movie talkies & bollywood hungama gave 4/5 stars said things like a star (Sohail Sen) is born and "Though music played an important part in each of his (Ashutosh's previous) films, none of the films could be branded as a musical per se"
--- In [email protected], Gomzy <gomtesh.upad...@...> wrote: > > http://movies.rediff.com/report/2009/aug/19/whats-your-raashee-music-review.htm > > > > > [image: Priyanka Chopra in What's Your Raashee]What's your Raashee is a > great gamble. And for reasons more than one. > > Ashutosh Gowariker, who has so far worked with only the top-billed cast and > crew, tempts fate by casting Hurman Baweja [ > Images<http://search.rediff.com/imgsrch/default.php?MT=hurman+baweja>] > in his first-ever romantic comedy. Moreover, he has signed on music > composer Sohail Sen, a relative greenhorn (past credits include Sirf and > unreleased The Murderer) to replace A R Rahman [ > Images<http://search.rediff.com/imgsrch/default.php?MT=a+r+rahman>]. > > While the results of Hurman's last attempt at salvaging his career post Love > Story 2050 will de decided after the film releases, Gowariker's gamble with > Sohail Sen may not have paid off. > > There are 13 situational songs here with 12 dedicated to the different > zodiac signs. It is quite a challenge to be innovative with as many tracks, > and keep the listener's interest alive with each. Where Sen disappoints > largely is in the mixing and arrangement, which gives WYR a very dated, > amateurish feel. Add to it, his audacious attempts at singing. He is no Amit > Trivedi, who lent his distinctively raspy voice to Dev D [ > Images<http://search.rediff.com/imgsrch/default.php?MT=dev+d>]. Sen's > voice lacks depth and timbre. However, playback singing these days, > often has little to do with trained, skilled voices, as with character. > Unfortunately for Sen, his absolute lack of the latter kills all the songs > he attempts. > > Start with the title track, What's Your Rashee/Pal Pal Jisko Dhoonde. Sen > tries to take Rahman's jazz/blues lead in Jaane Tu [ > Images<http://search.rediff.com/imgsrch/default.php?MT=jaane+tu>]... > Ya Jaane Na. It starts off alright with the right kind of sensuous > jazz > mood, but the moment Sen begins to croon, it falls apart. That's a real > pity, because the song had tremendous potential, especially in the chorus > parts where the right kind of voice could have lifted this number to its > deserved levels. > > Jao Na, dedicated to the Aquarius girl, is receiving fair amount of air > play, and is an interesting attempt at creating a sound driven purely by > guitar, vocals and bass. The guitar parts hark back to the Ashiqui days, the > singing, flat. Bollywood is now used to way superior guitar skills and this > song suffers quite a bit because of the average musicianship. The hummable > melody notwithstanding. > > [image: Hurman Baweja in What's Your Raashee]Sen tries his hand at fusing > global sounds with folk in the Gemini track Aaja Lehraate (Shaan [ > Images<http://search.rediff.com/imgsrch/default.php?MT=shaan>]/Bhavya > Pandit) with average results. While the Cancerian's Bikhri Bikhri > (Sen, Marianne D/Cruz), is more like a soft ballad, and probably the only > mellow number in the set. What makes this track work, is the deliciously > slow tempo, driven by a tabla and a pleasant melody. > > The Libran woman is somewhat of a Dominatrix, in Maanunga Maanunga, which > has enough drama in the sounds, arrangement and lyrics to make for an > interesting picturisation. Gowariker has sung this one, along with Pamela > Jain. Quite a situational number, which however does not make for great > listening. > > Sen pays a personal tribute to Sooraj Barjatya and Ekta Kapoor [ > Images<http://search.rediff.com/imgsrch/default.php?MT=ekta+kapoor>] > (his uncle composed the erstwhile national favourite Kyunki Saas Bhi > Kabhi > Bahu Thi after all) with the Pisces girl's Sau Janam. Guess it is about the > whole 'enduring love sworn at karva chaut'- kind of storyline and the > choice of singers is also not surprising -- Udit Narayan and Madhusheee > and... Sen again! > > The Scorpio girl's Aa Le Chal (Aslesha Gowariker and Harman) is a song that > could have been quite a catchy, peppy number but for the surprisingly naff > sax sound coupled with Harman's mumbling. Aslesha, incidentally, is > Gowariker's sister and a lawyer by profession and has an interesting voice > to watch out for. > > Alka Yagnik [ > Images<http://search.rediff.com/imgsrch/default.php?MT=alka+yagnik>] > is at her unflattering worst in the Virgo song, Pyaari Pyaari, which > is > intended to be a dreamy number. Sen pairs up with Yagnik ineffectually in > this number about a quiet, mellow kind of love. > > [image: A poster of What's Your Raashee]Somehow, the Taurean girl's Su Chhe > springs a refreshing surprise with the right kind of Gujju glam. Flamenco > style guitar with Arabic sounds, coupled with Bela Shende's lively singing > makes this a zesty track. And more in keeping with the contemporary romance > the film is purported to be. > > Salone Kya (Sagittarius) continues with the Arabic influences on a seductive > note leading to an ambitious Dhadkan [ > Images<http://search.rediff.com/imgsrch/default.php?MT=dhadkan>] > Dhadkan (Leo) in the next. This one (Tarannum Mallik and Sen) sees > electronica meet Broadway in a robust track which pays a rightful tribute to > this imperious fire sign. > > Finally, what is my personal favourite, Koi Jaane Na (Rajab Ali Bharti and > Bela Shende) for the Capricorn girl. Sen seems heavily influenced by both > Ismail Durbar and Rahman in this track, with classical moorings and > benefited by Rajab's powerful vocals. Haunting melody, lyrics (Javed > Akhtar), vocals, arrangement -- most things seem to go right with this one, > which could make for repeats. > > Unfortunately, Sen ends with Chehre Jo Dekhe Hain, which begins on a > promising and a raunchy groove, but dwindles into a 'karaoke arrangement' > that is programmed into keyboards. The kind of track that plays when the > credits roll and you are in a hurry to leave. Avoidable. > > To be fair, Sen tries every trick in his book to come up with a varied > soundtrack, with each song trying to capture the essence of each of the > zodiac signs. Unfortunately, execution is where this young lad from a famous > musical family (his father is Sameer Sen of the Dilip Sen-Sameer Sen duo) > falls flat on his face. As I have mentioned earlier, the guitar parts in > some of the songs are extremely late 1980s- 1990s. The horn sections, > instead of sexing things up, sound like cheesy elevator music, thanks to the > poor production and trite solos. And then there's the problem with Sohail's > singing. > > All in all, What's Your Raashee is a case of wasted opportunity. > > *Rediff Rating: * >
