Asha Bhonsle reveals - Page 2

Director: Govind Menon
Producer: Vivek Nayak
Music: Milind Sagar
Lyrics: Faiz Anwar
Starring: Himanshu Malik, Mallika Sherawat, Shivaji Satam

You pick up an album and start searching for the credentials. Well, one is not really impressed when one sees Himanshu (one scene in Jungle and a bit role in Tum Bin) on the cover with a good looking newcomer girl opposite him. You say, "OK !! Let me check who the music director is? " Again, nothing encouraging as it is attributed to a new guy Milind Sagar. Credentials to Vivek Nayak and Govind Menon as producer and director too do not excite enough and one feels that " Chalo !! Some redemption here, as the lyricist (Faaiz Anwar) carries some weight !! But HOLD ON ! Suddenly you find something written on the album cover at a corner - "ALL SONGS BY ASHA BHONSLE". And you get an intuition that this may be something that you have been looking for. How true does your intuition turn out to be, let's have a look !!

Album Khwahish ( a weak title for a romantic movie !) begins with an entertaining track 'Hum Dono Hain Khoye'. An obvious 'inspiration' from Jai Jai Shiv Shankar (Aap Ki Kasam), the lead players play drunk in the sung with the entire concept of the original remaining intact. Asha ji and Udit Narayan have a rocking time while singing this one and the song is full of josh-masti-maaza. Please choreograph this one well and publicize it appropriately. Marketing guys, are you listening??

'Sapnon Mein' - a solo by Asha ji is something that the melody starved music lovers have just been waiting for !! Lyrics by Faaiz Anwar are something to be heard to and Milind Sagar's melody complements it very well. A sweet love song, it continues the good mood set in the album. Don't confuse 'Gungunati Hai' - a duet by Udit Narayan and Asha with the one she has sung in Satta. This one is a different song and is a melodious love song again. This makes it three out of three so far.

But what comes as a real surprise is a classical number - 'Rang Raliyan' by Ashaji. Based on Raag Malkauns, due credit is acknowledged to Pt. Ramesh Jule. Also, a pat on the back for Milind Sagar who has dared to compose a classical song with as much elan as the pop track 'Baila Baila', which is again a solo by Asha. Inspired from Caribbean music, this song seems to be set on the beaches of Goa and makes one rush to the dance floor.

What takes the cake is 'Jaaneman' - a duet by Asha ji and KK !! Set in the same mode as the lesser heard (but a well composed !) song - 'Jaane Wafa ...Teri Aarzoo Hai' (from Mitr), it is impressive !! (Though too much of flesh exposure in the number, both by the hero and the heroine, does seem to be un-necessary in context of the song !)

A good album like Khwahish comes as a real surprise towards the end of 2002 with at least three tracks making a mark. In the times of some insipid compositions being churned by reputed musicians, one pities that the soulful compositions by Milind Sagar for Khwahish may just go unnoticed due to it's low-profile star-cast and production house.