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Why would anyone want to play extreme mind games with a high-flying advertising executive and his docile wife? Well, the one instigating the game is Pierce Brosnan, co-producer of this film. Its taut for most parts, closes loops reasonably well when twists the size of Bangalore roads’ potholes hit you towards the end and has adequately efficient acting. What makes this film interesting is that it may be free-made in India very soon…it’s a perfect candidate! Bhatt brigade? Abbas-Mastan? I can already picture Aftab Shivadasani and Emraan Hashmi in Brosnan and Gerard Butler’s roles, respectively

Keywords: Pierce Brosnan, Indian films copied from Hollywood, “There’s nothing like original art” - Mahesh Bhatt

Daniel…who? Daniel B. George is perhaps the rightful owner of the title credits for Johnny Gaddaar’s soundtrack. Shankar Ehsaan Loy have to their credit just three tracks – not counting the vernacular variants. Daniel is the man behind 5 tracks, followed by 2 for DJ Shane and 1 by Gulraj Singh. I recall seeing almost every review (including mine!) attributing the entire OST to the trio thanks to an amazingly ‘designed’ album sleeve! Besides the fact that I didn’t really enjoy this soundtrack, I think its maha-unfair to Daniel, who’s only other known work is Kabeer Kaushik’s ‘Sehar’ (2005).

The ‘real’ track list of Johnny Gaddaar, with the composers’ names against each track!
01. Johnny Gaddaar - Shankar Ehsaan Loy
02. Move your body - Shankar Ehsaan Loy
03. Dhoka - Shankar Ehsaan Loy
04. Johnny in the house - DJ Shane
05. Move your body (Phatt Mix) - DJ Shane
06. Johnny breakbeat mear naam - Gulraj Singh
07. Revenge of the 70s (Instrumental) - Daniel B. George
08. The caper begins (Instrumental) - Daniel B. George
09. Toss (Instrumental) - Daniel B. George
10. Confidence (Instrumental) - Daniel B. George
11. Bhule bisre geet - Daniel B. George
12. Johnny Gaddaar (Tamil) - Shankar Ehsaan Loy
13. Move your body (Tamil) - Shankar Ehsaan Loy
14. Johnny Gaddaar (Telugu) - Shankar Ehsaan Loy
15. Move your body (Telugu) - Shankar Ehsaan Loy

The title song is both cheesy and pointless, but Gayatri’s Friday thankfully reverses that with a zingy 80s styled dance-floor track reminiscent of WHAM. Adnan throws in a complete stunner both as a composer and a singer, in Choti si - a lovingly crafted melody with adequately muted backgrounds and Sameer contributing to the despair. Shaan’s Akeli zindagi is a decent George Michael’ish pop ditty, while Pyar se is a lot more filmy but Shaan and Shreya’s vocals make it quite listenable. Adnan’s music in Mumbai Salsa is notches below his debut (Lucky) but far ahead of his last, Dhamaal!

Keywords: Adnan Sami Khan, Alisha Chinoy, Gayatri Iyer

Mika’s nasal tone suits the buoyant Mauja while Mohit Chauhan’s somber Tum se hi works more ‘cos of those enticing backgrounds. Yeh ishq seems like a sure-shot candidate for another middle-east inspired track, but while it lasts, is a lot of fun - thoroughly entertaining tune and exotic orchestration! The high-pitched Nagada is bouncy ode to Punjab. Shaan pulls off Aao milo chalo rather well, but is hampered by a standard Pritam tune while Sandesh Shandilya’s Aaoge jab tum is tunefully adequate with appropriate backgrounds and vocals by Ustad Rashid Khan. A very likable soundtrack, typical of Pritam!

Keywords: Kareena Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor, Kapoor and Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan

The exuberant title song showcases a lilting tune and a fab new voice, Shail Hada. With an alternating rhythm, Jab se too is striking, while Kunal’s Masha-allah is enchanting and my fave! SLB surprises us with an ethereal tune and characteristically Badr’ish lyrics in Thode badmash even as debutant Parthiv Gohil sounds fabulous in the imaginative pre-and-post-chaand Yoon shabnami. Right about here, the soundtrack gets dreary, echoing a Subash-Ghai-lets-his-composer-loose sound. And, after 5 more blasé, overindulgent tracks, the soundtrack nosedives into one damp experience! After that exciting start, that’s mighty weird!

Keywords: Sonam Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor, Kapoor and Kapoor

No Saawariya. No Jab we met. No…Milliblog. For a week, that is. Boo hoo hoo! Will be back from my out-of-town, up-the-hills trip, in a week and attend to pending reviews! Keep listening to good music, till then! Here’s Saawariya’s track list for whatever its worth!

01. Saawariya (Shail Hada)
02. Jab Se Tere Naina (Shaan)
03. Masha-Allah (Kunal Ganjawala, Shreya Ghoshal)
04. Thode Badmash (Shreya Ghoshal)
05. Yoon Shabnami (Parthiv Gohil)
06. Daras Bina Nahin Chain (Richa Sharma, Shail Hada, Parthiv Gohil)
07. Sawar Gayi (Shreya Ghoshal)
08. Jaan-E-Jaan (Kunal Ganjawala, Shreya Ghoshal)
09. Pari (Kunal Ganjawala)
10. Chhabeela (Alka Yagnik)
11. Saawariya Reprise (Shail Hada)
Courtesy: Nehaflix

Alibaba thangam’s only highlight is Susidra’s nonchalant vocals while the sedentary hiphop track, Minnalgal koothaadum works quite well since the vocals (Karthik and Bombay Jayashree) and orchestration compliment each other beautifully. Neeye sol’s middle eastern base is its asset and Prakash uses the exotic backgrounds just right. Padichu paarthen is clearly pandering to the hero’s fan base and ‘image’. Torturous and indispensable. Regardless of Yogi.B’s breathless utterances, Engeyum Eppodhum’s remix sounds superfluous. The young composer continues to impress, but just in those 2 tracks since the rest seems to be thrust upon him and is, as a result, indifferent.

Keywords: Dhanush, Divya, Kuthu Ramya, Yogi B Natchatra, Tamil Rap, Polladhavan

Ajab si is a Pritam’ish melody - eminently tuneful with a lovely orchestration to match. Dard-e-disco is bouncy and rocking - albeit with cringe-worthy lyrics while Deewangi is plain assembly-line with cheesy angrezi intrusions. Sonu is sappy in the Raj Kapoor’esque Main agar, saved only by the backgrounds. Jag soona, despite Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, is surprisingly clichéd, but Dhoom taana is a smart, kitschy take on retro! Dastaan-e-OSO is hauntingly layered, evoking the reincarnation theme much like Karz’s Ek haseena. OSO’s soundtrack largely disappoints as the composers stick to a banal, tried and tested sound.

Keywords: Shah Rukh Khan, Six pack abs, looking sick and muscular, uncle my pepsi, Deepika Padukone, Farah Khan, Shreyas Talpade

Mitul and Mukul’s 2nd album (after the debut, Sajaniya), To kya ho, seems to indicate that elder brother Mitul is into hip-hop while Mukul is into the indipop ballad mode. The tracks credited to Mukul - Kahaan woh rehti hai, Dil dhadakne laga (featuring Mauli Dave!), Kaisi yeh deewangee and Saavan - save this album. Mukul depicts an evolved version of our own Aryans’ and ends up with four very competent and listenable tracks. Unfortunately, all the Mitul-credited tracks seem to ape mainstream American hip-hop, and, quite poorly too! Two disparate sounds in one album does seem rather odd!

Keywords: Mitul, Mukul, Saajaniya