You can listen to the songs here (link via @bhattapratan).
Selfie Le Le Re is middling, despite the energy levels in the song and singing by Vishal Dadlani, Nakash Aziz and Url(?). The second dance song Aaj Ki Party fares relatively better, building on the now-staple South Indian style percussion-heavy base, only Mika Singh’s repetitive rendition style pulling the song down. The third one in the category is where composer Pritam produces a winner though. Chicken Kuk-Doo-Koo milks the inherent fun nature of Goan flavour and a wacky arrangement that features clucking of chicken and even kitchen utensils (punctuated by the occasional South Indian-ish naadaswaram bits, curious inclusion that). Mohit Chauhan owns the vocals with a cameo from Palak Muchchal; wonder if the yodelling was done by him though the yodelling done by Wylie Galt Gustafson and Bernhard Betschart (details here, thanks to @chiranjeev100 for this). And got a feeling that there’s something of a yesteryear tribute element in the arrangement, though I am unable to pinpoint that. In Bhar Do Jholi Pritam apparently adapts a traditional qawwali. Starts off quite promisingly but fizzles out over time, partly because of its largely monotonous and ordinary sound over the 8+ minutes duration (some lovely harmonium though, as expected). And clearly Adnan Sami is not made for singing qawwalis, his rendition sticks out rather badly. With Imran Aziz Mian replacing Sami in the reprise version it fares better at least on the vocal front, though everything else remains the same.
Which brings us to the melodic songs of the soundtrack. Tu Chaahiye is very recognisably Pritam material. It is enjoyable nevertheless, pleasant tune, strings-based breezy arrangement and all. Atif Aslam’s presence at the mic adds to that familiarity but he does well. Zindagi Kuchh Toh Bata starts off sounding like a reprise of Tu Chaahiye but takes a different, more delightful route – a lounge-ish laidback setting and lovely tune that is sung really well by Jubin Nautiyal. Jubin’s version scores over the alternate version despite having Rekha Bhardwaj and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan on vocals, the understated arrangement works in former’s favour. There is a nice improv section by Rekha towards the end of the second version that you should watch out for though. The final song Tu Jo Mila comes in three versions. The original version and Dekhna Na Mud Ke version don’t vary much, except in the singers – former has KK while the latter is sung by Javed Ali. Javed does well, but this is a genre that KK has been the baap of, before Javed even hit the scene, and that shows! The third reprise version has a more subdued tone, and Papon does a soulful rendition. Among the three I still prefer KK’s, however.
Bajrangi Bhaijaan. Pritam ends his long break presenting one of the better Salman Khan movie soundtracks in quite a long time.
Music Aloud Rating: 7/10
Top Recos: Tu Jo Mila, Zindagi Kuchh Toh Bata, Chicken Kuk-Doo-Koo
