<i>Aksar</i>

Courtesy: Joginder Tuteja, IndiaFM

'Aksar' stars Emraan Hashmi.
'Aksar' has music by Himesh Reshammiya while Sameer writes.
Emraan Hashmi has an enviable music record for each of his flicks he has done in the past.
Himesh Reshammiya's career graph has been soaring in an exponential manner for the last couple of years.

Do we need to say more?

Fresh after the success of 'Aashiq Banaya Aapne' [that is still selling like hot cakes], the team of Himesh Reshammiya and Emraan Hashmi is back with 'Aksar' that is the third directorial attempt of Anant Mahadevan after a musical 'Dil Vil Pyaar Vyaar' and a romantic-comedy 'Dil Maange More'. With a tagline of "Seduction, Scandal and Suspense", one is sure that 'Aksar' is designed as a sex-thriller. With Dino Morea, Udita Goswami, Irrfan Khan and Tara Sharma forming the rest of the starcast, this Shyam Bajaj production has suddenly become a hot property both inside and outside the industry since the time its promo first came on air.

'Aksar' has five unique songs with an astonishing 12 tracks in total, which means number of remixes for most of the songs. And is anyone complaining? Certainly not! Himesh Reshammiya fans get to hear his voice for all the three versions of the song 'Jhalak Dikhlaja'. The track appears first as the original version followed by a 'Remix' and an 'Unplugged' version.

SUPERHIT - that's how one describes the prospects of the opening track 'Jhalak Dikhlaja' that has a unique nasal effect given to it by Reshammiya, which makes it quite enjoyable and entertaining. Neither is it a dance number nor a conventional sufi track or a typical love song but its a perfect combination of rhythm, melody and musical arrangements that make it highly catchy and hence a kind of number that makes it stand out from the rest of the crowd. Reshammiya, Sameer and Hashmi can easily count this track as yet another popular song that should rock the country for the next few months to come! Expect cheers all over the auditorium, especially in single screen theatres, when this song is played.

It's simply amazing the way tempo builds up for the remix version of 'Jhalak'. The pace of the song remains same but the musical instruments that accompany the lyrics and fill in the spaces make it a perfect contender for a promotional music video to be created for it. At the end of the album comes the 'Unplugged' version that has Reshammiya holding the center stage as a singer with just 3-4 instruments playing in the background. Look out for the 'tabla' that plays out throughout, which makes the song further spicy. All the three versions keep you engaged with not a single moment of overkill or boredom.

'Laagi Laagi Laagi Prem Dhun Laagi' comes in next, again in an original and remix version, both by Reshammiya and Sunidhi Chauhan. A sufi-western fusion that sounds good on the first hearing itself, it has Reshammiya changing tracks as a singer by being more 'free-flow' in his rendition rather than a little 'forceful' as in 'Jhalak'. He truly seems to be relaxed and one can almost visualize him truly enjoying his stint behind the mike. A good love song with a strong melodious base, it is yet another hit track in the making. The 'remix' version is higher on bass effect and pace that gives it a 'Club' feel. As like all the tracks so far, you jump on to this track as well. After hearing this track, one wonders why did Reshammiya not apply his singing skills during all these years in the industry?

After getting completely overshadowed in 'Laagi Laagi', Sunidhi Chauhan returns with 'Soniye' that has an original and a remix version to boast and pairs her opposite K.K. After hearing the song one realizes that 'Soniye' is primarily a K.K. song with just a passage by Sunidhi Chauhan in English. A soft-n-mellow song with a message of I love you so much that I can't think of life beyond you, it has K.K. rendering the track quite well while giving different shades to it in its 5 minutes duration. The 'remix' version that follows next changes track to become more of a peppy dance number without going overboard with unwanted beats and jazzy effects.

With everything going in its favor so far, the album has 'Mohabbat Ke' coming next that is sung by newcomer Tulsi. The track is in fact the title song as it goes like 'Aksar Dil Tujhe Yaad Karta Hai Yaar'. Sameer spins an altogether different tale through his lyrics for this terrific track that is surely on its way to be another chartbuster. A thumping fast paced number that belongs to 'jump-on-the-dance-floor' genre; it is destined to be an instant hit regardless of whether it is choreographed on Emraan or Dino. Watch out for its music video, especially the one that may come for its 'remix' version that carries on the party mood. It should ROCK!

'Loot Jayenge' is primarily sung by Kunal Ganjawala with Reshammiya's regular Jayesh Gandhi chipping in intermittently. It is a rhythmic high-on-beats number that fits well with the album's proceedings. A song that again follows the theme of I can't live without you, it has a lively feel to it and sounds much better in the 'remix' version.

After all the party, fun and 'hungama' comes 'Aksar theme' that begins on a soft note with an excellent use of piano. In fact the effect is such that it reminds of the background score of number of Mahesh Bhatt movies. The female vocal that comes next is enchanting as well that gives the track a grand appeal. But soon there is a twist in the tale with the theme music catching on pace yet retaining the haunting feel. True to the movie's tagline, the theme music conveys it all - Seduction, Scandal and Suspense!

'Aksar' is a 'safe album' that has the backing of star power coupled with some genuinely good music and lyrics. As days progress, it is sure that one would hear more and more about the movie's songs. A surefire success!