Reviewed by Sunder
sunder@indolink.com

KEEMAT relives the spirit of the previous Venus-Sameer Malkan presentation "Main Khiladi Tu Anadi" including the two lead actors. The notable change is Anu Malik making way for Rajesh Roshan - but the spirit of MKTA (or should we say Anu Malik) is apparent in this musical score. After a few hearings, the numbers grow on you making it a notable effort for Rajesh Roshan.

The album opens with a surefire chartbuster "De Diya Dil Piya", sung very competently by Sonu Nigam and Alisha Chinoy. There is newness in this score, conveyed most effectively by the singers and the arrangement.

If you enjoy listening to Indianized versions of English hits, "Koi Nahin Tere Jaisa" by Udit, Abhijeet, and Hema Sardesai is just the song for you. It has taken our Hindi music directors over three years to recreate the brilliant abandon of "Cotton Eye Joe", and much as Anu Malik would be the most likely to do so, Rajesh Roshan goes further to come out with a winner. The violins of the original may not be present, except for a few wonderful notes, but the singers and chorus make this song imminently listenable. Perhaps, three years denote that this must have been a most difficult song to rehash!

Javed Akhtar comes up with some good lyrics for a pleasing, but short of brilliant song, "Nahi Kahi Thi Baat". Udit and Alka Yagnik do their singing duties and Rajesh Roshan shows his wares with the music arrangement. Udit teams up for another duet with Anuradha Paudwal in "Gair Se Ankh Ladayee", with notable lyrics by Indivar. The song follows a novel pattern that makes it sound like a techno-ghazal, thats worth listening to. Alka comes back with Kumar Sanu for "Mere Humsafar", another typical Sanu-Alka duet. None of these duets have much more to write about, except that they don't make you rushing for the skip function.

With a two-hero two-heroine film, there must be a foursome song, which is "O Mere Chhaila" by Kavita, Alka, Babul Supriyo and Nayan Rathod. The male singers have little to raise their voice; but the female singers make themselves heard. The song grows on the ears, though it would not last longer than being flavor of the fortnight.

The album ends with a track supposedly from the Venus Music Bank, with lyrics by Maya Govind. The singing duo of Altaf Raja and Shweta Shetty make an intriguing and effective pair, though the music arrangement tends to be jarring at times - with Anu Malik style noises (for sheer want of another word) marking this score.

The album is worth its title - the KEEMAT of listening to it is worth your eardrums. Rajesh Roshan comes up with a score worthy of a music company's presentation - but the longevity of this score is suspect. There is a fair dose of novelty, and innovation - with apt lyrical support from Indivar, with a song each by Javed Akhtar and Maya Govind. The singing ranges from competent to better - there are no jarring voices. In perspective, maybe asking for long-living scores is asking for too much.