Apna Sapna Money Money - Music Review

By: Joginder Tuteja, IndiaFM
Monday, October 09, 2006
Subhash Ghai - A film maker who has never got it wrong when it comes to the music of his films Sangeeth Sivan - A director who gave a surprise teen hit in the form of Kya Kool Hain Hum last year Pritam - A composer who is churning out one hit after another, whether it is urban pop or 'desi' melodies Ritesh Deshmukh, Shreyas Talpde, Celina Jaitley, Koena Mitra, Riya Sen - A team that gives a fresh 'n' young look to the entire project And together they croon what the entire world has to say: Apna Sapna Money Money!

With supporting cast in the form of Jackie Shroff, Chunkey Pandey, Suneil Shetty and Rajpal Yadav, one is well aware that this is a whacko film in the making. Can one say the same about the music of this film that has been giving good feelers since its promos first came on air? Yes, it's not just whacko. It's much more! And isn't it fun?

Shabbir Ahmed is the lyricist for the soundtrack of this film which begins with homage to one sole factor that runs the world - MONEY! Come, rock the show - that's the call of 'Jai Jai Money....Apna Sapna Money Money'. A superb item/title song all the way in the way it has been conceptualized, arranged and presented, the entire team behind the track needs to be complimented for coming up with something that doesn't have a single dull moment and is an instant attention grabber.

Right from the unique manner in which the voice of the rapper has been modulated to sound like a kid to Sukhwinder Singh's full throated vocals to the background chorus girls to the heavily westernized treatment to the European stage setting of the video - everything works in synch to make 'Jai Jai Money' a rocking number. Rana Mazumder and Bob support Sukhwinder very well in this number that has good potential to be played even in the discothèques in spite of its situational theme.

First remix version of the song that comes later proves just that since it has such a strong orchestrated feel to it with only two phrases throughout [Jai Jai Money and Apna Sapna Money Money] that one forgets about the song completely and just enjoys the club feel of the song. This one deserves to be a part of the background music in the promotional campaign when the film is nearing its release. The fun doesn't end as the second remix version of the same song comes near the end of the album and recreates the club magic once more. The way it has been treated [watch out for the orchestra here], one is instantly reminded of promos of Firoz Nadiadwala movies that have such music running in abundance.

Western rhythm fused with Middle East melody - that's the way to describe 'Gustakh Nigah' that is one masala track which should set the screen ablaze when it is on. Sukhwinder Singh croons along with Alisha Chinoy and both of them have fun while singing along this situational track that seems to have been picturised on Jackie Shroff and his moll Celina Jaitley! Though there is not much surprise factor in the tune, the lavish musical arrangements and expectations of a grandeur setting of the song ensures that the song would succeed in keeping people glued to their seats at the least. Expectedly a remix version of the song comes soon, this time with electronically generated clap beats that play along. Well, the track is fine but the standards have been set so high in the remix versions of the title song that one can't help the comparison factor.

Hear it once and you may think if you have been transferred to the 80s era. Hear it twice and you may start liking it a little. Hear it one more time and you are sure going to grab the whole retro feel of the song. Agreed that 'Dil Mein Baji Guitar' is not the kind that you may feel proud narrating to your friends and colleagues but in isolation you can't stop yourself from having fun while the track is on. With great potential of a 'desi' choreography with a 80s setting in a 'basti', this one with Maharashtrian flavor is highly enjoyable and brings back the nostalgia of Subhash Ghai's 'Ram Lakhan' where Anil Kapoor danced his heart out for 'My Name Is Lakhan'. Check out the rhythm of the guitar and beats of the 'dhol' and you are sure that this one is a single screen hit at the least. The song comes in two versions - first by Mika and then Amit Kumar. Though it is hard to choose between the two, for those who crave for Amit Kumar to make a return, this one is a prize catch.

Pritam, as we know him from the pop 'n' rap ' reggae world from the days of 'Dhoom', 'Chocolate', 'Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena' etc., is back in his elements with 'Paisa Paisa' which has an international feel to it and it's difficult to imagine that you are hearing a song from a Hindi film. Except for the Hindi lyrics in the middle [which are far and few] that are sung by Suzzanne D' Mello, the song is so Western that you tend to appreciate Pritam's versatility as a composer. Humza croons the words 'Paisa Paisa' in this hip-hop track that has an amazing Middle East flavor to it with a Western theme running throughout. The song is sort of a sequel to Apna Sapna Money Money and turns out to be worthy successor. A point to add - its picturisation is glitzy too with the starcast adding on the glamour quotient. A faster remix version comes next which has Suzzanne much more prominent that the original due to the way she has been placed. Second remix is more innovative due to the 'club' feel it brings along and hence gets an extra point for being more innovative. It starts off purely as an instrumental with the voices being heard quite late in the day. A winner for the dance floor!

A grand announcement is made for the arrival of one of the most interesting characters of the film - Sania Badnaam [Celina Jaitley]. While Bob does his rap'n'reggae while laying down the red carpet for Sania Badnaam, Sunidhi Chauhan is the voice for the protagonist who has no qualms about herself being the biggest con-woman of all! A rocking track with trademark Pritam feel to it, it is western, it is rhythmic and it is fun. Surprisingly there are traces of 'Dil Tera Badmaash Hai Karta Hai Badmaashian' ['Shart', starring Tushar Kapoor and Amrita Arora] that was composed by Anu Malik, though one may leave it as more of a coincidence since 'Dil Tera' was hardly heard when released and was nowhere near being popular. An item song by all means, this one is again for the youth!

An elaborate arrangement is the name of the game for 'Aey Ganpat Baja Na', a 'ganpati' song for which Pritam deserves brownie points for his different treatment. While conventional beats heard during 'ganpati' celebrations are all there, Pritam brings such a high charged Indian-Western fusion mix to his arrangements that one has to admit that this is a much better tune to dance to than 'Moreya Re' in 'Don - The Chase Begins Again'. The track is mainly a musical theme piece with only one line coming in intermittently - 'Aey Ganpat Baja Na' - with rest of it being mainly an amalgamation of different musical instruments.

Music of Apna Sapna Money Money can be described in two words - SHEER FUN! It has so much of funk, masti and mazaa to it that you hardly realize when this hour long album began and ended. A non stop mix of 'desi' and 'videsi' tunes that are so catchy, they are high on decibel value but equally high on entertainment quotient too. It's only after hearing the album that one realizes that there has not been a single hero-heroine-pyaar-mohabbat-naach-gaana song coming in, and in spite of that the soundtrack is so much fun.

One of the rare situational albums that works end-to-end on basis of its item songs, and that too in a big way!