Ek Ajnabee

Article Updated 28 November, 2005 03:23:08 PM IST

Ek Ajnabee

After the disastrous 'Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost' starring Abhishek Bachchan and Lara Dutta, Apoorva Lakhia is back but with the real Bachchan. Yes, Big B himself. The slick promos of the movie (including music) have definitely set the adrenalin pumping, especially for the lovers of action-thrillers. So let us check out what the award winning Amar Mohile (background score - 'Sarkaar') has to offer.

Vishal-Shekhar are the special guest composers and their contribution to the album is just a single number, the title track 'Ek Ajnabee', with lyrics by Vishal Dadlani.

Synthesized hip hop sounds and good beats along with a strange voice going "stranger, stranger" commence the title track. A deadly rhythm sets the pace for the best part of the song - "Mama told me, don't be talking to strangers, strangers", sung in a base (African) voice. This innovation gives the song its unique superlative touch. Sukhwinder and Sunidhi sing well as a combo. Towards the end, the track goes into a crescendo with Sukhwinder's high pitched vocals saying repeatedly "Ek Ajnabee, Dil ko chura ke le gaya." That marks the closing of a superb but very different song 'n' dance number. However, compared to Vishal-Shekhar's previous hit compositions from 'Salaam Namaste' and 'Dus' (which found universal acceptance), this one will appeal to the lovers of different yet classy music. It is a number that should leave a mark after the release of the movie.

Kailash Kher commences 'Barf Khushi Hai' in his high pitched and by now familiar 'Sufi sound' vocals and then continues in a soft subdued voice, questioning the the right and wrong - " Uunchi meenare lambi qatarein, Choti baharein, Kya yeh sahi hai?" At first, the song strikes one as a trademark Vishal-Shekhar 'disturbing' number after 'Karam' ('Tera Hi Karam') but then the realization that it is Amar Mohile dawns. Hats off for this absolutely outstanding piece of work. In fact, we will go a step further to say that 'Barf Khushi Hai' outdoes Vishal-Shekhar's 'Tera Hi Karam', maybe because of Kailash Kher's brilliant rendition and some great, thought provoking lyrics by Jaideep Sahani (after his mushy 'Salaam Namaste'). One is left spellbound when the song comes to an end.

'Soniye', mainly dominated by Punjabi pop, is a duet by Sunidhi Chauhan and KK but has a touch of traditional 'qawwali' with rock style singing. Basically a potpourri of various styles but the result is quite good. However, some portions of the song are quite similar to the Anil-Madhuri starrer 'Zindagi Ek Jua' ('Dil To Dil Hai'). KK shows his skills as a singer (no high pitched vocals) in this fast paced number.

'Soniye Mix N Match' is a nice upped tempo remix, with the basic rhythm intact. A few nuances are added here and there but do not violate the sanctity of the original composition! Over all a nice dance floor number.

Next we have 'Tere Liye', a very soft and sentimental number with some brilliant lyrics (with a sprinkling of English). A word of caution. The lyrics are deceptive, in the sense that they give the impression of being a romantic number, but the song is all about the bond that develops between the main protagonist (the protector)and an innocent child. Ganjawala singing in the 'Murder' mode is excellent, as he takes to the song like fish to water, with feelings/sentiments oozing - "Tere liye meri saansein, Mujhe tumse pyaar hai, Tujh pe hi ye zindagi, Jaan nisar hai."

The second version of 'Tere Liye' is just a space filler with no changes as such.

The beginning of 'Stranger On The Prowl' is very similar to Vishal-Shekhar's 'DUS' theme, but later on, hard rock takes over along with some unique tabla fusion. The pace is absolutely breathtaking. Thumbs up to Amar Mohile's arrangements. This one will definitely feature in an important action sequence of the movie.

'Blast U Between UR Eyes Remix' is a treat for the lovers of acid rock. Perfect orchestral arrangements set the pulse racing and the feet moving. An obvious (tense) situational number depicting the chaos and anarchy prevailing in an alien land. Didn't know that Ganjawala had it in him to be a superb rapper as he copies Eminem's style almost perfectly.

We finally reach 'They Don't Know', which is the original of 'Blast U Between UR Eyes'. Some part of the acid rock portion is missing here. Joy's English vocals (in both versions)are just about adequate.

On the whole, 'Ek Ajnabee' is the music of today and definitely sounds like part of the movie rather than from a music bank. A job efficiently done by Amar Mohile.

Rating: 7 /10

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