DIL VIL PYAR VYAR

Director: Anant Mahadevan
Producer: Metalight Prdocutions PVT LTD.
Music: Rahul Dev Burman (recreated by Bablu Chakraborty)
Lyrics: Majrooh, Anand Bakshi, Rajinder Krishan, Gulzar
Starring: AR. Madhavan, Namrata Shrodkar, Sanjay Suri, Sonali Kulkharini, Hrisihitaa Bhatt, Jimmy Shergill, Bhavna Pani

Ask anyone over 35 who the best composer is, and chances are you'll hear RD Burman's name come up again and again. Unfortunately, the youth of today hasn't received a chance to hear and grow up on his music, with his last album being “1942: A Love Story”. Dil Vil Pyar Vyar sees to amend this, by taking fourteen lesser-known RD Burman numbers, and reworking them into a new soundtrack. An innovative concept, but how well does it work?

Since Dil Vil Pyar Vyaar is a different type of soundtrack, this review will be a more concise and holistic review of the album, as reviewing track by track would only be reviewing old RD Burman numbers.

The entire album consists of fourteen RD Burman numbers (sixteen, including two instrumental tracks), presumably chosen for specific situations in the film. However, these aren't the normal RD Burman numbers that everyone would know, such as his compositions for Sholay or 1942: A Love Story. Rather, they are some great, but not as well-known, songs used to bring across the genius of RD Burman to the youth of today.

The songs are re-arranged by Bablu Chakraborty. The rearranging includes a bit of background mixing, as well as re-singing the songs with new singers. Thus, the tracks have innovation, yet stay true to their source. Rather than creating an album like RDX (RD Burman Remix) full of remixed numbers that try to be modern, the composer has stuck with creating numbers that would appeal to both long-time fans of RD Burman, as well as newcomers alike.

The singers do a good job in their respective parts. Most of them try to impersonate the original singers, with various levels of success. The choice of modern singers is pretty well-done, with Abhijeet, Kavita Subramanium, and Hariharan stealing the spotlight. It's interesting to hear Kumar Sanu and Babul Supriyo on the same album, and really highlights the differences in their voices.

Of all the numbers, the one that might appeal most immediately to the youth would be “O Haseena Zulfonwali”, sung by Abhijeet and Sunidhi Chauhan.

Overall, the album serves its purpose as a gateway to RD Burman's music for newcomers. However, the new listeners may find a few of the selections a tad boring, slightly marring this purpose.

Overall Rating: 8.0/10

REVIEWED BY RISHI J