Jaane Tu ya jaane Na music review

By Meena Sundaram

 Jaane tu ya jaane Na presented by Aamir Khan productions is a film featuring a number of actors making their debuts. It is a launching vehicle for Aamir’s nephew Imran Khan and there has been a good response to the film and its youthful characters. The maestro A.R. Rahman whose last musical offering was the amazing music of Jodha- Akbar has composed the music of this film.  He introduces a number of new singers and has a few discoveries that deserve to be heard in future albums. He wears a different hat and attitude in the songs featured in this film. The lyrics are by Abbas Tyrewala who also directs the movie. He is credited with penning dialogues for Munnabhai M.B.B.S and Main hoon na among others. Let’s check out the songs.

1: Kabhi kabhi aditi is a cute song about friendship and caring. Rashid Ali, an A.R discovery, sings it with incredible finesse. The music has some great guitar riffs throughout and has a unique vibe to it. It is a thoroughly enjoyable number

2: Pappu can’t dance is sung by a number of singers and is in the techno-pop genre. Despite banal lyrics( Rado ki ghadi haathon mein perfume Gucciwala), the song is creatively composed and sequenced and soon I was humming “Pappu can’t dance, saala!”

Great computer generated rhythms and an addictive beat makes this song immensely appealing for all ages. The ladies( Tanvi and Bhargavi) singing the piece “ Thirakitathana” are fabulous and sing the western and the more classical  phrases with equal aplomb. There is also a little take on “ Papa kehte hain”, a nod to Aamir’s debut.  I loved this song!

3 and 7: Jaaane tu ya jaane na: The title song comes in 2 versions. Sukhvinder Singh’s version is characterized by over-the-top emotional expressions and overly stylized singing. This is NOT one of his best songs.

The award goes to Runa, another new singer who brings the right kind of pathos and a fine balance of technique and voice quality to bring out the full effect of the song. The musical arrangements of Runa’s version are also superior.

The lyrics deserve special mention “ Hai dosti humko yakeen tha dosti aur kuch bhi nahin tha, par kaise tujhko bataaein, kyon chubhte hain pairon mein kaante”

4: Nazrein milana, Nazrein churana: A group of college-age kids traveling together. Brings back memories, doesn’t it? Well, listen to this song and revisit those days. It has a great melody, good rhythm and excellent singing. This is fun, vibrant song.  Enjoy!

5: Tu Bole: A.R. Rahman’s ode to jazz is a very cool, jazzy, minimalist number sung by A.R himself. It has very unique modern lyrics and has an intimate lounge feel to it. A.R sings it with a certain lightness that serves the song well. “ Main boloon din hai tu bole raat nahin”. Jazz drums by Ranjit Barot are excellent. This is a very creative number!

6:Kahin to: The poignancy of love lost and friends left behind is the theme of this song. Rashid Khan gets to flex his vocal chords and soars effortlessly in the high notes. The violins provide an effective backdrop to his vocals. Vasundhara Das makes a brief appearance and is thoroughly underutilized.

8: Pappu can’t dance remix: This song deserves mention for being a remix version that has its own excellent composition and stands head-to head with the original. The remixing has been seamless and creative, making the remix version as good as if not better then the original.

 This is a lively collection of songs and offers more than youthful enthusiasm. It doesn’t have the star quality of Lagaan or Dil se  but offers a great mix of new voices, unique musical styles and effective lyrics. Play on!

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