(Bollywood top ten is at the end of the article. Let us know your favorites songs by posting to the message board)

Music Review  -Chak De India

Year :     2007
Label :     YASH RAJ MUSIC
Genre :     Drama,Romance
Director :     Shimit Amin
Music Director :     Salim Suleiman
Leading Cast :     Shahrukh Khan, Vidya Malvade
    
     Chak De India marks the return of Shahrukh Khan with Yash Raj Films. Perhaps inspired by the success of Gurinder Chadha Bend-It-Like-Beckham King Khan comes with a hockey stick to lead Indian girl’s hockey team to victory in an international competition – a story that surely seeks to inspire
The must awaited music track has been released and the review is mixed. While the lyrics by Jaideep Sahni are very nice, the track itself has hardly any hummable tunes. A theme track, 'Chak De India' opens the album with 'dhol' beats welcoming you to the playing arena. The initial notes have a clear patriotic touch to them and one almost expects to hear Vande Mataram. Sukhvinder Singh is great as usual and the lyrics could inspire a sports team! Salim Merchant & Marianne D'Cruz are the backup vocalists in this song. While I cannot imagine this hitting the heights of Rehman’s Ma Tujhe Salam or a Chappa Chappa Charaka Chale one can expect to hear this at Independence Day celebrations.

Unfortunately many of the other tracks in this film sound like Zee TV jingles and as one listens to the initial notes of Badal Pe Paon Hai sung by Hema Sardesai, one expects to may be hear the Hot Mix commercial!  The lyrics again are nice for they are centered on the woman of today.

You get yet another jingle feel in the next number where Shahrukh Khan introduces the hockey team with 'Ek Hockey Doongi Rakh Ke' which has him 'narrating' rather than 'singing'. One can hear a little of the first two songs in this track. As Shahrukh Khan talks about each and every player of the team, the team members also talk about their unique traits, likes and dislikes. The narration does give a unique touch to the track. In the end, KK makes a belated appearance for merely crooning the three words - 'Chak De India'. Later in the album, the remix version of the song also appears as 'Hockey Remix', featuring Medival Punditz (Gaurav Raina, Tapan Raj). This time around, it is just the chorus girls in the background who croon the title of the song 'Ek Hockey Doongi Rakh Ke' with Shahrukh Khan missing from the action. The remix also is not high energy and hence one wonders as to how they will do on the DJ circuit.

Bad Bad Girls is a strange title for a women’s lib song. But the song is very rhythmic and rather fast past. Anushka Manchanda, who is fast gaining popularity due to her distinct voice, gets to croon a solo 'Bad Bad Girls'.  The song does grow on you after a while.

Suddenly the mood changes to deep sorrow in 'Maula Mere Lele Meri Jaan' which brings an altogether different feel to the album. Crooned by Krishna & Salim Merchant, this piece is crafted to bring a tear to your eye.

For the non believers “Sattar Minute” clearly shows why Shahrukh is king.. 'Sattar Minute' is not a song but an extended monologue by Shahrukh Khan who gets into an inspirational mode with his hockey team. In the track, he motivates them to go and deliver their best without worrying much about winning or losing. His voice modulation and dialogue delivery makes this special.

While the track is disappointing one suspects that the theme and the power of the King will carry the film or at least we hope. So we are not ready yet to chuck “Chak De India” into the unpopular music side. May be the picturization will redeem the track.

Here is a list of top ten songs for this week as per Planet Bollywood.
Post your favorites .

#10     Akele Tanha     Singers: Tulsi Kumar
 Album / Film: Darling

#9     Listen To The Music     Singers: Ali Larter, Shaan, Truth Hurts
 Album / Film: Marigold
 Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy     Lyrics: Javed Akhtar (Hindi) and Willard Carroll (English)

#8     Anjana     Singers: M.M Kreem
 Album / Film: Dhokha
 Music: M.M Kreem and Shiraz Uppal     Lyrics: Shakeel Azmi, Sayeed Quadri, Khusbir Singh Shaad and Bharat Bhushan Pant

#7     Allah Hoo     Singers: Saeen Zahoor, Zara Madani
 Album / Film: Khuda Kay Liye


#6     Mind Blowing Mahiya     Singers: Sunidhi Chauhan
 Album / Film: Cash
 
 Music: Vishal-Shekhar     Lyrics: Vishal Dadlani and Panchhi Jalonvi

 
#5     Heyy Babyy     Singers: Neeraj Shridhar, Raman, Pervez Quadri, Loy Mendonca
 Album / Film: Heyy Babyy


#4     Soni De Nakhre     Singers: Labh Janjua, Sneha Pant, Wajid
 Album / Film: Partner
     
 Music: Sajid-Wajid     Lyrics: Sanjay Chhel, Shabbir Ahmed and Jalees Sherwani


#3     Ek Din Teri Raahon     Singers: Javed Ali
 Album / Film: Naqaab
 
 Music: Pritam     Lyrics: Sameer

#2     Bol Na Halke Halke     Singers: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Mahalaxmi Iyer
 Album / Film: Jhoom Barabar Jhoom

 Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy     Lyrics: Gulzar

 
#1     Mahiya     Singers: Suzanne D’Mello
 Album / Film: Awarapan
 Music: Re-created By Pritam     Lyrics: Sayeed Quadri and Asif Ali Beig (Additional)

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