AABHAY

Director: Neeraj Roy
Music: Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy
Starring: Kamal Hassan, Raveena Tandon, Manisha Koirala

The trailers for Kamal Hassan's latest big budget epic 'Abhay' have been screening on all the usual channels for quite some time now, and there are huge expectations for the movie. Starring Kamal in the lead role, alongside Raveena Tandon and Manisha Koirala, the action flick is expected to hit cinemas around the world on 19th October 2001.

The music for 'Abhay' is becoming more and more popular by the day, and has been composed by the hugely talented trio Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy (who have previously worked on hits such as Mission Kashmir and Dil Chahta Hai). So, is this going to be one of the year's best albums, or something we will all forget after the film releases? Radio Sargam checks out the tracks and gives you our opinion!

TRACK 1: KOYAL SE (Shankar Mahadevan & Sujatha)
Just like most other dubbed films, the lyrics and music don't match. It seems to have a very South Indian influence, almost like A. R. Rahman's style of composing, and sounds a bit like 'Sun Ri' from Hum Se Hain Muqabla's soundtrack (the famous Prabhu Deva film). There are also some western-style interludes thrown into the songs. The lyrics could have been a bit more interesting, instead of adding 'Sun Lo' at each and every spare moment. Shankar Mahadevan does a nice job conveying the sadness in this song. Sujatha, an accomplished singer who accompanies A. R. Rahman on his concerts, does a commendable song as well. The background beats are a little repetitive.
Rating: 8/10

TRACK 2: ZINGORIA (Nandini & Chorus)
I haven't heard of the singer Nandini before, but she seems to have problems singing this song. Perhaps there are too many high pitches for her. The composers seem to have placed an electronic effect on her voice, similar to the effects used in American pop, which makes the vocals interesting to listen to. The song seems to have an African tribal influence, along with cants similar to the ones used in "Jaane Kyoon" from Dil Chahta Hai. The instrumentation is interesting and goes along with the "Deep in the jungle" mood. This song grows on you with a few repeated listens.
Rating: 7/10

TRACK 3: HASDE HASDE (Shankar Mahadevan, Mahalaxmi & Chorus)
This is a bit like Shankar Mahadevan's "Breathless (Reprise)", but with non-stop laughing as the background to the entire song, and a few jokes thrown in too! It's a completely situational song, and having seen the promos on television, you can tell that it was a last minute attempt to add some music to the soundtrack. I personally found the laughing annoying after a few listens, but I guess some people might like it that sort of thing… The lyrics are quite pointless and repetitive. Mahalaxmi, seemingly a favorite of Shankar, Ehsaan, and Loy, does a good job along with Shankar Mahadevan, who shows his versatility in this song. The music is interesting, and gives an uplifting feel.
Rating: 7.5/10

TRACK 4: DEKHO ABHAY (Shankar Mahadevan)
Shankar takes the microphone once again for the title track of the movie and does a good job, as always, with the vocals. This song definitely makes a statement, but a clash of too many things makes it tiring to listen to. The way the background music, the beats, and the vocals go together gives a feeling of dissonance as opposed to music, and obviously isn't something very pleasant to listen to. The instrumentation furthers that feeling of dissonance. This song will work well as a background song, similar to how "Dhuan Dhuan" from Mission Kashmir worked.
Rating: 7.5/10

TRACK 5: KALTAK MUJHKO GAURAV THA (Kamal Hassan)
Yes, you read that right. Kamal Hassan lends his vocals for this song (which he tends to do for South Indian films), which tells you a lot about one of his characters in the movie (the evil one). Since it's not the type of song, which needs someone with amazing vocals, Kamal is really effective, and the result sends a chill down your spin. Actually, it has the same effect as "Bhala Bhura" from Aks, but with more of a Western classical influence. The song also features Shankar Mahadevan (uncrediting himself), in the background, humming the refrain of "Dekho Abhay".
Rating: 8.5/10

TRACK 6: HEY! WHO ARE YOU? (Kamal Hassan & Manisha Koirala)
Kamal Hassan makes his second appearance in the soundtrack, together with co-star Manisha Koirala. Before you ask, the answer is no, they are not actually singing in the track! This one has Manisha groaning and moaning, trying to sound sexy. Perhaps it will please some of her male fans, but she isn't even that effective! Obviously this track will make more sense and look a lot better when you see it picturised in the film. This really isn't much of a song, rather more of a conversation, with some random music (once again, with the Western classical influence) in the background, which is very good when combined with the beats.
Rating: 6/10

Overall Music and Instrumentation:
Shankar, Ehsaan, and Loy score once again in this area, proving that they are gifted musicians. The music is distinctly Indian, yet with the right amount of outside influence. The variety of moods also works well. Though the track, "Dekho Abhay" isn't likely to be accepted by the masses, it's still an effective piece, and shows what happens when composers experiment (similar to Anu Malik with Aks). The instrumentation is varied as well. Also, they place interesting effects in "Zingoria"
Rating: 9/10

Overall Singing:
Shankar Mahadevan is probably the best singer/music director out there, and really shows off his vocal skills. Kamal Hassan's voice is very effective at giving a dark ambience to his songs. Sujatha and Mahalaxmi are great as well, and it's good to hear Sujatha in an album. Nandini has some problems singing though, and I'm sure a better singer could have been chosen.
Rating: 8.5/10

Overall:
Shankar, Ehsaan, and Loy show off their musical talents. They gave us memorable music, from the Kashmiri-influenced Mission Kashmir, to the hip and modern Dil Chahta Hai, to the "straight-from-the-heart" Dillagi. Though this music might not do well among the masses, it is an achievement that should be remembered for its wonderful experimentation.
Rating: 7.9/10

REVIEWED BY AMARPREET CHANA & RISHI J