Film Thank You Review

Film Thank You Review: Welcome to director Anees Bazmee's newfangled ‘comedy’ Thank You that zips you afar to a planet where cheating hubbies attempt to defeat their snickering, suspecting wives even as a woodwind-fiddling investigator attempts to get the cheaters off guard.

The lustful drive of married men has been the juice of a large number of a Bollywood drama and the viewers have lapped it like a pro with the savage happiness of someone who's missed the activity and now preferences to view the pillorying of those who got a piece of it.

In that sense, Anees Bazmee's Thank You could hit a suppressed harmony with those cinegoers with a taste for comic drama rolling out of auxiliary-conjugal misfortunes of cheating hubbies, and for a dash of titillation, civility the droves of two-piece-clad blondes who fling themselves over and around the desi men in most exceptionally suggestive of stances.

Akshay Kumar, adhering to his no-keeps-obstructed adage, gets the firang darlings here, there and all over, gets sensitive-feely with Sonam Kapoor, shakes a leg with Mallika Sherawat, and even has a warm grip with Vidya Balan. Notwithstanding he, of all men, plays the analyst out to nail the masti-looking for hubbies.

The plot is threadbare. Bobby Deol, Irrfan Khan and Sunil Shetty play a few mates driven more by their moxie than devotion to their individual mates, played by Sonam Kapoor, Rimi Sen and Celina Jaitley. The wives contract a private investigator (Akshay) to uncover their hubbies' betrayal but discomfort begins when the criminologist falls for one of the women.

The humour, average of any Bazmee film, stays strictly passerby, with the unconsummated sex cavorts of the hubbies busted at the same time as foreplay and them being dragged out to the lodging entryways or alternate teetering on window ledges in insignificant bathrobes. All the more Akshay is made to run semi-bare on the lanes of Montreal with nothing something greater than a towel blanket his male humility. More rare than not, the humour leaves you with a stifled smile at the unreasonableness of the scenario. Nothing more.

A few bits of bona fide roar are given by the preferences of Irrfan Khan (playing an oppressive hubby requesting around his compliant wife every last trace of the time) and Sunil Shetty (going ‘oo--laa-affirmative-o’ at his partner's mishap). The most empty of the parcel is Bobby Deol, while the women, with somewhat small to do, are appallingly out of structure. Sonam hams, shrouds her slender edge behind fashioner dresses. Celina surprisingly adheres to saris and goes out absent for most part of the film. Rimi Sen looks like she's been gorging on chocolates and chhola bhatura.

All declared, Thank You remains a wordy, bum-hurting drama packed with the stiflers we’ve at present viewed and smiled senseless at. Very coarsely, it stereotypes man as unalterably unbridled and even names them as ‘dogs’. Trust PETA won’t take offence.

New Upcoming Film 'F.A.L.T.U.' Review

New Upcoming Film 'F.A.L.T.U.' Review: The Pink Floyd announcement “We don’t require no training, we don’t require no considerations control” regularly speaks to several sets of youngsters-masters or washouts. Choreographer-turned-executive Remo D’Souza's picture F.A.L.T.U. is regarding the last.

Jackky Bhagnani, Pooja Gupta and Angad Bedi take on several scholastically confronted adolescents who are denied by each organization and university in view of their level evaluations. So in a glimmer of uncharacteristic brightness, they hit upon the brainstorm of starting their particular university and actually fittingly name it Fakirchand And Lakirchand Trust University or F.A.L.T.U.

Making them similar to a Santa is a fella named Google (Arshad Warsi) who is unfathomably resourceful. He furnishes the palatial assembling for the university, orchestrates its redesign, furniture and alternate sundry but not negligible costs without a hiccup. In short, Google has the result for each situation. And then there's likewise Baajirao (Ritesh Deskhmukh), the essential of FALTU, who takes private drive in managing the youthful under-achievers on the best way to express affection to a young lady, that too Shahrukh Khan style.

With its developing notoriety FALTU ends up the adda for the rejects of formal training framework. It's the place where learners spirits, tease, and move in swimming pools in the state of semi-disrobe.

Obviously, there's no sense to be composed of the story as executive Remo D’Souza points solely to enliven the viewers with rehashed breaks into foot-tapping melodies. There's additionally an endeavor to press in a small inform regarding the training framework but its all done with diversion and pointlessness. D’Souza can moreover be forgotten for tearing off the Hollywood drama ‘Accepted’ being as how when the ringleader executives of the industry duplicate explicitly, anticipating a newcomer to be initial is like making a request for moon.

FALTU is not a picture that needs cleaned appearances. Jackky Bhagnani gets the second life saver of his lifework with this picture and he attempts to be interesting and cool and hip and moreover demonstrate off his exercise center form. Near others Angad Bedi leaves an impression.

One thing that works somewhat in the picture's favour is the tunes and their choreography. The humour is chiefly immature and barely makes you snicker.

With everything taken into account, a timepass picture with an over-egging of adolescent component.

'Thank You' Movie Music Review

'Thank You' Movie Music Review: THANK YOU, this title will surely ring bells for all good and humorous reasons, as it comes from the stables of a filmmaker who has been consistent in delivering out frothy slapstick entertainers. Director Anees Bazmee pitches out another rib-tickler that has all the ingredients to attract footfalls into the theatres.

Ensemble of bankable A-list actors, grandeur of exotic foreign locations, crazy slapstick comedy and to spice it all, it has Pritam's peppy music to make everything notable in days to come.

In Bazmee's flicks music has always been mechanical or situational but still have grounded screenplay to its fullest potential. THANK YOU opens to minimal musical expectations but all the above mentioned features makes it as one of most anticipated musical releases. Can this THANK YOU be another WELCOME surprise for listeners?


Just check this out... It all started off with rehashed version of 'Apni toh jaise taise' ((HOUSEFULL (2010)), a racy 70's dancing track that stole limelight and was instant big surprise chartbusting hit. What is following next is 'Pyar Do Pyar Lo', a sensational 80' disco cabaret hit from Feroze Khan's JAANBAAZ with similar blazing nasal twang of Mika Singh. This soundtrack is amusing 'club-remix' style of disco-tadka with initial similar punch-lines but with hilariously bawdy 'antaras' to create frolicsome feel for varied comical situations. Pritam delivers an above-average funky number that has archetypical 80's disco feel number that should be fuelling out humor quotient. Mika Singh's vocals works perfectly again and so do its chirpy lyrics, it will really be enterprising to see how it works on big screen. 'Pyar Do Pyar Lo (remix)' by Abhijit Vaghani works and it's because it's a quintessentially disco number and added disco-beat fillers zing adds to the zealous dancing feast. It works for its formulaic massy feel and if 'magic' works well in slick choreographic moves or 'tongue-in-cheek' humor then do expect this number to be next big thing on the musical charts.

'Munni', 'Sheila' and now its 'Razia' to create ruckus on floor! Following the guidelines of raunchy 'item-songs' with garish rustic feel, Pritam tries to create decorum with situational sounding 'Razia'. This one comes with more narrative moves and in duet mode with yelling tones of Master Saleem and Ritu Pathak's, varying high and loud. Massy feel galore again in Ritu Pathak's loud-throated voice, it will be again a visual feast type of dancing track that should up all catalyzing commercial prospects by attracting front-benchers. Ashish Pandit's earthen feel lyrics may not be as tangy as one expects but works instinctively with the 'crowd-pleasing' mood of the song. Abhijit Vaghani's DJ antics delivers out another hip-shaking feast in 'Razia (Remix)' with infused African tribal sounds, beat-juggles, electronic fillers and DJ spins, giving it a true disco feel. Bombay Viking magic is back!

Neeraj Sridhar's Indi-Pop days gets a major boost as this time he gets a chance to rejuvenate golden bygone eras of Bollywood with trendy-feel orchestrations in 'Full Volume'. Pritam tries to give this a 'Zor Ka Jhatka' (ACTION REPLAYY) discotheque feel in Richa Sharma's nasal twang with Hard Kaur's emceeing doing extra bit to give it thriving zest. Neeraj Sridhar's enthused singing is the biggest highlight and it gets a strong support of upbeat hip-hop jives, crazy chorals and infectious drumming at intermittent phases, giving it a cheerful outlook. It's effervescently peppy entertainment on ears; its scintillating 'on-screen' display will be adding more colors to this 'livewire' feel song, thanks to Pritam's funky tones and Neeraj's lively singing that makes it happen. 'Full Volume (remix)' is peculiar 'dhol' beat drumming 'club-remix' attribute by Harry Anand that comes with slow-tempo mixing well with voices, chorals with amiable crazy sounds and rhythms, giving it extra hilarious cum amusing tones. A well crafted promotion for this song is highly anticipated!!!

In one of the film awards function, director Sajid Khan mimicked Shabbir Kumar's style of singing and it suddenly transformed into singer's comeback through 'I don't know what you do' in HOUSEFULL (2010). This time it's the specialist Sonu Nigam, also famous for his mimicry singing, behind the mike in mimicking out Shabbir Kumar in 'My Heart is beating'. It's nowhere inspirational to 70's Priti Sagar's sweetly toned track 'My Heart is beating' (JULIE (1970)) but a retro feel route to 60's music. Pritam's composition is huge inspirational lift from 60's Mohammad Rafi hits, preferably from vintage romantic tinge of Shashi Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor evergreen numbers. Like spunky caricatured 'I don't know what you do', it too carries 'teasing-pleasing' musical flair to flare up humor-quotient in the flick. Kumaar's wordings are optimally amusing and gel well with nonsensical comical feel, a witty slapstick hilarious move will carry it to higher limits. 'My Heart is beating (remix)' comes like a vociferous title track with deliriously snazzy 'club-remix' touches, mixing well with the composition. This version is presumed to be tailor made for the ending or beginning titles and should be favorites among film promos and teasers. Finally some serious music that talks melody!

The last attribute of the album comes out in form of 'Pyar Mein', a tenderly paced ballad with strong infectious Spanish flamengo feel. Javed Ali along with Neeraj Sridhar soothes this out in nimble tones, where arrangements belong to Enrique Iglesias style of music with peculiar Spanish guitar riffs, delivering out a somber mushy appeal. The breeziness in intrinsically Spanish musical appeal delivers out spells of romantic mushiness that works out progressively with likable voices. 'Pyar Mein' may not be as sporadically catchy as Pritam's earlier ballads were, but this has creative finesse of chartering out new genre with some quality works.

THANK YOU is reasonably enjoyable massy album that entertains and enthralls. The album may not be the finest from Pritam in recent times but has delivered bountiful of amusing numbers in the form of 'Pyar Do Pyar Lo', 'Razia', and 'Full Volume'. It will be really engaging to see all the stars dancing to its bombastically punched tunes and if things works on big silver screen, then do expect a couple of soundtracks making it big on the charts.

'Yeh Faasley' Review

'Yeh Faasley' Review: What could have been an intriguing tale of a daughter inquiring into the mysterious death of her long dead mother turns out to be unqualified hodgepodge of forced sentimentality and lacklustre suspense because the writer-director embarks upon what has become the mantra of a lot of teams playing the present cricket world cup: self destruction.

Father-daughter stories are few and far between in Hindi film industry and Yeh Faasley did have the potential to be a fine thriller with emotional complexities between a daughter and a father who’s not what he appears to be.

Arunima (Tena Desae) returns to her father Dev’s (Anupam Kher) home after completing her studies. Her mother died when Arunima was a kid and therefore she hardly has any memories of her and totally relies on the account of her mom given by her father.

But then, slowly and slowly, skeletons begin to tumble out of the closet as Arunima chances upon a will written by her mother and also meets an old friend (Pawan Malhotra) of her mom, leading her to believe that her father could have a hand in her mom’s death.

A nice premise certainly, but how one wishes that director Yogesh Mittal hadn’t botched it up. The film begins promisingly, but then stretches on painfully as it slips into flashbacks. Even the courtroom scenes fail to enliven the proceedings.

Anupam Kher pitches in a sincere performance but is let down by a poorly written character. Tena Desae shows a few flashes of good acting but hams it up when she has to look hysterical. Pawan Malhotra and Seema Biswas hardly have a role to write about.

Final word: keep distance from Yeh Faasley.

'Tanu Weds Manu' Review

'Tanu Weds Manu' Review: A seedha saadha NRI doc Manu (Madhavan) who claims to have resided more than a decade without any close friends in London comes to India on a bride hunt and finds a suitable one in the wispy form of a pot-smoking, vodka-guzzling Kanpuri kudi Tanu (Kangana Ranaut). It’s a mismatch as odd as it gets, because though he falls head-over-heels for this foul-mouthed chatterbox, she is dead against the arranged match and instead wants to hook up with a Lucknow gunda named Raja (Jimmy Shergill).

Manu, the poor soul, nurses the heartbreak and even helps Tanu and her goon beau elope. The plot thickens when Tanu and Manu cross paths against the backdrop of a big fat Punjabi wedding. Love for Manu seems to be taking root in Tanu’s heart, but then Raja rears his head. Drama, peppered with clichéd emotional conflicts and standoffs between the two suitors follow, and, given the film’s title, we know whom Tanu will eventually choose.

The predictability of the plot is well compensated by the melee of oddball characters that director Anand L Rai crowds the story with. There’s is an utterly likeable sidekick (Deepak Dobriyal) and a Sikh friend (Eijaz Khan) of Manu adding fun to the proceedings. There’s Raja’s crony (Ravi Kishen) and Tanu’s best friend (Swara Bhaskar) chipping in from the margins. And full credit to director Rai for the brisk pace at which the first half unspools. Alas, the same can’t be said of the second half, when the story stagnates and we see more of Jimmy Shergill than would have liked to. It’s a clear case of a story losing its steam after a triumphant start. Even the build-up to the climax is somewhat overblown.

Warts and all, Tanu Weds Manu still remains a watchable fare thanks to the wonderfully realistic milieu of India’s crowded, dusty small towns and their middle-class families with their colourful characters that remain pivotal to the story until the very end. On top of it, music by Krsna breezes with vim and vigour. The humour mostly remains light-hearted, sometimes evoking laughs, sometimes falling flat.

Kangana performs well as a small town rebel without a pause. Her body language is decidedly bratty, her dialogue delivery, at times bordering on lisp, creditably raw and edgy to suit her character. Madhavan shines as a submissive, love-struck NRI with no firangi airs. The actor’s naturally charming persona adds tons to his character’s credibility.

On the sidelines, Deepak Dobriyal impresses the most while Ravi Kishan is reduced to a caricature. Jimmy Shergill is all frowns but Swara Bhaskar does leave a mark as Kangana’s friend who tries to hammer some sense into the reckless Tanu.

All in all, Tanu Weds Manu is like the shaadi ka laddoo that you can neither resist nor happily bite into. Make time for this matrimonial comedy if you haven’t yet tired of watching the reruns of Jab We Met.

7 Khoon Maaf Review

7 Khoon Maaf Review: Jesus! I feel bored to death. There’s no bell tower nearby to rush to and vent my indignation nor any spouse to bump off. And though I don’t exactly feel like being punished for someone else’s sins, I am overwhelmingly disappointed to see that Vishal Bhardwaj -- the bellwether of the herd of new-age Hindi film-makers, the auteur who so convincingly brought the Bard of Avon to the badlands of UP -- has now strayed into mediocrity with so artless and heartless a film as 7 Khoon Maaf, his seventh directorial work certainly not deserving of a pardon.

Based on a short story by Ruskin Bond, the movie tells the tale of a woman named Susanna (Priyanka Chopra) who’s decidedly unfortunate in love and matrimony. In her fatal quest for love, she marries six times and every one of her hubbies turns out to be a rank scumbag: be it a lame chauvinist Major (Neil Nitin Mukesh), a junkie rockstar (John Abraham), a sadomasochistic poet (Irrfan Khan), a Russian double agent (Aleksandr Dyanchenko), a Viagra popping lech (Anu Kapoor), or a money-grubbing, mushroom-loving quack (Naseeruddin Shah). Jesus knows who Susanna’s seventh casualty is for Bhardwaj leaves an open strand in the end and gives the bored viewers a teeny quiz to hair-split. That’s the only intriguing part where you snap out of the slumber but soon see the end credits roll.

Granted that a story so episodic as this could not have been told but linearly. But why, pray, is the jumble of Susanna’s matrimonial misadventures reduced to the incessant yo-yoing between her elation at finding the ‘right’ man and her subsequent dejection at the discovery that he’s actually a scumbag. So while the hubbies are kicked to the famished man-eating panthers, or are drug-overdosed, or snake-bitten, or buried alive, or shot point blank, not once does a yawning viewer see a scrap of ingenuity so expected of a Bhardwaj film.

Of course, the bleakly-lit frames and Susanna’s own darkening complexion serve as metaphors to the dark side of her personality, and Bhardwaj does throw in time-references in the tale -- from the falling of the Berlin wall to the Mumbai terror attacks -- but come on, a viewer expects more than such customary symbolism. Even the film’s music gives the impression that its composer (Bhardwaj) was battling a creative block.

A little heart can be taken from the fact that the actors don’t disappoint. Priyanka sinks her teeth into the complex character of Susanna and delivers a performance that makes you forget the film’s flaws for a while. Ditto for Neil, Anu Irrfan and Naseer. Vivaan Shah, who is Susanna’s protégé and the story’s narrator, makes a confident debut.

After hitting the peak with Blood Brothers (a short film I consider Bhardwaj’s best work to date), Vishal has been on a downslide, first marked by the utterly ordinary Kaminey and now cemented by 7 Khoon Maaf. Is the genius of the maverick careening into mediocrity? Was the dream of a bold new Hindi cinema just a chimera?

One thing is for sure. There’s much worthwhile to do with your time than to watch the gloomy tale of an unscrupulous hubby-slaying woman whom you see whirling like a dervish with no less than the Redeemer in the end.

'Patiala House' Movie Review

'Patiala House' Movie Review: From 'Kal Ho Na Ho' to this Kahlon saga about baap-beta stand-offs, director Nikhil Advani has remained an undeviating votary of melodrama. With dogged determination, he has followed the one-point formula through one hit and two massive flops in his career: piping in as much melodrama and tear-jerking moments quintessential to the Hindi cinema genre that’s been dying for years but is yet not fully dead. Patiala House, in that sense, is another salaam-e-kitsch by the director who refuses to throw in the towel or change course despite two rude awakenings from the box office.

'Patiala House' Movie Stills

Times change, people don’t. That’s precisely also the case with Gurtej Singh Kahlon (Rishi Kapoor) -- a proud Sikh in Southall, London -- who has nurtured a visceral hatred for the goras ever since a fatal racist attack on his late mentor (Prem Chopra) two decades ago. Over the years he has grown (rather degenerated) into an autocratic figure whose diktat is the final word in the household called Patiala House, bustling with daughters, ghar-jamais, cousins and a sheepish, servile beta Pargat (Akshay Kumar) who toe the line etched by their bigoted bauji.

Everyone has had to sacrifice some dream. Someone wanted to be a rapper, but is now doing kirtans; someone wanted to be a chef but is making jalebis; someone wanted to be a film-maker but is a cabbie. Most of all, Pargat has smothered his dream of being a pace bowler for England and is now content with an utterly boring and humdrum existence as the keeper of a provision store in Southall. All because of the gora-hating, venom-spewing, domineering bauji.

But then, a young girl Simran (Anushka Sharma) with a questionable reputation prods and dares Pargat to realize his dream and play for the English team against the wishes of his father.

For most of its running time, Patiala House keeps zigzagging between melodrama and light humour. One moment, Advani wants you to yank out your kerchiefs to dry the moistened eyes, the next he tries to regale you with the antics of the Punjabi brood with its bunch of wannabes. That’s the course the film charts for the first half before slipping into a somewhat silly zone in the second half, as the odds and sods of the Patiala House literally run from pillar to post to keep the truth hidden from bauji.

Utt Pataang Movie Review

Utt Pataang Movie Review: Everything’s topsy-turvy in director Srikanth Velagaleti’s first film Utt Patang, starring Vinay Pathak in a contrastingly double role: an honest, lovelorn simpleton Ram, and a sly, slick, French-spouting underworld don Lucky.

Ram is dumped by his foul-mouthed girlfriend (Mahi Gill) and she now wants to take back her belongings from his flat. Koyal (Mona Singh) is a heartbroken girl Ram meets at a bar and takes her home as she has nowhere to go. And then there’s Ram’s detective friend (Saurabh Shukla) pining for some piece of action. The picture is completed with Ram’s lookalike Lucky, who is a fashionable gangster.

What sets the cat among the pigeons is a lost bag full of Rs. 5 crore. Everyone runs pillar to post to get their hands on the moolah.

Utt Pataang starts off quite intriguingly in the first half, with assorted sequences tacked together inexplicably. It’s in the second half that the things begin to get clearer.

Alas, the variety of humour in the film is strictly mediocre. There’s a sequence where Vinay takes Mona to her apartment and switches on the TV and there’s a C-grade porn film running. More such juvenile gags unravel but fail to amuse you. Moreover, Vinay Pathak hams up his part as the gangster, though he’s pretty likeable as the simpleton Ram. Mahi Gill is given the most acerbic dialogues and she delivers them with a punch. Mona Singh as a brief role. The stocky Saurabh Shukla chips in some fun moments.

To sum it up, Utt Pataang is entertaining only in parts.

Movie Review - Yeh Saali Zindagi

Movie Review - Yeh Saali Zindagi: Getting your head around the maze of director Sudhir Mishra’s Yeh Saali Zindagi could be quite an ask and task. Taking a plot bursting at its seams, Sudhir Mishra plonks in it so many characters, with many a voice-over and flashbacks, that keeping the count after a while becomes an exercise in maths. But, given the reputation of the director, you are willing to sit back, play along, and let the movie grow on you. And it does.

Simply put, Yeh Saali Zindagi is a romantic thriller with too many sub-plots unspooling at a breathless pace. Arun (Irrfan Khan) is in love with the singer Priti (Chitrangada Singh) but she loves Shyam (Vipul Gupta) who is set to marry the daughter of a politician.

On the other hand Kuldeep (Arunoday Singh) is a criminal on his last assignment. Thanks to his feisty wife (Aditya Rao Hydari) who disapproves of his shady, deadly profession, he’s set to reform and start life afresh. But his last assignment embroils Shyam, Priti and Arun in a deadlock where each character’s love is tested against the grime and crime of Delhi’s underbelly.

A whole lot of oddballs are entangled in the ruck. There are gun-toting hardy criminals, corrupt cops and opportunistic politicians. At first the characters remain mostly isolated, like an assorted bunch in a puzzle that begins to make sense as each piece falls into its place. Yet, the overwrought and complex structure of the plot does challenge your grey cells.

The story-screen writing (Mishra and Manu Rishi) is one of the strengths of YSZ. The dialogues, liberally sprinkled with expletives of choicest variety, are witty gems that keep you amused throughout the frenetic pace of the story.

Another strength is the cast ensemble. Irrfan Khan comes up with the most winsome performance as the man who goes out of his way to help the woman he loves without his feelings being reciprocated. Chitrangada Singh is naturally glamorous and pitches in a fine performance. Arunoday Singh shines as the rowdy criminal trying to mend his ways for the sake of his wife and kid. His torrid, almost violent love story with Aditi Rao does prove a mild distraction in the plot but is quite finely etched. From the sidelines, Sushant Singh and Saurabh Shukla leave an impression.

More than anything, YSZ is a testimony of Mishra’s craftsmanship as a writer and director. With its many unpredictable twists and twirls and a climax that some might take with a pinch of salt, YSZ is a delightfully different film that attempts to break all set formulas and leave you with a smile on the face in the end.

7 Khoon Maaf Music Review

7 Khoon Maaf Music Review: Darrrrling…Vishal Bhardwaj returns with his acoustic treat in 7 Khoon Maaf. This powerhouse of talent is also a terrific music composer, that we all know. Nevertheless, this man never ceases to surprise himself as well as the audience when it comes to his films and their music.

Vishal gets his all-time hit and favourite Gulzar saab to pen the lyrics for 7 Khoon Maaf. Though the film is a murder-thriller, music buffs, including me, were not expecting much from the album. But if it’s Vishal and Gulzar, don’t we know it’s going to be a jewel of a music album. Oops! did we spill the beans!

Let’s cut to the chase straightaway. You are guaranteed to get hooked to Darling, the only song currently on promos, but you will be shocked to learn who has sung this incredible number? It’s Usha Uthup, who begins the song with Darrrrling and later the tangy voice of Rekha Bharadwaj takes the song forward. The song takes its time to build the tempo and hence drama. By the time it ends you are into it, drenched in its music. The song is reportedly inspired from the Russian chorus song Kalinka, but it’s not devoid of Indian or Bollywood feel. It won’t be less than an explosion when it comes alive on screen with the feisty Priyanka Chopra crooning this addictive number.

Another version of Darling is more dramatic and romantic in its mood. Rekha and Usha Uthup again get a chance to influence us with their dynamic vocals. Like the original, Doosri Darling is also a delight for your auditory senses.

It’s not always a female voice that entices and beguiles. Here is Vishal Bhardwaj singing Bekaaran and drifting you from this materialistic world to the other realm where only beauty holds meaning. The song, a quasi-ghazal soused in classical music and yet very contemporary, will lure with its beautiful, poetic lyrics. As Gulzar writes, aapko dekh kar bade der se meri sans ruki hai; the song also has same impact, it will take your breath way.

Next in the album is O’ Mama which can sound very disturbing after hearing the Darling and Bekaaran. But as 7 Khoon Maaf is a dark film, songs like this are justified even if its offbeat lyrics and haunting music spook us. But at the same time the song’s distressing mood and its lyrics sounds entertaining and truly rocks us. The O’Mama Acoustic is another version which is restrained and surreal. The small track of just one-and-half minutes, with just the guitar strumming in the background, can smooth your senses after the racy rock beats of the original O’Mama.

The album continues its melancholy strain with Awaara in the voice of Master Saleem which echoes the pathos of a wanderer, his fear of loneliness. Yes, it sounds very much like Albela Sajan from Hum Dil Chuke Sanam, but it’s just because of the raagas.

7 Khoon Maaf throws another shocker: after Usha Uthup you will listen to singer Suresh Wadkar in Tere Liye. This soft number is easy on the ears and is like a typical Vishal number apt for a quiet evening. A must-hear track with words like, Tere liye Kishmish chune, pistey chune, kaaju ke saude kiye. Make believe!!

After Dil Dil Dilli from No One Killed Jessica, it’s the turn of Dil Dil Hai. Yes both the songs rhyme and have got the same rock feel. This number is the only song of the album which lacks the spunk.

Susanna’s prayer Yeshu pierces your heart. She is alone, troubled and has no one to soothe her. Who else than Rekha Bhardwaj to sing this number which is not a church song or a religious one but defines the moment of crisis in the protagonist’s life; she is crying for help to God, yet complaining. The album ends in a serious, sad mood.

As said earlier, Vishal likes to surprise the music buffs and with the somber, dark numbers, he has done it again. Bewildered, we are not going to forgive him for this stupendous 7 Khoon Maaf album.

'Yeh Saali Zindagi' Preview

'Yeh Saali Zindagi' Preview: After quite a gap, director Sudhir Mishra returns with his latest film Yeh Saali Zindagi, starring Irrfan Khan, Chitrangada Singh, Arunoday Singh, Aditi Rao and Sushant Singh.

The film is a quirky love story in the guise of a thriller. It’s an obtuse take on how far they both the heroes go to get the women they love and how sometimes one screw-up can set everything right!

Synopsis:

Some bullets kill you, some save your life; some women kill you, some save your life.

Arun (Irrfan Khan) has to save Priti (Chitrangda Singh) the woman he loves, but for that he first has to save the man Priti loves- Shyam, the future son-in-law of a powerful Minister.

Meanwhile, time is running out for Kuldeep (Arunoday Singh), the young gangster who is on his last job as his wife is threatening to walk out on him completely, and he begins to suspect she is leaving him to go into the arms of another man. The job has gone haywire for it is still unknown to Kuldeep that the Minister daughter’s engagement with Shyam is off and now she doesn’t care whether Shyam lives or dies and more importantly neither does the Minister who Kuldeep hoped would pay the ransom!

Priti finds herself inextricably caught in this mess and Arun has to save her life. But for that he has to risk everything, and put his own life at stake, he wonders why he should do it at all, if she still loves another. He’s torn, but love knows no reason. Meanwhile, Shyam is trying to make deals in captivity, and his goodness only seems superficial and as Kuldeep tries desperately to save his situation, there are dons coming from Bangkok, who have their own plans.

The film rides a roller-coaster towards a shattering climax, where all the players have to fend for their lives and loves. Who gets the girl, and who gets the money, and who escapes by the skin of his teeth, is now anybody’s guess. But hold on, there are still jokers in the pack, and aces up some sleeves.

Expect the unexpected!

Yeh Saali Zindagi is set to release on February 4.