Chal Chalein

EXPECTATIONS Just a fortnight back, there was an album release for a film titled Phir Kabhi that stars Mithun Chakraborty and Dimple Kapadia in principal roles. Now comes Chal Chalein that features Mithun Chakraborty and another yesteryear actress Rati Agnihotri. However, unlike Phir Kabhi, Chal Chalein doesn’t revolve around these two senior actors and instead challenges education system that has apparently resulted in student suicides. With a subject like this and a bunch of newcomers coming together, there aren’t any expectations from the musical score. Illaiyaraaja, who has been selective about his Bollywood outings, composes for Chal Chalein with Piyush Mishra as the lyricist. Still, that’s not enticing enough to make one expect a moon from the album.

MUSIC As expected, it’s a boring start for Chal Chalein with the song ‘Shehar Hai Khoob Kya Hai’ that has Shreya Ghosal, Shaan and Krishna coming together. A number that has two youngsters praising their ‘shehar’ that happens to be Allahabad, ‘Shehar Hai….’ only succeeds in sounding not just out of tune but also truly outdated. It’s the same outdated feel in ‘Uff Are Tu Mirch Hai’ which tries to be all bubbly, youthful, peppy and innocent but only makes one take a journey back into the early 90s. It’s the same team of Shreya Ghosal, Shaan and Krishna which is roped in for ‘Uff Are Tu Mirch Hai’. However, in spite of some spirit that they show in their singing, it’s a boring tune that lets them down. Yet another number that makes one just press the ‘next’ button on your remote. Hariharan is the next to come on the scene and as expected, it’s a sad solo by him. A slow and depressing number that again has 90s written all over it, ‘Tum Bhi Dhoondna’ (which is later heard again in a 45 second version titled ‘Gup Chup Shaam Thi’) appears to be a leftover tune by Illaiyaraaja that has been revived from the 80s/90s and infused into Chal Chalein.  One doesn’t quite remember when was the last time Sadhana Sargam had come behind the mike! When her name appears on the credits for ‘Jhoom Jhoom So Ja’ one wonders if she sung this number a decade back or is it actually a fresh composition? Musically the song is on the same lines as ‘Mukunda Mukunda’ [Dashavatar] which was heard last year, though it has a lullaby setting to it. At places Sadhana Sargam sounds like Lata Mangeshkar in this number which is a better composition when compared to the ones heard earlier. A rebel number comes next in the form of ‘Batladein Koi’ which tries to infuse a rock flavor into the proceedings but hardly makes a mark. A team of youngsters comprising of Sunidhi Chauhan, Shaan, Aditya Narayan and Krishna come together in ‘Batladein Koi’ that sounds more like an ad jingle for a kiddie product. A number revolving around youngsters challenging the entire educational system, it is yet another boring hear in the album which doesn’t have anything going for it all. Just like Sahana Sargam, even Kavita Krishnamurthy has opted out of playback singing for quite some time now. However, she is heard in ‘Chal Chal Chal Ke’ where she comes along with Krishna and Aditya Narayan. In spirit, the number is a continuation to the rebel number heard and in impact it isn’t anything better. Yet again Illaiyaraaja tries to get in that rock effect but for the listener the number doesn’t cut ice at all.
 
OVERALL One can’t even term Chal Chalein as a forgettable album. Reason? There isn’t anything about it to remember and then forgotten!