I Proud To Be An Indian

Producer : Sohail Khan
Director : Puneet Sira
Cast : Sohail Khan and Heena Tasleem
Music : Daboo Malik, K C Loy, Xinc and OZ Jkey
Lyrics : Daboo Malik, Jay Verma, K C Loy, Harcharan Dhillon (late) and Deeplali Deep
Singers : Babul Supriyo, Sunidhi, Krishna, Kunal, Rithika, Arvinder Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Mashi and Srinivasan,
Audio : T-Series

Sohail Khan is hoping to tackle something different with his latest home production 'I Proud To Be An Indian'. Puneet Sira makes his debut as director with this venture whereas Sohail Khan uses the psyche of hiring different musicians along with different lyricists to try something different in the film and interestingly succeeds to some extent in his effort. T-Series releases this album featuring 10 songs in total.

(1) Ajnabi Tum Lagte Nahin (Babul Supriyo and Sunidhi Chauhan)
A soft romantic duet with subtle melodies opens the soundtrack. Rendered by the duo of Babul Supriyo and Sunidhi Chauhan, 'Ajnabi Tum Lagte Nahin' is pleasing with its simplicity of words and music. Superb vocals qualities help Babul Supriyo stick out, whilst the sweet 'n' crispy rendition by Sunidhi Chauhan is also impressive. How brilliantly the arrangement of instruments has been done, is vivid through the dholak's fusing with jhankaar. Daboo Malik, the composer of this number works with the lyrics of Jay Verma by adopting a simple route to convey the mood. The video of the song focuses on Sohail Khan and the newcomer Heena Tasleem. Though the number is entertaining from all aspects nevertheless it's hard for it to make a top position on the charts.
Rating: 8.5/10

(2) Kehta Nahin (Krishna)
"Kehta Nahin" starts off well with a qawwali style. Newcomer Krishna catches the cord of this piece but the style he adopts is truly of Pakistani Sufi singers. His following rendition of the song seems ordinary whereas the lyrics are not up to the standards either. Daboo Malik disappoints the listeners with his poorly arranged music. This inaudible song spoils the gorgeous feelings we enjoyed with the opening track earlier.
Rating: 2.5/10

(3) Aaye Hum Aaye (Kunal Ganjawalla)
"Aaye Hum Aaye" Appears next in the soundtrack. Kunal seems impressed with Rehman's singing since he tries to render his vocals in the music maestro's (A R Rehman) style. His efforts fall flat due to the obvious reason that one must develop a style of his own to make oneself distinguished. The background seems forcibly and poorly arranged in the narrative. On the contrary, K. C. Loy has been hired for two assignments i.e. writing and composing the track. But you think after listening to the number thoroughly, 'is it justifiable?', because both of these works (lyrics and composition) completely mess up the song. This is the song you instantly want to skip to save your precious time.
Rating: 2/10

(4) Khayalan Wich (Rithika)
With Rithika, we have a Punjabi love song "Khayalan Wich" next in the list of songs. The track has a folk touch that provides something different. Remarkably executed vocals of Rithika add beauty to the song. Tabla as a soothing instrument creates beautiful melodies. The duo of Jay Verma and Harcharan Dhillon (late) work wonders with the lyrics and showcase their talent. The perfect blend of OZ Jkey and K. C. provide well-orchestrated music. The song has been airing on all satellite channels for days starring Sohail Khan and Heena Tasleem in the lead. On the whole, this silken piece of song leaves you mesmerized after you hear it and is a potential chartbuster as well.
Rating: 9/10

(5) Sagayee (Mashi)
Meshi sings a wedding song "Sagayee" next. The traditional mood of the track spreads the cultural atmosphere beautifully. You will also enjoy the chorus arranged properly by the musician. Deeplali Deep seems to be very understanding through his heartwarming lyrics. Xinc does well and his composition is impressive.
Rating: 8/10

(6) Andheron Ko Cheer Ke (Kunal Ganjawalla)
Next up is the peppy number "Andheron Ko" featuring Kunal Ganjawalla. The singer sounds sweet in his rendition. If you judge the arrangement of instruments, you will be impressed by the style. The meaningful lyrics too adopt simplicity to depict the theme. Daboo Malik's tunes are also decent.
Rating: 7.5/10

(7) Kaali Raat (Srinivasan)
We have another pop song next: "Kaali Raat" sung by Srinivasan. Though Srinivasan manages the rhythm well while singing the number, his style unfortunately seems copied from KK. The philosophical lyrics register an impact whereas the average music simply lets the song down. Only the lyrics happen to be the saving grace and as a result, the song goes downhill.
Rating: 3.5/10

(8) Ajnabi Tum Lagte (Instrumental)
This instrumental of "Ajnabi Tum" appeals as much to your ears with melodious music as the original version did earlier.
Rating: 8/10

(9) Nach Kudi Panjaban (Arvinder Singh and Sukhdev Singh)
Arvinder Singh and Sukhdev Singh attempt to sing a Punjabi track "Nach Kudi Punjaban" but fail to get noticed through their rendition. The below average chorus and some disappointing lyrics also destroy the song. The final nail in the coffin is badly composed music. The song is a big flop at all levels.
Rating: 2/10

(10) Khayalan Wich…. Repeat Version (Rithika)
The album's strongest track "Khayalan Wich" is repeated a second time. Again it is thoroughly enjoyable like the earlier version.
Rating: 9/10

Overall:
Although the soundtrack is laced with an overdose of songs, it nevertheless seems authenticated due to some soothing numbers that help redeem it.
Overall Rating: 6/10

REVIEWED BY GOHER IQBAL PUNN