FIZA

Producers:The Culture Company in Association with UTV
Director: Khalid Mohamed
Music: Anu Malik
Lyrics: Gulzar and others
Star Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Karisma Kapoor, Jaya Bachchan

Aaja Mahiya:
This song found its way up the charts when it was released, and that was for a good reason to. From the opening refrains of "Mahi Mahi Re" to the speedy closure, the excellence in lyrics, singing, and music pertain throughout the song. Actually, music-wise, this is a very nice piece. Most of the instruments used are quite traditional, and less emphasis is placed on synthesized music. The singing is great, especially on Udit Narayan's part. Alka Yagnik sounds nice at times, but her voice gets a little too loud at others. But it's really the lyrics that make this song so memorable. Gulzar and his pen have formed a winning combination of romantic lyrics with excellent lines.
Rating: 9/10

Mehboob Mere:
This item number was only made popular because of the sizzling appearance of the former Ms. Universe, Sushmita Sen. It seems to have an Arabic feel to it, especially in the music and instrumentation. Sunidhi Chauhan carries the song quite well, with background support by an older newcomer, Karsan Sargathiya. The lyrics by Tejpal Kaur work well. The problem in the song lies in the overall composition. It's quite weak, and could definitely be better. Overall, it wasn't a very appealing song until seeing it on-screen.
Rating: 6.5/10

Tu Hawa Hai:
Another song excellently penned by Gulzar, this song scores equally for the music as well as the lyrics. This ode to love is sung by Sonu Nigam and Alka Yagnik. Both sing very well and Sonu Nigam adds the right touch of emotion to the lyrics. The instrumentation is great, as is the background music. The tune is nice and slow, and served well in the film as a more serious romantic number.
Rating: 9.5/10

Gaya Gaya Dil:
A totally misplaced song in a film like this. The lyrics by Sameer are a slap in the face after listening to Gulzar's lyrics in Tu Hawa Hai and Aaja Mahiya. Obviously this was intended to be a stage number, but it was so mismatched from the film, that it wasn't even used, and that was for a good reason. The composition is average, sounding like your typical stage number. Sonu Nigam's singing is good for this type of song. The music is fast-paced and is merely okay. Actually, this song sounds very much like another Anu Malik stage number "Aisa Pehli Baar" from Har Dil Jo Pyaar Karega, also sung by Sonu Nigam.
Rating: 6/10

Piya Haji Ali
AR Rahman joins this soundtrack as a guest composer, and composes his first Hindi qawali number. The tune, which seems to have a Middle-eastern influence is great. The music, using very traditional instruments, works well for this qawali number. The singing is also good, and AR Rahman joins in for a few lines. The only true problem with this number is the lyrics, which once again show why religion and commercial cinema should not be mixed.
Rating: 8.5/10

Na Leke Jaoo:
Before this song, Jaspinder Narula was stereotyped to fast Punjabi numbers. In this song, she shows how great her voice can be in this wonderfully sad song. The background music gives a feeling of extreme sorrow. The tune may sound boring to some, but it's definitely something that holds your interest. The entire composition is excellent as it's very sad, and works with the lyrics to convey that emotion very well. The only problem with the song is that it might not be the most pleasant to listen to in the car on the way to work. Really, it's a song that worked very well in the film.
Rating: 8.5/10

Mere Watan:
Composed by guest composer Ranjit Barot, this is my personal favorite on this soundtrack. Though mostly an instrumental piece, verses of Mere Watan, as well as a few vocal notes are crooned by Zubin, who does an excellent job of displaying anger. Zubin sounds a bit like KK, and it's a shame that he hasn't been heard of since this song. The music is truly excellent, and works extremely well in conveying the emotions of anger. It also seems to have a Middle Eastern influence at times. The music is really a cross between techno and dramatic film music, which is what makes it sound so great. The song was picturized well, though seemingly for the masses.
Rating: 10/10

Aank Milaongi:
The last song on the album is a little weak. The lyrics are once again poorly-worded by Sameer. The vocals by Asha Bhosle sound a little too old, but aren't bad. The background music is actually pretty good, and works well with the chorus. The dance beats are also pretty good. The music interludes are pretty ignorable for most part. Unfortunately, like Gaya Gaya Dil Gaya, this is another case of a misplaced song, and was completely misplaced in the movie.
Rating: 7/10

Overall Music and Instrumentation:
For some reason, there seams to be an Arabic/Middle Eastern influence in most of the songs, which actually works well. The music for most part is good, and Mere Watan is excellent. The instrumentation ranges well from traditional to modern.
Rating: 9/10

Overall Singing:
The singing is overall a strong point on this album. Most of the singers, except for Asha Bhosle sound good and ear-pleasing (except for certain parts in Aaja Mahiya with Alka's voice). The variety of singers is also great.
Rating: 8.5/10

Overall:
Overall, this was a pretty successful soundtrack, and that was for a good reason. Anu Malik churned out some pretty good songs, and the guest composers made great contributions towards the album. The picturisations, unfortunately, were a tad too commercial for most part (except for Na Leke Jao).
Overall Rating (Not an average): 8.1

REVIEWED BY RISHI J