Cast : Rahul Bose, Paresh Rawal, Kay Kay Menon, Mallika Sherawat, Pawan Malhotra, Zakir Hussain
Directed by : Sanjay Chhel
Producer : Ganesh Jain, Ratan Jain
Music Director : Anu Malik
Lyricist : Sanjay Chhel
Release Date : 22 August 2008
In a rage and age of comedies, writer-director Sanjay Chhel makes his presence felt through the advent of spoof-cum-dark-humor stylized comical flick, MAAN GAYE MUGHALL-E-AZAM. After showing great musical chemistry with the sensuous Mallika Sherawat in the successful album UGLY AUR PAGLI, Anu Malik makes his second consequential outing in another Mallika Sherawat starrer that also boasts of potential actors like Rahul Bose and Kay Kay Menon in lead roles. In past, Sanjay Chhel's directorial ventures like KHUBSOORAT (1999) and KYA DIL NE KAHA (2002) were good musical success that made news with their chartbusting hit tracks. Does his new brainchild MAAN GAYE MUGHALL-E-AZAM have the tenacity and audacity to match their high standards? Will the Mallika-Bose magic work again after PYAAR KE SIDE EFECTS? Let's find this out!
Naushad's saab ever-green and everlasting melody 'Pyaar Kiya to Darna Kya' (MUGHAL-E-AAZAM (1960)) and penned by great Shakeel Badayuni gets a satirically humorous treatment in the form of a musical comical gag in the title track "Maan Gaye Mughal-E-Azam". A spunky song that is more of a visual treat than listening pleasure comes out with hilariously punched wordings with loads of hip-hop and electronically paced music. Ishq Bector's racing rap rendition of snazzy satirical one-liners kick-starts the proceeding that gets followed by playful sounding Anushka Manchandani and Mahalaxmi Iyer in their boisterous overtones. Later Shaan energizes it in his typical singing attire and strikes combustible concoction with all the sensuous disco moves in making it a scintillating vibrant soundtrack. If Chhel's comical aesthetics works brilliantly in serenading out the comical doses on big screen, then it can well be another historical 'spoofy' affair, similar to what viewers witnessed in satirical version of epic 'Mahabharata' in dark comedy JAANE BHI DO YAARON (1983).
Kunal Ganjawala turned iconic figure in filmdom with Anu Malik's brilliant melody
'Bheege Honth Tere' (MURDER) and again the combination gleams back together to deliver another sensuously volatile number in the form of 'Marmari Baahein'. Once again, the common factor is seductive Mallika Sherwat, but the sensuous feel is not as ground-breaking as 'Bheege Honth Tere'. It's great delight to hear and experience Kunal Ganjawala's free-flowing vocals smoothening out in the textures of subtle and mellowed arrangements. Mahalaxmi Iyer's intense and resounding voice makes affable chemistry with Kunal's 'bright as sunshine' rendition. Sanjay Chhel's delivered romantic overtures in poetically gesticulated wording are impressive as they gel out deliriously with the sensuous feel of this impressive sounding seductive number. This may not be as poignant enough to be comparable to Kunal's greatest works but certainly has the tenacity of setting the mood for a delightful romantic evening. The second version in 'remix' mode (by Blue Zone) comes out with the 'lounge' mix impact coupled with 'alaaps' and rap rendition. Anu Malik makes his solitary presence as a vocalist but it is no match to Kunal's brilliantly rendered original version.Anu Malik nosedives into the intricacies of the historical concept of immortal "Mughal-e-Azam" and experiments out with traditional 'ghazal' works in the voice of Pankaj Udhas in 'Ek to Sharaab Kam'. This comes out as situational heartrending song that charters the conventional path of stereotypical wording in a flow of traditional sounding composition. It's great to hear Pankaj Udhas back in Bollywood but this is not the desired outing that could have been termed as his comeback to the marquee. Even the second version comes out with similar tempo, mood and flows and fails to impress with its stale sounding touches.
Comical mood charters out to extra space and territories in 'qawwali' based satirical melodrama stylized in the contemporary voices of Sunidhi Chauhan, Sonu Nigam in frothy sounding number 'Ishqiyaan'. Like the title track, this mischievously pumped funky number is moreover a visual delight than anything melodic in its contents or rendition. Sunidhi makes remarkable throaty rendition in the earlier interludes while Sonu Nigam turns hilariously bizarre in the latter stages. Aftab Hashmi Sabri renders the 'qawwali' part towards the end. Alisha Chinai turns out to be replacement as lead vocalist in the 'remix' version that caters specially for pub-friendly disco freaks. Do enjoy some fast paced disco beat fillers with sensuously sounding Alisha and Sonu in a track that can well be worked out as effective promotional song for the film.
MAAN GAYE MUGHALL-E-AAZAM comes out as average sounding album by Anu Malik, where music primarily caters to the 'spoofy' comical feel of the film. Soundtracks like 'Maan gaye Mughall-e-Azam' and 'Ishquiayaan' have a theatrically situational feel while soft romantic track 'Marmari Baahein' has the sensuous gleam in it. It won't be as successful as Anu's last two hit albums (LOVE STORY 2050 and UGLY AUR PAGLI) but the songs are likely to be working with spirit and mood of the film.