Love U... Mr. Kalakaar!, Shaitan, Love Express, Kashmakash - Music Review

Love U... Mr. Kalakaar! (2011)
Music: Sandesh Shandilya

A very simple and unassuming album. The songs are really easy going and will make for a calm and romantic background music. None of the songs try really hard to be great, a typical Sandesh Shandilya feature.

1. Sarphira Sa Hai Dil -------------------------------------- 7/10
This is the best of the average. A simple, soft romantic number by the leading pair of playback singers: Neeraj Shridhar and Shreya Ghoshal. This song reminds us how easy going and pleasant romantic tracks could be.

Brownie points:

• Tera Intezaar - Another classical (not Indian classical) Bollywood romantic track. Very plain and straightforward, but not too bad to be ignored altogether
• Kahin Se Chali Aa - Mohit Chauhan fans have something more to add to their collection. A little slower in tempo than the rest, but more of a soft melody. For melody lovers.

Final verdict: Get track 1 above, otherwise an album that will be easily forgotten, but does not deserve harsh criticism.

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Shaitan (2011)
Music: Prashant Pillai, Amar Mohile, Ranjit Barot, Anupam Roy, Laxmikant Kudalkar, Pyarelal

A pretty unconventional and techno album, containing trance and hard rock instrumentals. Also, the number of instrumentals is overwhelming.  There are no standard songs to be found here. Only, let me stress, only if you have an ear for techno, hard rock music, you could go for these:

1. Josh - Techno rap. Loses steam in the steam in the later half
2. Fareeda - Grunge rock by Suraj Jagan
3. Unleashed (Music) - The first of the hard rock from Bollywood. This is advertised as an instrumental, except if you can figure out the super hoarse whispering.
4. Outro (Music) - A very short but impressive techno rock instrumental.

Final verdict: Not great but hard rock and techno.

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Love Express (2011)
Music: Jaidev Kumar

A pretty unexpected album. With Love Express as the movie title, more peppy romantic tracks were expected, but contains most songs that are either Indian classical, ghazals and folklike. Nothing wrong with it, although the breadth of audience would be limited. Overall, a pretty forgettable album with this exception:

• Mohe Machli Tum Neer (Traditional Lyrics) - If you are melancholy-ghazals fan, this one is good.

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Kashmakash (2011)

Music: Raja Narayan Deb, Sanjoy Das

Indian classical musical fans would love it. It is hard to determine for certain if the music has Bengali overtones or not, for not having exposed to such music, but being a movie based on Ravindranath Tagore's novel, it would not be a surprise. Indian classical fans could check these out:

• Manwa - A melodious Shreya Ghoshal. Playful and joyous
• Teri Seemanyen - Another melody by the legendary Shreya Ghoshal
• Khoya Kya - A sorrowful track bringing Karuna ras to the fore
• Nau Meri - Ditto as Khoya Kya. Hariharan excels in both.

Sarphira Sa Hai Dil - Love U... Mr. Kalakaar! Tera Intezaar - Love U... Mr. Kalakaar! Kahin Se Chali Aa - Love U... Mr. Kalakaar! Josh - Shaitan Fareeda - Shaitan Unleashed (Music) - Shaitan Outro (Music) - Shaitan Mohe Machli Tum Neer (Traditional Lyrics) - Love Express Manwa - Kashmakash Teri Seemanyen - Kashmakash Khoya Kya - Kashmakash Nau Meri - Kashmakash