Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani

EXPECTATIONS  Now this one does sound like a promising album. First and foremost names like Pritam and Irshad Kamil are good enough to result in a quality album. Case in point being Love Aaj Kal and Jab We Met where the composer-lyricist ‘jodi’ has already succeeded in creating magic. Secondly, the film is a romcom in the offering with heart-throbs like Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif being paired opposite each other for the first time. Thirdly, the film is a TIPS production and it would be difficult to imagine that Ramesh Taurani would settle down for anything substandard for his own music label. With expectations well in place, one plays on Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani.
 
MUSIC It’s a rocking kick start for the album with some groovy beats followed by Hard Kaur’s rendition leading to a superb rhythmic build up for ‘Main Tera Dhadkan Teri’. K. K. comes on scene immediately and gets the pace rolling for this club track that has chartbuster written all over it. This is a kind of number that Pritam has specialized in over the years. No wonder, he makes use of his hit track record to create yet another number that straight away makes an impression in the very first listening. What impresses most in the song is the way he uses Sunidhi Chauhan in the song as each and every line from her brings in that spunk and edge to ‘Main Tera Dhadkan Teri’. This one is meant for the big screen viewing. There are two more versions that follow for ‘Main Tera Dhadkan Teri’. While one definitely looks forward to the ‘remix version’ which gets on a faster pace and makes one head for the dance floors, what surprises is the track ‘Follow Me’ which is a recreated version of the same song. This one is a solo version by Hard Kaur and gets into a similar seductive mood as ‘Touch Me Touch Me’ [Race]. Let’s have a music video rolling. All in all, just the kind of treat that one was looking forward to from the album as one looks forward to what Pritam has to offer in songs to follow. At the very first instance, ‘Tu Jaane Na’ seems to be embarking on a sudden start. However, a minute into the song, Atif Aslam takes over the proceedings and comes up with a heartfelt rendition for this love track. With a ‘sufi’ element to it, what strikes most about ‘Tu Jaane Na’ is a certain purity that makes it yet another quality number that Imtiaz Ali would have loved to have in his next film. Moving at a smooth pace, ‘Tu Jaane Na’ boasts of good lyrics and one wonders why the promos of the song have not yet been released?  Since the number takes its own time in settling down, the makers have made a smart choice in placing it as many as four times with different singers coming on board. After Atif Aslam, the song appears in a ‘reprise version’ with Soham, Rana Mazumdar and Ashish Pandit coming together. In fact this one turns out to be slightly more ‘filmy’ version in the way Soham goes about rendering the song. A ‘remix version’ may have sounded unnecessary on paper due to the theme and pace of the song. However, credit to DJ Suketu who gives a different dimension to ‘Tu Jaane Na’ and makes it sound as if this one could well have been an original version. A good remix creation. Finally arrives an ‘unplugged version’ and as Kailash Kher, Paresh and Naresh go about their act, one is convinced that ‘Tu Jaane Na’ is pretty much the other highlight number in the album after ‘Main Tera Dhadkan Teri’. This is a kind of song that can be heard on a repeat mode without being bored. With first two tracks making such an impression, one goes on to have good expectations from the songs to follow. The quintessential ‘shehnai’ tune that is heard in marriages finds a remix going for it, courtesy Pritam who spins a track titled ‘Oh By God’. It’s this ‘shehnai’ which is an integral part for this song that is fun and youthful with Mika and Sunidhi Chauhan coming together. Yet another high energy dance in the album, it’s the kind of track that could boast of an enhanced appeal if supported by some vibrant dance moves.  Melody returns to the album soon after with Atif Aslam coming together with Alisha Chenoy for ‘Tera Hone Laga Hoon’. Written by guest lyricist Ashish Pandit (who does spin a nice romantic tale), this one is a love song that takes one straight to the hills and the trees. A kind of love song that has time and again worked, ‘Tera Hone Laha Hoon’ has both the singers coming together with some heartfelt rendition that makes it a kind of hear that is quite comfortable on ears. Thankfully, the ‘remix version’ doesn’t go overboard either and keeps the spirit of melody intact. ‘Prem Ki Naiyya’ follows next but doesn’t quite stand in the same league as most of its predecessors. In a lesser album one wouldn’t have quite minded this rhythmic dance number that has a rooted Indian feel to it. Still, in spite of the presence of Neeraj Sridhar and Suzanne D’Mello, the number just stays on to be a decent hear and that’s about it, even as a ‘remix version’ follows for this track too. The album sees a good ending for itself with ‘Aa Jao Meri Tamanna’ that makes an instant impression, just like was the case in ‘Main Tera Dhadkan Teri’. However, the genre of both the tracks is totally different here. While ‘Main Tera. .’ is a dance track, ‘Aa Jao.. ‘ is a love song which has melody as it’s pace. This one again has a distinct Pritam feel to it, whether in terms of rendition, pace or arrangements. What also makes the song a certain high is the manner in which Javed Ali goes about his rendition. He does quite well and one can easily sense that he has his heart pretty much set for this song. Jojo gives him good company for this song that also appears in a well deserved ‘remix version’.

OVERALL This is Pritam’s year. Period. Delivering chartbusters by dozens all through the year, he can now look forward to another bountiful of hit songs up his sleeves with Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani. Also, Ranbir and Katrina can enjoy a hugely popular track for themselves in the form of ‘Main Tera Dhadkan Teri’. Go, pick this one up from the shelves!
 
OUR PICK(S) ‘Main Tera Dhadkan Teri’, ‘Follow Me’, ‘Tu Jaane Na’, ‘Aa Jao Meri Tamanna’, ‘Tera Hone Laga Hoon’