'Kaun si dor' only gem in 'Aarakshan' music (IANS Music Review)

Film: 'Aarakshan'; Music Directors: Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonca; Lyricist: Prasoon Joshi; Singers: Mohit Chauhan, Shreya Ghoshal, Pt.Channulal Mishra, Mahalaxmi Iyer, Raman Mahadevan, Tarun Sagar, Gaurav Gupta, Rehan, Shankar Mahadevan; Rating: **

Music director trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy is famous for their foot-tapping fast numbers and heartwarming slow songs, but with 'Aarakshan' the talented composers failed to churn out another blockbuster album. Only one song in the film stands out and offers something worth appreciating.

The album offers six tracks.

The first song itself gives a feeling of deja vu. 'Achha Lagta Hai', crooned by Mohit Chauhan and Shreya Ghoshal sounds like an amalgamation of two of the music directors' old songs - 'Aachhi lagti ho' ('Kuch Naa Kaho') and 'Agar main kahun' ('Lakshya').

The love song is not very impressive and is more like a conversation. Not a great start to the album.

Next comes 'Mauka' that has been sung by a host of singers, including Mahalaxmi Iyer, Raman Mahadevan, Tarun Sagar, Gaurav Gupta and Rehan. This one doesn't excite the listener too much and is quite ordinary.

The fast-paced number seems to be a celebratory song and might look more appealing on screen. There is a lot of variations in the song in terms of pitch, tempo and vocal style, yet it doesn't hold the interest for very long. The track has a remixed version too.

'Kaun si dor' is the best track of the album and truly a gem. The semi-classical number has been effectively voiced by Pt. Channulal Mishra with ample support from Shreya Ghoshal.

The totally Indianised track touches the heart from the very beginning and is a welcome break from the more westernised songs nowadays. Totally likeable and a sure shot winner with music buffs.

The song also has a solo version by Pt. Channulal Mishra called 'Saans albeli', which is equally enchanting.

Finally, there is 'Roshanee' by Shankar Mahadevan himself. An inspirational track, it is neither bad nor brilliant. The instrumental pieces in between the song are very impressive but in totality the song is not that great and will not be able to garner immense praise.

On the whole, the album of 'Aarakshan' doesn't have much to talk about musically.

(Ruchika Kher can be contacted at [email protected])