Neal ‘N’ Nikki

Director : Arjun Sablok
Starring : Uday Chopra, Tanisha
Music : Salim Sulaiman
Lyrics : Anvita Dutt Gutpan, Irshad Kamil, Asif Ali Beg

They move with time and the time moves with them. The repertoire of panache and fashion to entice the youth across the nations is more than evident in every aspect of movie making of this hip n hop love flick. Producer Aditya Chopra confidently relies on his younger sibling Uday Chopra to play the naughty flirtatious character of Neal and Kajols baby sis Tanisha, who has finally gotten rid of all the baby fat and become fit to carry off the paradoxical innocence and lan of the young vivacious character of Nikki.

Music composers, Salim-Sulaiman (S&S) are entrusted the job of conveying the crux of the movie through the most important element of a Yashraj movie the music.

The title track is quite a winner already. A spry conversational that illustrates the characterization of the two central characters where they tunefully convey their personalities citing examples of their first crushes and exploring possibilities of their togetherness, while being all praises for their own selves. Kudos to the entire music team for making the track so tuneful, characterizing, and entertaining all at the same time. Sure enough, they cannot get enough of this and consequently the swift and racy N n N. The Naughty Mix, that sure does some value addition.

East meets west in this indo western sort of track Halla Re, where the loud melody harmonizes with some compulsive rapping by Robert Bob Omolu in English in the milieu and dancing becomes almost inevitable on this one. Shweta Pandit is impressive for her quality voice and music director Salim is barely distinguishable in a teeming, yet impressive chorus. Lyrically, the track is just fine and Irshad Kamil’s the man.

Masters of melody, Sonu Nigam and Mahalaxmi Iyer team up for a sinuous experience in I’m in love. In a bid to keep the Uber Cool feel of movie going, Clinton & Dominique Cerejo are roped in, to throw in a line or two in angrezi, which does not harm. Lyricist Anvita Dutt Guptan etches near perfect lyrics for a decent melody that deserves a hearing.

What is a Yashraj movie without a folksy Punjabi track? Ankh Ladiye serves the purpose where the young singer brigade of Kunal Ganjawal, Shweta Pandit and highly underrated but extremely gifted Javed Ali, band together. Chorus in English and the track in total Punjabi is the interesting contrast that lyricist Anvita Dutt Guptan manages to skillfully balance on a foot tapping melody by S&S that leaves dance mongers panting for more.

All English and No Hindi in the romantic melody I Just Wanna Spend My Life With You, featuring Clinton & Dominique Cerejo, where like one of the lines inscribed by Asif Ali Beg, Music takes control. One can expect an on screen intimacy; covering maximum of the much-touted myriad kissing in the movie, that would give a run for their monies to all the Hashmis and Sherawats.

Comparing this compilation to the previous Yashraj musical blockbusters would be unfair, not to this one, but to the ones compared with. The music is good enough to sustain the movie through the initial few days before and after the release, but not something that can be totally counted on.