::: Surreal, Unreal & Ethereal :::. Review on Lakshya Songs

Men are often undone by their own greatness.

The above line was what I was going through when I picked up the audio CD of Farhan Akhtar's Lakshya. Farhan Akhtar's debut directorial venture was of course the inimitable Dil Chahta Hai, which was a cinematic masterpiece, to say the least. Moreover, Dil Chahta Hai boasted of tunes to which I groove to, even today. All of which adds up to mammoth expectations from Lakshya.

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An interesting co-incidence: The entire lead cast of Lakshya is basking in glory at the moment. Each of them have tasted great success and appreciation in their previous ventures - Farhan Akhtar while directing Dil Chahta Hai, Preity Zinta in a confident portrayal of Naina in Kal Ho Na Ho, Hrithik captivating the nation in a frenzy after an earth-shattering performance in Koi Mil Gaya, Amitabh as the angry old man in Khakee, Boman Irani as the wacky dean in the rip-roaring Munnabhai MBBS and Om Puri in brilliant performances in Dhoop and Maqbool. So there. I just informed you about the cast and crew of Lakshya.

I apologize as I missed out the prize name of the inimitable Raj Zutshi who was last seen in the shockingly perfectly spelt Krishna Cottage. Shudders!

Hrithik Roshan plays Karan Shergill, a maverick, reckless youth who has no lakshya in life, until he gets a sudden burst of inspiration to serve the armed forces. He sports two different looks in the film - the first one being a closely-cropped hairdo which has some of his hair flopping on his forehead. The second one is of course a very short style. Amitabh Bachchan, sans beard again after Khakee, plays Sunil Damle, a pivotal role, the exact nature of which has been guarded like a top-secret formula. While I have heard wierd rumours that his character has shades of grey, those might not be exactly true. Preity Zinta plays Hrithik's teenage friend, who later takes up journalism. She has her Dil Chahta Hai look in the first phase, while the second phase has her in a hairdo which is even more wierd than her look in Armaan, if that's possible.

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Post-Dil Chahta Hai, the trio of Shankar, Ehsaan & Loy haven't been able to match up to expectations and their compositions have been patchy, to say the least. Apart from Armaan, none of their scores have been totally great. Yet, this film signals their reunion with the young prodigy Farhan Akhtar. Do they strike form again? Read on ...

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The first song of the album has been on air since awhile. It features Duggu attempting a few elastic exercises as if trying to rid his body of fleas. No wonder I call Hrithik Roshan a rubberband. Main Aisa Kyon Hoon is, well, something that most people would either love or hate. I find it amazing how this song which has no tune whatsoever (if you can believe that), still manages to keep your feet tapping. The chorus is amusing to hear and so are the lyrics - representative of the indecision going on in Hrithik's psyche as he still hasn't found a lakshya in life. Shaan maintains a good control over his vocals, which can surprisingly be difficult while singing a tuneless song like this one. The lyrics are rather amateurish, yet they add to the feel of the song, as the song in itself, is quite amusing. The sinister music piece between verses might be a straight rip-off from the brilliant background score of Qurbani, yet this plagiarized interlude is the life of the song.

Move on to a number which reminds me of the songs of Armaan in the way the vocals of Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik have been used. Their vocals are serene, but the highlight of Agar Main Kahoon are the wonderful and indigenous manner in which the composers have used the various instruments - shades of the bass guitar and harmonica, with a touch of the bongo (or is it the good old drums?) transcend this number to great heights. Lyrics are beautiful and romantic, Javed Akhtar has penned some touching line here. All in all, a great number to hum along too, as this album already has displayed potential along with variety.

And it's the time to shock. You forget that S-E-L are the composers as Kitni Baatein reminds you of A. R. Rahman. No, not the techno freak Rahman who composes noise most of the time nowadays. Somehow, this number reminds me of the songs from Bombay. Blame the familiar rythm and Hariharan's vocals. Yet, you wouldn't mind hearing something on the lines of Bombay! Kindly note that there is no similarity in the composition, apart from the basic feel of the song. Lyrics are situational and poignant. It's difficult to ascertain whose vocals are better - Hariharan is soothing and stupendous, while Sadhana Sargam is sheer poetry. It's time that the voice behind 'Pehla Nasha' is given her due as this number, backed by her magnificent vocals and beautiful use of the flute and the haunting rythm is a sheer classic.

The title song Lakshya is a great example of an opportunity lost. In the kind of theme this song represents, the lyrics would take prime importance and sadly, Akhtar is no great shakes. The lyrics are strictly decent and this track deserved better. However, the music and feel of the song are outstanding, with Shankar Mahadevan carrying the entire song on his own shoulders with his strong vocals.

Kandhon Se Milte Hain Kandhe, which features as many as six male singers, is on the lines of 'Sandese aate hain', with army members singing a patriotic and inspirational number. Although it cannot be compared to the sheer emotional power of the Border number, it is surely miles ahead of the songs on similar lines in LoC. Shankar and Kunal are the pick of the lot and the music is power-packed and emotional simultaneously. Lyrics are fine, though I still prefer 'Sandese aate hain' when it comes to the lyrical richness of the song.

The reprise of Kitni Baatein is more or less similar to the earlier version, although it is a trifle shorter. The only difference would be the interludes at different points, yet the two songs are too similar to compare.

Two instrumentals catch your notice. The first one Separation is an absolute gem. Although miniscule in length at two and a half minutes, the piano is beautifully used along with the instrumental of Kitni Baatein. Exotic stuff, this! Victory may lack the exotic simplicity of Separation, yet is profound in impact. The beginning may be a touch reminiscent of 'Aakash's Theme' from Dil Chahta Hai, but the music modifies into a piece which gives justice to its title.

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Lakshya succeeds in achieving its lakshya. Now, it's time for Farhan Akhtar who is sporting a Beckham hairdo oflate (but Rebecca Loos is amiss!) to enthrall the audience. Whether he will succeed in doing so will be another story. And another review.

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Main aisa kyon hoon? Main Hoon Na. Two different names - Aisa Kyon and Na! As I note that I am the first to ramble my views on this eagerly-awaited my album, I expect a truckload of comments!