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Producer: Boney Kapoor
Director: Satish Kaushik
Music: Sanjeev-Darshan
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar

Reviewed by: Manish Dhamija
manish@indolink.com

Undoubtedly, Boney Kapoor is one producer who has a good ear for music, as evidenced by the tunes in his films such as Mr. India, Prem, Judaai, Sirf Tum, and Pukar. The music for his latest film follows in the same tradition. Music directors, Sanjeev-Darshan, complete their hat-trick with Hamara Dil Aapke Paas hai, with their earlier efforts being Mann and Deewane. Although this soundtrack falls short of the other two, it is an enjoyable score, nonetheless.

The album begins with the title track sung by Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik. The very much in-demand duo do a fine job of rendering this composition. Although a bit on the slow side, the song is very melodious and lyrics by Javed Akhtar are excellent. It is no big surprise that the track ends up being a tribute to love. But, the lyrics by Javed Akhtar are an excellent attempt to give this love song a different feel, especially given the long title.

Continuing in the tradition of love, the next track, "Tumko Dekha To", is immediately capitivating. Sung by Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik, this track begins with Alka sweetly humming to herself. A bit more upbeat and catchy than the title track, this composition is destined to be a chartbuster. In this song, the singers are expressing how their lives have changed after meeting one another.

The third track marks the return of Udit and the departure of Kumar. Entitled "Shukriya Shukriya", this song seems to be a tribute to Nadeem-Shravan, as it sounds very much like a Nadeem-Shravan tune. Incidentally, for those who do not know, Sanjeev-Darshan happen to be the sons of Shravan. So, any comparisons are not coincidental. This song is probably picturized on Aishwarya and Anil. Reason being - Aishwarya plays the role of Preeti, a rape victim who is housed by a gracious good samaritan, Anil Kapoor. The lyrics indicate that the heroine is thanking the hero for changing her life and awaking her shattered dreams. Kudos to Javed Akhtar for not making this tune sound too sappy.

Abhijeet enters the fun in the fourth track, "Main Tera Hoon". Accompanying him is Alka Yagnik, who dominates this musical score. Upon first listening, the song is not too melodious, nor too noteworthy. But, after repeated listenings, the song does develop an unusual appeal. Probably the aspect that goes against the song is the 'eh he! eh yo! oh ha!' line. It makes the song sound a bit ridiculous, but in the world of Hindi music, I've heard much worse.

"I Love My Family" - that's the title of the fifth song, sung by Abhijeet, Alka Yagnik, and a chorus of kids. A bit weird, if you ask me. But given that Anil houses a bunch of kids in addition to Aishwarya, it makes a bit of sense. It follows in the tradition of songs like "Monday Bhi Aur Sunday" from Dil Kya Kare. Basically, it's not a song that one really wants to listen to - just one of those situational songs that interrupt the flow of the film.

Javed Akhtar impresses with his lyrical flexibility in the next song, "Gham Hain Kyun". Sung by Udit Narayan, it is a sad song that basically addresses the issue of why our heroine insists on taking full responsibility for her victimization. Although it is not a song that I would recommend one to blast from his speakers, it is nice to listen to mainly due to the lyrics and Udit's excellent voice. Again, keeping in mind the storyline, the song is completely appropriate.

Look who comes out of hibernation in the seventh track. Vinod Rathod joins Kavita Krishnamurthy in what basically sounds like "Kaali Nagin Ke Jaise Zulfen Teri Kaali Kaali - Part II". Entitled "Kya Maine Aaj Suna", the beats of the song are catchy and fast. Although the way they drag their voices at the end of the lines can sound a bit funny at first, both singers do a competent job. It's especially nice to hear Vinod Rathod after quite some time.

The album ends with Sonali Bendre in conversation with Anil Kapoor. I think the director found it necessary to include this dialogue piece because the lyrics would not make any sense to the listener otherwise. What Javed does is take "Main Tumse Pyar Karti Hoon" and invert the words so it comes out sounding like a foreign language other than Hindi. The song itself is sung by Hema Sardesai and is called "I Love You". Although it's not a masterpiece by any means, it is undeniably catchy because of its' foot-tapping music. Hema's voice suits the song perfectly, and one can already picture Sonali prancing around Anil Kapoor, lip-syncing the lyrics.

The soundtrack for Hamara Dil Aapke Paas hai is a good buy, especially for those listeners who like a variety of music. It has nice love songs, nice sad songs, and a few upbeat, catchy compositions. The CD comes with a bonus CD that includes hits from Anil Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai films, spanning songs from Taal, Biwi No. 1, Laadla, Parinda, etc.