Music Review: 'Heroine' has a retro touch

Music Director: Salim-Sulaiman

Lyricist: Niranjan Iyengar

Singers: Sunidhi Chauhan, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Aditi Singh Sharma, Benny Dayal, Shreya Ghoshal and Shraddha Pandit

$Music Review: \'Heroine\' has a retro touch$

\'Heroine\' soundtracks have all the filmy elements and moods to satiate the listener\'s musical appetite.

Rating: *** 1/2

Madhur Bhandarkar's upcoming film 'Heroine' has been courting controversies galore right from the beginning when Aishwarya Rai, who was to play the lead, quit the project due to her pregnancy. However, her replacement Kareena Kapoor looks fabulous in the promos and promises a glamorous affair. The music is an interesting mix that has been composed by Salim-Sulaiman, who had worked earlier with Bhandarkar in 'Fashion'.

There arefive tracks in the album that have been penned by Niranjan Iyengar.

The album kicks off with in bang as 'Halkat jawani' packs a punch with amazing guitar riffs. The sound is peppy and very Bollywood, in sync with the mood of the film. Sunidhi Chauhan, the queen of item songs, is flawless. The way she croons 'Aaja' in the beginning is simply mind-blowing. There is a retro touch combined with 'dhol' beats and harmonium making it an instant chartbuster. The lyrics too are simple yet effective. This one you will just play on and on.

Next up is 'Saaiyaan', a heart wrenching melody by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. The song uses violin quite well in order to create the mood of sadness and heartache. However, it is not too different from the singer's previous hits and there is not a whiff of freshness in the song. The song had a lot of potential and could have been given a better treatment both by the singer and the composers.

It is followed by 'Main heroine hoon' that has been sung by Aditi Singh Sharma of 'Dilli Dilli' fame. There are elements of dubstep to push the tempo up and they work nicely with Aditi's rustic and powerful voice. The lyrics match well with the protagonist's portrayal but the high point is definitely the sound of sitar laced with electronic sounds.

The sounds of piano and violin greet you as 'Khawhashein' comes up bringing out gloominess through the voice of Shreya Ghosal. She proves once again why she is the most sought after female singer in B-town. There is so much flexibility in her voice that there is always something to explore. She goes high and low with ease as the songs transforms itself into a soft-rock ballad in some intervals with the guitar riffs. This one is a winner all the way.

Last but definitely not the least is 'Tujhpe fida', crooned by Benny Dayal. A good number to shake a leg, as it is high on energy with the electronic loops and techno sounds. Shraddha Pandit supports him well in the vocals and her rendition of the line 'Tujhpe fida' comes out really well. Although the track stretches a bit long, it is nonetheless a fine listen.

Thus, despite just five tracks, the 'Heroine' soundtrack composed in Bollywood style is a total 'paisa vasool' album that has all the filmy elements and moods to satiate your musical appetite. Just go for it.