Dhoom 2 - Music Review

By: Gaurav Malani, IndiaFM
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Dhoom Machale was the biggest chartbuster of 2004 and the track was the year's largest selling ringtone as well. Dhoom 2 - the sequel of the 2004 action adventure is arriving. Undoubtedly the movie promises to be bigger and better! So does the music. Two years back music director Pritam Chakravarthy gave his first independent hit in the form of Dhoom and came in the top league. Ever since then he has been riding high. Life comes a full circle for Pritam with the sequel of Dhoom. Expectations are inevitably rife. What's interesting is that lyricist Sameer enters the Yashraj camp with this film. What's the result? Read on...

'Crazy Kiya Re' marks an apt start to the album and is an instantly catchy number. Opening with an English chorus, Sunidhi Chauhan quickly takes over and is at her vivacious best. 'Sexy lady on the floor, keeps you coming back for more' sings the chorus and rightly so as the sensuous voice of Sunidhi makes you come back to this track for more. Pritam's music is familiarly unsophisticated and yet amazingly appealing. It won't take you long to get on the dance floor and groove your leg. There's nothing exceptional about Sameer's lyrics with the usual 'chori kiya, jhoome jiya, crazy kiya' rhymes but then who's complaining. Crazy Kiya Re isn't a lyric based song but makes you crazy with its zippy music and zany singing. You love it in its entirety and think that it can't get better until you come across the remix.

Agreed that the 'Remix version' doesn't serve anything new from the original apart from the regular disc scratching breaks, added rapping and a faster pace. But then Dhoom is all about pace and that essentially acts as the USP of this track. Remixed by Bunty Rajput (who was also the song programmer of Dhoom), what sets the remix apart is the accelerator vroom reverberation just before the end of every verse, thereby giving it a speeding effect.

Next comes the much awaited title track of the Dhoom sequel. Pritam always quoted that the pressure was immense on him to recreate the magic of Dhoom. To maintain the trademark touch from the original version and yet create a new identity for the title track wasn't an easy task. Moreover while the original was a female track, he primarily hands over the mike to a male singer this time.

The choice of Vishal Dadlani as the lead singer of 'Dhoom Again' comes as a surprise. Not because Vishal is a composer himself but because the husky and deep-base voice that he is known for ('Sholo Si' in Shabd or 'Mama Told Me' in Ek Ajnabee) isn't used to that effect. Instead Pritam makes him sing rather clear-throated. Dominique Cerejo gives him good company as the female voice.

Starting with a water gushing sound and an extended percussion, the base tune of 'Dhoom Again' is same as the original. However, while in the prequel there were two separate versions of the title track (in Hindi and English), this time there is only one version and the entire song is composed with English lyrics. Dhoom Machale are the only Hindi words in the otherwise English song written by Asif Ali Beg. Perhaps that's intentional to give an international feel to the music and the movie. The track is a little too heavy on percussions but perhaps the effect might show onscreen.

But the major highlight of the song arrives in the form of a whistling interlude (the one heard in the opening note of the trailers) which in most probability will be the theme piece played in the background score at regular intervals. This interlude is repeated in the song after each stanza with the whistling switching to synthesizer notes. Undoubtedly this would be the most popular whistle on everybody's lips and the theme piece promises to be a popular ringtone on mobile sets, once the music is out.

The theme piece that you loved in Dhoom Again opens 'Dil Laga Na' with new instrumentation. Designed as a climax song with all the five lead players of the film coming together, this one is a complete situational track. Sukhbir, Soham Chakrabarthy, Jolly Mukherjee, Mahalaxmi Iyer and Suzanne form the voices of the five characters. Sukhbir adds a bhangra flavour, Mahalaxmi Iyer brings in the mushy lovey dovey touch, Jolly Mukherjee (the singer from late 80s who started with Chandni O Meri Chandni makes a comeback to the Yashraj camp) sings to a hoarse effect and Suzzane adds fire playing the sizzling seductress' part. Soham Chakrabarthy is overshadowed in the crowd. The Dhoom Machale theme from the prequel constantly plays in the background. More than audible appeal this song would be having visual appeal.

Sonu Nigam in his saccharine sweet vocals takes charge of 'My Name is Ali'. The setting (NOT the tune) instantly reminds of Dilbara with Uday Chopra trying to woo the lady even here. The song could well have been titled 'Excuse Me Too Please' for that is the line repeated for the maximum number of times in the track. But why does Sonu pronounce 'Excuse' as 'Esscuse'? Is it intentional with respect to Uday's tapoori characterization? Much has been talked about Bipasha's singing debut with this track but she just chips in for two words in the song and not singing.

This track won't get on you instantly as compared to the other catchy tracks of the film but with a couple of listening the menthol cool effect of the song will seep in your senses. In fact this menthol-cool feel and Sonu's honey-soaked singing reminds one of Kishore Kumar's melodious rendition of 'O Hansini' from Zahreela Insaan. Again the feel is similar, not the tune!

String instrumentation opens the final track 'Touch Me'. This peppy and racy track with a carnival feel sets you to the foot-tapping mode. Alisha gives her patented sensual fluctuations to her voice while KK adds his trademark touch. Their singing chemistry is flawless. Pritam synthesizes the flute to a pleasing effect. Like the previous track, this one too grows on you with multiple listening.

Despite being distinctly different from each other, there is a certain common vibe amongst all the tracks of Dhoom 2 by which you can identify them amongst a lot. Now the big question - does it surpass the original? We would rather say that Dhoom 2 leaves a mark of its own.