YUVA

Producer: Madras Talkies
Director: Mani Ratnam
Cast: Vivek Oberoi, Kareena Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee
Music: A. R. Rahman
Lyrics: Mehboob
Singers: Rahman, Kartik, Mehboob, Sunitha Sarathay, Lucky Ali, Madhushree and Shaheen Badar
Audio: Venus Records

The combination of music composer A.R. Rahman and filmmaker Mani Ratnam has worked wonders in the past. The creativity has been solid in Roja, Bombay and Dil Se, which were best sellers throughout the world. It's hardly surprising that the Rahman-Ratnam reunion in Yuva has create huge hype amongst music lovers. Radio Sargam checks out the Venus Records soundtrack, which features six songs in total.

1) Dhaka Laga Bhuka (A R Rehman, Kartik and Mehboob)
Dhaka Laga Bhuka is the opening track of the album. Interestingly, the song is rendered by the musician, singer and lyricist together (A R Rehman, Kartik and Mehboob) but unfortunately its not a very appealing effort. The vocals are muffled in the heavy orchestration. The lyrics and composition are very ordinary too. It's a disappointing and avoidable start to the album.
Rating: 2/10

2) Khuda Hafiz (Sunitha Sarathay, Lucky Ali and Kartik)
Thankfully the quality takes a big step forward with second track, which is the best track of the album. Sunitha Sarathay, Lucky Ali and Kartik sing “Khuda Hafiz”. Sunitha soothes the listeners with her exhilarating singing. Lucky Ali and Kartik also capture you attention with their renditions. The crooning of “Anjana – Anjani” runs in the track and is very catchy. The heart-warming lyrics by Mehboob work very well, whilst Rehman also proves his mettle brilliantly. The fast beats of the drumming and other instruments impress. This is truly a chart-buster.
Rating: 9/10

3) Kabhi Neem Neem (Madhushree and Rehman)
The melodious “Kabhi Neem Neem” is another excellent song. The vocalist Madhushree is sounding very nice and receives able support by the Rehman's superbly sung alaaps. The flawless blend of jhankaar and dholak impresses. Focusing on nature, Mehboob makes us see her literary side with remarkable results. The classical direction, cinematography and choreography help the song rise upwards in the visuals starring Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee in the lead.
Rating: 8.5/10

4) Dol Dol (Shaheen Badar)
Next you confront an instrumental song “Dol Dol” laced with the ordinary voice of Shaheen Badar that is sunk and lost in the badly arranged noisy instruments. A. R. Rehman falls flat with the music assignment, which only highlights the fluctuating quality of music so far in this soundtrack.
Rating: 2.5/10

5) Badal (Adnan Sami and Alka Yagnik)
The singers Adnan Sami and Alka Yagnik croon the sweet duet Badal. Sami's usual full-throated rendition and Alka's velvety vocals are very enjoyable. The variety of instruments sounds great. The music is skilfully composed. Although not the best song on the album, this is a highlight.
Rating: 8/10

6) Faana (Rehman, Sunitha and Tanvi)
The album ends up with a disco number “Faana” sung energetically and actively by the trio of Rehman, Sunitha and Tanvi. The vocals of Rehman are truly impressive this time around. He sings the word “Faana” fantastically and co-ordinates well with the other singers. Mehboob's lyrics are very good too. Once the visuals for this track are promoted, the number will definitely make an impression on the charts.
Rating: 7.5/10


Overall:
The sheer efforts by the whole team make Yuva a magnificent album. A R Rehman strikes back after the most recently released classical soundtrack of “Meenaxi”. Yuva will surely appeal to the youngsters and also to all of Rehman's fans of every age.
Overall Rating: 8.5/10

REVIEWED BY GOHAR IQBAL PUNN