Back then in the early 2000s, Sukhwinder Singh was still trying to make a name as a music director, but his music had yet to click with audiences. Despite this, he continued to receive assignments and ‘Kaafila’ (2007), set in the desert and revolving around illegal immigration, offerred another golden opportunity to prove himself.
The film is set in the desert and its theme revolves around illegal immigration. This type of story offers a great opportunity for music and Sukhwinder Singh had given another golden chance to prove that his melodies are not flukes.
“Hum Raks” was supposed to be a merry masculine number with two of the most powerful voices in Indian music, Sukhwinder Singh and Daler Mehndi. However, the final product is disappointing, with both singers delivering half-baked performances. Daler Mehndi is completely wasted and his voice is barely recognizable in the track. Sukhwinder Singh, as the music director, has also failed to extract the best from his own gifted voice.
The orchestration is a complete let-down. The accordion, which could have made a great presence in the track, is wrongly used as an accompaniment in the background music and is hardly heard. Repeated beats predominate all over and fail to give the song an entertaining feel.
DJ Raju Shanker has the difficult task of turning this piece into a rocking remix. He incorporates rap elements into the reworked version, deleting the accordion music to make space for more funky beats. However, Earl D’Souza’s rap portions do not fit into the track and appear to be forced. As a result, “Hum Raks (Club Mix)” remains a weak remixed version.
“Kabhi Kabhi Sapne Bhi” is instantly catchy due to its many singers (Sukhwinder Singh, Abhijeet, Mohd. Aziz and Gurusewak Mann) and its resemblance to the Darbar-composed “Woh Kisna Hai” from ‘Kisna’ (2005). When played, the song evokes memories of many old songs from the ’90s. Sukhwinder Singh gets the best singing portion, while one would have expected Mohd. Aziz to sing more lines. However, Mohd. Aziz still makes his presence felt with his high-pitched rendering.
The song features a variety of instruments, including the accordion, shehnai, tabla and various folk instruments. The male chorus is extensively used in the last interlude, giving the song an army feel at the end. “Kabhi Kabhi Sapne Bhi” is still a good listen.
The opening music sequence of “Lodhi Di Raat” is a direct copy of A R Rahman’s “Taal Se Taal Mila” from the movie ‘Taal’ (1999), before Sukhwinder Singh’s vocals come in. Dolly Sidhu delivers a sincere performance, while Abei contributes to the rap sections. The song is quite noisy and has been stuffed with familiar “Taal” beats, which have been mixed with traditional Punjabi lyrics. A plethora of vocal effects also make the track quite confusing.
“Chala Kaafila” is a fun and upbeat song with a catchy tune. Sukhwinder Singh’s powerful voice is a highlight and the male choruses create a macho atmosphere. Shahanaa Pandit’s voice is different from the other female singers in the soundtrack, and she sings the lines “I don’t wanna wait no more, let’s bring the house down!” in a traditional way. Sukhwinder Singh sings the alaaps and closes the song with an energetic climax. At the end of the song, there is a reprise of the song “Kabhi Kabhi Sapne Bhi”.
“Jab Tak Hai Saans” is a three-minute inspirational song sung by Sukhwinder Singh, Abhijeet and an uncredited female singer. The song is about facing hardships and challenges. The music is slow-paced at first, but it picks up in the interludes. The male chorus is heard throughout the song and it ends abruptly on a flute melody.
“Sandesa Aaya” is the best song on the soundtrack, with peaceful flute music and Sukhwinder Singh’s soulful voice. Abhijeet and Nadi Majnun also have a few lines and do a good job. The background music includes soft tabla sounds and Sukhwinder’s alaaps.
Sukhwinder relies heavily on his vocals in the ‘Kaafila’ album, even using them as alaaps in some tracks. However, he faces the challenge of creating a soundtrack with new and haunting melodies, which is possible given the desert setting of the film. Some of the tracks are very situational and may take time to grow on listeners. “Sandesa Aaya” is worth a listen, but it is not particularly memorable or haunting. “Kabhi Kabhi Sapne Bhi” and “Chala Kaafila” are average. Special mention must be made of the lyricist, who has chosen the perfect words for each song.
Rating: 3/5
