Phhir Music Review

By Satyajit, Glamsham Editorial

Year 2011 is proving to be bliss for horror flicks and list is now getting longer and longer with consecutive successes at the box office. After the stupendous success of HAUNTED-3D, Vikram Bhatt's production house is now brimming with hope in their next big release titled, PHHIR. Girish Dhamija, script-writer turned director who had inconsequential start as director with YAKEEN (2005) directs this blood-curdling action-packed horror flick. Fuelled with "edge-of-the-seat" chilling horrifying on-screen endeavors, one can hardly anticipate any big histrionics in musical section. Talented duo Sharib-Toshi, who made successful presence in "Maahi" (RAAZ-THE MYSTERY CONTINUES) along with prodigal Raghav Sachar are the composers of this album. Can this new brigade of musicians have the kill and skill of "making it large" at the audio stands? Let's find out... Bhatt camp musical affixation continues! Sharib-Toshi, a reality singing talent duo, makes the first dent with disco-binge stylized rock-ballad in soundtrack titled "Yaadein". It brings out deep-throated Sharib behind the mike with melancholic sentimental shades with routine sounding hi-pitched arrangements. The soundtrack brings back the quintessential Bhatt camp stylized rollicking discotheque feel where gloominess of protagonist gels with the hysterically dancing feel. Despite its "heard-before" feel, the song turns out to be a decent listening affair where composers have played safe by not trying to be innovative or experimental in their maneuvers. "Yaadein" is presumed to be a slick background score, encapsulating out the old cherished memories and events that should be playing integral part in the pacing and narration of the flick. Catchiness of invigorating rhythms and beats adds to the fest, as now Sharib-Toshi pile up a winner in album's most promising soundtrack "Satrangi Saathiya". The melodramatic hues about adoring beloved are well conceptualized and so do engrossing arrangements that plays positively to impressive vocals. Toshi's booming and modulating tones are laudable in bringing out myriad of romantic shades. As far as composition and arrangements are concerned, it sounds more like their last hit soundtrack "Maahi" (RAAZ- THE MYSTERY CONTINUES) but carries sufficient potential in appreciating out glam-quotient of the flick. For all those who have thoroughly relished chartbusting tracks from previous Bhatt camp hit flicks, this one will be an added attraction and probably the most promising musical feature for the flick. Worth-a-hear! Genre changes, mood changes and so do the composers! Raghav Sachar, a multifaceted musical figure takes over the groove and delivers out a fresh peppy campus-caper dreamy love ballad in the form of "Love is all I got". Sweetly arranged in westernized orchestrations, it blends beautifully the nuances of innocent love in textures of soft-rock ballad with remarkably crooned vocals to its credits. Raghav Sachar's pristine voice in typical "R and B" singing mode is brilliant and exudes out a compassionate upbeat youthful appeal. This well composed number is ably supported with Aditya Dhar's mixed and matched English-cum-Hindi wordings that works in tandem with the trendy feel of the soundtrack. It's one bright spark that should be working well in energizing the mushy romantic moments of the film. Go for it!!! Raghav Sachar takes a deep plunge into loud raunchy disco buzz and thrills out with a moderately paced cabaret number in average sounding "Karma Queen". It's situational, routine and predictably garish "item number" type of soundtrack that tries to entice, enthrall and seduce in its four minute plus duration. Sunidhi Chauhan's haughtily pitched voice is at the helm of affairs with Raghav Sachar chilling out with a couple of lines in the middle interludes. The song tries to be intimidating like any stylish "Bond" theme number with strong affixation of Bollywood-ish style of alluring dancing appeal, overall a strictly mediocre track. After delivering out a feeble track with the dependable Sunidhi Chauhan, Raghav Sachar picks up another winning ace in the form of Shreya Ghoshal in composing out a stereotypical sentimental track in "Gumsum". It sounds more like a meek version of Shreya's sung "Kyun" (KAMBAKHT ISHQ), where mediocre sounding arrangements in outmoded display disappoints. Saxophone played at intermittent places serenades out a western feel but overall the soundtrack is too feeble and proves to be another disappointment from the composer. "Loot", the last original soundtrack of the album, a sporadically live disco beat number rejuvenates the decorum again. Raghav Sachar regains some ground with this above-average number that pitches racy disco-beat fillers played randomly with energizing electronically tuned beats and enthused vocals. Raghav Sachar along with Neha Bhasin and Jankee Parekh sings this with great vocal passion but arrangements aren't too catchy to make any strong impact. Like the previous numbers, it plays to the situational needs and ends up as another addition in the album. Toshi-Sharib excels in "Satrangi Saathiya" while Raghav Sachar shows some promise in "yuppie" friendly "Love is all I got" but still falls short of expectations of being labeled as chartbusting material. Rating - 2.5/5