`Special Chabbis` soundtrack special treat for music lovers

Film: ‘Special Chabbis’; Music Directors: MM Kreem and Himesh Reshammiya; Lyricists: Irshad Kamil, Shabbir Ahmed; Singers: KK, MM Kreem, Sunidhi Chauhan, Aman Trikha, Shreya Ghoshal, Shabab Sabri, Chaitra Ambadipudi, Keerti Sagathia, Papon, and Bappi Lahiri; Rating ***

Neeraj Pandey returns to direction after four years and his latest film ‘Special Chabbis’ looks as invigorating as his first film ‘A Wednesday’. The soundtrack too seems good with five original tracks. Four songs have been penned by Irshad Kamil and composed by MM Kreem, while Himesh Reshammiya has chipped in with a composition with lyrics by Shabbir Ahmed. First up is ‘Tujh sang lagee’. A soulful rendition by KK, the song has a qawwali touch and Sufi energy flowing incessantly. The sound of the Sarangi and other Indian instruments also play a vital role by keeping you in sync with the song. It is followed by an out and out Punjabi track ‘Gore mukhde pe zulfaan d chaavan;. It is composed by Reshammiya and crooned by the trio of Aman Trikha, Shreya Ghoshal and Shabab Sabri. There are some good beats here and there, but overall it falls flat. Next song ‘Kaun Mera’ is a beautiful romantic ballad where Chaitra Ambadipudi`s enchanting voice mesmerises the listener. The song is pure bliss. The noteworthy musical arrangements play a complementary role and allow the voice to do all the talking. The song has two more versions, one by the Papon, the poster-boy of Assam who is equally engaging. His version has some very fine guitar riffs but here also vocals take the centrestage. This one too is a beauty and grows on you, a must listen. The third version by Sunidhi Chauhan has been given a slow and mellow treatment but sounds good to the ears. Given a choice, it`s really hard to choose the best amongst the three and frankly speaking all of them deserve equal cheer. A big thumbs up! The sound of guitar greets you in ‘Mujh mein tu’, a very spirited and idealistic sort of love song, which explores what place that special person holds in one`s heart. A fine track, it will have many takers amongst the lovebirds and those seeking romance. It also has another version that has been crooned to perfection by Kreem and he elevates the track to a mesmerising level that touches every chord of your soul. Composers like him should definitely spend more time behind the mike to produce such melodious tracks. Rounding up the album is our very own Bappi Lahiri, fondly called Bappi Da, making you groove with ‘Dhadpakad’, which reflects the subject of the film. It doesn`t have the makings of a chartbuster but will work on the visual front. Overall, the ensemble will work with music lovers and some of the songs have a shelf life. IANS