Mix n' match mish-mash!

Sukanya Verma

Mix and match has long been a regular trick for composer Anu Malik.

The man religiously recycles his old hits and scores every time. (Exceptions: Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayi, Refugee, Border, Yaadein, Aks .)

Ajnabee, sadly, falls in this second hand music slot.

With an impressive line-up of stars (Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol, Kareena Kapoor, Bipasha Basu) and a plot lifted straight off the Hollywood thriller, Consenting Adults (Kevin Spacey, Kevin Kline, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Rebecca Miller), Ajnabee need not be too concerned with its lack of good tunes.

A relatively lengthy album with nine tracks, Ajnabee kickstarts with Mohabbat naam hai kiska, sung by the ever-reliable duo of Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik. The track constantly reminds you of Maine koi jadoo (Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai) and Baazigar o baazigar (Baazigar).

After Shaan, singer Adnan Sami seems to have caught the fancy of the film industry. Coupled with the saucy Sunidhi Chauhan, Sami dishes out the foot tapping Mehbooba mehbooba.

Mehbooba, which is inspired by Danny Elfman's Batman theme, promises to be a chartbuster. There is also a remix by DJ Khalif.

Meri zindagi mein ajnabee has a mundane rendition by Kumar Sanu and Sunidhi Chauhan.

Mujhko neend aa rahi hai by a clearly bored Sonu Nigam and Sunidhi Chauhan is a tacky rehash of Jagte hain hum raat-raat bhar (Khiladi 420) and Neend ud rahi hai (Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi)

Then there's the simplay annoying Kaun main haan tum by Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik, followed by Kasam se teri aankhen aaiya re aaiya by Udit Narayan, Sonu Nigam, Alka Yagnik and Sunidhi Chauhan, which falls flat.

Misfortune looms large over Kumar Sanu's Jab tumhe aashiqui maloom. This track too matches strains of Chhed na mujhko (Rahul).

On the whole, Ajnabee sounds like a concoction of Anu Malik's earlier work from Soldier, Baazigar and Baadshah. Interestingly, they are all Abbas-Mastan films.

Unlike most albums which boast of a theme, Ajnabee is a wannabe dance music compilation.