Ek Ajnabee

If there is one movie that stands out amongst the crowd of multiple high profile projects in the coming few weeks, it is 'Ek Ajnabee'. In the news since its inception and having gained immense hype due to stylishly cut promos and Big B's towering presence, 'Ek Ajnabee' is the second directorial outing for Apoorva Lakhia who comes with a slick urban movie set in Bangkok after 'Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost' that was set in rural India. Amar Mohile, who came up with a defining musical score in 'Sarkar' is the composer of all the songs in 'Ek Ajnabee' except for one item number that comes from guest composers Vishal-Shekhar.

Title track 'Ek Ajnabee (Mama Told Me)', which is in fact the solo composition by Vishal-Shekhar, marks the beginning of the album. There is a distinct hangover from two popular tracks by Vishal-Shekhar – 'Dus Bahane' and 'Deedar De' and the result is that while the song is a fine hear, it still doesn't have that much required zing to make it a chartbuster from the word GO. While Sunidhi Chauhan and Sukhwinder Singh are the singers in the foreground, Vishal Dadlani [who has also written the song] sings the English piece in the background. Arjun Rampal and Czech beauty Hannah feature in the song that somehow gives you the feeling of DJ's when you see it on the screen.

A song that sketches the characteristic of the lead protagonist Amitabh Bachchan in the movie comes next, which is titled 'Barf Khushi Hai'. A slow paced song that has a painful feel to it and has the mention of 'Ek Ajnabee' throughout its length; it is an introspective number that should appear as a part of the background score. Kailash Kher demonstrates his finesse once again as he is just perfect in this superbly worded song by Jaideep Sahni. A philosophical track, it is not the one to be crooned around but should make an impact on screen with Big B featuring on the frames.

A touching song about the relationship between Big B and the young girl whom he has to protect as a part of his job, 'Tere Liye' is a huge song for Kunal Ganjawala as he has to sing for the character of none other then Amitabh Bachchan. Another song that should be a part of the background score, it is written by Sameer and has a heartwarming feel to it. With western arrangements complimenting Indian melody, it is a melodious track that has a soothing feel to it. It may seem just about ordinary when you hear it first but after you have listened to it 4-5 times, you start catching its nuances. No wonder the song grows on you as it appears towards the end of the album as well.

Lalit Tiwari written 'They Don't Know' is the song about which much has been written in the past as it features Sanjay Dutt. A promotional number that may appear at the beginning of the movie, it is rendered by Kunal Ganjawala who sings with a rough husky accent. The number mentions all the wrongs and the crimes in this world and exposes the dirt in the society. A rocking track, it is the crooning of 'They Don't Know' by Joy across the track that haunts you long after the song is over. A raving track, it boasts of some gorgeous western beauties gyrating while Sanjay Dutt creates an aura with an unmatchable attitude. Action becomes bigger, better and even more happening when the remix version of this track appears as 'Blast U Between Your Eyes remix'. The arrangements get even more foot tapping and if not for the lyrics, it could have been a hot favorite for a DJ in the discotheques. 'They Don't Know' should be a talking point soon once the movie is about to be released.

'Let's rock, party and move your body' - that's the message conveyed by 'Soniye' that has Sunidhi Chauhan and KK coming together. With a distinct flavor of 'Tauba Tauba' from 'Kaal' coming across, it belongs to the genre of songs that have worked in a big way in 2005. A pulsating number that has its base in bhangra beats, now it all depends upon the picturisation of the song that would guide the direction that the song's popularity would take. Also one wonders why the song makes such a belated appearance as it is one of the better tracks of the album so far. A reason could be that the makers would have wanted to first incorporate those tracks in the albums that are directly related to the movie's theme. A zappy track also appearing as a 'Soniye Mix N Match Remix', it makes 'Ek Ajnabee' an extended party album after having started on a rather sober note with tracks like 'Barf Khushi Hai' and 'Tere Liye'. 'Soniye' deserves to be promoted right away for the album to soar on popularity.

A haunting background piece that has a rocking effect, 'Stranger On The Prowl' has all the elements required for a thriller. Shilpa Rao provides the backing vocals for this 4 minutes musical piece that reminds of Caralisa Monteiro's western ‘alaap’ in 'Adrenalin Nitrate (Dus Theme) ' from 'Dus'. The track suits the mood and setting of the movie and promises 'Ek Ajnabee' to be a striking cinematic experience.

On picking up 'Ek Ajnabee', one wasn't sure how would the album turn out to be since the movie has an action plot. At max, one expected a couple of sentimental numbers, an item song and a bunch of instrumentals/background pieces. But to one's surprise, one finds 'Ek Ajnabee' to be a racy album that picks up as it progresses with no looking back once you are through mid-way. Play it on when you are on a fast drive. You will love it!