Jhootha hi Sahi sees the resurrection of director Abbas Tyrewala and music composer A.R. Rahman. The album is a mixed bag of some peppy tunes and a few forgettable numbers.
Rashid Ali and Shreya Ghoshal’s Cry Cry, is interesting because it is different. The song has some funny hatke lines like Cry, cry itna karte hain kai ko, that gives the song a fresh appeal. The melody is soft and the vocals have an understatement that is juxtaposed effectively with the tapori slang in the song.
Maiya yashoda — Jamuna mix, is distinctly Indian in its use of traditional Hindi instrumentation. The flute and dholak interludes will make this track a hit in Dandiya circuits. However, the song has nothing new to offer and being the only dance track in the album, pales in comparison to Papu can’t dance. The remix version, Thames mix, is faster and zippier with an addition of techno sounds to make it contemporary.
Karthik croons Hello Hello with a laid-back ease that is impressive. But his soothing voice doesn’t help lift the song that has boring lyrics and a techno pop that is cheesy. The use of dial tones and sounds of a telephone ringing only adds to the confusion.
The pick of the album is definitely Sonu Nigam’s Do Nishaniyan. The song comes as a breath of fresh air and the refrain, Mere chehere ke do nishaniyan is sure to get stuck in your head. Nigam’s range compliments the wonderful orchestration, but this is definitely not one of Nigam’s best songs for Rahman.
The best that can be said about Shreya Ghoshal’s Pam Pa Ra is that it is foot tapping. The song is unimpressive and will fade in public memory faster than the country’s last political faux pas. The word mediocre would be the kindest to describe this track, as Ghoshal tries her best to suffuse Tyrewala’s woeful lyrics with life.
Vijay Yesudas’s I’ll been waiting is a Jazz number from Rahman’s stable. The song is slow, romantic and has a good composition that uses Jazz features of sax and piano. Again, the problem boils down to it not being brilliant enough.
Call me dil is hands down the best song in the album. It has the pace and the punch that other songs in the album lack. Unlike the other songs in the album, this track is instantly likeable and will have you reaching for the repeat button on your system. Listen to this track to enjoy the Rahman brilliance that the rest of the album misses.