EXPECTATIONS
When
it
comes
to
a
film
from
the
house
of
Karan
Johar,
you
know
that
the
music
here
would
be
big.
And
big
doesn't
necessarily
mean
opulent
here,
as
has
been
the
case
with
Kabhi
Khushi
Kabhie
Gham
or
Kabhi
Alvidaa
Naa
Kehna.
It
also
means
big
in
terms
of
class,
setting,
treatment
and
overall
appeal,
as
was
the
case
in
Karan's
productions
(which
were
helmed
by
other
directors)
like
Dostana,
Kurbaan
or
Kaal.
These
films
may
not
have
entered
the
'shaava
shaava'
zone
but
had
their
own
place
in
the
sun
while
fitting
in
perfectly
right
as
per
the
genre.
Same
is
expected
from
I
Hate
Luv
Storys
as
well
which
is
a
romcom
with
music
by
Vishal-Shekhar
and
lyrics
by
Kumaar,
Anvita
Dutt
and
Vishal
Dadlani.
MUSIC
With
the
name
Vishal
Dadlani
flashing
on
the
cards
as
the
lead
singer
of
the
opening
'Jab
Mila
Tu',
one
gets
the
feeling
that
the
composer
is
fast
becoming
a
prolific
singer
as
well.
Is
that
a
reason
to
complain?
Not
at
all
if
the
end
result
of
'Jab
Mila
Tu'
is
any
indication.
A
young
and
happening
track
which
has
the
potential
to
get
popular
amongst
the
campus
crowds,
this
Anvita
Dutt
track
belongs
to
the
kind
of
soundtrack
that
goes
along
with
many
a
Hollywood
romcom.
A
sweet
sounding
rhythmic
track,
it
does
touch
upon
the
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
zone,
especially
the
kind
of
music
that
was
heard
in
Wake
Up
Sid.
What
follows
next
is
a
beautiful
number
'Bin
Tere'
which
is
certainly
the
highlight
of
IHLS.
This
time
around
Vishal
Dadlani
pitches
in
as
a
lyricist
and
along
with
Shekhar
Ravjiani,
he
makes
sure
that
the
song
stays
with
you
long
after
the
album
is
through.
How
do
the
composers
do
that?
Well,
they
present
as
many
as
three
versions
of
the
song
right
from
start
till
the
end
of
the
album.
First
to
come
is
a
duet
by
Shafqat
Amanat
Ali
and
Sunidhi
Chauhan.
A
pensive
track
that
thankfully
doesn't
turn
into
a
'sad
outing'
despite
its
mood,
'Bin
Tere'
has
a
classy
feel
to
it
and
should
make
a
better
impact
when
seen
with
the
film.
A
song
about
a
couple
which
is
longing
to
be
together
again
after
a
period
of
separation,
'Bin
Tere'
later
sees
a
reprise
version
where
Shekhar
Ravjiani
comes
behind
the
mike
for
a
solo.
With
just
a
guitar
playing
in
the
background,
this
well
laid
out
musical
piece
sees
some
good
lyrics
by
Kumaar
who
ensures
that
this
version
stands
out
as
well.
There
is
one
complain
point
for
Shekhar
here
-
Why
does
he
sing
so
sparsely?
Given
the
clarity
in
his
voice
and
the
right
notes
that
he
hits,
he
deserves
to
record
his
own
voice
more
often.
Finally
comes
the
'remix
version'
of
this
song
which
is
designed
for
a
club
outing.
Yet
again,
Shafqat
Amanat
Ali
and
Sunidhi
Chauhan
get
together
and
one
doesn't
mind
hearing
the
song
all
over
again.
After
a
mushy
and
a
sad
track,
there
is
time
for
a
peppy
outing
with
Vishal
Dadlani
letting
himself
loose
(as
a
singer)
for
the
title
song
'I
Hate
Luv
Storys'.
Written
by
Kumaar,
this
youthful
number
(which
deserved
a
remix
version
for
itself
but
surprisingly
doesn't
find
any)
has
a
Vishal-Shekhar
stamp
to
it.
A
first
of
its
kinds
track
if
one
goes
by
the
theme
and
the
lyrics,
'I
Hate
Luv
Storys'
is
an
instant
hit
number
which
should
see
audience
coming
to
it
in
the
first
hearing
itself.
Rajasthani
folk
flavour
kick
starts
'Bahara'
which
is
written
by
Kumaar.
While
Sona
Mohapatra
comes
up
with
her
folksy
rendition,
it
is
Shreya
Ghoshal
who
takes
the
song
through
an
out
and
out
Bollywood
route.
While
this
part
of
the
song
does
work,
the
fusion
doesn't
with
the
folk
part
seemingly
more
like
an
intrusion
rather
than
an
integral
part
of
the
romantic
outing.
However,
there
is
respite
just
round
the
corner
with
the
'chill
version'
turning
out
to
be
highly
effective.
This
time
around,
it
is
Rahat
Fateh
Ali
Khan
who
goes
solo
for
the
song
and
ensures
that
he
does
such
a
fantastic
job
that
one
ignores
the
female
version
that
had
just
preceded
it.
One
wonders
why
this
version
wasn't
placed
earlier
in
the
album?
Last
to
come
is
'Sadka'
which
has
a
surprise
in
store.
Suraj
Jagan,
who
has
been
known
for
his
rock
and
high
adrenalin
tracks
(with
an
exception
of
'Give
Me
Some
Sunshine'
-
3
Idiots),
is
pleasantly
restrained
in
'Sadka'
where
he
has
Mahalaxmi
Iyer
for
company.
Watch
out
for
Anvita
Dutt's
lyrics
here
which
are
indeed
different
from
the
routine.
A
romantic
track
that
has
a
grand
feel
to
it,
'Sadka'
belongs
to
the
kind
of
romantic
outings
that
can
be
expected
in
Karan
Johar
films.
OVERALL
The
biggest
positive
about
the
music
of
IHLS
is
the
uniformity
that
it
has
from
start
till
the
finish.
There
are
no
major
ups
or
downs
as
well
as
no
striking
highlights
or
lowlights.
What
works
is
the
fact
that
the
album
has
a
constant
theme
to
it
which
remains
within
boundaries
without
meandering
into
different
directions.
For
those
who
love
to
hear
those
youthful
melodious
tracks
composed
by
Vishal-Shekhar,
I
Hate
Luv
Storys
is
the
one
for
them.
OUR
PICK(S)
'Bin
Tere
-
Reprise',
'Jab
Mila
Tu',
'I
Hate
Luv
Storys',
'Bahara
-
Chill
Version'
Story first published: Tuesday, June 1, 2010, 14:39 [IST]