Music Review: Dam 999

EXPECTATIONS: It is actually unfair to set expectations against soundtrack of a film like Dam 999 which actually belongs to the disaster genre and doesn’t actually warrant a score that would make it’s presence felt amongst the music listeners. In fact what surprises more is the fact that the makers actually felt there was good enough reason to bring out the film’s music on the stands when the need of the hour was to actually concentrate on promoting the film as a whole.

 

With no anticipation whatsoever of anything really managing to make an impact, one plays on Dam 999 which has lyrics by Sohan Roy and music by Ousephachan.

MUSIC: It is back to being in the living room and listening to ‘sugam sangeet’ of the Doordarshan era from the 80s, what with Hariharan getting into a ‘dard-e-judaai’ mode with ‘Mujhe Chod Ke’. A song about pain, separation and matters of heart which is just out of context when it comes to music which is prevalent today, this sad track arrives in a female version as well which has Shreya Ghoshal at the helm of affairs. Instantly forgettable and not the kind that makes you revisit it once the entire album is through, ‘Mujhe Chod Ke’ is only for those who want pain in their heart to be enhanced further after listening to it.

 

Guest composer and singer K. Niran is the man behind ‘Baat Ye Kya Hai Jo’, a love song which tries to fuse Western arrangements with core Indian sensibilities. Written by Sajeev Sarathie, this one just manages to pass muster and can still be given a listen, more so since one couldn’t even sit through the entire length of ‘Mujhe Chod Ke’. With a smooth flow to it, it belongs to the mode one of those non-film songs and manages to hold on well though not quite exciting you enough to check it out all over again.

 

‘Dam 999 – Theme’ is the next to arrive and opens with a few chants while proclaiming all around peace. Though beginning portions have an Indian classical base to it, (surprisingly) there are English lyrics that are added to the proceedings. As the very title suggests, this one stays on to be a theme track which is strictly situational with no real zing in it to make you click on ‘repeat’. Suchith Sureshan, Suvi Suresh and Ousephachan come together for this track which maintains an all around sad feel to it.

 

Thankfully there is some happy mood created with ‘Every Day’, an English track again, which has Shakthisree leading the charge with Ousephachan pitching in as well. A young track that doesn’t quite carry a quintessential Bollywood mood to it but could have gone along well for a Western outing, this one is still the best of the lot when compared to all that has been heard in the album so far.

 

‘O My Queen’ which arrives next has the singer Franco crooning ‘O My Queen’ in all the frenzy. A slow moving track that is all about the matters of heart, it may well have been composed for a situation in the film where a male protagonist is wooing his ladylove.

 

Composer Nirmalya and lyricist Nivedya (seemingly teenagers) come together behind the mike as well for ‘I Walk Away’ which is yet another situational track and carries a happy mood to it, though in the 80s mode.

 

The album ends with ‘Dakkanaga’ which could well be the makers’ idea of coming up with a promotional track. Shakthisree, Suchith Sureshan and Ousephachan come together for this dance number which has it’s beginning portions in English and then starts seeming like a fun number from a movie down South. Yet another barely passable number which brings this inconsequential album to an end.

OVERALL: Nope, this one doesn’t really have in it to make you root for it.

OUR PICK(S): Every Day