Music Review: Jodi Breakers

You do expect a lively soundtrack for Jodi Breakers. The film’s theme is such that it deserves a peppy soundtrack and with Salim-Sulaiman at the helm of affairs, you are reasonably confident about some catchy tunes ahead. Since the composers are in good form with at least a couple of songs each in Love Break-ups Zindagi, Ladies v/s Ricky Bahl and Aazaan working with the audience, you do hope that the trend continues with Jodi Breakers as well which has lyrics by Irshad Kamil and Shabbir Ahmad contributing with one song.

MUSIC

Of late Salim Merchant has been reserving quite a few songs for himself as a singer as well. This is evidenced yet again in Jodi Breakers as well which kick-starts with ‘Kunwara‘. A song that celebrates single hood, it is also a re-invention of sorts for Madhavan who has otherwise been seen and heard in relatively serious roles, case in point being his last film Tanu Weds Manu. This time around he goes all out with ‘Kunwara‘ which makes an instant mark and helps form a connect with the listener. A dance floor number which comes across as an energetic track, it surprisingly doesn’t see a ‘remix version’ for itself.

The album sees further elevation in graph with ‘Bipasha‘. After ‘Bebo Main Bebo‘ (Kambakkth Ishq) where Kareena had earned a song on her (nick)name, ‘Bipasha‘ is the only other instance in the recent times where a leading lady sees a song dedicated to her. Shabbir Ahmad does full justice to the job entrusted upon him with lyrics that go as ‘Aaja Main Sikhadoon Tujhe Pyaar Ki Bhaasha, Rab Ne Hai Fursat Mein Taraasha; Baithe Hai Jaal Bichaye, Phas Jaaye Na Bipasha‘ hence making it clear that the song would have a lot to offer for those who have been die hard fans of Bipasha. With Salim-Sulaiman creating a fusion of Middle East and Western sound, Shradha Pandit also enjoys her stint behind the mike and is clearly having fun while rendering ‘Bipasha’. Shadab Faridi gives her good company, hence ensuring that ‘Bipasha’ would be played for quite some time to come, what with the ‘remix version’ further adding on to the appeal.

There is a mood shift in the album with ‘Darmiyaan‘ and one doesn’t mind that since it is time for some hardcore romantic outing here. Shafqat Amanat Ali gets a certain ‘thehrav’ in the album and with his mature vocals doing the trick, he ends up making ‘Darmiyaan‘ a number that haunts you for quite some time even after it has been played just once. Clinton Cerejo is the additional singer in this love song which has poetic lyrics by Irshad Kamil, the man who has been doing well quite consistently for last few years now and has yet another beautiful number to his name now. The (much slower) ‘reprise’ version is sung by Shreya Ghoshal and since the original by Shafqat has made such a mark, you just go by the flow when this version is played.

It is a quintessential Salim-Sulaiman outing from the word ‘go’ as Salim Merchant, Shadab Faridi and Shradha Pandit come together for ‘Mujhko Teri Zaroorat Hai‘. While Irshad Kamil weaves some lovely lyrics all over again, it is the Western treatment-meets-Indian melody which makes this love song yet another good addition in the album. A song about two hearts longing for each other, ‘Mujhko Teri Zaroorat Hai‘ is yet another sweet-n-simple love song that doesn’t take much time to catch on Later it has been played a few times. Later it is pretty much ‘sone pe suhaaga’ once Rahat Fateh Ali Khan steps in for the ‘remix version’.

Salim-Sulaiman end the album in a style with ‘Jab Main Tumhare Saath Hun‘ hence making it five in a row for Jodi Breakers. Shilpa Rao (who deserves to be heard much more often) opens the song with Benny Dayal, who is finding good popularity comes his way, and ensures that this romantic number earns it’s well deserved place in the album. Yes, one does get an impression of the song belonging to Vishal-Shekhar territory. However one can well attribute this to the sensibilities of these composers who think around the same lines and hence can be expected to sound like each other in an outing or two.

OVERALL

Jodi Breakers has all in it to be one of the more popular albums at the very beginning of the year. Salim-Sulaiman along with Irshad Kamil and Shabbir Ahmed have done their job and now it is up to the makers to make the most out of it and promote it well enough to enhance the music’s reach. So far there has been a good vigour shown in that direction but a sustained momentum coupled with good success of the film at the box office can promise the music to find farther reach for it as well. A good album that deserves an audience.

OUR PICK(S)

Bipasha, Darmiyaan, Kunwara, Mujhko Teri Zaroorat Hai