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By
Joginder Tuteja, January 28, 2008 - 15:41 IST
 Most successful composer of 2007, Pritam, returns to
big arena with Race. After super successful
soundtracks in films like Life In A...Metro, Bhool
Bhulaiyaa and Jab We Met behind him, anything with a
tag of Pritam comes with high expectations. This is
why when something as pedestrian as a My Name Is
Anthony Gonsalves or a Speed arrives, a listener is
bound to be disappointed.
However, when entities like TIPS, Abbas Mustan, Sameer
and a huge star cast of Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna,
Bipasha Basu, Katrina Kaif, Anil Kapoor and Sameera
Reddy come together, the project is bound to be big!
Expectations from the soundtrack here are also
reasonably big, never mind the action genre of Race
which somehow restrict the boundaries for a popular
score. But then Dhoom is a case study to look back at!
'Can Pritam do it again', is the question? Yes, he
does it. And he has a couple of potential chartbusters
up his sleeves which would only aid in creating an
exhilarating 'race '!
The music album comes in a twin CD pack with the first
one comprising of original numbers by Pritam and the
second having remix versions of each of the songs by
DJ Suketu.
It's the sound of electronic guitar, which begins the
Race - pun intended! Soon kick starts the signature
tune of any bona fide thriller, a la Mission
Impossible or many a James Bond flick, and you know
that it's going to be one adrenalin ride from this
point on. Though the song has a title 'Race Saanson Ki',
the punch comes with 'Allah Duhai Hai', which brings
the necessary rhythm into the proceedings. Sunidhi
Chauhan gets the club feel on with her spunky singing
while Neeraj compliments her just fine.
 A theme number, which is bound to make its presence
felt in a big way in the background score of the film,
'Race Sanson Ki' is also, heard in one more version -
'Race Is On My Mind' - which has lines alternatively
in Hindi and English. Further to this, there are
'remix versions' of both 'Race Sanson Ki' and 'Race Is
On My Mind' and the final outcome is that by the time
the album is over, you are hooked on to the sound of
'Race Sanson Ki'. Ok, so you may not end up singing
this number on the streets but when it's edgy music
video (featuring the entire cast) is on the air or the
song is playing in the clubs or the discotheques, it
would be hard to resist yourself from jumping on to
the dance floor!
After exhausting all the energy in dancing to the
beats of 'Race Sanson Ki', it is time to relax on the
couch and get into some sweet talk with your love
while listening to 'Pehli Nazar Mein'. A soft rock
number which is set in a mode similar to the genre of
songs which became a rage in Life In A… Metro, 'Pehli
Nazar Mein' is special since it brings Pakistan
sensation Atif Aslam ('Tere Bin' - Bas Ek Pal) with
Pritam.
The song is a complete departure from the arrangements
of the title song since this time around there are
minimum instruments in the background with pure melody
coming into the forefront. The song has a Western
styling but its base lies in melody from the
sub-continent which makes this immensely romantic
number a must hear.
A sure shot winner, it also comes in a 'Lounge Mix'
and 'Club Mix' version. Does this take away from the
beauty of the original version? Or do these two
versions add on to the impact created by Atif in the
first listening itself? It is definitely the latter as
one hearing of these versions and as a listener, you
are dead sure that in the next visit to an up-market
lounge, pub or a club, you would certainly find the
song being played hard. Atif and Pritam can assure
themselves of a sure shot concert hit here!
 An instrumental 'Race Theme', which comes in the end,
is the one which should make it to the title credits.
Reason being that this slow moving two minute version
has an intrinsic intriguing/haunting quality to it,
which compliments the genre of films that Abbas Mustan
have been known for years.
The rhythm of 'Salaame' [Dhoom] is back in action with
'Dekho Nashe Mein'. After hearing a good (Race Saanson
Ki) and a superb (Pehli Nazar Mein) number in quick
succession, 'Dekho Nashe Mein' turns out to be a
just-about-decent offering from Pritam. The composer
sets the song in a mood similar to that of 'It's The
Time To Disco' [Kal Ho Na Ho] and 'Where's The Party
Tonight' [Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna] while creating a far
lesser impact.
Average lyrics by Sameer do not help the cause either
and the song risks being disappeared as an also-ran
until and unless the usual suspects - choreography and
picturisation - come to the rescue! In fact, the
song's 'antara' turns out to be a better hear than the
'mukhda' since the former takes it's melody from one
of the most underrated/neglected songs of Pritam - 'Ek
Pal Mein' [Hat Trick]! The song also appears in a
'Latin Fiesta' and a 'remix version' but even repeated
listening to the song doesn't stop you from dropping
everything and going back to 'Pehli Nazar Mein' - the
best of the enterprise so far!
Taz, who had made a splash with his track 'Thoda Daaru
Vich Pyaar Mila De' in Tum Bin years back, returns to
sing 'Mujh Pe To Jadoo'. The song is more fun than
romantic as it fuses the beach celebration flavor with
romance and intersperses rap elements, courtesy Apache
Indian, who sings for a Bollywood flick after a
hiatus. Sunidhi Chauhan is the only female voice in
this fast moving track, which is yet another average
sounding track after 'Dekho Nashe Mein'. Ok, so it is
inevitable not to find your feet tapping to the 'bhangra'
beats here, especially in the 'remix version', but in
entirety the song doesn't have a retention value,
something which one expects from Pritam after some
superb work he did in 2007.
An instant hit though comes in the form of 'Zara Zara
Touch Me' which hooks you in the very first hearing.
Sound of seduction combined with a naughty call for
love makers 'Zara Zara Touch Me' a must-play in
lounges. Sung by newcomer Monali, the song has a fresh
appeal to it and promises to steam up the proceedings
once it is on the screen. Said to be picturised on
Katrina with Saif in tow, 'Zara Zara' moves slowly and
has a certain 'anticipation' flavor to it, which
brings a different feel to the proceedings.
 With an intrinsic Western feel to it, with a sound
similar to the numbers played on MTV or Channel V in
late night slots, 'Zara Zara' comes in an original,
'Asian RnB Mix' and a 'remix version'. Never mind the
rendition of words like 'dum da dum dum' interspersed
into the song, this one is bound to showcase Katrina
in a different light and only increase her fan base.
Race has two very good songs ('Pehli Nazar Mein', 'Zara
Zara'), a good number ('Race Sanson Ki') and two
average tracks ('Dekho Nashe Mein', 'Mujh Pe To Jadoo')
which makes it an overall entertaining album. A remix
CD only works towards the retention value of the album
as it adds on to the range of presenting tracks that
can be played in clubs and lounges as well. Will it be
remembered the same way as a Life In… A Metro or a Jab
We Met? Not really as it doesn't have a timeless feel
to it, but then for a racy outing like Race, it is
definitely worth a play (on a high volume of course)
when in mood to hang out and let your hair down!
Rating:- ***
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