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Beatstreet

Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic

YRF Muisc, CD, Rs. 149

You’ve heard it’s a cute kiddie movie with much graphics, special effects, angels, some romance, and the works. So you set out with the assumption that the musical score for Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic (TPTM) will cater to that theme and mood.

But once you start listening to the album, you realise a thoda bit of everything doesn’t necessarily make an album click. Not even when the music is by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. They seem to have gotten into the habit of recycling themselves, and sounding repetitive. It’s simply not acceptable, coming from the trio that only recently gave us something as moving and sensitive as “Taare Zameen Par”, and earlier in their career, set a high benchmark with their iconic “Dil Chahta Hai”.

However, there are two tracks that salvage the album. “Nihaal ho gayi”, in Shankar Mahadevan’s voice, must be appreciated for its sheer poetry. The lyrics have maverick adman-lyricist Prasoon Joshi’s brand stamped all over it — “Seedhi sapaat zindagi bawaal ho gayi, teri ek nazar se zindagi nihaal ho gayi”; “Tere khushbuon se saans maalaamaal ho gayi”; “Jisko mein bheed kehta tha who log ho gaye, jisko sadak samajhta tha woh raah ho gayi, chamakti aasma mein gol cheez chaand ho gayi.”

The song that describes what that one look or “nazar” from the beloved can do — something often exalted about in Hindi cinema — is catchy and arouses interest when you manage to listen to the lyrics, transcending the loud dhol beats. The qawwali-like tune of this song works wonders. “Lazy lamhe” is the other redeeming number of the album. Anusha Mani’s voice, adequately drunk on the sensuous, creates a dance track very reminiscent of “Maiyya Maiyya” from “Guru” — Rahman-ish in its middle-eastern musical notes, chorus, and undertones. It has a languorous feel in the chorus, yet the song is more on its toes than the title will have you believe. Again Prasoon Joshi’s lyrical silken seduction plays its part in heightening the mood — “Hoton ke kareeb manzil dhoond le…zulfon ke paas ek ghar dhoond le…resham sa gunaah kar”.

But Prasoon Joshi is not able to work his magic with the lyrics of the remaining tracks, like he did, say in the college campus anthem “Masti ki paathshaala” in “Rang De Basanti” where he got the mood, style, language and attitude, all bang on.

“Pyaar ke liye”, the romantic opener almost harks back to the spirit Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy infused in a young film like “Dil Chahta Hai”, with the guitar work and drumming. One assumes that as the music composers journey along, they will evolve some new sounds. Therefore, this is disappointing. “Bulbula” is another track that is peppy. But is peppy and bubbly alone enough to be a good song? “Beetey kal se” has Shreya Goshal singing with great hope about the country and its development. But none of these tracks have any singular distinguishing quality about them, and become very forgettable.

The album winds up with two remixes by DJ Aqeel — of “Nihaal…” and “Lazy lamhe” — purely for those fond of remixes or put on the album for lack of other songs.

The album could do with lotsa originality, lotsa imagination. Thoda won’t do.

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