Music Review : Band Baaja Baraat

EXPECTATIONS

A film with weddings as the backdrop. A young couple. North India. Yash Raj Films. Fun. Frolic. Colours. Celebrations. Band. Baaja. Baaraat.

With elements like these, what else do you expect but a rollicking music score that doesn't let the fun element drop down even for a single moment. Films belonging to similar genre, Dil Bole Hadippa and Badmaash Company, had music by Pritam. However this time around, YRF has entrusted composer duo of Salim-Sulaiman and lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya to do the needful. Do they deliver? Of course yes and in fact a lot more.

MUSIC

It's a Dev D kind of a start (hence reminding of Amit Trivedi's style of composition) with 'Ainvayi Ainvayi'. However, one minute into the song and you know that there is going to be no turning back for Salim-Sulaiman as they get the Punjabi milieu bang on for this club dance track that gets on you by the time you are just in the middle of the track, let alone finishing hearing the entire song.

Salim Merchant and Sunidhi Chauhan are totally engrossed into the song as one can visualise them dancing and not just singing 'Ainvayi Ainvayi' which has chartbuster written all over it. Add to that some fun lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya and you know that you won't have enough of this song even after you are through hearing its 'Dilli Club Mix' track that has Master Salim pairing up with Sunidhi Chauhan.

The way 'Tarkeebein' begins, you know that it is a Yash Raj composition, especially the kind that one associates with their urban flicks now. There is a certain classy feel to the proceedings as Salim-Sulaiman put together a tune for singer Benny Dayal as they pair up to get a new age mood bang on. With Salim also joining Benny behind the mike, 'Tarkeebein' has a slightly haunting feel to it with an A.R. Rahman touch as well which makes it sound totally different from 'Ainvayi Ainvayi'.

With the album turning out to be pretty good so far, one starts searching for some more chartbusters in the album as expectations continue to soar with every passing song. Thankfully one gets that as well with Shreya Ghoshal (along with Natalie Di Luccio) bringing on a slight Westernised accent for 'Aadha Ishq' which is yet another song that belongs to today's times. A love song with an urban touch to it, it has the kind of sound that one expects from Salim-Sulaiman. Yet another song that impresses in Band Baaja Baaraat and also conveys loud and clear that the soundtrack isn't just another Punjabi compilation, 'Aadha Ishq' makes it three out of three for Band Baaja Baaraat.

Thankfully, the breaks aren't applied at this point with the album continuing to present songs with good potential to turn popular in days to come. 'Dum Dum' is one such song that has a rhythmic appeal to it which just like 'Ainvayi Ainvayi' should go down well with the masses. Reminding of the kind of soundtrack that Yash Raj Films' earlier presentation Jhoom Barabar Jhoom boasted of, 'Dum Dum' is a fun track by Benny Dayal and Himani Kapoor which gets the feet tapping. However, it is the 'Sufi Mix' version with coming together of Sukhwinder Singh and Himani Kapoor which actually makes you reach out for that dance floor. Credit of course goes to Sukhwinder here who gets his experience in play here to make a good tune sound very good here, courtesy his energetic rendition.

With so much happening in the album, whether through celebration, love or dance numbers, it is time to bring on some 'thehrav' and that comes in via 'Mitra'. Yet another classy outing, this one has a sad theme to it but still doesn't sound like a drag at all. Coming together of Amitabh Bhattacharya and Salim Merchant (as singers) is a unique combination in itself and it works for this track, which despite its situational appeal, doesn't restrict its reach to only the film's narrative and can be given a listening as a standalone track as well.

The album approaches its end with expectedly a Punjabi celebration track. The right man is chosen for the job, Labh Janjua, who comes along with Harshdeep Kaur and Salim Merchant to croon the folk track 'Baari Barsi'. If you are a Punjabi or have ever been to a single Punjabi pre-wedding celebrations, you wouldn't have missed out on this track which is pretty much mandatory. The song works again even in the context of the film and you can pretty much see this song gaining into a wedding DJ's compilation.

Last to arrive is 'Band Baaja Baaraat - Theme' which has trumpets forming a major part of the two minute long composition. Salim Merchant and Shraddha Pandit come together for this immensely catchy tune that can't get out of your head after you have heard it once. This is the kind of tune that can just be let loose for any wedding celebrations in the repeat mode and the dancers can take care of the rest.

OVERALL

One of the better soundtracks that one has heard from the house of Yash Raj Films in last couple of years, Band Baaja Baaraat is also one of the best works of Salim-Sulaiman along with lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya. Since the film boasts of a young couple, music anyways plays an important part in the narrative, something that the team succeeds in doing a good job with. Band Baaja Baaraat is much more than just a regular fun album and has more than just a couple of songs that carry a potential to be popular for weeks even after the film's run is through in theaters.