Bhagam Bhag - Music Review

By: Joginder Tuteja, IndiaFM
Friday, November 24, 2006
If there is one film after Dhoom 2 that is exciting Bollywood lovers most before year 2006 comes to an end, it is Bhagam Bhag. And why not? After all it brings together the ever successful combination of Priyadarshan, Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal. With Govinda as an ace with the winning team, it is but natural that there are expectations galore from this comic thriller. With Sameer as the lyricist and music by Pritam who has given Priyadarshan his biggest musical hit in the form of Garam Masala last year, one only expects an ideal follow-up in form of Bhagam Bhag soundtrack. Unfortunately the final outcome is not quite in the same league!

First look at the cover and you get an impression that it is a Himesh Reshammiya album. Why? Because there are 6 original tracks and as many remixes, something which Reshammiya and DJ Akbar Sami have delivered for all of last year. Nevertheless, in case of Bhagam Bhag, the entire score belongs to Pritam and one moves on to listen to the first number 'Tere Bin'. It makes for a rather surprising beginning to 'Bhagam Bhag' since one anticipated a racy start to the soundtrack of this fun flick but what one hears is a sugar-n-saccharine love song about a heart beating for one's love!

This Kunal Ganjawala&Sunidhi Chauhan sung song is paced almost as a nursery rhyme and though the impact is mostly harmless due to melody holding center stage, overall the track isn't anything more than being average with one quickly looking forward to the next track in the album. In fact even the remix version that comes after a while is nothing much to write home about with merely an added zing and pace in order to make it sound a little peppier. Third version of the song comes as 'Tere Bin - Reprised' and surprisingly turns out to be the best of the lot since it has a softer feel to it while bringing vocals to the fore. Another difference in this version is Shreya Ghoshal roped in who only sounds better. In fact after listening to the song 3 times in a row, it only starts sounding better!

Excitement builds up soon after with the mention of Remo Fernandes' name for the song 'Signal'. With a carnival like beginning to the song and elaborate arrangements, one is sure that there is going to be lot of 'masti' and 'dhamaal' in 'Signal'. And thankfully that indeed is the cast as 'Signal' turns out to be 'hot-and-ready-to-serve' catchy track that has FUN written all over it. Never once does the pace die down in this stage show track which features Akshay, Govinda and Tanushree. With Suzanne pitching in for Tanushree and Remo rubbing off his energy into an entire composition, this 'pyaar ka signal' is worth stopping by and giving a dekko! Remix version of the song that comes later is designed for the dance floors by DJ Amit since there is an extended music piece for more than a minute before the vocals arrive.

For probably the first time in the album, one hears a trademark Pritam tune in the form of 'Aa Khushi Se Khud Khushi Kar Le'. A little bit of 'Ada' with a dash of 'Teri Aankhen Garam Masala', this item number has Sunidhi Chauhan going full throttle with her rendition. Though one may not really want to give too much thought into lyrics like 'Aa Khushi Se Khud Khushi Kar Le', one has to credit Pritam for his zingy westernized arrangements as he fills up the entire song with so many musical instruments that there is hardly any moment to sit back and have a single relaxing moment! What makes the number further naughty is the girly chorus in the background that croons in English!

A situational number which again has some elements of 'Ada', title track 'Bhagam Bhag' seems to be designed for appearing as a part of the background score. And if that's not the case then one can easily accept a promotional music video of the song to be created since it has that catchy feel to it that makes it instantly recognized after just a couple of hearings. Crooned by Neraj Sridhar [Bombay Vikings], tune of this high-on-arrangements number may not be exceptional again but what Pritam succeeds in is creating a track that goes well with the racy theme of the film and stays well with you even after it is through. 'Press Play Mix' of the song only establishes its funky nature further while 'Ragga' mix comes across as a lounge fusion mix hence managing to convince you that this song could well be the USP of the album if promoted well.

See 'Afreen' and one can only think of Late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's 'Afreen Afreen' that had Lisa Ray sizzling in the sand dunes! Well, Pritam's version of 'Afreen' is certainly different [and far less impressive] as he ropes in KK and Sunidhi Chauhan to croon along an extremely-high-on-arrangements song that has zero Middle East flavor to it! In fact the number is designed as a rock track with even an element of opera! Due to this one starts wondering if this is yet another stage number since the film is about a 'theater on a run'. A number which is seemingly a pre-climax track, 'Afreen' which also appears in a add-on-zing remix version, doesn't really make you jump with joy and merely comes across as a gap filler that may work in the situation.

By the time 'Chal Ud Chale' comes, you are seriously not very enthusiastic about hearing any more pacy and zingy tracks as they become a little too much. Though Jojo and Sohail Kaul bring in a lot of energy into this fast paced song about running and some more running, the tune turns out to be pretty ordinary and it is left to the arrangements factor to give the song some chance to at least look good on screen if picturised well.

Overall Bhagam Bhag turns out to be a mixed bag. While not even a single track has in it to be remembered much 6 months down the line, each of them does have a potential to keep the moments pepped up while the film is on. Now this is something that is strength of a Priyadarshan film as the songs more often than not do well with the situation. Same is what one expects in case of Bhagam Bhag too. Though one is not even comparing the score of Bhagam Bhag with that of Woh Lamhe and Gangster since the genres are different, one can't deny the fact that the soundtrack doesn't quite come close to Garam Masala or even Pritam's last release Apna Sapna Money Money.