MUSIC REVIEW: Khiladi 786
Whenever Himesh Reshammiya has composed music for an Akshay Kumar film, the results have been good (Namastey London, Welcome and OMG!). In fact Namastey London remains one of Kumar’s and the music director’s most distinct and wholesome scores.
Now the two have come together for Khiladi 786. And this time Himesh is not only the music director, but the producer too. Add to that, the movie marks a revival of sorts, for Kumar’s Khiladi franchise.
Khiladi 786 opens with a bang. Backed up by Yo Yo Honey Singh and Hamsika Iyer, Reshammiya has a blast going 'nasal' in Lonely. Apart from an instantly-catchy tune, the song also works because the composer never take his vocals too seriously. And is in a self-spoofing mood. Everything that Himesh’s critics have been mocking him for, is there in this song. And yet, it all comes together nicely. Towards the end of the track there is a small reference to Main Jahaan Hoon from Namastey London. It sounds a tad out of place, but nevertheless, makes for a good nostalgia element.
Paying a tribute to RD Burman’s style, in terms of sound arrangements and beats, Balma is a paisa-vasool item song. There is a certain thump in this easy-to-hum tune that hooks you. Singers Shriram and Shreya Ghoshal, contribute a lot to the energy levels of the track, with their enthusiastic singing. Unpretentious and unapologetically tapori…This one packs in a lot of punch.
Mika Singh is made to sing like Himesh in Long Drive. Wonder why the composer did not take over the vocals himself? Once again a catchy beat and melodious tune work as the trump cards. And as a result, despite the loud mishmash of sounds, the song is an engaging listen. In fact the tune is so powerful that one wishes the lyrics were less ridiculous, and did better justice to the melody.
Reshammiya slips into his lesser-heard, love-ballad mode for Saari Raat. Remember his very underrated Indi-Pop album? Singing with a lot of restraint, Reshammiya manages to create the soulful mood and smoothly varies his voice with the melody. Saari Raat is easy on the ears, and nice to hum.
As many as six singers, come together for the title-track. But despite all attempts to design it like a grand song, the result sounds like a left-over version of Dabangg’s title-track. The rustic mood and heavy beats may work well on screen as an intro-song, but in terms of sound, it’s all too routine. A Khiladi film definitely deserved a better title-track.
Tera Pyaar Pyaar Pyaar Hookah Bar…has to be the most creative line of the season. Shamelessly silly but infectiously catchy, this dance number is sung by Aman Trikha, Vineet Singh and Himesh himself. Reshammiya does his own spin on the Punjab meets Persia template, and gives it his own stamp without going down the Mashallah (Ek Tha Tiger) route. This one is peppy, fast-paced and full of masti. This is one song that comes close to the feel of Reshammiya's super-hit work for Emraan Hashmi's initial films.
Javed Ali, Shreya Ghoshal and Co do a sincere job at singing the qawalisque Tu Hoor Pari - But the melody is weak and the overall mood is a little to dramatic, for an album of this genre. After the terrific-tunes heard in the other songs, this one comes across as a bore. The various remixes are typical Himesh stuff, with just a few additional loops and an increased tempo.
Himesh Reshammiya has been trying to make a comeback as a composer, after the failure of acting attempts. But save for last year’s Bodyguard, his other albums such as Dangerous Isshq, Bol Bachchan and Son Of Sardaar have lacked the blockbuster feel (barring one or two timespass tracks).
With Khiladi 786, he seems to have finally found his form. The album is confidently Himesh, with very few dull moments.
Khiladi 786’s soundtrack turns out to be far better than what one would have expected. The music is simple, commercial and most importantly, it is very-very foot tapping. This one is a safe bet for Akshay.
LISTEN NOW: Khiladi 786