There seems to be a marked increase in Punjabi-orientation in Bollywood filmdom lately. And as a result most of the albums inevitably include a couple or more of Punjabi songs. Aloo Chaat also follows suit, roping in British-Punjabi band RDB alongside a couple of other music directors to create the music. The result? Lets see.
Aloo Chaat
The Arab-Punjabi-Rap mix has been well arranged by the British Bhangra group RDB. Sung by RDB themselves with Nindy Kaur, wife of Manjeet Ral of RDB, this song is surely going to rule the discotheques over days to come. RDB had previously collaborated with Snoop Dogg and Akshay Kumar for the rap version of Singh is Kinng, and also did a song Rafta Rafta for Akshay Kumar in Namastey London.
Equally impressive is a second version of the song done by ex-Parikrama guitarist Vipin Mishra and sung by Kailash Kher. The song sees a fusion between electronic orchestration and Kailash’s folksy singing. Vipin shows his adeptness at employing the right instruments, especially catchy being the use of Sarangi. The only turn-off, however, is the synthesized loop of Aloo Aloo Chaat which keeps appearing intermittently, which could have been avoided. Having created a lasting impression with his debut Bollywood venture, the title track of Mera Pehla Pehla Pyaar, Vipin follows up by adding another engaging track to his kitty. I shall be closely tracking the release of his first full-fledged Bollywood OST, Lets Dance, expected to come out in a couple of months.
Dhadke Jiya
Next up is a romantic number from Xulfi, the singer of Pakistani band, Call – The Band. Though Xulfi’s rendition is not what you would call flawless, it does work to convey the mood, and the instrumentation has been really good to make up for whatever imperfections the singing might have. Though I didn’t quite like Call’s debut album Jilawatan, they have continued to impress hence, first with Laree Choottee from Ek Chaalis Ki Last Local and now this. The remix however doesn’t quite match up with the original, the synthesizing spoiling the effect.
Boliyaan
RDB and Nindy Kaur return with a full-fledged Punjabi song this time, marked by its lavish instrumentation and occasional shifts in tempo. This song falls in the league of songs like Nagada from Jab We Met, akin to a wedding song. If I may be allowed a digression, I somehow can’t quite associate the voice of Nindy Kaur with her appearance!! The second version of the song, sung again by Nindy, impressed me more. That version has a sequence in between that sounds remarkably similar to Le Jaayenge from the 1974 movie Chor Machaaye Shor.
Life Is A Sizzling Aloo Chaat
Kunal Ganjawala hasn’t been having a great time in Bollywood of late, with the last worthwhile song he sang probably being in Saawariya. This Punjabi/English song unfortunately again falls into the category of the less impressive songs. Though Kunal and debutant music director Mehfuz Mahruf try their best to put life into the song, the tune falls flat, helped on its way down by the lyrics. The instrumentation reminds one of older songs though I can’t specifically place the songs. The emotional segment in between doesn’t quite gel in either. Looks like Kunal will have to wait longer for his next big song in Bollywood. Until then its back to Kannada I suppose, where he seems to be having a better time.
For a comedy film, the soundtrack of Aloo Chaat definitely exceeds expectations. The only slight disappointment has been Mehfuz Mahruf, but the other songs more than make up for it.
