AUDIOSCAN
Now it’s Anu Malik’s brother
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BIG Bro’ Anu Malik is already in the big league. Wannabe music maestro Daboo Malik has now started coming on his own, with smaller but promising offers coming his way.

Since these are the initial days, he is not willing to take any major risks. So, his music is conventional. But it is quite clear even from initial compositions that he too wants to have an unmistakable stamp of his own.

The problem is that his songs are a little too similar to his brother’s creations. But that is no disqualification for a starter, considering that 90 per cent of the Indian film music has the ring of similarity to it.

In keeping with the current trend, many of the songs have two versions. Dil sunta hai has been rendered separately by Anuradha Paudwal and Abhijeet. Jab tak tum samne rahoge is a duet by Anuradha Paudwal and Kumar Sanu which later figures in an instrumental avatar.

The title song, Wrong Number, finds Daboo matching his voice with Sunidhi Chauhan. They pair up again for Rafta rafta (this song has been written by Sanjay Chhel while the rest are by Praveen Bhardwaj).

The song with a beat that promises to be popular is Kabhi kabhi koi chehra saamne aata hai (Anuradha Paudwal, Babul Supriyo). Also promising is Kal hum jis se mile the (Anuradha Paudwal, Kumar Sanu).

Malik is not the only one to make a big bow. Another music director to get a big break is Ram Sampat. Raj Kumar Santoshi’s film directed by Keshu is a multi-starrer whose music also has to be equally prestigious. Ram Sampat has not disappointed. Instead, he has grabbed the opportunity with both hands and showcased his talent through wide variety.

He has not shied away from giving a break to new singers either. While the mainstay is Shreya Ghoshal who has already made her mark through hits like the songs of Devdas, he has also handed the mike to Kunal, along with Sonu Nigam and Sukhwinder Singh, for Upparwale and to Kailash Kher and Richa Sharma for Mere Maula. The opening song itself, Wada raha, has Arnab Chakravorty with Shreya Ghoshal. The inclusion of fresh blood will do the music industry a lot of good.

Among the male singers, the maximum songs have gone to Sonu Nigam. Sunidhi Chauhan has sung two versions of Aisa jadoo and is impressive in both of them.

Lyrics are by Sameer.

The Shankar Ehsaan Loy music has a signature tune of its own. The special stamp has been visible in earlier films like Mission Kashmir. The latest creation lives up to the reputation.

And to top it, there is also the voice of Shankar Mahadevan to go with it, at least in two songs. The result is superior music. The most daring is Mahi ve rendered by Shankar along with Sadhana Sargam, Sujata Bhattacharya, Udit Narayan and Sonu Nigam.

The vibrant one is It’s time to disco by Vasundhara Das, Kay Kay, Shaan and Loy Mendonsa. The title song is in two versions, one sung by Sonu Nigam and the other (sad) by Alka Yagnik, Richa Sharma and Sonu Nigam.

Javed Akhtar’s lyrics lend grace to the songs.

This feature was published on October 25, 2003