Cast : Kitu Gidwani, Priyanka Chopra, Arjan Bajwa, Mugdha Godse, Arbaaz Khan, Harsh Chhaya, Sameer Soni, Kangna Ranaut
Directed by : Madhur Bhandarkar
Producer : Ronnie Screwvala
Music Director : Salim Merchant, Sulaiman Merchant
Lyricist : Irfan Siddique, Sandeep Nath
Release Date : 29 October 2008
FASHION, a film that promises to be a ground breaking effort in showcasing the glitz, joys and sufferings of the fashion industry with Bollywood flavors is one of the most awaited flicks of this year. Madhur Bhandarkar, a specialist with socially relevant flicks makes the flashiest and costliest move of his career with FASHION. This time Bhandarkar changes his loyalties from his favorite Shamir Tandon (TRAFFIC SIGNAL, CORPORATE, PAGE 3) and tries out with aspiring Salim-Sulaiman for the needful in the musical section. After generously ''generic'' efforts in DOR, IQBAL and CHAK DE INDIA, it will be really motivating challenge for the duo who has been struggling for one deserving commercial musical hit. Will the conglomerate of Bhandarkar and Salim-Sulaiman be prize wining combination for them as well as for their listeners? Can Salim-Sulaiman deliver anything than can be termed as chartbusting? Do find this out!
For all fashion freaks, ramp modeling has been one quixotically musical extravaganza that is most fancied but an unexplored fa?ade in glam-business and so do expect a ''cool'' innovative trendy music in the title track ''Fashion Ka Jalwa''. Salim-Suliaman flamboyance in delivering diverse sounds, beats and rhythms makes sparkling flashes with the inputs of upbeat hip-hop music. Sukhwinder's reverberating vocals in expressive mode reminds couple of his remarkable songs (''Nasha Hi Nasha'' and ''Jalwa'' (HINDUSTAN KI KASAM (1999)) with dashes of frenzied emceeing by Robert and back-up voice of Satya Hinduja adding to the gloss. It's flashy ''club-remix'' comes out as an aggressive promotional music video that inculcates groovy disco beat culture with thriving disco beat fillers in this Sandeep Nath's well penned track.
Salim-Sulaiman makes remarkable melodic gestures to create an international ''fashion'' statement in imbibing European (preferably Italian and French) musical feel on ramp-floors in seductively paced emotional number ''Mar Jaava''. Shruti Pathak, the biggest ''find'' of FASHION strikes chords with the feel and tempo of the track in her huskier cum melancholic tones to finally make this ''women-special'' extravaganza. It's serene ''lounge'' touches are brilliantly inundated with textures of soft piano drills, feminine chorals and effective added back up vocals of Salim Merchant in creating an all together ''voguish'' feel. ''Mar Jaavan'' is undoubtedly one of the finest female solo tracks that will add name of Shruti Pathak among promising singers of this year. Irfan Siddique's most commendable lyrical efforts of this album get into the soul of the feeling and its mesmerizing undertones create a silhouette of love-struck feminine characters. Indeed, a great effort in every aspect and one could have expected mushier ''lounge-remix'' version but the feel is finally transcended for party lovers in its ''club'' remix version. The ''remix'' can be accounted as effective commercial gesture to lure prospective viewers and its snazzy disco beat fillers infused in Shruti's sensuous undertones gives it an outrageously party feel. Bhandarkar's socially relevant flicks have always been flourished with motivational situational scores and ''Aashiyana'' joins this impressive league. Salim Merchant's impressively oozing vocals proves to be voice over for aspiring youngsters trying to make their probable ''ashiyana'' (residing place) in this hustling-bustling glitzy glam-world. It's presumably a background number (similar to ''Aashayaan'' (IQBAL)) that will be more akin with visual narration and it comes out with spicy touches of urbane-friendly disco beat flavors. Spicy disco mania sizzles up to typical ''pub-culture'' mode in its modish ''club'' remix version with eclectically paced DJ scratches, thumping and echoing impacts.
''Kuch Khass'', the first romantic dosage in this album with intrinsically soft-rock cum blues musical mood comes as welcoming mood-swinger for listeners. Mohit Chauhan makes a ''cool'' presence with his huskier baritones along with indifferent sounding, Neha Bhasin, in a typical mushy romantic evening ambience. Titillating guitar strumming, passionate saxophone notes makes the most notable presence and kindles the flames of an enchanting romantic evening. It adds one more credible entry in Mohit Chauhan's kitty and will surely be commercially prospering factor for the album as well for this stylish flick. The ''remix'' version is one more addition for party lovers and do enjoy another party feasting number with equally thriving peppy moves that was observed in previous ''remix'' tracks.
Finally, Salim-Sulaiman create a track that is conceptually suited to Indian fashion world in ''Theme of Fashion'' where there is fine blend of westernized as well as Indian arrangements with a snazzy ''n'' ethnic feel to it. This delightful instrumental number will be having many takers among fashion event organizers than hoi polloi for its classy action-packed enthralling touches in its racy flows. Sensuous feminine chorals of ''temptation'', synchronized violin works, ethnic ''santoor'' tangible moves, and mesmerizing female ''alaaps'' (un-credited) mixed with frenzied keyboard notes amalgam together to give a typical ''ramp'' modeling scenario where one expects models showcasing their assets with flair. Karsh Kale along with ''Medivial Punditz'' tries to give this it a ''party-album'' outlook by ushering out electronically paced arrangements that might be working as effective background score in significant phases of narration.
FASHION creates a fashion statement for gifted duo Salim-Sulaiman and probably delivers for them the much awaited first spectacular commercial success in the marquee. It's definitely be making news in coming weekends with songs like ''Fashion Ka Jalwa'', ''Mar Jaava'' and ''Kuch Khass'', hitting high on charts and creating a feel for fashion industry with classy tracks like ''Theme of Fashion''. ''Mar Jaava'' proves to be show-stopper of the show and if promoted aptly, it can well be a new style statement in this ever growing musical world.