Anu Malik plus Anupam Kher: not equal music! At the soundtrack launch of Om Jai Jagdish

Vickey Lalwani

The soundtrack release of Om Jai Jagdish on Monday, May 27, 2002 at the J W Marriott Hotel, Mumbai was a gala affair.

Producer Vashu Bhagnani and actor-turned-debutant-director Anupam Kher introduced guests to a slide show of the songs intermixed with rushes from the film. Om Jai Jagdish, slated for release on June 28, opens on the same day as Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opum Devdas.

The cast comprising Anil Kapoor, Fardeen Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Urmila Matondkar, Mahima Chaudhary, Tara Sharma and Waheeda Rehman were all present. Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan, Amar Singh, Anil Ambani, Feroz Khan, Mahesh Bhatt, Subhash Ghai, Jeetendra, David Dhawan and Padmini Kolhapure were present, too.

Here's a little bit about the narrative: OJJ is the tale of three brothers --- Om (Anil Kapoor), Jai (Fardeen Khan) and Jagdish (Abhishek Bachchan). The film has Waheeda Rehman playing the mother of the three boys.

Jai is obsessed with creating a fast car that will revolutionise the automobile industry. Om leaves no stone unturned to provide him with the best possible education in US. But Om proves a misfit in today's world of selfish, material desires. Meanwhile, Jagdish accuses Om of discrimination when he is refused money by him to pursue a computer course. The three brothers part ways.

As for the soundtrack, here is the verdict: the first version of the title song Om Jai Jagdish sung by Abhijeet, Hariharan, Kay Kay, Alka Yagnik seems to be lifted from Manoj Kumar's aarti song in Purab Aur Paschim.

The second number Chori chori by Alka Yagnik and Sonu Nigam is bearable. So is Happy days are here again by Sonu Nigam, Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik. But Jeena Kya, the next song, has Kay Kay wailing.

The more soulful version of Om Jai Jagdish fails to evoke any emotion.

Shaadi by Shaan, Abhijeet and Kavita Krishnamurthy is extremely fast-paced, while Love story with Shaan, Abhijeet and Krishnamurthy crooning goes crash, boom, bang.

A waste of talented singers, this album. Thanks largely due to Anu Malik's disappointing score.