We Are Family - Music Review
EXPECTATIONS
Ten
years
back,
with
a
title
like
We
Are
Family,
one
would
have
expected
the
kind
of
soundtrack
which
is
associated
with
Soooraj
Barjatya
films
or
closer
home,
even
Karan
Johar's
own
venture
like
Kabhi
Khushi
Kabhie
Gham.
'Pooja
ki
thaali',
a
mother
waiting
for
her
son,
100
odd
background
dancers,
antaakshari,
dumb
charades
-
all
of
this
and
more
would
have
been
the
order
of
the
day.
Not
anymore
though
with
films
going
through
a
complete
makeover
in
the
decade
gone
by.
This
is
the
reason
why
you
expect
some
modern
songs
that
belong
to
today's
generation
in
We
Are
Family.
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
pairing
up
with
Irshad
Kamil
(who
has
extensively
written
with
Pritam)
is
another
reason
to
look
forward
to
what
the
music
has
to
offer.
MUSIC
It's
a
good
start
for
We
Are
Family
with
Rahat
Fateh
Ali
staring
from
the
credit
details
in
the
very
first
song.
Now
that's
a
reason
good
enough
to
rejoice
because
the
least
you
expect
is
a
quality
outing
with
purity
written
over
it.
This
is
exactly
that
one
gets
with
'Aankhon
Mein
Neendein'
turning
out
to
be
a
sweet-n-melodious
track.
Shreya
Ghoshal
and
Shankar
Mahadevan
give
Rahat
Fateh
Ali
Khan
good
company
to
ensure
that
this
romantic
number
passes
by
seamlessly.
Ok,
so
this
may
not
be
the
most
memorable
chartbuster
that
2010
would
end
up
with
but
it
doesn't
harm
one
either.
And
yes,
thankfully
there
is
no
'remix'
here.
On the contrary a song that doesn't come with any 'remix', is basically an official adaptation of a Western hit and still doesn't work is 'Dil Khol Ke Let's Rock'. Agreed that the song was meant to be a parody but it still turns out to be a complete no-no. Meant to be a fun affair with the lead actors trying to form their own Hindi version of 'Jailhouse Rock', this song only ends up distracting a listener and makes one worry about what's next in store. Written by guest lyricist Anvita Dutt Guptan, this attempt at rock - even with hot blood singers like Anushka Manchanda, Suraj Jagan and Akriti Kakkar - deserves a quick skip.
Thankfully, We Are Family gets some redemption for itself with 'Reham O Karam'. Reminding of 'Noor-E-Khuda' (My Name Is Khan) in the way it is presented, 'Reham O Karam' starts off as a slow track and makes one wonder if it is an unplugged take that is being offered. However, the momentum picks up 70 seconds into the song and it turns out to be an enjoyable soft rock. Of course one does wonder how a track like this will fit into the film's narrative because of the distinctive genres. Still, coming together of Vishal Dadlani and Shankar Mahadevan behind the mike brings in a certain class to the proceedings.
It's a soft beginning for 'Hamesha & Forever', a quintessential family number, which finally makes an appearance in We Are Family. Of course it is presented in a new age avtar and has a definite Western mood to it. It is always a delight to listen to Sonu Nigam and he does well again with his soft vocals once again. He is given company by Shreya Ghoshal in 'Hamesha & Forever' which is not designed as a chartbuster but more in the mood of the kind of background score that runs in Western family flicks. A situational track.
The same theme continues for 'Sun Le Dua Yeh Aasman' which has Bela Shende going solo. An even slower follow up to 'Hamesha & Forever', this one is seemingly designed as a track which would get emotions oozing on screen in a trademark Karan Johar manner. Finally, the album ends with a three minute theme piece 'We Are Family - Theme' which basically follows the mood that has been set in the preceding two tracks.
OVERALL
Music
of
We
Are
Family
isn't
designed
to
turn
into
a
mega
commercial
success.
While
half
the
album
basically
comprises
of
theme
tracks,
the
sole
intended
chartbuster
(Dil
Khol
Ke
Let's
Rock)
doesn't
work.
The
only
number
which
has
the
potential
to
cover
some
good
distance
is
'Aankhon
Mein
Neendein'
with
'Reham
O
Karam'
carrying
potential
to
work
with
a
niche
audience.
The
album
(basically
the
situational
songs)
has
its
chances
of
growing
further
but
only
once
the
film
is
a
success.
OUR PICK(S)
'Aankhon Mein Neendein', 'Reham O Karam'