Amidst the hype over Om Shanti Om and Saawariya, it may just end up being Aaja Nachle that steals the thunder from both! Of course there is a three week gap post the Diwali duel and Aaja Nachle's release but while Om Shanti Om and Saawariya sees a battle of debuts, Aaja Nachle brings back the queen of Bollywood, Madhuri Dixit. Actually when you see the promos of the film, you can't believe this is her "comeback" film because she looks as beautiful as she did when she was the reigning queen, and one flash of that 100 Watt smile and you feel she had never left the big screen at all.
Just to remind you, Madhuri and music have always gone hand in hand as almost all her films took advantage of her being the best dancer in the industry and hence if you scan through the top songs of the 80s and 90s, you will realize that many are picturized on Madhuri. Having said that, and keeping in mind that the name of the film is Aaja Nachle, the expectations from the music are huge, raising a doubt as to whether Salim-Sulaiman will be able to do justice to this album considering that they do not have any big hits to their credit. However, on hearing Aaja Nachle you realize that this could be that elusive hit for them. The music brings back a style, a genre of music that seemed to disappear along with Madhuri, and sounds so refreshing to hear now, in slightly modernized compositions. Madhuri made the classical dance form (and as a result classical music) an almost "cool" style of dancing and Aaja Nachle brings that flavor back as most of the compositions have a classical undertone, but in a very urban, today's music style. It is a style that probably only Madhuri can do justice to and hence, this album is a thoroughly pleasant listen.
The album starts with the title track, Aaja Nachle, which is tailor made for Madhuri who is an expert at dancing to classical with a combination of filmy matkas and jhatkas and that is exactly why this number works. The composition is the perfect mix of classical and Bollywood with a bit of a masti, nautanki feel to it; not that the compositions are remotely similar, but it will remind you of some of Madhuri's previous hits like Channe Ke Khet Mein (Anjaam), Baju Bandh (Prem Granth), Badi Mushkil (Lajja), Humko Aaj Kal Hai (Sailab) just to name a few. The song starts with the violin, which will easily become a signature tune for the film. Sunidhi Chauhan gets a chance to sing for Madhuri and she suits Madhuri's voice to the tee. Coincidentally, one of Sunidhi's first experiences of singing on stage at a live performance was during Madhuri's world tour, when Sunidhi was about 8 years old. It seems quite appropriate that she is singing this title track for Madhuri and Sunidhi gets the emotions and masti of the song so perfectly that her voice and Madhuri's own ada's match perfectly. In fact the way the line "aaja nachle nachle mere yaar tu nachle" has been sung, is the perfect invitation to get people up and dancing. Everything about this track has hit written over it and even the reprise version is different from conventional remixes, increasing the pace of the song but still keeping the composition pure.
The next song is Ishq Hua, which is a romantic number pairing Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal. Shreya was the voice of Aishwarya Rai in Devdas and hence it's quite a pleasure to hear her sing for Madhuri in Aaja Nachle. The remarkable thing is that this time Shreya doesn't sound like her regular self as the song demands a slightly more fun, yet romantic voice, and for the first time we hear Shreya experimenting with her voice and at times sounding a little bit like Alisha Chinoy. In fac,t listen to her line "guzre na, wahan se, woh teri galti hai" and you realize how much she has matured as a signer as she gets the combination of the romance and a little fun, perfectly. In spite of the fact that Sonu is also perfect in the song, you feel yourself wanting to hear Shreya a bit more. The composition has a very romantic, dreamy feel, remains light in terms of instruments and is beats based, which allows both singers to dominate flawlessly. Traditional instruments like the sitar, flutter, and piano have been used to give the song a slightly classical feel, while allowing it to sound very young, and fresh as well. It is clear why Sonu and Shreya have been selected for both this song as well as the other romantic song in the album as both have dashes of classical that these two singers master while still allowing the song to have a modern, young feel. The lyrics of Ishq Hua are penned by Jaideep Sahni and just like the composition, are simple, sweet and romantic, allowing the singers to fully control.
Show Me Your Jalwa will want to make you get up and dance the same way you do when you hear an Amitabh Bachchan number from the 70s and 80s. Salim and Kailesh Kher provide support to Richa Sharma who flies with this song which is quite different from the songs that she normally gets to sing. She is rustic enough to appeal to the masses and yet her English line "Show Me Your Jalwa" also blends in perfectly. The moment the song begins, you know you are in for a fun filled, masti song and Jaideep's lyrics will be loved by the masses too, in spite of not resorting to conventionally filmy lyrics. Lovely use has been made of the banjo, tabla and natural percussions like the tambourine.
The next song gives a complete change in mood. It starts with the guitar and moves onto be a very unconventional number from Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, a contrast to some of the romantic numbers he has recently sung. The accordion has been used so beautifully after a very long time and gives a sweet tune in the verses of the song which has a qawali meets waltz type of feel. There is certain intensity to this number which is why initially, without hearing the lyrics, you feel it may be a sad song, but you quickly realize that it is a song that marks the beginning of a romance. The song remains intense in spite of the fact that only soft instruments like the flute and accordion have been used. The song grows on you with every hearing and it is one of those numbers which will stay with you long after the film has had its run. Jaideep's lyrics like "Nazrein bole duniya tole, dil ki zubaan. Ishq maange, ishq chhahe, koi toofan.Chalna aahiste, ishq naya hai, pehla yeh wada, humne kiya hai" summarize the mood of the song, and are not the type of lyrics conventionally heard.
We heard Madhuri recite poetry in her last release Devdas in the song "Kaahe Chhed Mohe" and Madhuri is back again to say a few lines in this number too, this time sounding as fresh and fun as ever which is also the tone of the song. Again the lyrics are a bit different from the normal run of the mill stuff and due credit to Piyush Mishra for lines like "Soniye mil ja mele mein ke iska naam jawani. Ke jo na mein hoon tere sang to phir kis kam jawani" followed by the reply "To phir tu mil ja mele mein ke iska naam jawani. Nahin yeh chhota masla, bahut bada hai kandh jawani". Sukhvinder Singh is fully in his element even though this is not a typical item number or sad song, two genres which he has been typecast into. The drum beats remind you a little bit of Ladki Badi Anjaani Hai (Kuch Kuch Hota Hai) and both Sukhvinder and Sunidhi are supported by a strong chorus as the way the composition has been treated, the chorus singers are equally important as it comes across as a full group song.
Tempo changes again with another romantic number sung by Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal. This one has more of a classical feel that Ishq Hua and actually incorporates a little bit of Ishq Hua into this composition as well. Piyush's lyrics like "Is pal mein hoon, ya tum ho, ya dono ho ke bhi na hai. Kyon ho, kya ho, ho bhi ki na ho, ya kehna sunna manna hai" are fresh and capture the romance required for this very soft composition. Tabla, flute and sitar have all been used to give the classical feel and once again Sonu and Shreya are flawless and dominate this track as well.
Koi Patthar Se Na Mare has been sung by Sunidhi, Shreya and Sonu and does not sound at all like the original. This is the first song in the entire album which does not immediately impress. However it seems as though this will be a situational song, most probably picturized as a number enacted on stage and hence the emotions of the lyrics may make more of an impact in the context of the film. There is a certain scale which comes across in the composition in terms of the crescendos in the music indicating that it will be a dramatic song in the film.
The last number Dance With Me, sung by Sonia Saigal will have very limited appeal, mostly for those who loved the 80s English pop songs as this is the only song which is a stark contrast to the rest of the album which has mass as well as metro appeal. No chance of this number picking up with the masses both because of the composition as well as the English lyrics but it may just gain more popularity post seeing the picturization.
Leaving aside the last two tracks, all the other songs are immediately endearing on the first listen itself and then continue to grow on you with each listen. Madhuri's comeback has reintroduced us to certain styles of film musical compositions which had disappeared during her hiatus and that gives the audiences one more reason to be ecstatic with her return to the big screen. For Madhuri fans, this album is a must have, even if you are not a big fan, pick this one up for the music and you surely will not be disappointed.
