Thaindian News

Film: “Cocktail”; Music Director: Pritam Chakraborty; Lyricist: Irshad Kamil; Singers: Neeraj Shridhar, Kavita Seth, Benny Dayal, Shalmali Kholgade, Mohan Kanan, Shilpa Rao, Sunidhi Chauhan, Arijit Singh, Miss Pooja, Neha Kakkar, Nakkash Aziz, Javed Bashir, Nikhil Dsouza, Shefali Avares, Masuma Anwar, Sahir Ali Bagga, Anupam Amod, Arif Lohar, and Harshdeep Kaur; Rating- ****

Piedpiper Pritam Chakraborty brings together artists from different backgrounds for the soundtrack, which is supported by the wordings of Irshad Kamil of “Rockstar” fame, to create an eclectic “Cocktail” that strikes the right note with its youthful fervor.

The album kicks off with “Tumhi ho bandhu”, a peppy youthful number with electronic sounds befitting for a beach bash setting. The song is a modern version of a popular devotional song and is melodious in the true sense backed by the wonderful voice of Kavita. She is supported by Neeraj Shridhar who brings vigour in the chorus that makes this track an instant chartbuster.

“Daaru desi” is again a very innovative friendship track that has Shalmali Kholgade of “Pareshaan” fame coming to the mike along with Benny Dayal to deliver the perfect duet that mesmerises you. Guitar has been put to good use by Pritam and one can just put the earplugs, lie back and enjoy this soothing song to relish the senses.

The next track, “Yaariyan”, is an out and out winner if not for the opening sound which reminds you of “In my Place” by Coldplay. Even the rest of the track seems to be heavily inspired (if not copied) from the Grammy-award-winning British alternative rock band. Agnee’s Mohan Kanan and Shilpa Rao reunite after ‘I Believe’ for the song and their synthesis is poignant.

It also has a reprise version crooned by Sunidhi Chauhan and Arijit Singh, which has more of an acoustic feel to it coupled with the sound of piano in the backdrop. The vocals are pretty good and it is any day better than the original.

Up next on the play list is the desi number “Second hand jawaani” which has Punjabi pop star Miss Pooja crooning mischievous lyrics to make you sway. She is joined by Neha Kakkar and Nakkash Aziz and the three manage to blend with ease. It has elements of hip-hop and the groovy beats keep you hooked to the track.

“Tera naam japdi phiran” is one of the best tracks in the album which will click with the young generation. The lyrics are in Hinglish with a bit of Punjabi here and there. Javed Bashir does a wonderful job here by giving you an adrenaline rush while Shefali Alvares sings “I’m a bad bad girl, I’m gonna rock your world with a gun in my hand”, which sounds funny but not out of place. Nikhil D’Souza croons the rest of the English lyrics. The beats are really good and Pritam deserves a big cheer for creating this one, which will be a show stopper at clubs very soon.

It also has a remix version but is unable to stir your emotions like the original.

“Lutna” (Saif Al Malook) is just an awesome dubstep track sung by Masuma Anwar, Sahir Ali Bagga, and Anupam Amod. This energetic mix of sufi and modern dubstep sounds also has elements of qawwali and despite such an array, the track manages to hold together brilliantly. It has an amazing chorus and it transports you to a different territory.

It also has a mellowed down version that is also good but one prefers to stick with the original in this case.

Last but not the least is “Jugni”, a musical treat for music lovers who swear by the Pakistani version of Coke Studio. Arif Lohar along with Harshdeep Kaur manage to create something not too similar to the track one has heard before and the sound is very evocative with a beautiful composition by Pritam.

Also, there was no trace of the two tracks by the popular Yo Yo Honey Singh - “Main Sharaabi” and “Angreji Beat” in the ensemble — however, they are worth a listen.

The final verdict is that “Cocktail” lives up to its title as the soundtrack is definitely a brilliant and soothing combination of different sounds to satiate your thirst in this scorching heat.

It’s definitely worth a shot.