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By
Joginder Tuteja, February 16, 2008 - 15:37 IST
 The
moment one lays hands on the music album of U Me Aur
Hum, one tends to exclaim 'Thank God'. And this
happens even before one is through listening to the
entire soundtrack. Reason? There is literally a
draught of new music arriving in the market with the
last notable arrivals being, Jodhaa Akbar and Race
that came in January. With future not looking too
exciting either in terms of any major albums hitting
the stands, all eyes are set on U Me Aur Hum, which is
expected to make some music. Pun intended!
There are reasons associated with the project in
itself too which make U Me Aur Hum interesting. Vishal
Bhardwaj is known for his quality score that always
has a touch of classic elements, whether Indian or
Western. This time around, instead of Gulzar who is a
regular with Bhardwaj, relative newcomer Munna Dhiman
has been roped in as a lyricist.
Write your own music review of U Me Aur Hum
Also, this is the first romantic film for Ajay Devgan
and Kajol after Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha which had boasted
of some memorable tracks. And if the promotion of the
film is any indication, audience is bound to expect a
quality outing, both from the film and music
perspective. Well, the expectations are much more than
meant as U Me Aur Hum turns out to be a perfect
Valentines outing.
 Addictive.
This is how one can describe the opening number of
'Sunday' - 'Jee Le' - in one word! Apart from the fact
that Munna Dhiman doesn't let one miss the poetry of
Gulzar saab with his real-to-life lyrics, music of
Vishal Bhardwaj too takes the kind of twists and turns
which are associated with the style that he has been
known for ever since he first made a splash with
Maachis. Though the promos so far have given an
indication that 'Jee Le' is purely an Adnan Sami
number, it actually is a duet with Shreya Ghoshal
giving him just the perfect company.
'Jee Le' is a love ballad which takes on a carnival
touch at places though refraining from going
overboard. With a Spanish flavor associated with it, 'Jee
Le' is a number that catches on you within a couple of
hearings and stays on to make for a melodious piece of
music, which works on every listening. And thankfully,
there is no remix version which could have potentially
diluted the impact.
Trademark Vishal Bhardwaj sense of music is quite
apparent with the way Shreya Ghoshal goes about
singing the title song U Me Aur Hum. And no, though
the song's title gives an impression of an out and out
English outing on it's way, that's not the case.
Shreya Ghoshal compliments Vishal's serene musical
sense coupled with Munna Dhiman's simple lyrics quite
well. She sings U Me Aur Hum in a way, which could
draw parallels with Asha Bhonsle's 'Katra Katra' [Ijazat].
 There
is an inherent class in the proceedings of U Me Aur
Hum, which makes one internalize the song and feel
good about it being played around it. Arrangements for
the song create a calm feel, which by itself gets a
romantic mood on. It's a beautiful track that is as
melodious as it gets and flows in a direction, which
is opposite to the 'high-on-beats' tracks that are
otherwise the order of the day. Surprisingly though,
there is a male voice heard singing a couple of lines
in English at the beginning and end but is not
credited.
Later towards the end of the album, Vishal Bhardwaj
himself decides to come behind the mike and come up
with his own rendition of U Me Aur Hum. It makes for
an even better experience since a) one gets to hear a
fresh voice hitherto unheard and b) there is just a
guitar in the background, which makes one concentrate
entirely on the melody, flow, and feel of the song.
Superb!
Sunidhi Chauhan makes her debut in U Me Aur Hum with ‘Saiyaan’,
which makes a shift from the overtly mushy-n-romantic
mood of the album and takes the listener to a world of
pep and fun. Now this is a kind of song, which should
be coming next in the film's promotional campaign
since it marks a deviation from what one has heard and
seen of the film so far. Also, the track promises a
fun outing as it showcases Kajol jest fully teasing
her husband about the kind of 'Saiyaan' he has turned
out to be after marriage.
Again, just in true tradition of Vishal Bhardwaj's
style of composing songs, the track moves in a
serpentine fashion while consciously moving away from
anything pedestrian or basic. Also, credit to Munna
Dhiman for writing something as witty as ‘Saiyaan’,
which is bound to make the number fun to watch on the
fun screen.
 The
sound of guitar heard in the first 10 seconds of 'Phatte'
is the same as one heard in Pritam's 'Halka Halka'
[Chocolate]. However, this is the only duration where
there is any similarity between the two songs and soon
after the song turns out to be a husband-wife fun dual
as Adnan Sami and Sunidhi Chauhan get into a
Punjabi-Hindi rendition.
Though the number is based on Punjabi folk with 'bhangra'
beats intact, 'Phatte' still manages to stay away from
the stereotype courtesy a different mood and setting.
It would be fun to watch how Kajol carries herself in
the song as one would look expect her real life
chemistry with hubby Ajay to be exposed in entirety
here.
After the opening number 'Jee Le', Adnan Sami and
Shreya Ghoshal return with 'Dil Dhakda Hai'. Yes, this
turns out to be their second straight hit in the album
as the song brings in a different flavor with it and
turns out to be a guaranteed popular number in the
making. The song gets the right rhythm in place while
not letting go of an intrinsic melodic mood of the
album. A number about a couple realizing their love
for each other though refraining from getting overtly
mushy about the state of affairs and taking it rather
lightly, 'Dil Dhakda Hai' is yet another engaging
number which is bound to not just sound but even look
good.
U Me Aur Hum is as much as Vishal Bhardwaj’s album as
Munna Dhiman's. The lyricist had big boots to fill
while coming in place of Gulzar Saab but he doesn't
disappoint even one bit. On the other hand, singers
like Adnan Sami, Shreya Ghoshal and Sunidhi Chauhan
deliver their best to come out of their comfort zone
and do something different for a soundtrack which
breaks away from the stereotype and brings in a fresh
sound.
Go for U Me Aur Hum - this one is going to be played
on for many months to come!
Rating:- ***1/2
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