Bewafaa boasts of a stellar star cast – Anil Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor, Sushmita Sen, Manoj Bajpai and Shamita Shetty. Behind the screens are Dharmesh Darshan, Boney Kapoor, Sahara One, Nadeem Shravan and Sameer. On top of this, the music album is an assembly of big stars. With such an ensemble, expectations from the film would run high. Fortunately, the music does live up to it – taking you down memory lane, to the days of “Saajan” and “Deewana”. Nadeem Shravan is back in business.
Udit Narayan excels in the opening track – Ek Dilruba Hai. An intensely hummable number, with impressive beats, the song has already gained popularity though the promos shown on the various television channels. There is also a short, slower version of the same song by Shaan – Pyar ki Raahein. The duo continue the good work with Pyaar Ka Anjaam, which strongly reminds you of “Aksar is Duniya Mein” from Dhadkan. Alka Yagnik and Sapna Mukherjee effortlessly carry the song on their shoulders. Even Kumar Sanu’s presence does not spoil the beauty of the song (thankfully!)
Lata Mangeshkar singing for Nadeem Shravan is indeed a rarity! Kaise Piya Se Main Kahun is surely for the Lata fans. A song about the girl waiting for her lover to come home, Lata proves that when it comes to soft romantic number, she’s still a force to reckon with. Lata’s rendering of the song does have the soothing effect of lulling you to sleep. The song, though, does raise the question of “inspiration”. The opening lines remind you of the Godfather theme (more commonly known in India as “Raja Ko Rani Se Pyar Ho Gaya”), and the whole song has a passing resemblance to “Are re Are Yeh Kya Hua” from “Dil To Pagal Hai”. If Lata put to sleep, Ishq Chhupta Nahin is sure to jolt you awake. This is perhaps the best song in the album (there is a similarity to “Tu Is Tarah Se Meri Zindagi Mein” from “Aap To Aise Na The”). Abhijeet’s soft voice is complimented to the hilt by the heavy use of the piano and the background chorus. A semi-ghazal type of number, it takes you back to the golden days of Nadeem Shravan, when they gave us “Mera Dil Bhi Kitna Pagal Hai”. Sheer bliss!
Kehta Hai Kabootar is one song which could well have been avoided. A song for the villain and vamp, this is a “fast-forward number” (no, not that it is a fast number, but because listeners might press the fast forward button), and could well destroy the whole mood of the album. If it doesn’t do so, the credit should go to the brilliance of Shaan and Asha Bhonsle, for getting into the skin of the characters. Watch out for the dialogues mouthed by these two in this number!
If Udit Narayan softened you up with Ek Dilruba Hai, Sonu Nigam will deliver the knockout punch with another version of the same song - Ek Bewafa Hai. The song has a thumping effect on the listener. The heavy orchestration with the excellent chorus lifts the song to great heights. Sonu Nigam perfectly conveys the anguish of the jilted lover with his controlled voice. The use of the guitars and drums are exhilarating.
First Lata Mangeshkar, then Asha Bhonsle, and now, Nadeem Shravan pull a rabbit out of the hat – Ghulam Ali’s voice says it all! Yaad Yaad Teri Yaad is sheer poetry to the ears. Nadeem Shravan have really pulled out a ground coup. Instead of restricting the song to a pure ghazal, they add their trademark touch with the chorus and orchestra, which makes the song more lovable. There are two instrumental pieces that follow the song - a lovely piano/keyboard verison of Kaise Piya Se Main Kahun and an impressive Drum Beats piece.
The fact that there are so many singers proves to be a blessing for Bewafaa. With different voices, there is freshness in each song. Perhaps the most notable feature about the album is the musical arrangement by the duo. The excellent orchestration of the songs stand out! Sameer’s lyrics are, as usual, splendid.
Bewafaa is certainly no Veer-Zaara or Kisna, and may not appeal to the masses. But for the romantic at heart, who used to adore the songs of the recent past when Nadeem Shravan ruled the roost in the industry, Bewafaa is a must buy.
