda, noor e khuda
Kya ye sach hai ke tu hai humse khafa
Noor e khuda…

Meanings:

• Zard: Yellow
• Manzar: Scenery, View
• Noor: Light, Noor-e-Khuda: Divine light

Noor e Khuda is something that would be counted as very typical of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy had there not been Adnan Sami.  Shankar also sings a major part of the song and Shreya gets a piece in the end. But Adnan’s voice has made the song a bit more fresh. A typical song for a Karan Johar film. A certain hit material.

Rang de Aman se Aasman is the odd one out in the album. The song has some rock mood and hence Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy call in Suraj Jagan to sing with Shankar. The song is good but will take some time to reach its peak. Lyrics of the song are good but somehow I feel like there was more scope in the lyrics here. Also, hearing for the first few times, you will feel that the song has been sung in a haste at some points and that a bit slower could be better.

Sajda is a typical Karan Johar song as you might have guessed from the promos of the movie. The song again has a good Sufi touch and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan-Richa Sharma combination works well. Shankar Mahadevan in the background is perfect. Reminds me of Mitwa though.

Talk of Mitwa and here comes Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan. Shafqat gets to sing another Sufi song, Tere Naina all by himself. The song is good with some good lyrics and music that gives scope to Shafqat’s singing which he has used well. Full marks to Shafqat Amanat Ali for the song.

The album also has a two and half minute Khan theme by Strings, which doesn’t affect as yet. Maybe it shows some more effect in the film.

Overall, My Name is Khan is a good album with more than just a touch of Sufi. The songs are good and certainly going to be super-popular. Also, Niranjan Iyengar’s lyrics are good enough. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy haven’t taken much risk and given an album on old prescribed formulas which are certainly going to work for KJo’s film. If you like typical S-E-L music (which most do), go for it. You won’t be disappointed.

Just Do It: The less than two minute composition by Sandip Shirodkar and Ken Ghosh is sung by Amit Kumar. A dance rap that is quite new for Amit, though he’s been bit close to it in Jhankaar Beats. Voice sounds a bit different though and it’s not easy to guess whose voice it is. The lyrics of the song are interesting where Amitabh Bhattacharya (lyricist: Dev.D, singer: iktara) tries to explain what dance is. Definitely new and fresh. Try it to know if you like it. I certainly did.

One More Dance: During the past few months Kunal Ganjawala has not been as successful as he used to be earlier. Probably because he’s not being given much chance by the best of music directors nowadays. This time he sings a composition of Adnan Sami and the result is almost the same again. The dance song, though it starts well and high on energy, falls to just okay not long after the start. Disappointing.

Pal mein Hi: If you haven’t heard it yet, go find it. (It’s there in this blog too, here). Pal mein hi is certainly the song that is going to make the CDs of CPD sell in the market. Soham Chakrabarthy and Shreya Ghoshal have sung this high pitched romantic, beatful-beautiful dance number. Lovable song.

Pe Pe Pein: This song is sung by Hard Kaur (sounding somewhat like in APKGK again), Neeraj Shridhar, and Master Saleem (Aahun Aahun). A dance song again where Adnan Sami has tried to do some experiments with Shehnai and been quite successful there. Neeraj Shridhar, Saleem, Shehnai and catchy music may make the song a hit if promoted well. Kumaar’s lyrics are in the right mood too. Interesting one.

The song also has a remix where the speed is slightly increased and some more instruments have been added in places, and even Tulsi Kumar has been added for a few lines. No big changes though.

Pump it Up: This time Adnan Sami calls him to sing and Vishal Dadlani gets one more composer added to his list. Though Vishal has been good to song, composing and mixing have not been as good as expected and the song gets lost somewhere in between after a good build up of one and half minute. Instrumental music becomes kind of too much while the song comes back but once lost, the taste doesn’t come back to the song, and the listener.

The remix version of Pump it up has some good beats and the remix impresses after a confusing original version. I’d say try the remix version of the song. It’s more regular than the regular one, and better.

Though, my guess is that a dancing Shahid Kapoor can make people love this song as it sounds quite hyper energetic and if Shahid’s dance happens to be of the same level, it can make any song a dance anthem.

Rishta Hai Mera Aasmano se: Shaan and Tulsi Kumar sing this one. And believe it or not, for some reason, Tulsi sounds strange and kind of idiotic in the first line she sings. Thankfully, you don’t hear much of her but she makes a good song of Shaan somewhat mediocre. Though later on she’s OK, I wonder if the daughter of Cassette King is really good enough a singer to get the number of songs she does. Anyway, try the song. Shaan has been energetic in the song and it should anyway work. Some added patches of music sound good too.

Yaba Daba Yahoo: Kunal has sung one more song in the album and this one is even more energetic but sounds Anu-Malikish, which, I do not think works very well nowadays. The song is a bit too much on words and not that good with music. Average.

Overall, Chance pe Dance is above average but below expectations. Just do it, Pal mein hi, and even pe pe pein make things good, but one more dance and yaba daba yahoo don’t sound very good. Hope Shahid on screen makes things better for the album.

Adnan’s new album, Ek Ladki Deewani si has nine songs including one remix of Mumbai City. While all the songs are composed by Adnan himself songs are arranged and programmed by John Stewart and even Salim-Sulaiman, except for Mumbai City which is programmed by Jermaine himself.

All lyrics are by Irfan Siddiqui. And here is my take on the songs one by one.

Ek Ladki: The title song of the album, Ek ladki, is a slow, melodious track and even though there is nothing new in the song, you might like it if you listen to it sometimes. A bit out of date, but not bad.

Mumbai City: Kinda nice song by Adnan Sami and Jermaine Jackson. In fact Jermaine sounds quite fine and the promos make the song all the more better. Can give it a try. But video surely makes things better.

Mehfooz: Now that’s a good song. I do not know whether it’s just because the composition is good or because the song is arranged and programmed by Salim-Sulaiman. The song reminds me of Adnan’s Bheegi-bheegi raaton mein phir tum aao na. Slow, soft, romantic, the six and half minute song is worth a try. The only problem of the song is the few English words in the song with which Adnan doesn’t sound very comfortable. Or maybe its similarity with his Barsaat.

Tu Salamat Rahe: Believe it or not, Adnan Sami can sing without being nasal too. And if he does that, he can be pretty good, and fresh. No, he doesn’t do a Himesh in this album or this song, but there is a glimpse of Adnan Sami singing completely freely in certain notes, with no nasal effects at all. Anyway, this is another above average song of the album. Try this one. Adnan Sami’s compositions arranged by Salim-Sulaiman are making an effect till here.

Dekha Tujhe: A beat based song sung with Tulsi Kumar. Nothing great about the song but it could be a hit had the song been in a movie and promoted like Bamulaiza of De Dana Dan. Barely an average number.

Sharmili: Easy to ignore things are not always worth completely ignoring. Sharmili doesn’t have anything very great about it that will attract you but the song’s simplicity can make you love it. May not either.

Chalo: Chalo, the last original song of the album, is a slow song with light music and slow beats. The song is kind of soothing and the lyrics, though not very clear in their message, help the cause. In short, chalo is an above average, slow, soothing song that you might like to try.

Besides these eight songs, there is a remix of Mumbai City by DJ aMYTH. The remix is nothing great but the good part of the remix is that it doesn’t irritate.

As a matter of fact, Adnan Sami’s Ek Ladki Deewani Si looks a bit out of date in this time where passion is overpowering melody in romantic songs. In the age of Atif, Javed Ali and Mohit Chauhan, Adnan Sami will have to find something new to keep himself going.

Ek ladki Deewani si is an album of light moods. If you are running with the world around you, my guess is you might not like it. But if you like light, melodious songs, if you still listen to soft music while sitting in a restaurant or driving your car (it’s definitely not for bikes), you might like to give it a try. It doesn’t promise you the world, but it might give you some light time.