You can listen to the soundtrack here.
While carrying traces of Dance Pe Chance from RNBDJ, Ainvayi Ainvayi is far more engaging, Salim Sulaiman giving an entertaining twist to the regular Punjabi tune with their clever use of instruments. Salim Merchant and Sunidhi Chauhan do a fab job at the rendition, Salim interestingly sounding like a regular Punjabi singer. Abhijit Vaghani adds well to the dancey feel in the Club Mix. Credits say that Master Saleem has replaced Salim Merchant in this one, though I could not detect a change in voice and Master Saleem’s is a pretty characteristic voice at that. The composers then up the ante with the brilliantly arranged Tarkeebein. Set to a template that sees a mix of rock and classical elements, Benny Dayal and Salim Merchant complete the vocal part with elan. Shreya Ghoshal’s Aadha Ishq sounds very Pritam-esque both in its melody and the arrangement. And is engaging like a regular Pritam melody is, though in the risk of losing its enjoyability over multiple listens.
Benny Dayal returns with Himani Kapoor to deliver the sufi-based track Dum Dum. But this time the results aren’t that good, the rather clichéd arrangement making the track a middling affair. The Sufi Mix by Abhijit Vaghani has Sukhwinder Singh taking Benny’s place. Wonder why this was called Sufi Mix though, considering it dilutes the Sufi elements in the original. Things are appropriately made up in Mitra that follows, Amitabh Bhattacharya and Salim Merchant singing to a wonderfully orchestrated rock background. The composers present another Punjabi track in Baari Barsi which though engaging doesn’t come out as good as Ainvayi.. in spite of some quality rendition by Harshdeep Kaur and Labh Janjua, again undone by the clichéd elements in the arrangement like Dum Dum. The title track by Salim and Shraddha Pandit which brings up the rear is perfect trailer background material, like it is being employed, short and catchy.
It has been a relatively quiet year on the mainstream composing front for Salim Sulaiman, their only other complete score being the not-so-great Teen Patti. In that context, Band Baaja Baaraat is a definite winner with some fantastic tracks, though not the duo’s best.
Music Aloud Rating — 7.5/10
Recommended tracks — Tarkeebein, Ainvayi Ainvayi, Mitra
