The prolific filmmaker calls on his favourites -- Paresh Rawal and Akshaye Khanna -- to create some more Hungama and Hulchul in Mere Baap Pehle Aap. The amusingly titled caper also stars Shobana, Om Puri and Genelia D'Souza.
Unlike Priyan's previous fun-loving outings, which boasted of catchy ditties, the soundtrack of Mere Baap Pehle Aap by Vidyasagar, is nothing to write home about.
As in most cases, this too opens with the title track. Here, Sangeet Haldipur's coaxes daddy cool with a touch of hip-hop, bhangra and rap, to walk the altar in this mostly situational and mundane ditty. The song tries too hard to be cool and competent at once and fails on both counts.
Evidently, the music of Priyadarshan's films are still reeling under Pritam's hangover -- the composer was at helm of the director's previous flicks like Garam Masala, Bhagam Bhag, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, which probably explains the glaring similarity between MBPA's Ishq subhanallah and Garam Masala's titular chartbuster. Though the combined vocal efforts of Alisha Chinai, Neeraj Sridhar and rapper Bob are most commendable, lack of originality ruins this one. DJ Amyth's remixed avatar of Ishq is a racier, techno-overload
concoction and doesn't do anything for its patient listener.
Husky charmer Sunidhi Chauhan gets into provocative mode to do justice to the equally fiery Shamma Shamma. Its bullying, thumping, dhinchak beats coupled with bawdy lyrics are deliberately in-your-face and decidedly off-putting.
Anything after this would seem like a welcome relief. And so Udit Narayan and Shreya Ghosal's breezy rendition of the honey-glazed pop-flavoured love song, Maine hawa ke paron mein is just that. In another mellowed-down version of the same, Shaan replaces Udit Narayan to blend in his brand of sweetness and does a good job of it.
A fraction of its opening strain is reminiscent of A R Rahman's poignant theme for Mani Ratnam's Bombay and later evokes memories of Zubeidaa's Mehendi hai rachnewali (by Rahman again). Clearly, Rahman looms large over to produce average results in the Alka Yagnik and Shaan-rendered Jaana hai tujhko, a typical wedding number.
Alternately lacklustre and lousy, Mere Baap Pehle Aap is not the kind of album which will find itself on anyone's recommendation list.
Rediff Rating:
