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Zoya Akhtar stormed Bollywood with ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (ZNMB)’ (2011) after her critically acclaimed ‘Luck By Chance’ back in 2007. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy (SEL)’s last work ‘Kill Dil’ (2014) produced some good numbers but failed to impress the listeners. The marketing of the music may have been a reason for this but the film’s failure at the box office also contributed to it.
The association between Excel Entertainment and SEL go way back to 2001 with ‘Dil Chahta Hai’. SEL have been part of most of the production’s house projects over the years and such a gesture is not seen very often in an industry where loyalty doesn’t exist. ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ boasts of an ensemble cast of Ranveer Singh, Priyanka Chopra, Anushka Sharma, Anil Kapoor and Shefali Shah which alone sky shoots the expectations of the listeners. The soundtrack promises to take one on a sparkling entertaining ride that caters to the youth, with five originals and with Javed Akhtar at the helm of lyrics, stakes are very high from all perspectives!
The title track “Dil Dhadakne Do” is something which one doesn’t associate with the musical team of SEL. The pulsating synth rock tune with some gorgeous guitar riffs works well where Priyanka Chopra adds a certain seductive element with her voice. Farhan Akhtar does well but his voice sounds a bit strange/odd in the high notes. The lyrics are carefree and suit the situation well. The video is well shot and while Anil Kapoor dances to the voice of Farhan Akhtar, one wonders if different singers should have been chosen for each different characters! Amit Kumar would have been a good choice for the voice of Anil Kapoor as the veteran singer has sung for him in the 80s and early 90s. Nevertheless, the composition will grow with time and starts off the soundtrack on a good note.
Some vibrant bass guitar riffs sets the mood for a classic rock number. “Pehli Baar” is trademark SEL’s stuff and straightaway the arrangement takes you to “Sooraj Ki Baahon Mein” from ‘ZNMD’. The extended mukhda and the interludes with some zingy electric guitar riffs unleashes magical aura where Siddharth Mahadevan does really well especially for the high pitched vociferous renditions in the hook line and Sukriti Kakkar evokes the right emotions with her soothing stylish vocals. The song has a story flowing with it and is more than just a romantic number which tells you to follow your heart (dil). Keep this one on repeat mode. Rocking!
SEL are in their elements with “Gallan Goodiyan”, an addictive desi celebration number with a Punjabi flavour that is insanely catchy. There is so much happening for the whole five minutes – notice the Punjabi arrangements in the second interlude from 2:32 to 3:25. Zestful is the best way to describe all of this! Sukhwinder Singh is at his usual best, Yashita Sharma does well, Manish Kumar Tipu does the funny ‘Hello Hello’ part and makes one smile, Shankar Mahadevan and Farhan Akhtar also joins in with their short parts. It’s a fun dance number that is going to be a rage in the coming days.
“Girls Like To Swing”, picturised on Anushka Sharma, seems to come straight out of Amit Trivedi’s stable, more precisely his recent jazzy ‘Bombay Velvet’. The trumpet and drums at the very onset makes one brace for an outrageous jazzy number where Sunidhi Chauhan carves magic with her dazzling renditions backed up stylishly by the chorus and some lively lyrics by Javed Akhtar. The composition is high on arrangements and despite being a jazz’s track, this one caters to the masses and makes up for a high spirited foot tapping number, that is here to rule the charts. One word: Splendiferous!!! Go swing with SEL this season.
The only slow situational number in the soundtrack “Phir Bhi Yeh Zindagi” has as many as five singers and the hook line has a hangover of the trio’s previous compositions. Divya Kumar starts off well with his raw voice joined by “Uff Teri Adaa” (‘Karthik Calling Karthik’) girl Alyssa Mendonsa alongside Sapna Pathak, Farhan Akhtar and Vishal Dadlani. The lyrics are ordinary and could have been more inspiring given the genre the song belongs to. Neverthless the soft-rock number is a pre-climax material that will take some to settle down and would grow post the movie’s release.
Overall, ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ is an impressive youthful soundtrack that is full of energetic dance numbers which are high on arrangements and will be an absolute fun to watch. “Pehli Baar” and “Gallan Goodiyan” are chartbusters in the making and will enjoy few good weeks in the Top 10’s chart. Worth your time and money, grab this one right now!
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