'Same Same But Different' - that's the punch line of Bombay To Bangkok, a film by Nagesh Kukunoor - which brings back the nostalgia of the 60's and 70's when titles like Bombay To Goa, Johar Mehmood in Hong Kong, Love in Tokyo etc. were in vogue. With Bombay To Bangkok, Kukunoor gets into an out and out fun mode after a dramatic 'Dor' and explores a different territory - feel good comedy!
Coming together with Shreyas Talpade for third film in succession after Iqbal and Dor, Kukunoor takes his film to Bangkok while introducing Thai leading lady - Lina Christianson. Composers like Salim - Sulaiman, Ronnie Shirish, Sukhwinder Singh, and Pritam are roped in for a song apiece in this film that has Mir Ali Husain, Ibrahim Ashk and Shabbir Ahmed writing the lyrics.
It's an alien land that Kukunoor explores and while doing so he succeeds widely as he kick starts the album with a disco track 'Same Same But Different'. Composed by Salim-Sulaiman and written by Mir Ali Husain (who is also the man behind the songs of 'Dor'), 'Same Same But Different' is a song that is made of Hindi, English and Thai words.
Sung by K.K., it also has the film's lead actors Shreyas Talpade and Lina Christianson pitching in, especially at the beginning. A track about two people belonging to different nationalities but still same in so many different ways, 'Same Same But Different' is a fun outing which entertains even in it's 'remix version' which arrives towards the album's end. A good club mix, which warrants a music video to be created around it!
Next comes 'Dheere Dheere', which is composed by Ronnie Shirish. Crooned by Zubeen Garg, this Mir Ali Husain takes a soothing route and gives a melodious touch to the soundtrack after a dance number 'Same Same But Different'. Moving at a moderate pace (and later appearing in a controlled remix version), 'Dheere Dheere' is a kind of mushy track which normally has a singer like Shaan associated with it. Zubeen does a good job and though the song doesn't turn out to be the kind which would make it to list of one of the top songs of the year, it is still decent enough to hold you attention.
With a 'lavani' base to it, 'Bombay To Bangkok' is sung with aplomb by Sukhwinder Singh in his inimitable style. Sukhwinder also composes this situational track, which is written by Ibrahim Ashq and reminds one of the kind of music, which was made in mid, and late 80's. As one stays on with the song longer, it is difficult not to remember the likes of Mithun Chakraborty and Govinda gyrating to this one. All said and done, the song may just manage to make it's presence felt along with the film's narration but won't have any shelf life beyond that.
Last to come is Pritam's 'Dil Ka Haal Sune Dil Wala' that has Shabbir Ahmed writing lyrics. Sonu Nigam and Sunidhi Chauhan come together for this let's-shake-a-leg number, which belongs to a mode similar to that of 'Same Same But Different'. There is a trademark Pritam stamp to this song, which is a decent, but quite predictable with a strong sense of deja vu attached to it. Set in a Western mode, 'Dil Ka Haal Sune Dil Wala' is a kind of number that would hardly create any ripples at the music stands.
Bombay To Bangkok is a short album that has decent tunes but nothing that would make it a memorable soundtrack. In the end, all boils down to 'Same Same But Different' which if promoted smartly with a music video being created pronto would get the album further mileage.
Rating:- * *
