HUM TUMHARE HAIN SANAM

Director: K. S. Adhiyaman
Music: Nikhil-Vinay, Daboo Malik, Bappi Lahiri, Bali Brahmbhatt, Sajid-Wajid
Lyrics: Sameer, Praveen Bhardwaj, Maya Govind, K Awasthi, Jalees Rashid
Producer: K. C. Bokadia
Starring: Shah Rukh, Madhuri Dixit, Aishwarya Rai, Salman Khan

Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam has been in the making for a long time. With a huge star cast of Shahrukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Aishwarya Rai, and Salman Khan, this movie has also been one that many have been waiting for.

The soundtrack has no less than six (!) composers. In the past, albums with multiple composers have either turned out to be really good, like Dillagi, or quite bad, like Champion. So, how does Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam's multiple-composer soundtrack end up?

1. Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam:
The title track as rendered by Udit Narayan and Anuradha Paudwal, composed by Nikhil-Vinay. Starting off with the singers, both do a good job with their respective parts. Udit Narayan is his normal self, as is Anuradha Paudwal, whom we don't get much of an opportunity to hear anymore. The actual composition is nice, but quite unoriginal. For some reason, it carries shades of "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham" (or maybe it's just Sameer's lyrics which sound the same way). The main refrains of the tune are quite catchy, and the instrumentation in the background is quite nice and traditional.
Rating: 7.5/10

2. Khoye Khoye Din Hain:
Listening to this song composed by Daboo Malik (of Yeh Zindagi Ka Safar fame), one immediately remembers "Choti Choti Raatein" from Tum Bin (which, coincidentally, was a Nikhil-Vinay composition). The song even had the same singers. The pace was the same, the beats were the same, and the tune is very similar. Sonu Nigam and Anuradha Paudwal sound almost the same (which is quite good). Nevertheless, the song is still quite enjoyable, but loses a lot for its lack of originality.
Rating: 6/10

3. Gale Main Laal Taai:
An upbeat number composed by Bappi Lahiri, and sung by Kumar Sanu and Bela Sulakhe (last heard in TMSR). The lyrics by Maya Govind are quite pointless with the wonderful English lyrics randomly thrown in. The tune is quite upbeat, but, at the same time, quite repetitive. The music has little substance to it. Even the two singers sound bored in their respective parts.
Rating: 5/10

4. Sab Kuch Bula Diya:
A nice, slower-paced song sung by Sonu Nigam, composed by Bali Brambhatt (who did the music for Pyaar Zindagi Hai). Sonu Nigam's singing is nice and calm throughout. The background music is quite nice, and the beats complement the mood of the song well. The chorus throughout is very nice as well, and adds a nice feeling to the song.
Rating: 8/10

5. Taaron Ka Chamakta:
Another number composed by Bali Brambhatt hits the soundtrack again, this time with himself singing along with Udit Narayan. This is a typical teaser/street song number. The singing throughout is average, and the main tune is a bit boring, and fails to catch attention. The music is okay, not too bad, but not great either. There are random intervals throughout sung by Bali Brambhatt, which sound suspiciously like the song "Stop That!" from Gambler.
Rating: 6.5/10

6. Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam (Sad):
A simple rearranged version of the title track, rendered by Sonu Nigam (who did a great job in that sad version of "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham"). Sonu Nigam does a nice job, once again, in conveying the sadness throughout. The rearranged composition is well-done, with the beats and background music done well to give off the correct mood of sadness. However, the same complaints lie with this track, as with the original.
Rating; 7/10

7. Na Na Nana:
A stage dance number, most likely picturized on Salman Khan, composed by Daboo Malik, and sung by Sonu Nigam. This basically turns out to be another average stage number, with little substance. The song is quite unoriginal, as it sounds like a rehash of many previous stage numbers. The tune tries to be catchy, but it ends up failing even at that. Though the song should end up being well-picturized, for now, it's quite a bad song. Even Sonu Nigam sounds like all his energy was lost.
Rating: 6/10

8. Dil Thod Aya:
Sajid-Wajid make a one-song appearance as composers on this soundtrack. However, after their mediocre compositions for Tumko Naa Bhool Payege and Chori Chori, this might not have been a great idea. Joining them is, once again, Sonu Nigam. This seems to be a "hero introduction" or "stage number" composition, judging by the background and style. Sonu Nigam does an above-average job in this number, as opposed to his previous number. The tune for this one is actually quite catchy, and fast-paced.
Rating: 7/10

9. Aa Gaya Aa Gaya:
Another stage number? This time, it's included with an annoying introduction showing our hero as a ladies' man. The lyrics by Sameer are the first thing to be noticed, as they are quite pathetic. Udit Narayan's singing is below average, but with the lyrics he's offered, he can't be blamed. The tune isn't very catchy at all, and is quite repetitive.
Rating: 5.5/10

10. Sab Kuch Bhula Gaya II:
Basically, the same as song number 4, just in duet form. Sapna Awasti joins Sonu Nigam here. Sapna Awasti's vocals are good for Rajasthani-sounding songs (like those from Bawandar), and aren't really suited for a song like this. Her voice comes out as too harsh and almost ruins the mood.
Rating: 7/10

11. Theme Music:
The Theme Music is basically an instrumental version of Nikhil-Vinay's. Rendered mostly on violin, it sounds nice, but really isn't a substantial addition to the soundtrack.
Rating: 7/10

Overall Music and Instrumentation:
With so many composers, it's a shame to hear such lackluster music. It's obvious that, throughout, most of the effort was spent on making catchy tunes to sell the album through the trailers, and not enough on the actual compositions. Bali Bhrambhat's "Sab Kuch Bhula Gaya" is the standout composition on the soundtrack, and is very nice. The main song is quite good as well. None of the composers do an outstanding job, not even Nadeem-Shravan (who have been left out of the credits).
Rating: 6.5/10

Overall Singing:
The singers throughout range from average to good, along with a few bored in songs like "Aa Gaya Aa Gaya". Sonu Nigam seems to be the big choice for this soundtrack, and, though he doesn't disappoint, much better has been heard from him. It's also nice to hear a lesser-heard Anuradha Paudwal, who still sounds very pleasant. Kumar Sanu's voice sounds as it did quite a while ago (probably because it was composed then). It's also quite surprising to hear an album without songs by Alka Yagnik.
Rating: 7.5/10

Overall Rating:
Overall, one cannot help but be disappointed with a soundtrack like this. With a great star cast, one would expect more than this type of music, but apparently, it's not delivered. Really not a soundtrack worth buying.

Overall Rating (Not an average): 6.5/10

REVIEWED BY RISHI J