R. Balki’s films have never really known for their music. The director, who collaborated with music composer Ilaiayaraja for each of his three films (‘Cheeni Kum’, ‘Paa’ and ‘Shamitabh’) opts for songs that helps in propelling the story of his films forward and the kind which does not does not make much of an impact aurally.
Interestingly, Ilaiyaraja has composed just one track in Ki & Ka, his new film. The composers credited for the other tracks are Meet Bros, Yo Yo Honey Singh and Mithoon. T-Series chief Bhushan Kumar has been credited as the music producer and one expects his sensibilities to seep in the music as he seems to be the man behind the choice of composers here. One expects a better soundtrack here as the film is a romantic drama featuring two young actors in the lead roles.
Jaz Dhami and Yo Yo Honey Singh’s 2012 hit “High Heels” has been recreated by Meet Bros with a brand new hook line which turns out to be the highlight of the song. They retain the vibrancy of the original track and add some zingy arrangements to make it sound more energetic. Aditi Singh Sharma, who lends her voice for Kareena Kapoor Khan, makes sure that her voice does not get unnoticed in this male-voice dominated number. The song came out four years back and has spawned several clones since then. However, it still sounds catchy and Meet Bros have spruced it enough to be lapped up by listeners again.
“Ji Huzoori”, composed by Mithoon, is reminiscent of the composer’s early work. The track works because of a melodious tune and some well written verses by Sayeed Quadri. The melancholic feel of the song is in sharp contrast to the dance number that precedes it. A variety of Indian and western instruments are heard in the background with the sound of tabla accompanying the track throughout most of its duration.
In “Most Wanted Munda”, lyricist Kumaar writes some interesting lines describing man who has no qualms about doing the kind of work one normally associates with women. The music (Meet Bros) has a strong late 90s feel to it and the tune only manages to engage in bits and parts. Meet Bros sing the song too and sound like Shaan in certain portions. Given the theme of the song, one expects to see a fun video accompanying it. As an audio track, it is not something which one would like to hear multiple number of times. “Kabir Most Wanted Munda”, another version of the song, has a female vocalist (Palak Muchhal) and a rap portion by Arjun.
Ilaiyaraja’s music is finally heard on the album with “Foolishq”, written by Amitabh Bhattacharya. The song, dominated by electronic beats, somewhat reminds one of “Hello Hello” (‘Jhootha Hi Sahi’). Though the song is relatively better than the A R Rahman composed number, it does not leave a lasting impact on the listener. Also, the song ends abruptly which is odd. Shreya Ghoshal and Armaan Malik have been paired for the first time and they sound good together.ello
The only thing which does not let “Pump It (The Workout Song)” turn into a totally forgettable affair is the spirited rendition by Yash Narvekar. Inane lyrics and an unimaginative tune – the song has absolutely nothing going for it. In fact, you feel like switching off your music system as Meet Bros scream “Pump it, pump it” in the background.
Barring two songs (“High Heels” and “Ji Huzoori”), there is almost nothing in the album that would cheer up a music buff. R Balki’s earlier films did not have music that struck a chord with the listeners and things are not going to change with the arrival of the Ki & Ka album as this multi-composer soundtrack fails to impress.
Rating: 2/5
