Music Review :: Raaz 3

We bring to you the exclusive music review of Vikram Bhatt’s Raaz 3.

NEWSFLASH: A pandemic of sequels seems to have broken across the Indian subcontinent. Audiences, beware!

Mumbai: Modern-day filmmakers seem to be obsessed with ruining seemingly hit movies by churning out their sequels – be it Housefull 2, Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum or even the more recent, Jism 2. Taking the lead, Vishesh Films (Mukesh & Mahesh Bhatt) are releasing the most sequels this year – Jannat 2, Jism 2, Aashiqui 2 and of course, Raaz 3. Besides the Dhoom franchise, sequels are generally considered to be taboo and any film-maker daft enough to attempt one would be venturing into dangerous territory. Honestly, in today’s age, box-office successes really do not matter since the producers recover most of their money by selling the distribution rights and other such rights of their films. How victoriously a film-maker would emerge from such an arena depends on the quality of both, the script, as well as, the music of the film which can make or break a movie.

On face value (a.k.a. the album cover), Raaz 3 boasts of a great array of singers, namely – Javed Ali, Shafqat Amanat Ali, K.K., Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal & Zubeen Garg – all in one single album. Has music director Jeet Gannguli exploited their voices to the fullest and delivered a fantastic soundtrack? Let us take a look.

Javed Ali opens the album with the old-school Deewana Kar Raha Hai. In simple words, the song is nice yet boring and leaves you aurally dissatisfied. I loved the vocals, I understood the melody, I empathized with the song (despite the cringe-worthy lyrics) but the sense of déjà vu refused to leave – you’ve been there, you’ve heard that. The opening song of any album should leave an impact on the listener and this one miserably fails to achieve this. Moverover, it is a blatant copy of an Arabic track by the name of Ana Law Azeto by Egyptian singer Mohamed Hamaki. ‘Tis a shame.

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Next up is Zindagi Se which has been sung by Shafqat Amanat Ali. Barring the soulful sound of the piano and a handful of interesting wordings, this track is utterly forgettable. The tune has nothing new to offer and I am so disappointed with the quality of the music.

Preparing myself for more crappy songs, I proceeded to hear K.K.’s Rafta Rafta. Compared to its predecessors, this lovey-dovey track is Grammy-worthy. As a standalone track, it works in parts – mostly due to K.K.’s harmonious voice. I would’ve preferred an unplugged version of this with minimal instruments. This one emits major chaotic vibes since a number of instruments are heard together.

Dear readers, I NEED to share something important with you. You should know that I hate it when lyricists forcefully incorporate English lyrics in a song when it isn’t necessary. The latest example of this is the next song Oh My Love which has been sung by Sonu Nigam & Shreya Ghoshal. The tune isn’t extraordinary yet it instantly appeals to the ear and is the best track so far. This is also a classic example of a good tune being ruined by below-average lyrics.

Taking a detour from the romantic side of music, Jeet comes up with the theme-like Kya Raaz Hai which, for the lack of better words, simply falls flat. Sung by Shreya Ghoshal & Zubeen Garg, It seems to be a rehashed version of Jab Dil Miley from Yaadein and tries really hard to create a sense of foreboding but, obviously, fails miserably.

Finally, we have Khayalon Mein by Shreya Ghoshal. I like this song but it needs repeated hearings. Sung brilliantly by Shreya, this is undoubtedly the most melodious track of the lot BUT at the end of it, you know something is missing.

I must admit that I am highly disappointed with this album. Vishesh Films have always been associated with good music and Raaz, as well as, Raaz 2 had set the bar higher. Ironically, this album (as well as the recent Blood Money & Jism 2) have managed to dissolve all those standards to dust. Also, they need to sign up dependable lyricists who will escalate their music to a whole new level. Sanjay Masoomm & Kumaar just disappoint with their choice of words in Raaz 3. All in all, Vishesh Films really need to pull up their socks and bounce back with a chartbuster score in the future.