EXPECTATIONS
Honestly,
expectations
aren't
mammoth
from
the
music
of
Veer.
Yes,
the
film
stars
Salman
Khan
but
Veer
is
a
departure
for
him
when
it
comes
to
his
on-screen
image.
Yes,
the
film
has
music
by
Sajid-Wajid
but
this
was
clearly
a
setting
that
brought
them
out
of
their
comfort
zone.
In
fact,
presence
of
Gulzar
as
the
lyricist
further
makes
one
wonder
how
this
unique
combination
will
actually
click.
Moreover,
since
the
film
is
a
historical,
there
is
always
a
'what
if'
factor
involved.
MUSIC
However,
there
is
a
surprise
in
store
from
the
very
first
note
of
Veer
with
a
grand
feel
with
which
'Taali'
arrives.
An
uncharacteristic
beginning
to
the
album
due
to
the
fact
that
it
is
not
really
a
love
song
that
kick
starts
the
proceedings,
'Taali'
is
a
spirited
track
that
boasts
of
great
energy.
A
truly
Indian
number
which
has
Sukhwinder
Singh
at
his
boisterous
best
(who
later
returns
to
do
a
'solo
version'
of
the
song),
'Taali'
boasts
of
some
fine
arrangements
with
a
variety
of
instruments
coming
into
play.
In
fact
if
not
for
Sajid-Wajid
on
the
credits,
one
may
have
well
imagined
A.R.
Rahman
to
be
at
the
helm
of
affairs
here.
With
Sonu
Nigam
joining
the
show
and
Wajid
along
with
Neuman
Pinto
providing
added
support,
'Taali'
takes
a
couple
of
listenings
to
settle
down
but
once
that
happens,
one
looks
forward
to
how
director
Anil
Sharma
has
got
the
kind
of
grandeur
that
the
song
deserves.
A
good
start.
From
here
on
the
album
takes
a
turn
for
something
even
better
with
'Surili
Akhiyon
Wale'
coming
next.
A
melodic
romantic
number
that
boasts
of
some
heartfelt
and
never
heard
before
lyrics
(has
anyone
ever
heard
of
'ankhiyan'
being
'surili'?),
it
is
further
elevated
due
to
silky
vocals
of
Rahat
Fateh
Ali
Khan.
He
sings
'Surili
Akhiyon
Wale'
at
a
low
pitch
and
in
the
process
of
doing
so
comes
up
with
a
rendition
that
would
certainly
make
a
mark
for
months
to
come.
Sajid-Wajid
take
a
complete
departure
from
the
kind
of
score
they
have
made
for
films
like
Wanted
and
get
into
a
classy
scheme
of
things.
The
song
also
includes
an
English
portion
(obviously
created
for
a
Brit
woman
who
is
in
love)
and
singer
Suzanne
D'mello
pretty
much
justifies
her
inclusion.
In
fact
it's
not
just
the
'mukhda'
but
even
the
'antara'
that
works
so
very
well
that
one
finds
it
difficult
to
move
on
to
the
next
track
in
the
offing.
A
brilliant
track
that
also
appears
in
a
much
deserving
duet
which
also
features
Sunidhi
Chauhan.
If
the
film
is
successful
at
the
box
office,
it
would
be
hard
to
ignore
'Surili
Akhiyon
Wale'
which
is
as
pure
as
it
gets.
It
is
the
same
purity
that
can
be
evidenced
in
'Salaam
Aaya'
and
by
the
time
the
song
is
one
minute
through,
one
is
convinced
that
Sajid-Wajid
had
some
of
their
best
compositions
reserved
for
Veer.
In
fact
the
song
makes
one
wonder
that
why
had
they
been
choosing
a
different
route
for
most
of
their
masala
outings
when
they
had
so
much
to
offer.
A
soothing
track
that
sees
the
coming
together
of
Roop
Kumar
Rathod
and
Shreya
Goshal,
'Salaam
Aaya'
is
a
moderately
paced
love
song
which
is
a
complete
shift
from
the
high-on-beats
club
tracks
that
are
in
vogue
today.
This
one
has
a
truly
Indian
appeal
to
it
and
though
one
doesn't
quite
hum
around
such
songs
on
road,
it
does
make
a
good
impact
on
audio.
For
Salman
Khan
fans
through
there
is
'Meherbaniyan'.
A
Sonu
Nigam
solo,
this
one
has
an
elaborate
beginning
to
it
and
while
there
is
a
definite
old
world
feel
to
'Meherbaniyan',
one
can't
deny
the
fact
that
Salman
will
have
his
fans
asking
for
more
once
the
track
plays
on
screen.
The
beginning
of
the
track
doesn't
quite
indicate
where
it
is
heading
but
the
moment
the
word
'Meherbaniyan'
is
heard
for
the
first
time
(after
about
60
seconds),
it
is
obvious
that
there
won't
be
any
looking
back.
A
dance
number
that
could
well
have
been
placed
in
a
movie
belonging
to
today's
time,
'Meherbaniyan'
may
not
carry
the
same
appeal
as
the
opening
three
tracks
but
would
go
down
reasonably
well
with
the
masses.
However,
for
class
lovers
there
is
a
'thumri'
-
'Kanha'
which
establishes
once
again
that
Sajid-Wajid
do
come
with
a
good
enough
classical
background.
They
may
be
making
a
Paying
Guest
on
and
off
but
listening
to
'Kanha'
brings
an
entirely
different
facet
of
their
composing
skills.
They
also
rope
in
the
best
in
the
business
with
Rekha
Bhardwaj
leading
the
charge.
Even
though
the
track
has
a
strong
classical
base
to
it,
the
accompanying
vocals
of
Shabab
Sabri,
Toshi
&
Sharib
ensure
that
it
doesn't
just
restrict
itself
to
the
class
audiences.
A
very
good
piece
musically,
it
should
add
value
to
the
film's
narrative.
Last
to
come
is
a
one
minute
instrumental
piece
'Spirit
Of
Veer'
which
has
a
'Meherbaniyan'
feel
to
it
while
being
laced
with
fun
and
humour.
OVERALL
Veer
throws
a
pleasant
surprise.
There
were
apprehensions
galore
(as
explained
eariler)
but
a
couple
of
listening
pretty
much
facilitates
their
dilution.
Sajid-Wajid
have
indeed
given
their
best
three
soundtracks
ever
in
Veer
and
though
they
may
have
had
managed
chartbusters
earlier,
Veer
is
the
kind
of
album
that
would
fetch
them
a
much
deserving
respect.
Along
with
Gulzar
they
have
created
the
kind
of
tunes
that
may
not
necessarily
turn
out
to
be
the
hugest
chartbusters
of
the
year
but
would
certainly
be
remembered
for
time
to
come.
OUR
PICK(S)
'Surili
Akhiyon
Wale',
'Salaam
Aaya',
'Taali'