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 The soundtrack of Aashiq Banaya Aapne rewrote history in Bollywood music. The title track rendered by Himesh Reshammiya and written by Sameer shook many music directors off their chairs. This was just the beginning of the hurricane. The music director who earlier composed songs like Pyaar Dilon Ka Mela Hai and Chamiya from Dulhan Hum Le Jaayenge finally unveiled a new facet. A new voice was discovered and it is conquering hearts. The word rage is an understatement for this song. Listeners who had enough of film music changed their views after listening to the whole soundtrack of Aashiq Banaya Aapne (ABA). The remixes by Akbar Sami further infuriated the going rage.
On the other side, some simply mocked the movie and soundtrack as ‘Bewakoof Banaya Aapne’. Criticisms started to grow about the quality of the voice. Accusations of nasality are still prevailing till today. The ‘Ooooh’ became a must in all his hit soundtracks. On the technical side, ABA introduced the Sufi rock genre, which has not been rightly exploited in Bollywood. This voice and music demanded a totally different orchestration. There were more use of the drums, keyboards, violins and shehnais. Himesh Reshammiya then creates a niche for himself. The same production team of ABA is back with Dil Diya Hai with Emraan Hashmi and Geeta Basra. In 1990, Enigma revolutionized world music with the album MCMXC A.D. The composer used the female vocals in a dark and sensual way to convey sexuality and a woman’s desires. The heavy use of the synthesizers and the synthetic flute created a haunting and mysterious mood. This is what Reshammiya tries to attempt with the title song. It begins in a dark and atmospheric fashion with Himani in a sensual voice. Reshammiya comes next with a deep voice where he wonderfully plays with his vocal chords. Orchestration is kept minimal with the tabla, violins, piano and keyboard sounds. Slow pace is on the menu. The voices are used to create the mood, rhythm and atmosphere. With this dark ambience, the music aims to touch the strings of love. It's the female vocals that blend wonderfully with the electronic chills. Samples of Reshammiya’s ‘Oooh oooh’ are nowhere in the track. Though melody is not at its peak, the other elements are strong enough to compensate it. Heavy influences of familiar Enigma ingredients are present but Reshammiya packages the number as an exclusive Indian-Enigma fusion with his voice as the main highlight. Encore! Afsana Banake Bhool Na Jaana is catchy, rhythmic and well orchestrated. A definite rage is to ensue. However, clever Reshammiya simply manipulated the mukhda of his own Meri Chandi Tu Sona from Silsiilay and cunningly worked harder on the new version, and his efforts pay dividends. Afsana Banake Bhool Na Jaana is pure Reshammiya stuff with Tulsi Kumar lending her smooth vocals. Their renditions complement each other nicely. The electronic accordion used in both interludes simply rocks! The beats and the synthesizers make for a good amalgamation as well. Some Arabian overtones are displayed in the track, especially in the instrumental interludes. With an already great picturization on Emraan Hashmi, this one is straightforwardly rocking!
Mile Ho Tum To can be easily tagged as ‘Reshammiya As Never Heard Before!’ and it holds true. The complexity of the tune renders it more beautiful. The same orchestration used earlier is repeated but the singing and pace of the song are totally different. The track starts with a very Sufi-ambient fusion with Reshammiya going low pitch with the rendition. He then does a Daler Mehndi with a sudden ‘Na na na na na re’, which is part of the mukhda! Another surprise is the South Indian flavor of the prelude with the flute, which is again repeated throughout the musical interludes. The whooping vocal gymnastics and keening guitars make this one an addictive experience. Tulsi Kumar does a fine job in her supporting role. Reshammiya impresses both as the composer and as the singer! He has the recipe for a perfect blend of different fusions without creating a cacophony of sorts. High on beats and synthesizers, Jabse Aankh Ladi with Alisha Chinoy sounds more like an Anu Malik number of the ‘90s. Jayesh Gandhi gets the awaited chance to accompany Alisha. His rendering in the antara is above average but he sounds very much like Reshammiya! The tune is simple and the chorus is used extensively. The first interlude with the guitar work is similar to the prelude of Ishq Samundar from Kaante. Even though this track is not in the same league as the previous numbers, it is passable. Hemchandra, Vinit and Himani sing together in Chalo Dildar Chalo. They all try their best in their renditions. However, on hearing the part Meri Manzil Tu, it is apparent that this track should have been rendered by Reshammiya himself. It would have been a sure hit. The tune is average while the music and orchestration are vibrant throughout.
Himesh Reshammiya experiments with the soundtrack of Dil Diya Hai. Daring and succeeding at the same time are not easy but he does it. Not to mention, Sameer’s words are quite unusual as well. But the soundtrack is special due to the singing. The singing by each of the singers has been meticulously planned. Reshammiya goes a different route this time around and excels. For a change, Tulsi Kumar and Himani replace Sunidhi Chauhan and the strategy is working! Himani’s vocal chords are excellent and Tulsi Kumar’s vocals are sweet. Trained under the baton of Reshammiya, Hemchandra and Vinit have more to offer. Although Alisha Chinoy is effective, more could have been extracted from her. The soundtrack of Dil Diya Hai can be qualified as a conceptual one where Reshammiya doesn’t keep his compositions concise. It’s good that he didn’t repeat another Aashiq Banaya Aapne. He shows creativity in most of the songs, especially the title piece and the rhythmic Mile Ho Tum To. The only minus point is the poor dose of melody. In addition to the experimentation, Reshammiya takes an atmospheric approach to the music and the results are surprisingly effective. This music has some moments of real beauty. Go for the original versions only!
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Yadaan Teriyan has a solo Reshammiya singing in his best form. The prelude is similar to the one of his Aap Ka Surroor’s Mere Lamhon Ki Aarzoo! The track sounds more like a pop number. He exploits the Sufi genre at its best. The Sufi rock influence is present in the orchestration with the use of the Indian flute, tabla and electric guitar. Reshammiya carries the song to another level with an excellent rendition of the stanzas. Although the piece takes time to grow on you; it’s clearly evident that as the composer, Reshammiya trusts the singer in him, and it shows. The guitar scratches combined with the laid-back tabla sounds in the backdrop create an ambient feel. Definitely a very interesting track with Reshammiya passionately singing his own original composition!
One of the soundtrack’s missteps is the remixing. Talented Akbar Sami shows lack of creativity and motivation in remixing the tracks, none of which stand out. This will have to be one of his worst ventures as DJ for a Reshammiya album. All the remixes are plain with stocked beats and boring mixing of voices.