ASOKA

Production Company: Arclightz and Films Pvt Ltd.
Director: Santosh Sivan
Writer: Santosh Sivan
Music: Anu Malik
Cinematography: Santosh Sivan
Editor: Shreekar Prasad
Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Hrishtaa Bhatt, Danny Denzongpa, Rahul Dev, Ajit, Suraj Balaje & Subhashini Ali

After an unsuccessful debut with Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, Shah Rukh Khan is back as a producer, and based on the initial reactions, it looks like it's going to be a great film. So how does the music go with the film? Well, for starters, this time Dreamz Unlimited is with Anu Malik instead of Jatin-Lalit, who gave a good score for PBDHH, so how does Asoka measure up in terms of music?

San Sana:
This song has an interesting musical arrangement. Though quite typical of Anu Malik's music, it has a more traditional flavor to it. Alka Yagnik's singing is quite good and we usually don't get to hear her without Udit Narayan, so it's a treat to hear her almost alone. Hema Serdesai is there, but she's a little hard to notice in front of Alka. The entire song seems actually to have the feel of Meheboob Mere from Fiza. The tune is quite interesting and catchy. The lyrics are quite repetitive though, and could definitely be better. The instrumentation is pretty good, but not too varied.
Rating: 7/10

Raat Ka Nasha (Female):
Chitra is a singer mostly heard in the south, and not much in normal Bollywood, so it's interesting to hear her. She seems to be trying to sound seductive which she carries quite well. The background music is very good and really elevates the song. The instrumentation scores well with the music as well. The only real problem is the tune which isn't very interesting, but isn't bad at the same time. The lyrics are also quite pointless. This is really a song to listen to for its excellent background music and music intervals.
Rating: 8/10

Roshni Se:
This is a hard song to score because in some ways it's great and in other ways it's boring to listen to. After a few listens, it grows on you, and appreciation grows for it. The background music and beats are great, as are the music interludes. The tune sounds a bit repetitive at first, but really is good and goes along with the music quite well. The singing, however, is another point. Alka Yagnik sounds a bit like Hema Serdesai for some reason, but overall she sounds okay. Abhijeet, who normally sounds nice, sounds a bit off-key. The song last quite long though, and gives the listener a feeling of "When will this end?" because the tune ends up repeating itself in a song that's almost seven minutes long.
Rating: 7/10

O Re Kanchi:
A needed dance number finds its way onto this album in the form of this song. The tune is very catchy, though not extremely original. Shaan's singing is good, though not on the level of his previous tracks like "Apni Yaadon Ko". Suneeta Rao, who I usually find to have a hoarse voice, actually sounds good (a bit like Alka Yagnik). The music is very catchy, and works with the beats to make this song a very catchy dance number. The situational lyrics are okay, but a bit strange considering Kanchi is a Nepaleese word.
Rating: 8/10

Raat Ka Nasha (Duet):
This song is obviously the same as the female version, just with the addition of the vocals of Abhijeet. His vocals don't really add or subtract to the song. He sounds competent, but not really too great. It is interesting, however, to hear him opposite Chitra.
Rating: 8/10

Aa Tayar Hoja
Apparently, another attempt at a dance number, this one doesn't succeed on the level of O Re Kanchi. The tune is a catchy, though, once again, not too original. The music is pretty good and makes the song sound unique. Sunidhi Chauhan sounds good, quite different from what she sounded in Meheboob Mere from Fiza. The lyrics are apparently situational, but they're pretty stupid. The beats are okay, but nothing special. The tune unfortunately, is a little repetitive. I don't know how many times I heard her say "Aa Tayar Hoja"…
Rating: 7/10

Asoka Theme:
An interesting instrumental piece for sure. The use of the flute in the song is great, though not used nearly as effectively as AR Rahman. The instrumentation is really the only thing that makes the piece sound Indian. If anything else, this could be a piece from Titanic, as it still lacks the Indian composition flavor for an instrumental piece. The piece really lacks soul if anything, but still works effectively as a background piece. The instrumentation is great actually, and compliments the mood.
Rating: 7/10

Overall Music:
Well, for most of the pieces the background music ranges from good to excellent. The tunes are good for most part, but some repeat themselves way too often without interludes. The instrumentations are good overall.
Rating: 8/10

Overall Singing:
The singing is a little hard to judge. At times, the singers don't sound like themselves. Sunita Rao sounds like Alka Yagnik, Alka Yagnik sounds like Hema Serdesai…. But overall, the singing is nice and varied.
Rating: 8/10

Overall Rating:
This really is an album that has to grow on you, but it doesn't take too long. Everything is good for most part, and as strange as it felt, every song in the film was either an 8 or a 7, which points out to Anu Malik being a little more consistent with his music.
Overall Rating (Not an average): 7.3/10

How does Asoka Compare?
Assuming Asoka has a score of five, how do other soundtracks compare to it? What is their rating relative to Asoka? (Not indicative of actual scores)

REVIEWED BY RISHI J