Sanjay Gupta's Shootout at Lokhandwala, is an album which is sprinkled with names like Strings, Euphoria, Biddu, Mika and Anand Raj Anand, the only one to have two compositions in the film. One goes to the album expecting different sounds, and one is not disappointed. But all in all, the album fails to hold. No musical hangover here. The songs, there are six of them, with three of remixed as well, have their moments. There is probably a song for everybody here. But it's not the kind to send one into frenzy.
To come to the two songs composed by Anand Raj Anand, the first Mere Yaar sung by the composer along with Sunidhi Chauhan is set in the raunchy, rustic folk genre. But it lacks the punch of, say the recent Beedi song from Omkara. Maybe if Sunidhi had more to do in this song, she may have lifted it with her full-throated rendering. The second song composed by the same music director is Unke nashe mein. Lending vocal support to Anand Raj this time are Sukhwinder Singh, Mika and Anand Raj. It's as mediocre as the first number.
The best song in the album, the only one you would like to carry home with you is, Sone De Maa, sung by Palash Sen of Euphoria. It is very reminiscent of the group's earlier hits like Maiyae Ri. Its lyrics are poignant and Palash's vocals give it just the right pitch. It's like a story and has been rendered straight from the heart. The song of the album, certainly. Would be nice to hear Palash belting out a few more like this.
Strings too make their mark with Aakhri Alvida. It has a remixed version (Nikhil Chinappa & DJ Naved) as well, which works very well too. The song has a very typical Strings feel to it. But we have heard better from them as well. But in company with the current lot in this album, it is one of the better numbers of the film.
Biddy too fails to make a mark with the English number, Live By The Gun. Tolerable. Just. As for Mika's Ganpat, it sounds quite interesting. The quintessential 'tapori' number of the album, it now remains to be seen how the song is picturised in the film as much would depend on that. Its remixed version has dialogues bits from the film interspersed in between as part of the song. But it has no musical merit as such. So we'll leave it out of this. But as drunken rambling, it may have some merit.
Like the cinema of today, even the musical scores of today's cinema is at an experimental stage and the music of Sanjay Gupta's Shootout At Lokhandwala is a small step in that direction.
