The original Karz brought together director Subhash Ghai, music directors Laxmikant Pyarelal, singer Kishor Kumar and of course actor Rishi Kapoor, while in this remake, Himesh Reshammiya takes on the acting, singing and composing while leaving the direction to Satish Kaushik. With all due respect to Himesh, the music of Karz is popular even today because it had a soul; the melodies were haunting and they linger with you almost 30 years post the film's release and unfortunately Himesh's music although extremely popular, has never been about soul or melodies. This album is a huge disappointment and even though loyal Himesh fans may help in making the album a topper on the charts, Karz is one album which Himesh should not have tried to recreate.
Lut Jaaon Lut Jaaon is the title track and initially the instrumental start of the song is quite impressive but as soon as Himesh starts crooning, you wish he had left the song as an instrumental. The melody and the alaap will remind you of Karunesh's Global Spirit tracks which is maybe why the tune is instantly likeable, until the singing begins. One can only help but wonder if Himesh had let another non-nasal singer give playback for this track, it may have actually made for a great listen.
"Doston, kya tum ne kabhi kissi se pyaar kiya" were lines made famous by Rishi Kapoor in the original; this time the lines have changed and of course we have Himesh instead of Rishi Kapoor this time singing Hari Om Hari Om instead of Om Shanti Om. Is there any point in saying any more other than the fact that this dialogue start to song falls completely flat and actually makes you cringe at the fact that this is the equivalent to Om Shanti Om. Himesh's voice truly irritates in this number as do the repeated Hari Om Hari Om lyrics. Heavy on electronic with lyrics like "my heart's skipping a beat, I'm feeling up the heat, do you feel the way I feel " we suggest you listen to the original song once to realize how bad this inspiration is.
The next track starts with a rap and then a rather interesting arrangement using the strings which makes you feek that maybe this is a number worth hearing. However that feeling is momentary because the moment Himesh starts crooning Tak Tana na na Tadoori Nights, Tandoori Nights you being to wonder, what were Himesh and lyricist Sameer thinking?! Himesh is as nasal as it gets in this one, and the only saviour in this song is Sunidhi Chauhan who not only makes her voice sound like Urmila's but she makes even these inane lyrics and lacklustre tune sound bearable. The guitar strumming which was appealing in the beginning becomes irritating as it is continuously repeated throughout the song without impact.
Soniye Je Tere is a pleasant fusion with interesting arrangements and although the rap can be ignored, what surprises is that all of a sudden Himesh sounds a lot less nasal. But just as you start getting into the song, the rap portions shake you out of it. This number is nothing great, but after three tracks which make you cringe, this one is at least tolerable. Tulsi Kumar reminds you of Anuradha Paudwal and is just a support as she has barely a few lines to sing.
Strings and flute immediately draw you into Dhoom Tere Ishq Ki which sounds like it is from another album all together; that is of course until you hear Himesh. This is a number which was not meant from him to sing at all as it is a combination of folk and sufi and a Kailesh Kher would have been far more suited to sing this one. In fact, it is only because of Himesh's rendering that you quickly hit the forward button. Sadly, this number could have been a very soulful, pleasant listen only if Himesh had let someone else sing it because it is a decent composition. HImesh the singer lets down Himesh the composer.
Sisak Sisak Ke and Tere Bin Chain Na are typical Himesh songs. There isn't much to say about this one except that if you are a true Himesh fan you will enjoy them and if you aren't a Himesh fan well then...
Don't let the title of the track fool you into thinking that it is on the same lines as the now famous Masha Allah from Saawariyan. Again this one is for true blue Himesh fans who don't mind the constant repetitions of the title of the song. In fact, for those who have ever wondered why it's so easy to remember HImesh songs, the answer lies in the fact that the chorus lyrics are repeated so many times in most of his songs, that it is out of repetitiveness that you can't forget the song, and not because you have loved the music.
The last track is of course the most anticipated, a remake of the famous Ek Hasina Thi from the original. Recently we witnessed Vishal Shekhar pay tribute to the Kishore Kumar classic Bachnae Ae Haseeno which coincidentally was also picturized on Rishi Kapoor in the original track. What worked about Vishal Shekhar's number is that they truly paid homage to the classic by keeping parts of the original and adding verses which made the song a bit more contemporary without straying from the heart of the number. First and foremost, Himesh singing a Kishore Kumar track is a putoff right from the moment he begins. Also this number has such a heavy electronic sound that the haunting tune gets lost. Shreya Ghoshal's voice is soothing as always but even she cannot compensate for the loud beats and Himesh's unsuitable voice. This version has no heart and that is why it is lacklustre and no where comparable to the original.
Remakes are always a scary proposition, moreso with the music than with the actual film. Even with Don, people felt the music was not up to par with the original, not because Shankar Ehsaan Loy gave weak compositions but only because the songs of the original are firmly engrained within us and hence it's tough to match classics like that. This time however Karzzzz is a huge disappoint not only because it completely fails in comparison to Karz, but also because even on its own the compositions are weak, redundant and Himesh's singing is not suited for several of the tracks. If you loved Karz, we warn you stay away from Karzzzz, unless your worship of Himesh overrides your worship of a great classic musical album.
