We bring to you the exclusive music review of Rohit Shetty’s Bol Bachchan.
In Hindi, Bol-Vachan is generally a sarcastic phrase used when yogis and such ascetic people impart intellectual knowledge (whether wanted or unwanted). The “king of comedies”, and I am saying this in the least mean way possible, is back with his newest magnum opus, Bol Bachchan. Basically, the title is a play on the phrase Bol-Vachan since the movie stars Abhishek Bachchan & in a special appearance, Amitabh Bachchan. Barring 2006’s Golmaal, the soundtrack of Rohit Shetty’s movies generally follow a distinct graph wherein each movie boasts of one (or max, two) prominent songs and the rest just fizzle out. They lack consistency and the quality of music generally degrades with each successive hear. With Himesh Reshammiya and Ajay-Atul helming the reigns of this album, will it follow the same pattern? Let’s take a look.
Back in 1977, Amitabh Bachchan lent his baritone to the iconic My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves from Amar Akbar Anthony while emerging from a humungous egg. Cut to 2012, the man repeats the legendary act by making a special appearance in the aptly-narcissistic title track Bol Bachchan. The only difference is Abhishek Bachchan purposely fails to mouth the same lines which his father made famous. Take a look at the song:
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For those who did not catch the wordings:
Debating on the diabolic diagnosis of decisive deliverance,
Papad is a rhythmic rhyme replica of a jhapad,
Where one relishes your hunger and other relishes your anger.
Similarly sir, Bachchan is also a rhythmic rhyme replica of Bol Bachchan,
Where one represents a magnanimous name while the other represents a horrendous game.
Sung by a volley of artistes – namely, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Mamta Sharma, Himesh Reshammiya & Vineet Singh – the song immediately catches your attention despite suffering from a weird vague Chalat Musafir-esque hangover during the interludes. I bow down to Himesh Reshammiya for composing seriously mediocre-yet-addictive songs. Senior Bachchan takes forefront in this simple track, while Ajay Devgn and Junior Bachchan are relegated to voicing the chorus or delivering tacky histrionics. Mamta Sharma leaves a significant mark despite being heard for a short while. The others form a part of the chorus. My only grievance with Mr. Reshammiya is the lack of a prominent continuous hardcore Indian beat which, I feel, would have escalated the song.
If it is Himesh Reshammiya, you can be sure of the presence of a zillion remixes. This one has one too. The aforementioned beats have been added and the tempo has been increased tenfold. Fun, fast-paced track with nothing new to offer.
The biggest grudge I have against Himesh Reshammiya is his necessity to sing as many self-composed songs as possible. The next track Chalao Na Naino Se is a simple 90s desi tune which would have created a greater impact had it been sung by someone of the likes of Sonu Nigam. Also, I might be going crazy but some portions reminded me of Bholi Soorat Dil Ke Khote from Albela.
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Shreya Ghoshal is at her usual best with her honey-like voice. Personally, the woman needs to be challenged with some really difficult / tricky-to-sing songs. For example, she commanded attention with the highly-difficult Mere Dholna from Bhool Bhulaiyaa. Overall, an average song.
The remix is, for the lack of a better word, weird. Not my cup of tea for sure.
Ajay-Atul make an appearance with a guest track Nach Le Nach Le. Be wary of this one since it starts with a seductive cabaret-esque note which gives way to a full-fledged desi dance track. Undoubtedly, my favorite track of the lot, this one deviates from the stereotypical 90s vibe emitted by the other tracks. Shreya Ghoshal has this uncanny ability to make her listeners swoon to her melodious voice and she succeeds at it once again. Do listen to this power-packed track. My only complaint is the presence of a vague similarity to their own Chikni Chameli during the interludes.
Why would anyone want to create a remix of this song considering its fast-paced tempo? This thought disappeared within seconds of hearing the remix of Nach Le Nach Le which, surprisingly, is an enjoyable hear.
My eyes immediately brightened on reading Mohit Chauhan’s name as the singer for the next track – Jab Se Dekhi Hai. They also took a full 360 degrees roll on hearing the song itself. Mohit is awesome – the track is not since it seems to have been created in a hurry by revamping the songs of Dangerous Ishhq and putting a new spin on them. DI’s Tu Hi Rab boasted of the sounds of a violin – this one seems to have used the cello. Since credit must be given where it’s due, the lyrics are passionate and Mohit does full justice to the song.
The original sounds much, much better when compared to its abysmal techno remix.
Overall, the soundtrack of Bol Bachchan comprises of a mixture of good and bad songs. Some have a situational feel and will hopefully be more appealing when viewed on screen. As for my previous theory with respect to Rohit Shetty’s movies, this one has 8 tracks – out of which 4 are remixes. Out of the 8 tracks, only 3 worked for me. I guess, my theory still holds true.
SHRESHT’S PICKS: Bol Bachchan, Nach Le Nach Le, Nach Le (Remix), Chalao Na Naino Se
RATING: **1/2 out of *****
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