Vaada raha… i promise

EXPECTATIONS A delayed project always makes you apprehensive about it’s final outcome. Ok, so Roshan is now called Vaada Raha…I Promise but does that mean that one could possibly expect better prospects from the film as well as the music? Even though the music boasts of an ensemble outing when it comes to composers being roped in to put together the soundtrack, one picks up the album with minimal expectations.
 
MUSIC There is a pleasant surprise in store though with the opening number turning out to be quite a serene outing. ‘Kubul’ is a quintessential love song with that ‘vaadiyan’ and ‘bahaar’ outing and one doesn’t mind that at all. In fact as you listen to it a couple of times, it starts playing in your mind for a time much longer than the song’s duration. A beautiful melody by Monty that stays Indian throughout its five minutes duration, it also boasts of some heartfelt rendition by Parthiv Gohil, Sharmista Chateerjee and Shell Hada. A good beginning that suddenly makes one get interested in the album. One starts looking at the album with a different perspective the moment title song Vaada Raha hits its first notes. Composed by Toshi-Sharib who have composed some very good songs for Bhatts’ Jashnn and Raaz – The Mystery Continues in the recent past, Vaada Raha is in fact one of their best. This Turaz written track stays on within the Bollywood parameters of a love song and still comes out trumps. Now if only this film would have been a fresh project, would have been adequately promoted and boasted of a true blue romantic jodi on screen, Vaada Raha, which is excellently sung by Toshi and boasts of some really good chorus in the background, would have gone a far distance. In fact this is one of those songs that one looks forward to hearing a countless number of times in the album and hence don’t mind it all when it reappears in a ‘remix version’ and also a Sanjoy Chowdhury composed ‘theme version’.  It’s three-in-a-row for Vaada Raha…I Promise with the arrival of ‘Rab Na Kare’. A fusion track that sees the coming together of Sufi and Western sensibilities, ‘Rab Na Kare’ is a sad song where the lead protagonist is praying for the well being of everyone in spite of being jilted in love. A number set in this genre may have turned boring but thankfully, due to Babbu Maan’s triple role of a composer, singer and lyricist, the song turns out to be a very good hear. There is a ‘slow version’ of the song as well that has the lead protagonist shedding tears and it is bound to do well as a background piece. ‘Aaj Aasmaan’ that comes next doesn’t make as good an impact as the three songs that preceded it. The song aims at being all cool and simple but ultimately turns out to be routine and predictable. Ordinary arrangements do not help the cause either even as Shaan and Shewta Pandit try to get that innocence in the proceedings. A song about being happy in life with the surroundings turning out to be better than ever, this Rahul B. Seth & Sandy written and composed number conveys a positive message but still doesn’t make you get as excited as you were in the earlier part of the album. The composer duo returns with ‘Achal Hain Mere Hausle’, a Kunal Ganjawala sung number. Perhaps placed in the situation where Bobby Deol is recuperating and getting back to being his own self, ‘Achal Hain Mere Hausle’ could easily have been set as a Military number if one looks at the setting and treatment. Outdated in appeal and not really making you play it on after you have heard it once, it is strictly situational.  There are two theme tracks that conclude the album – ‘Flying High’ and ‘Lost In Love’. Primarily instrumentals that have been set to tune by Sanjoy Chowdhury, they are done well, especially the latter track that has an old world charm to it, and should help the narrative of Vaada Raha…I Promise.
 
OVERALL From an album that didn’t promise much at the very onset, Vaada Raha..I Promise does spring a surprise with three tracks really making an impression – ‘Vaada Raha’, ‘Kubul’ and ‘Rab Na Kare’. Pick up the album just for these songs and you won’t be disappointed.
 
OUR PICK(S) ‘Vaada Raha’, ‘Kubul’ and ‘Rab Na Kare’