Very few were aware of ‘Zid’ when it was being shot but the film has received a lot of attention in the last couple of days what with its theatrical trailer grabbing a lot of eyeballs, largely due to the erotic content that seems to have shocked many. Zid, produced by Anubhav Sinha, marks the debut of Priyanka Chopra’s cousin Barbie Handa, who shall be now known as Mannara, her newly adopted screen name. The film has music by Sharib and Toshi and lyrics written by Shakeel Azmi. Sharib and Toshi are known for composing songs that are heavily influenced by the kind of music churned out in the 90s, with a soft rock touch to them . Shakeel Azmi has mostly worked with Roop Kumar Rathod on his film projects and has occasionally written for other composers. Shakeel’s style of writing is quite similar to that of Sayeed Quadri. Both these lyricists use a lot of Urdu words in their songs and write simple but extremely meaningful lyrics. Zid is an erotic thriller which has a violent love story at the core of it. The music is expected to carry the intensity and fervor of the subject that the film deals with.
“Saanson Ko” is an intense love song that successfully reflects the theme of the film. However, the song reminds one of the numerous love songs composed along similar lines. One of the many songs it reminds us of is ‘Main Dhoondne Ko Zamaane Mein’ (Heartless). Incidentally, both these songs have been sung by Arijit Singh. The composers have paid a lot of attention to the arrangements though. The interlude that one hears from 1:25 to 2:05 in the song is noteworthy. Shakeel Azmi’s lyrics are full of passion and help the protagonist express his gratitude to his beloved for her love.
“Tu Zaroori” goes several notches higher than the first song as the tune is not only immensely likeable but also, sounds fresh. This song, like ‘Saanson Ko’, oozes a lot of passion but has a more playful tune. Hearing Sunidhi’s voice in such songs only makes you wonder as to why the singer is not given such soft romantic numbers to sing more often. Sharib is a talented singer but his electronically treated voice that one gets to hear in the song does not work. Maybe, he believed this song needed a different tonal quality. Why did he not, then, rope in another singer whose voice would have done complete justice to this song? Having said that, Sharib and Toshi do not disappoint as composers and deliver a track that deserves to be heard more than once. The song also appears in a reprise version. The only difference between the original and reprise version is that the latter does not have a female vocalist and is sung by Sharib and Toshi. Sharib and Toshi are not only twins but also have similar voices. So, it’s impossible to figure their voices. But, as I pointed out earlier, the technically enhanced voice does not work.
Time to get nostalgic again as Sharib and Toshi compose “Mareez-E-Ishq” that reminds one of the kind of songs Nadeem Shravan composed for Vishesh Films in the early 2000s. It would be unfair to compare Sharib Toshi with veterans like Nadeem Shravan but the track is reminiscent of the times when Nadeem Shravan were doing a bit of experiment and trying to bring in a contemporary sound to their music. The Sharib Toshi number pales when compared to those songs but makes for a good hear. The tune is pleasant but as was the case with ‘Saanson Ko’, suffers from over familiarity.
After three romantic numbers, it’s time for the album to give the listeners a glimpse of the thriller element in the film with “Zid”, the title track. This one is the weakest track in the album as Sharib and Toshi derive inspiration from several music pieces used in Hindi horror films to make this stereotypical song that is supposed to haunt the listeners with its atmospheric sound. The tune meanders along without any direction and is a forgettable affair, even though it lasts for six long minutes. With the help of some striking visuals, the song might be able to make impact but as a standalone audio track, it fails.
Even if Sharib and Toshi wish to restrict themselves to a particular style of music, they should try to experiment within that space and come up with some fresh tunes. ‘Zid’ offers a sparkling track in the form of ‘Tu Zaroori’. The two songs, sung by Arijit, are decent enough to be heard a couple of times while the title track fails to make an impression. A decent package!
Rating: 2.5/5
