Music Review Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Music Review

Director :  Music :  Lyrics :  Starring :  Zoya Akhtar  Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonca  Javed Akhtar  Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol, Katrina Kaif, Kalki Koechlin, Ariadna Cabrol and Naseruddin Shah l "Rock On... Yuhin Dekhta Hai Kya Tu, Rock On...Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara!" Popular, successful and crazy trend of picking up the catchy-line of hit track as title of the flick continues with Zoya Akhtar's second directorial venture, ZINDAGI NA MILEGI DOBARA (ZNMD). DIL CHAHTA HAI, LAKSHYA, ROCK ON, LUCK BY CHANCE and KARTHIK CALLING KARTHIK, all had one thing in common - the combo of lyricist Javed Akhtar and triumphant trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy (S-E-L). The trend continues prosperously in ZNMD and once again, it's a youthful roller-coaster ride journey that packs "hot "n" happening" talents of B-town in one package. To be precise, the feel is that of Spanish's civic and cultural rendezvous, theme is boy-bonding, grandeur is adventurous and so music has to equally befitting to make every feisty happening loud on big-screen. Mercurially high on expectations (all above-mentioned were big musical hits), the album is presumed to be one of the big bonanza of this year from S-E-L, as recently they disappointed with pack of above-average to mediocre albums (PATIALA HOUSE, GAME). Can S-E-L be able to relive the musical passion that they are specialist and capable for in youth genre flick like ZNMD? Can we expect ZNMD to be next grand happening on musical stands? Let's explore and excavate its musical facts... Volcanic in grooves, grungy hard-metal base in style and sporadically youthful, with the zestful feel of "buddy-bonding" gets an opulence of upbeat rock-beat styling in immensely captivating "Dil Dhadkane Do". It pumps up the arena-stylized rocking grind of "Rock On" (ROCK ON) into the carefree funky grooves of "Dil Chahta Hai" (DIL CHAHTA HAI) and the end result is presumably remarkable. This soaring "n" roaring boy-band feel track has vocal pacing of Joi Barua, Suraj Jagan and Shankar Mahadevan, in energetically high octaves to deliver out bagful of "masti" and thrills. S-E-L specialty in inundating a fervently catchy signature tuneful feel takes the bigger cake and sets the decorum of playful setting of adventurous endeavors. It's a great amalgam of electronic guitar riffs, synthesizers pulsating moves matched with recurring percussions that makes ballistic concoction with boyishly toned voices. Javed Akhtar's meaningfully poetic moves unravels from making friends ("Jahaan muskurahatien hain bikhri, Jahaan se gum sa mausam gaya, Jahaan meethi baatein, Har ik ajnabi se ho") to spirit of bonding ("Gaaye naye naye geet, Khel aisa kyun na koi khele, Jisme sabhi ki ho jeet"), epitomizing the mindset of this youthful joy ride. On repetitive hearing, the breezy signature tune ("Kab tak giney, Hum dhadkne...) gets direct into senses and all-together gives a positive "feel-good" feel of togetherness, overall an exceptionally fun-filled track that will be having maximum takers in weeks to come. Excellent! Red-red tomato festival sparks blooms, the much-publicized track "Ik Junoon (Paint it red)," arrives with its set of funky beats and grooves. S-E-L are back again with "Ooh-aah" types of disco-jigs that forms a peppier prelude, mesmerizing out discotheque feel of their immensely popular "Uff teri ada" (KARTHIK CALLING KARTHIK) and "Where's the party tonight" (KABHI ALVIDA NA KEHNA) with feverish voices coming speedily in streams of DJ spins and electronically tuned sounds. It's fine collage of voices as singers like Vishal Dadlani, Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani, Gulraj Singh, and Alyssa Mendonsa, club together to gyrate out an impulsive carnival feel. It bears a typical S-E-L stamp, a relatively familiar sounding track that is high on enthusiastic youthful spirits and is likely to be a rage on floors. This Spanish tomato feisty track gets its bouncy remix version in "Ik Junoon (remix)", a racing thrilling disco-beat version that is contemporary in DJ antics and should work promisingly in the promotions of the flick. Rocking! Scintillatingly stringy in instrumentals, the first Spanish binge arrives in soft-tender feminine dominated vocals with genteel breeze of light-hearted orchestrations in soothing "Khabon Ke Parinday". It sounds like much deserving sequel to S-E-L earlier composed "Phir Dekhiye" (ROCK ON) with added innovative touches. Alyssa Mendonsa's light-breeze vocal ooze is really delightful and is mesmerized to deliver out an earthy country-western rock appeal. Javed Akhtar's aspiring wordings are simplistically penned and form buoyancy with the tender-light arrangements. Mohit Chauhan's brief rendition may not be as pleasing as Alyssa's breezy tones but is perfectly balanced in making this an "easy-on-ears" duet. So you think you can sing! After making valiant attempt at playback singing in couple of tracks in ROCK ON with commercial success, Farhan Akhtar holds the mike again and gets friendly support of his co-stars in lovable sounding "Senorita" (meaning "Miss" in Spanish). Hrithik Roshan turned melancholic singer in his home production KITES ("Kites in the sky") and now again regales back in this track. It's really fun to find Abhay Deol enjoy singing and all three finding a great singing partner in Spanish singer Maria Del Mar Fernandez, who sings the Spanish part with great enthuse and exult. It's really "cool" experimentation as the soundtrack is fuelled high by Spanish flamengo music, tangy guitar riffs, synchronized hand-claps and couple of customary Spanish instrumentals that add zeal to this singing show. The song is already getting rave reviews in its promo features and looks more like an extended version of "Dil Laga Na" (DHOOM 2). Javed Akhtar's sweet lyrics talks in lovable chatter and sounds more like Hindi translation to the Spanish wording, sung by Spanish singer. It's a great hear (yes, it's a big surprise!) and all three actors clicks perfects as compatible singers. "Senorita (remix)" is high on Spanish animated funky beats and carries the fun to higher tempo and makes it a real hip-shaking treat for party-freaks. Entertaining! "Der Lagi lekin", a motivationally penned track with thematically emotional hues, brings out the refined solo vocals of Shankar Mahadevan to the fore. This sentimental offering has modest soft-rock ballad arrangements and talks about the self-realization, changing phases of life; sounding more like an extended version of Shankar's rendered "O Rahi Re" (LUCK BY CHANCE). It has routine arrangements but does not disappoint and can be useful narrative vehicle in the closing stages of the film. S-E-L infatuation for 80's disco binge makes its racy makeover in the next offering that adds colorful shades to "buddy-bonding" in "Sooraj Ki Baahon Mein". This friendly track has likable vocals of Dominique Cerejo, Clinton Cerejo and Loy Mendonca brings out fervor of disco-dancing and relives the compassion of earlier peppy tracks. For its "feel-good" ambience and chorals based evocative feel, it can be presumed to be a "cool" background score for the lighter moments of the film, a visually spectacle vision with great landscaped views will be of great help in making this as another desired musical feature of the album. "Toh Zinda Ho Tum", the last offering of the album, comes more like dramatic monologue about "Zinda-dilli" by deep-throated Farhan Akhtar. It's more like a poetry recital that is expressive and try to convey the theme in simple one-liners like "Dilon mein tum apni betaabiyan leke chal rahe ho, Toh zinda ho tum, Nazar mein khwaabon ki bijliyan leke chal rahe ho, Toh zinda ho tum...", one expects a similar Shakespearean style of climax in this flick, that worked magic in Farhan's first directorial venture DIL CHAHTA HAI. ZINDAGI NA MILEGI DOBARA brings alive and back the old and quintessentially rocking S-E-L in the most promising way. Banking on likable and strong face value and lavish production opulence, the album's most prize-worthy assets are "Dil Dhadkane Do", "Ik Junoon (Paint it red)" and "Senorita" while there is raw energy of expressions in tracks like "Khabon Ke Parindey", "Sooraj Ki Baahon Mein" and "Der Lagi Lekin". For listeners, it's raining good albums (SHAITAN, DELHI BELLY) and ZNMD adds to this great line-up, go grab it and add one more to your collection. Happy Listening! Worth-a-buy! Rating - 4/5