Kill Dil Music Review - “No Dil neither Killed”

Anup Pandey

Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

Lyrics: Gulzar

Kill Dil is fourth film of Shaad Ali after a hiatus of 7 years. His last two collaboration with the same musical team, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom and Bunty Babli, were one of the finest the trio composers ever delivered. Let’s see what we have for their latest:

1. Kill Dil

Gulzar Saab’s verse in his own crisp voice preludes the zingy title track. Given the genre of the film, the trio attempts to adapt Spaghetti Western music with those dramatic use of whistles, trumpets, vox sounds and yodeling, and wins! Mahadevan and Nigam’s singing gives a laidback feel to the song before it bursts into the rambunctious title hook.

2. Happy Budday

 
The track begins with a sitar and a heavy Sukhwinder Singh singing “Happy Budday” and you know you don’t have to take this one seriously. It gets quirkier with its lyrics, dubstep intervals, dhols and a melancholic sitar turning funny. 

3. Sajde

Sajde is the closest romantic track of the album. Derived from a folk tune, the dholak and violin fused arrangement at places do magic. The title hook shifts the track to rock genre but is enjoyable only when Nihira Joshi enters towards the end. Arijit is just fine but I would like to hear some Punjabi folk singer for his part - maybe Hans Raaj Hans?

4. Bol Beliya

 
Bol Beliya begins off to celebrate the melodrama of ‘90s which particularly reminds me of Pucho Zara Pucho from Raja Hindustani. Siddharth Mahadevan, who still seems to have the hangover of Zinda (Bhaag Milkha Bhaag), gives it a rock treatment. The track shifts genres from rock to pop to celebratory baarat song. The beats did remind me of Jhoom Barabar Jhoom’s Kiss Of Love. 

5. Sweeta

 
Sweeta ends just when you think it will start off. Adnan Sami’s lazy voice with percussion and racy violins is endearing but will not leave a mark in your memory.

6. Daiyya Maiyya

 
The club like sonic title hook is very enjoyable but that doesn’t stay for long and the song is randomly structured around it. Each singer brings in his/her own bit - Udit Narayan and Shankar Mahadevan does a banter, Javed Jafferi does a rap (what a fun to hear him!) and Rasika Chandashekhar bogs it down to a serious tone. Adds a spunk to the album but too short and random. 

7. Baawra

 
Based on a classical raag, this melancholic track feels very ordinary even with the fusion of rock elements - which is very prevalent in this album. Nihira Joshi joins towards the end and elevates the track bringing in flute and sarangi to the arrangement. 

8. Nakhriley

 
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy knows the pauses-placements, rise and crests of a qawalli arrangement very well. They do it fine here as a tribute to the bygone years. But it is too dated to be any loveable now. Mahalaxmi Iyer and Ali Zafar adds their grace to the track. 

Bottomline

No song is downright bad but the problem is no song is even exemplary or memorable. The album is innovative, alright, but those innovations- alternating genres, yesteryear tributes- aren't handed too confidently. It is a funky album but a bit muddling. I am not disappointed but I am not overwhelmed either which I wanted to be. Still, one Kajre Re from their past collaboration stand taller than this entire album.

Ratings: 3/5