out of Producer: Raj Kanwar & K. Pappu Director: Raj Kanwar Music: Rajesh Roshan Lyrics: Sameer

Reviewed by Mukul Deshpande
mukul@indolink.com

The album starts off with "Dil deewana", another run-of-the-mill number output by the Rajesh Roshan factory. The only high point of this song is the percussion, and the use of the 'tabla' in particular. The song appears twice in the album - one sung by Kumar Sanu and Anuradha Paudwal and the other sung by a morose Anuradha. It's only when you listen to the solo version that you realise it was Kumar that kept you awake in the duet version. Whether this is a compliment to or a criticism of Kumar's nasal voice is for you to decide.

"Pardesiya" fares a little better than the last song, partly thanks to Udit Narayan, the man with 'jadoo' in his voice. Here he is joined by Anuradha, who seems to stretch her vocal chords a bit too much. It's really amazing how much a singer can give to or take from a song.

Then we have "Pyaar humein pyaar tum kitna karte ho". My friend Ali noticed that Rajesh Roshan borrowed this line from an Apache Indian song. Which makes me wonder: why didn't the music director ask Sameer to write new lyrics for this line? Then maybe Ali wouldn't have noticed! Anyway, to the song's credit, "Pyaar humein pyaar tum" - rendered well by the gifted duo of Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik - is easily the most listenable number in this album.

The next song, sung by Jaspinder Narula, starts off with a bang. Rajesh Roshan tries to blend unrelated pieces of music in "Dil dhak dhak dhadke", a song in the same mold as "Darwaza khula chhod aayee" (Najaayaz). One piece which goes "Sayoneeeeeeee" just had to remind me of Junoon's "Sayonee" (Azaadi). In the end, this song survives just because of the infectious beat.

The last two songs in the album only make you press the 'stop' button. Rajesh Roshan (who - I've decided - steals the title of "Mr. I-love-getting-inspired" from Anu Malik) lifts the tune of the guitar piece in Celine Dion's "My heart will go on" (Titanic) for the 'mukhda' of "Chehra tera chehra" (sung by Kumar and Anuradha). "Piya lagi lagan" (sung by Anuradha and Jaspinder) is not worth too many words. Smelly garbage.

I'm enthusiastic about Daag for two reasons. One - because I can't wait to see Mahima again after her sensational debut in Pardes. Two - because Raj Kanwar films are always interesting. But one question: why 'Daag - The Fire'? My Hindi is just good enough to understand Hindi films, but maybe 'Daag - The Scar' would have made more sense? Or maybe the 'D' in 'Daag' is supposed to be silent? Oh well ...

As for the audio, you might want to listen to this if you really really really wait for Rajesh Roshan albums. Otherwise, you'd rather watch grass grow ...