Hey babby !!!

The music score of Sajid Khan’s first full-length feature film (as director) ‘Heyy Babyy’ is yet another testimony to the talent and versatility of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.
‘Heyy Babyy’ is essentially a feelgood comedy about three men and a baby. Akshay Kumar, Fardeen Khan, Ritesh Deshmukh and Vidya Balan comprise the film’s cast.
The title song Heyy Babyy is a moderately paced dance number with groovy beats. Despite an ordinary melody, the song has a very catchy bass line. And the singers, Pervez Quadir, Neeraj Sridhar, Raman and Loy, never try to infuse any superficial energy into their vocals. This, along with the song’s chorus, makes it an eminently hearable and danceable track. It would also turn out to be an eye-candy track in the film as it features as many as 20 actresses.
DJ Whosane infuses some extra zing into this number in the Big 'O' Remix version, which is high on tempo and spunk.
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy step into a different mould altogether in the rustic Dholna – a very simple composition with a delectable blend of tabla, dhapli, harmonium and guitar. On top of it Sherya Ghoshal’s soothing voice, coupled with Sonu Nigam’s evocative vocals, lend a subtle and unassuming appeal to this song.
DJ Whosane again gives a different twist to this track in Dholna - Love is in the Air Remix. Without altering the tempo much, Whosane embellishes the track with a sprinkling of piano notes and hip-hop sounds.
Jaane Bhi De has a rhythmic feel but a mediocre melody. The song’s lyrics convey a feeling of taking things easy. Sample this: Gustakhi maaf kar de, Ab to insaaf kar de, Apna dil saaf kar de…Kehna toh maan le…Jaane bhi de, Jo bhi hua, Jaane bhi de. Shankar Mahadevan’s soft but vivacious singing brings a breeziness into this otherwise passable track.
Jaane Bhi De – Hip hop Hiccup Remix has more hiccups than hip-shaking hops.
Temperature rises with Mast Kalandar, originally a traditional song paying ode to the 13th century Sufi master Lal Shahbaaz Kalandar (literally translated as Red Falcon). The song, sung by Salim Shehzada, Rehan Khan and Shankar Mahadevan, is a high-energy, powerful number that sets your blood rushing and feet tapping.
Australian ‘Girl Band’ gives a peppy flavour to the title song Heyy Babyy in its English version. The quartet, comprising of singers Renee Bargh, Renee Armstrong, Jessica Smith and Patrice Tipoki, bring a buoyant feel to this techno-savvy version of the title track.
And then comes the best song of the album – Meri Duniya Tu Hi Re. The lyrics of the song are not directed towards a lover but towards a kid. The song has a lilting, soothing and sentimental melody. Singers Sonu Nigam, Shaan and Shankar further bring tenderness into the number with their gentle singing.
All in all, the music score of ‘Heyy Babyy’ may not be of chart-busting standards, but it has a few songs that remain with you even after a single hearing. Songs like Meri Duniya, Heyy Babyy and Dholna fall into this lot.

Chakde India Chakde !!!

Chak De India’ is a beautifully made film that makes you laugh, makes you cry, gives you goose bumps, and stirs up patriotism inside you. It is a film that every lover of good cinema must watch.
It is heartening to see Yashraj Films move away from their stereotypical mushy romances and sentimental family dramas. Sports, in itself, is not a popular genre in Bollywood. On top of it, ‘Chak De India’ has no love angle even though it has Shah Rukh Khan playing the leading man alongside 16 new girls. Despite so many odds, ‘Chak De India’ turns out to be a riveting film. Reason – excellent writing (by Jaideep Sahni), well etched-out characters, brilliant performances (by Shah Rukh, Shilpa Shukla, Sagarika Ghatge and Chitrashi Rawat) and, last but not the least, superb direction by Shimit Amin .
I cannot recall a single dull moment in the film. From the word go, the movie grips you like a vice and keeps you riveted until the end credits roll. During this ‘Chak De’ ride, you go through myriad emotions. You empathize with the pain of the protagonist, cherish the clashes and camaraderie of the girls, and you are filled with an uplifting, charged-up feeling as you see the underdogs rise to the occasion.
To cut to the chase, ‘Chak De India’ keeps you on the edge of your seat, even though it is a sports-based film and not a thriller.
The film’s story is simple and yet it carries so many undercurrents.
Kabir Khan (Shah Rukh), the best centre-forward in Indian hockey team, misses the crucial, last-minute penalty stroke against Pakistan and is blamed for the Indian team’s defeat in the finals. So much so, he is labeled gaddar (betrayer) by his own fellow countrymen. Disgraced and dishonored for one momentary failure, Kabir Khan leaves his parental house with his mother and disappears into oblivion.
Seven years later he appears again, not as a player but as a coach of a bunch of girls in whom even the Hockey Federation has no confidence. Kabir Khan has just three months to coach and train these girls for the Hockey World Cup in Australia.
The girls come from all over India – Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, North East and other states.
On the outside, Kabir Khan is very strict with the girls. Through his toughness he wants to instill discipline and integrity in the team, something which is significantly missing.
Within the team, there is hardly any camaraderie. There are usual girlie fights and arguments. Somebody is egoistic, somebody too self-centered, somebody is hot-tempered and somebody is simply naïve.
Using very unconventional methods, Kabir Khan manages to create a team spirit among the girls. But some differences remain, only to be sorted out in the World Cup tournament in Australia, which the team must win to make India proud. But Kabir Khan is fighting for more than pride for India. For him the victory would bring redemption (for his momentary failure 7 years ago) and reclamation of his lost honour. And when that moment of reckoning does come, he looks on with disbelief in his teary eyes.
‘Chak De India’ is not just a sports film. It is replete with myriad emotions. And the best part is that Shimit Amin tells the story very realistically, making it all the more believable. He also doesn’t bring any unnecessary dramatization into the story.
The movie has a number of intelligently conceived sequences. For instance, a sequence when the girl’s hockey team has to prove their mettle against the men’s team. The girls lose by a narrow margin, but they get an applause and salutation from male players. Or another sequence when the girls bash up a bunch of eve teasers. These sequences and the last portions of the second half – when the crucial matches are played – evoke a flood of emotions inside a viewer.
A constant thread of humour runs through the film’s narrative. The humour is vernacular, and genuinely funny at that. The funniest of the lot is the rustic Haryanavi girl Komal (Chitrashi Rawat) and the hot-tempered Punjabi girl Balbir Kaur (Tanya Abrol).
After a long time – perhaps since Swades – Shah Rukh gives a substantial reason to write something about his acting. The superstar doesn’t go overboard in his performance in ‘Chak De’– there is no quivering of lips and no heavy breathing. Using his facial expressions and intense eyes to his advantage, with utmost conviction SRK plays a man simmering and seething within. Undoubtedly, this one is a praiseworthy performance from the King Khan.
SRK isn’t the sole focus of the film. Ample footage is given to the girls. Shilpa Shukla (as the egoistic Bindia) delivers a laudable performance. She maintains a snooty, high-headed demeanor throughout the film. Sagarika Ghatge (as the attacking forward player Preeti Sabarwal) is convincing. Vidya Malvade (as the goalie) plays her part well.
To conclude this review, let me say objectively that ‘Chak De India’ surpasses the expectations that I had begun to have from Yashraj Films of late. A great deal of credit for this gripping film should go to director Shimit Amin, who never lets the technicalities, the cinematic style (or still better the visual beauty) overtake the essence of the story.
At the end of the day, ‘Chak De India’ is a deeply touching film that offers plenty for you to carry home with.
Do yourself a favour, go and see this film. It is a must-watch.

Partner !!!

Salman Khan .... Prem

Katrina Kaif .... Priya

Govinda .... Bhaskar

Lara Dutta .... Naina

Director : David Dhawan

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It makes you laugh now and then, but it falls short of being a laugh riot. David Dhawan’s movie ‘Partner’ works because Govinda shows traces of his old comic self once again. One would be stupid to expect some sense out of a David Dhawan flick. He is the man who can give a humorous twist to hogwash. His brand of comedy is strictly slapstick, and pretty enjoyable at that. And ‘Partner’, his comeback film after a gap of one-and-a-half years, does carry a good dose of comedy. But it is certainly not among Dhawan’s best works. Govinda remains the backbone of the film. Salman Khan, sharing almost equal footage, provides him good support. Besides their performances, it is the script that makes the movie click. The plot may be flimsy, but the dialogues are far from banal.

The comedy in the dialogues is in rhyme. For instance when Govinda finds Salman with his (Govinda’s) girlfriend on a boat, he says Tu meri girlfriend ka saiyaan ban ke, naiiya ke upar, chaiyya chaiyya kar raha hai. Or in another scene when Govinda forgets to wear his pants, Salman says: “Dude, you’re practically nude”. The film has many more hilarious dialogues like these with rhyming words.

‘Partner’ tells the story of a Love Guru and his chela. Prem (Salman Khan) was born to be a love guru. He was born among girls, grew up among girls and now he gives advice and guidance to people about how to woo girls.

Enters Bhaskar (Govinda), a chubby, bespectacled dreamer who is in love with his stunningly beautiful boss, Priya (Katrina Kaif), a multi-millionaire heiress of Jaisingh group of industries. When Bhaskar asks Prem for tips to win Priya’s heart, the love guru laughs off and tells Bhaskar to forget her.

After a bit of persuasion and a series of minor misadventures in Phuket, Prem agrees to guide Bhaskar.

On a different front, Prem falls for Naina (Lara Dutta), a journalist who keeps bumping into him while running away from the underworld’s ‘dreaded’ Chhota Don (Rajpal Yadav).
The two love stories move ahead. With more than a little help from Love Guru, Bhaskar is able to make a notable impression on Priya and win her affection. On the other hand, Prem makes his advances on Naina.

Things take a turn when Priya’s father fixes her marriage with a foreigner. This is when Bhaskar arrives on the marriage scene to win her hand. And just when it seems that both Bhaskar and Prem’s respective love stories would have a happy ending, there comes another twist. Their secret is exposed.

The comedy in ‘Partner’ is not cerebral. It is not so high on wit as on slapstick. The jokes and the gags have a desi, street flavour. And there are some dialogues that are indeed hilarious.
When gangster Chhota Don (who speaks in cricket lingo all the time) gets wet by a kid’s urine in a loo, he says: pitch geeli kar di. Or whenever Govinda gets too happy he begins weeping and exclaims: Itni Khushi!.

There is no doubt about the fact that the chemistry between Govinda and Salman is groovy. There is not a single scene in the film in which either of them tries to outdo the other. Despite this, Govinda dominates the proceedings simply because of his superb comic timing. The actor is rediscovering his old magical touch again. Salman, too, gives a few moments of laughter, but he is no match for his chubby partner.

The ladies don’t have much to do in this film. Yet, Katrina Kaif looks mesmerizingly beautiful. Lara Dutta plays her part well. Rajpal Yadav is strictly okay.

‘Partner’ could have done without the Chhota Don track (featuring Rajpal Yadav in a spoof on SRK’s ‘Don’). Even Rajat Bedi’s character (that of a womanizer) is half-baked, though it has some significance in the plot. And there are certain sequences that are completely out of sync. For instance, Salman on a motorboat, dodging a killer rocket. Or Salman getting bullied by a little kid.

‘Partner’ may be heavily inspired from the Hollywood film ‘Hitch’ but the comedy in it is very desi. The music by Sajid-Wajid is funky and goes well with the film’s theme.

All said, the best sequence of ‘Partner’ comes in the end, when both Govinda and Salman are having their honeymoon in adjacent rooms. In this final sequence comes the comedy that will have you in splits.

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Music Album : Partner

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It would be foolish to expect anything serious from a film’s music if David Dhawan happens to be its director and his two favourites Salman Khan and Govinda, the lead actors. ‘Partner’ is a film that promises Dhawan’s trademark kitsch, slapstick and wit, all rolled together in an enjoyable comedy.

The opening track, ‘Do You Wanna Partner’ is high on techno quotient but low on melody. The song, sung by Udit Narayan and Shaan, is a dance track with a heady cocktail of Latino Lambda and elements of qawwali. Sanjay Chel’s words are banal but nicely sequenced to lend a frivolity to the track. An enjoyable number, all in all. Its remix version is high on tempo and bass.

‘Dupatta Tera Nau Rang Da’ continues the upbeat mood with its lively, vibrant spirit that combines Punjabi pop with techno. Both Sonu Nigam and Kunal Ganjawala render this song with full gusto. Sajid Wajid’s musical arrangement gives this number a pepped up feel.

Hip Hop meets Reggae meets desi filmi music in You’re My Love. The song’s rollicking mood stands in sharp contrast to its average melody and unimpressive singing by both Shaan and Shweta Pandit. Hip Hop rap by Earl D'Souza's lends a bit of vigour to this otherwise bland track. The remix version of ‘You’re My Love’ has an added thump.

‘Maria Maria’ weaves a feeling of déjà vu with its folksy Goan feel. Sounds of guitars, drums and violin blend together to create an atmosphere of a party while singers Sonu Nigam and Sunidhi display their vocal dexterity. A strictly passable number.

The album steers back into Punjabi mood with ‘Soni De Nakhre’. Sajid-Wajid muffle the Punjabi bhangra effect with an electronic treatment of this track. Labh Janjuwa’s vocals are earthy and have a rustic flavour.

All in all, the music of ‘Partner’ is no great shakes despite the fact that it offers many dance tracks. The songs in the album do manage to create a mood of fun and frivolity. But there is nothing that makes a place in your heart.