curlio.com Special: Hindi Music Review- Jaan-E-Mann

Accounts
News
  Interactive
   Collective
    Contact

Hindi Music Review- Jaan-E-Mann

Deepa

2006-10-01 20:34:07

Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar are at it again- both vying for the love of one girl. Khan, a rock star, and Kumar, a geek, return together on the big screen after their popular Mujhse Shaadi Karogi. The difference in the two movies? Preity Zinta is the object of their affection in Jaan-E-Mann. And Salman Khan sports long hair. And set seems to be straight from a rock and roll concert.

The music direction for Jaan-E-Mann has been handed to Indian Idol judge Anu Malik, who has been in the industry for almost 25 years and has churned out all types of music, from the soulful melodies of Refugee (for which he won a National Award) to the blockbuster album of Murder.

Here, he comes up with some awesome melodies but falls prey to the current Bollywood mold by trying too hard to be western. He is also at the mercy of the lyrics, written by Gulzar, which are decent, but too situational.

However, this album is at least worth a listen. Jaan-E-Mann stars Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, and Preity Zinta. Shirish Kunder, husband of choreographer and Indian Idol judge Farah Khan, directs it.

Humko Maloom Hai- Sadhana Sargam, Sonu Nigam

The album opens with a bang…literally, as the beats of the drum accompanying the voice of Salman Khan introduces one of the strongest tracks in the album. The lyrics are simple, denoting the idea that mistakes happen in young love, that personalities get in the way, and people are separated. But at the end of the day, love rises above the rest. It is so nice to hear Sadhana Sargam back in action after staying low-key for so many years. She has performed a few songs recently, and hers is a welcome voice in Bollywood. Sonu Nigam has to hit a few notes at a lower scale than usual and does it well. The melody is good, the lyrics are situational, and the singing is strong. This song comes in two versions on the album. The second part is just as good as the first one, if not better.

Jaane Ke Jaane Na-Krishna, Sonu Nigam, Sukhwinder Singh

The traditional tabla base is refreshing to hear in the midst of Bollywood’s obsession with “modern” music. Other than that, I had mixed feelings about this song. One interesting thing was how well Sonu Nigam and Sukhwinder Singh sound together. Singh has a very earthy voice and Nigam has a sweet voice, but they genuinely sound like they’re having a blast! From the way they are singing, it sounds as if Sonu Nigam is singing for Salman Khan, who plays a cool dude in the movie, and Sukhwinder Singh is singing for Akshay Kumar who plays a geek. The lyrics again are situational and simple, but not to the point where they are annoying. They might have been able to do without the mixing of English and Hindi words, but I think the English represents the tone of the movie: that it’s quirky and distinct.

Of course, the tabla base is taken out in the remix version, which leaves nothing exciting in the song. Even the singing is mediocre at best. Toss this remix out the window!

Ajnabi Shehar-Sonu Nigam

In terms of melody so far, Anu Malik gets 4 stars out of 5, because like the first two tracks, this one is special because Malik does his job well. Sonu Nigam usually never disappoints so it’s not surprising that he sings this so well. This number is especially enjoyable when it changes gears slightly in various places throughout.

Sau Dard- Sonu Nigam, Suzanne

Another great melody by Malik. This is the tune you hear on the promos and throughout the movie and it really sticks. The flute is beautiful and Sonu Nigam adds just the proper touch with his light singing. Supporting vocals by Suzanne come at the appropriate places. Malik really seems inspired with this album. In fact, the flute was the only thing I enjoyed about the remix version. An average remix by Malik.

Udh Jaana- Adnan Sami, Earl, Kunal Ganjawala, Sunidhi Chauhan

Kunal Ganjawala sounds raspy in parts, which is new for him! He’s meant to sound this way, but who knew he could carry it off so easily. While he and Earl provide effective support in this song, Adnan Sami’s voice is the true gem. Sunidhi is good, but she usually is. I didn’t like this number too much—it lacks something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. I think it sounded too chaotic and didn’t really have a melody that stuck in my head. And if the original sounded chaotic, the remix was totally out of hand. But you have to hand it to Anu Malik for experimenting with different instruments.

Kubool Kar Le- Amit Sana, Prajakta Shukre, Rahul Vaidya Suzanne, Udit Narayan, Monali Thakur

Malik crowded some of the best Indian Idol contestants into this song, which was a bad move because none of them really stand out. The only reason I was able to tell who is singing is because I’m closely acquainted with their voices. Here, Amit Sana and Prajakta Shukre pair up while Rahul Vaidya and Monali Thakur make the other pair. The main portions of the song are handed to Udit Narayan, who actually didn’t have to be in the song. The younger singers could have handled the part with just as much aplomb as Narayan.

This song is a testament to the fact that while both II-1 and II-2 contestants are getting Bollywood offers, they are relegated to the backseat in terms of quality. They are not getting the appropriate opportunity to show off their true talent. This song, Rahul and Prajakta’s debut in Shaadi No. 1, and Karunya’s debut in Lage Raho Munnabhai are a case in point.

And as for this song, it’s decent, but that’s because I heard it twice before writing this review. On first hearing, it’s not very appealing. Being a die-hard fan of these four, I gave it a second chance. In terms of musical value, it’s quite good. The lyrics are ordinary and these talented singers get the opportunity to sing a couple of lines a piece. At one point in the song, Rahul Vaidya sounds like Sonu Nigam, which was both funny and a treat to hear.

Normally, I would have given this album 3 stars out of 5. But because I feel like Malik short-changed his Indian Idol contestants (all of whom he promised songs), I give it a 2.5 out of 5.

The songs to Jaan-E-Mann can be found at:
http://www.musicindiaonli...lywood/s/movie_name.8610/

Uttam ( News Editor )

2006-11-25 10:13:41

Die, my Dear?
	Annu Malek, Annu Malek. The man has changed his name. :Z I wanted to react on your review after I watched the movie but I don't think I'm going to watch this one. There's nothing I can add. Agree with everything you said. At first I thought it was real cool that the other II contestants got their change to sing for a Bollymovie but like you said he short changed them and that's just a nasty. These songs really do justice to Sonu's voice and agree again with you that this album is atleast worth a listen. ~OeTtahhmm~