Aap Ki Khatir - Music Review

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ruqaiyah

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Posted: 19 years ago

Aap Ki Khatir

2006 Bollyvista.com

Aap Ki Khatir
Credits
Producer/s:	Venus Movies Pvt. Ltd
Director:	Dharmesh Darshan
Music:	Himesh Reshammiya
Lyrics:	Sameer
Vocals:	Alisha Chinoy, Himani, Himesh Reshammiya, Jaspinder Narula, K.K, Kunal Ganjawala and Sunidhi Chauhan
Label:	Venus

The launch of any music album from the Darshan house is a cause of much joy and ecstasy for the lovers of melodious, massy yet classy Hindi filmi music. Their association with music directors Nadeem-Shravan saw their music scaling new heights on the charts, with the public dancing in the aisles of the theatres, be it 'Raja Hindustani', 'Dhadkan', 'Haan Maine Bhi Pyar Kiya Hai' or 'Bewafaa'; irrespective of the box-office outcome, the music has always hit the bulls eye. The only time Dharmesh opted for an outside director (post "Raja Hindustani"), it was Anu Malik in 'Mela' and the music failed to create any waves. So the new numero-uno Himesh Reshammiya has quite a legacy to follow and he definitely has a huge burden on his shoulders. Let's check out if he comes up trumps.

Good guitar strumming, followed by Darshan's favourite mouth organ and of course Himesh's trademark crooning and we are on to the lovely title track 'Aap Ki Khatir'. It is a beautiful, slow paced courtship song. Himesh sings well in the lower octaves with little or no nasal traces (except for brief necessary portions). The highlights of the song are some outstanding (yet simple) lyrics by Sameer - "Aap ki khatir, mere dil ka jahan hai hazir, apne saare armaan, kar doon main zahir." This is without doubt the best track of the album and Himesh scores yet again, even as a singer.

The 'Aap Ki Khatir (Remix)' by Akbar Sami sounds more like 'Aap Ki Khashish' from 'Aashiq Banaya Aapne'.

The third version of 'Aap Ki Khatir (Unplugged)' commences in a similar fashion to the original, with the guitar strumming dominating. However, as soon as Akshaye Khanna joins a more nasal (yet essential) Himesh in this version with some superb recitation, the track lifts further. His diction and 'adayegi' are flawless - "Dard ke toofan dil mein uthte hain, lamhey sadiyon ki tarah kat te hain, hum mitana chahein jo kabhi, aap ke naksh kahan mit tey hain." Yet again, Sameer's lyrics are outstanding. Himesh too is excellent in this 'Unplugged' version with minimum background arrangements.

Keyboard (piano like) melody and synthesized rhythm form the backbone of 'I Love You For What You Are' (a first cousin of 'Love You Unconditionally' from 'Ahista Ahista'?). It is basically a 'desi,' Hinglish, semi-seductive number, which is in the same corridor as the Anu Malik-Alisha seductive numbers of the 90's. K.K. sings in a base voice and rock style and gives good company to the efficient Alisha Chinoy.

Aap Ki Khatir

The 'I Love You For What You Are (Remix)' is the usual stuff that Akbar Sami serves. In fact he fails to lift up the routine original.

Himesh uses a cocktail stirrer and mixes up two tunes 'Dholna' ('Dil To Pagal Hai') and the Mukesh classic 'Main Na Bhoolonga' ('Roti Kapda Aur Makan'), and lo behold he comes up with 'Meethi Meethi Batan'!

The influence of the above mentioned Manoj Kumar movie track is present throughout this track. Himesh bhai, we haven't forgotten the 1974 hit, though you will say "same folk tune basically". Even the super talented Kailash Kher and the neglected Jaspinder Nirula can't do much for the plagiarized composition.

The 'Meethi Meethi Batan (Remix)' is by (no prizes for guessing!) Akbar Sami and we do not want to sound monotonous by using the same phrases "upped tempo, beats etc." It's as ordinary as the original.

Next we reach 'Afsana', rendered by the capped composer himself. He tries to do a Trickbaby, using (distant) radio songs/sounds right at the start and later Sameer's lyrics go "Afsana ban gaya hoon main tere pyar ka, kya haal main bataoon dile beqarar ka." He even resorts to English "You are always on my mind." Sameer bhai, we do not remember the lyrics of the late Uma Devi's 'Afsana likh rahi hoon, dile beqarar ka' from the 1947 hit 'Dard' (if you think that, you are living in a fool's paradise). In a nutshell, even with some Rajasthani influence via violin and 'sarangi', 'Afsana' has nothing original about it!

Aap Ki Khatir

Is it the start of 'Ae Meri Zohrajabeen' ('Phir Hera Pheri') or lyrically 'Tu Hi Meri Shab Hai' ('Gangster')? No, it is an entirely different composition 'Tu Hi Mera'. Pathetic singing by Himani makes the song worse. We can give her the benefit of the doubt, as what Himesh actually wanted from her, may have confused her.

The 'Tu Hi Mera (Remix)' has been sung somewhat better by Himesh, as compared to the original and thereby lifts the remix to an extent.

Base guitar and its Spanish/Hawaiian cousins welcome us to the second best number of the album, 'Keh Do Na', featuring Shaan and Sunidhi. Shaan is superb, as he emulates Ganjawala's style and switches between 'nazam' and rock style singing - "Tum bin jee na paying, ab to mar hi jayenge." The track continues to swing back and forth between Indian and Western moods, though the transition is a bit jarring (at times).

The singer with the best voice, Ganjawala does full justice to the potpourri composition 'Tu Hai Kamaal'. Though too many innovations, influences (even 'Oodhni' from 'Tere Naam'), excess beats and instruments (both Indian and Western) make the track a cacophonous confusion, thankfully it is redeemed to an extent by Ganjawala's excellent rendition and a lovely flute (metallic) - guitar fusion.

On the whole, the Darshan-Venus-Himesh combination has managed to conjure just one outstanding track ('Aap Ki Khatir') and another good one ('Keh Do Na'). The rest of the album is as ordinary as they come. Needless to add, 'Aap Ki Khatir' fails to create the Nadeem-Sharavan and Dharmesh-Darshan magic. Let alone touching it, it in fact misses the target by many miles!