Music review: Chennai Express
Indo-Asian News Service | July 04, 2013 12:19 IST (New Delhi)

Rohit Shetty's much-awaited entertainer Chennai Express boasts of a soothing bouquet of typical Bollywood numbers and some peppy tracks with exceptional mixing. The music album has eight tracks, including a mash-up.

The album rightly sets the pace with One two three four. This one surely has the potential to become a hit dance number. With Vishal Dadlani and Hamsika Iyer taking the lead, the tapori-style track is catchy, peppy and energy-packed. You'll go hitchik hitchik after this one!

Titli, the second track, lives up to the beauty of its name. Sung by Chinmayi Sripaada and Gopi Sunder, the track, backed by soothing music, is typically romantic by Bollywood standards. Its rhythm grows on you.

Next up is Kashmir main, tu Kanyakumari. Yes, the song has a quirky title, but it just goes on to depict how different are the lead characters, essayed by Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone, in the film. It's tough to slot the genre of this song, but singers Sunidhi Chauhan, Arijit Singh and Neeti Mohan have made it worth a hear with their talent. It leaves the listener happy.

If rap in India can be taken to the a new level in Bollywood, then Ready steady po has done it! An interesting number, it is sung by an ensemble of Brodha V., Natalie Di'luccio, Smokey, Enkore and Vishal Dadlani. Quite an experimental song, one must say! And you can't miss its international appeal. A hip-hop touch to the song makes it classy and catchy. This one is likely to become an anthem of sorts.

The title track, Chennai Express gives you a nostalgic feeling, and why not? It is crooned in the melodious voice of southern singer SP Balasubramaniam. He comes back to Bollywood with this one after a long time, and how! The music is edgy and peppy, making you give a miss to the sometimes off-the-track lyrics.

A dubstep version of Titli is a must listen. The combination of a Bollywood romantic track, some south Indian beats and dubstep, this experimental song is music to the ears, literally! Kudos to the composers for this fusion track.

Overall here's another winner from Vishal-Shekhar. It is likely to appeal to music lovers of all age-groups and sentiments. An entertaining all-rounder, the composers must be applauded for fusing different music and beats to pep up the otherwise usual Bollywood music.

http://movies.ndtv.com/music/music-r...express-387848

 

'Chennai Express' Music Review: It's an entertaining all-rounder

Music Directors: Vishal-Shekhar

Singers: Vishal Dadlani, Hamsika Iyer, Sricharan Kasturirangan, Chinmayi Sripaada, Gopi Sunder, Amitabh Bhattacharya, Anusha Mani, Sunidhi Chauhan, Arijit Singh, Neeti Mohan, Brodha V., Natalie Di'luccio, Smokey, Enkore, Phoenyx and Zoheb Khan

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Rohit Shetty's much-awaited entertainer 'Chennai Express' boasts of a soothing bouquet of typical Bollywood numbers and some peppy tracks with exceptional mixing. The music album has eight tracks, including a mashup.

The album rightly sets the pace with 'One two three four'! This one surely has the potential to become a hit dance number. With Vishal Dadlani and Hamsika Iyer taking the lead, the tapori-style track is catchy, peppy and energy-packed. You'll go 'hitchik hitchik' after this one!

'Titli', the second track, lives up to the beauty of its name. Sung by Chinmayi Sripaada and Gopi Sunder, the track, backed by soothing music, is typically romantic by Bollywood standards. Its rhythm grows on you.

Next up is 'Kashmir main, tu Kanyakumari'. Yes, the song has a quirky title, but it just goes on to depict how different are the lead characters, essayed by Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone, in the film. It's tough to slot the genre of this song, but singers Sunidhi Chauhan, Arijit Singh and Neeti Mohan have made it worth a hear with their talent. It leaves the listener happy.

If rap in India can be taken to the a new level in Bollywood, then 'Ready steady po' has done it! An interesting number, it is sung by an ensemble of Brodha V., Natalie Di'luccio, Smokey, Enkore and Vishal Dadlani. Quite an experimental song, one must say! And you can't miss its international appeal. A hip-hop touch to the song makes it classy and catchy. This one is likely to become an anthem of sorts.

The title track, 'Chennai Express' gives you a nostalgic feeling, and why not? It is crooned in the melodious voice of southern singer S.P. Balasubramaniam. He comes back to Bollywood with this one after a long time, and how! The music is edgy and peppy, making you give a miss to the sometimes off-the-track lyrics.

A dubstep version of 'Titli' is a must listen. The combination of a Bollywood romantic track, some south Indian beats and dubstep, this experimental song is music to the ears, literally! Kudos to the composers for this fusion track.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/chennai-e...936-45-76.html

Verdict: Here's another winner from Vishal-Shekhar. It is likely to appeal to music lovers of all age-groups and sentiments. An entertaining all-rounder, the composers must be applauded for fusing different music and beats to pep up the otherwise usual Bollywood music.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/chennai-e...936-45-76.html

 

Chennai Express music has a bliss to blast feel to it

Chennai Express music has a bliss to blast feel to it

The music of Shah Rukh Khan-Deepika Padukone starrer 'Chennai Express' was launched last night to much fanfare, and has a bliss-to-blast feel” a good mix of soulful numbers and foot-tapping tracks.

The USP of most SRK movies has always been the music. The first single, One Two Three Four, is set to become a chartbuster. Says Khan, "Music has to breathe life into the film. Vishal-Shekhar have done exactly that for this one. My favourites are Tera Rasta Chodoon Na and Titli." For Deepika, it was like working with the OSO team once again. "My first film was with SRK as a co-star, had ManishMalhotra doing my costumes and Vishal-Shekhar composing the music. I love all the songs but Titli is my favourite."

Director Rohit Shetty says, "I am excited about the music of our film because of Vishal and Shekhar. I am glad that we came together after Golmaal once again." Bhushan Kumar of T-Series, who has had a long association with Khan, is only too happy to add another film to their kitty. "It is always a great pleasure to work with him. We have been associated with him right from his first home production Main Hoon Na."

Vishal-Shekhar believe in letting their work talk for themselves. "Chennai Express' music is the film. Love, humour, action, comedy, it's all there. It is also a genuine homage to South Indian culture and music."

Chennai Express, produced by UTV Motion Pictures and Red Chillies Entertainments Pvt Ltd, releases on August 8.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiati...epika-padukone

 

Music: VISHAL-SHEKHAR
Lyrics: AMITABH BHATTACHARYA, BRODHA V, ENCORE, SMOKEY with Tamil lyrics by CHARULATHA MANI & MADHUMITHA MANI
Music label: T-SERIES

Expectations

Expectations from a film score like this are gargantuan: After all, Shah Rukh Khan's home productions have always been, but for an exception or two, blessed with exceptional music, right from Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani and Asoka to Om Shanti Om.

Music

Vishal-Shekhar's music here is as up-tempo as any express train. The score could have more uniform though - there are tracks here that hark back to V-S's more experimental early scores as well as some of their more clichéd post-Om Shanti Om music. There is thus a mix of classic mainstream music and the Hip-Hop-rock-pop kind of songs that they did in some of their musically inconsequential movies.

The sound is rich, and the use of Tamil lyrics and South Indian instruments are apt but not heavy. The combination of the duo's style and the dakshini flavour is tangy, spicy and does not get into incongruous or unpalatable zone. One does, however, feel that a few of the songs were much more (desi)rable!

Energy-wise, the lead track 'One Two Three Four' (Vishal Dadlani-Hamsika Iyer) exhibits both the chameleonic voice of Vishal and the sporadically-used formidable skills of Hamsika (best known, ironically, for 'Chhamak Chhallo' from Ra.One, rather than her weightier early songs) well. The energy is high, the lyrics mad and intentionally silly, and the song does precisely what it asks you to - Get on the dance floor! Techno-Western blends appetizingly with Southern percussion, strings and chorus to give a zingy feel.

Matching this song in exuberance and wackiness is the title-track 'Chennai Express' that actually and egoistically mentions names like SRK, SPB, Rohit Shetty and Vishal-Shekhar in the prelude before it gets down to (melodic) business! The robust orchestration decks up a simple, almost retro, song that brings back S.P. Balasubramaniam (the SPB mentioned above and the hot Southern singer from the Hindi films of the '80s and early '90s) after the insignificant 2008 film Ghatothkach.

Bala, as he is known, is in super fettle, dwarfing co-singer Jonita Gandhi, and the lyrics have madness in their method, with some philosophies expressed in trendy ways (What a wonderful, badi bombastic / Life ki journey hai fully fantastic / Jitni bhi log aaye / Unke liye banaye /Dil mein jagah hum, dil hai elastic). Amitabh Bhattacharya has by now mastered the Hindi-mixed-seamlessly-with-English kind of song and he excels here. The thought here resembles Anand Bakshi's Sab hai sawaar / Dushmun ke yaar / Sab ko chali yeh leke / Jeena seekha rahi hai that we heard in that benchmark train song of the '70s, 'Gaadi Bula Rahi Hai' (Dost).

And then we come to the clear winner in the album from the musical and lyrical standpoint: 'Titli'. Rendered brilliantly by Chinmayee with Gopi Sundar providing adequate company, this wonderful song floors us with its mix of old-world melody and contemporary orchestration. Silkily, sensitively created, it ranks high among the melodious songs of the year so far. Something tells us that this gossamer geet will outlast and outclass the other songs in popularity in the soundtrack as the score and film grow.

'Tera Raasta Chhodoon Na' (Amitabh Bhattacharya-Anusha Mani) is a song of a lover's promise, starting on an audacious note (Meherbaani nahin, tumhara pyar maanga hai), but suffers for two reasons: one, the song sounds like a simplistic jingle extended into a song, and two, that Amitabh sings superficially and not deep from the throat and thus, does not seem to 'feel' his own lyrics. The song ends up like a better variety of Indipop, but without character. The 'rock'-like interludes pull it down further, and co-singer Anusha is flat in her lines too.

'Kashmir Main Tu Kanya Kumari' (Sunidhi Chauhan-Arijit Singh-Neeti Mohun) is like a '60s O.P. Nayyar tune decked up both with a dakshini tang as well as a modern colour. The lyrics are smart but a tad too phonetics-oriented and the feverish pace leaves no breathing space for any singer to shine.

'Ready Steady Po' (Brodha V, Smokey, Enkore, Natalie Di Luccio, Vishal Dadlani) is the weakest track on the album, trite, over-familiar and overdone with techno trendy tenors. Good maybe to dance to, but forgettable there as well - other than the three-word hook, that is. The words and music take us back to the worst two years in Hindi music - the confused zone of 2008 and 2009.

Finally, the Dubstep version of 'Titli' and the 'Chennai Express Mashup' are eminently functional - and thus forgettable.

Overall

With a little more attention and dedication, this could have been a thoroughly enjoyable train ride. However, the ticket is only partly worth the money as all the stations are not attractive!

Our Picks

One Two Three Four, Titli, Chennai Express

http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movi...view/id/570145

 

Music Review: Chennai Express

The frothy, funny and romantic music mirrors the film’s theme

Chennai Express, as we all know is a hardcore romantic comedy, Rohit Shetty style. So it’s a given that the music would be loud, raucous and peppered with funny lyrics – lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya, take a bow. That there would be some genuine romantic numbers was also expected. What’s unexpected was the choice of singers. One understands that Vishal-Shekhar roped in veteran SP Balasubrahmanyam (SPB) to sing the title song so as to get the Tamil accent right. But why Chinmayi and Gopi Sunder for Titli? One would have expected either Vishal or Shekhar or Sonu Niigaam to be singing the song along with Shreya Ghoshal. That doesn’t mean that Chinmayi or Gopi Sunder (who is a well-known composer in his own right) haven’t done a fab job. This soft number has turned out to be one of those evergreen Shah Rukh romantic tracks that we have grown up on. The sheer exuberance of the song blows you apart. The rhythmic mridangam beats juxtaposed with guitar work, the temple chants and the dipped in love lyrics all force you to hit the repeat button again and again. If ever a song which was an instant classic, this is it.

Strangely there is a dubstep version of the song as well, mixed by Phoenyx, Chris McGuiness and Zoheb Khan – three heavyweights combining to create an electronic fusion that’s aimed clearly for DJs around the world. Sadly, it pales in comparison with the original. Some songs don’t lend themselves to dubstep remixing and such is the case with Titli too. We can only guess that Vishal-Shekhar agreed to do it in a fit of experimental frenzy.

The other surprise singer is lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya himself, who must have been on a high after doing playback for India’s biggest star. Tera rasta chhodoon na is a heartfelt declaration of love and this duet is enhanced by Anusha Mani’s sultry voice. The fast paced rock inspired orchestration works as well. A faster interlude of Titli’s signature tune at the end gives it a special twist.

Another surprise choice is the inclusion of Brodha V and Smokey from the Machas With Attitude Hip Hop group, rapper Enkore and Canadian singer Natalie Di Luccio (who made a name for herself singing Bollywood cover versions), along with Vishal in the super energetic Ready steady po – which is also the catch line of the film. This pulsating song is sure to be a hit with the disco crowd in time to come. It’s a cutting edge, anti-Bollywood track that has only found its way in a film’s soundtrack because of Vishal-Shekhar’s yen for new things. Well, this one worked.

1234 (Get on the dance floor) with vocals by Vishal Dadlani, Hamsika Iyer and Tamil Rap by Sricharan Kasturirangan is another mad cap number which literally makes you want to hit the dance floor. The track is homage to Appadi podu (Ghilli) and other massy South songs that make even people with two left feet do a moonwalk.
The film’s hero is from North and the heroine from South and hence we have Kashmir main, tu Kanyakumari sung with a lot of attitude by Sunidhi Chauhan, Arijit Singh and Neeti Mohan. The nonsensical lyrics are buoyed by the verve shown by the singers. Arijit, in particular, seems to be having the time of his life.

Now let’s get back to the title track by SPB. With lyrics like Ticket khareed ke, baith ja seat pe, nikal na jaaye kahin Chennai Express – you know you’re in for a mad ride. The exaggerated Tamil accent works in the song’s flavour. The lyrics introduce you to the story and the stars, so it might loop along with the opening credits. There is a mashup of all the songs at the end as well, which looks good for the end credits.

Go for this robust offering, which is full of new sounds and zany surprises. Vishal-Shekhar have shown that they haven’t let the film’s comic nature hinder their creativity. It’s their strength and they should never let go of this quality. And should catch some more Titlis too…

http://www.filmfare.com/reviews/musi...ress-3589.html

 

Chennai Express – Fast Track To The Film

We are going to get on the dance floor without delay – the item number 1234 (Get On The Floor) has a chorus unionizing over a ‘booty shake’ which if isn’t ringing well in your ears will sound like they’re saying something about thumping your ‘voluminous’ chest. And that’s about what this raucous number does – split your ear by half, prescient even, ‘talk less, dance more’. Ah, that blissful sound of clatter as music.

Right then, Titli saunters in from some Elysian field. Chinmayi and Gopi Sunder flit around fragrant bushes singing in a nectar-dipped honey tone voice, punctuated by a Tamil chorus which takes us to Jiya Jale (Dil Se). There’s a ‘khanak’ to this melody, something about it wearing its heart lightly on its sleeve that gives the sound of Titli a ‘butterfly effect’. Music composers Vishal-Shekhar massacre the titli with a dubstep version. Chasing butterflies is one thing, hammering them onto a wall, that’s the dubstep version.

Tera Rasta Chhodon Na, sung by lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya and Anusha Mani is a fast moving tune on slow moving lyrics. Fast forward to a sleight of hand trick at the end of the track where transmission fades out. Spot on.

Kashmir Main, Tu Kanyakumari hauls us back to the dance floor and this one is bearable. The singers Sunidhi Chauhan, Arijit Singh, Neeti Mohan lend voice. Ready Steady Po says Vishal Dadlani with a bunch of kids rapping – what is this techno-cracy?

SPB (S P Balasubramaniam) expresses the title track in his accented hinglish which is still stuck in the time warp of ‘Ek Duje Ke Liye‘ days. Anyone for the line, ‘Come faaast, come faaast, don’t be slow‘ from Hum Bane Tum Bane Ek Duje Ke Liye will know how SPB has fast-tracked his Chennai Express.

‘Ticket khareed ke, baith ja seat pe, nikal na jaaye kahin Chennai Express‘ is what SPB sings in the title track, twanging the last syllable of Chennai, ai-ai-ai like a thorn on his cushy seat. Best to remain seated, or else, someone will take your place. Speaks for the music too, wait for the film.

http://businessofcinema.com/reviews/...the-film/80888