MUSIC REVIEW: Chandni Chowk to China

The music of Chandni Chowk to China is completely irreverent, delightfully cheeky, and a whole lot of fun. It pays tribute to our abiding love for everything Chinese. And it challenges certain musical conventions, what with its curious mix of composers, Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Kailash Naresh Paresh, Bappi Lahiri and Bohemia.

To listen to the Chandni Chowk To China songs CLICK HERE

The first track S.I.D.H.U. simply explodes on your senses. The qawwali-style song by Kailash Paresh Naresh and sung by Kailash Kher, begins with a phrase that goes: "Bade Bade Bade Bade…" almost in a loop. The comic anticipation is heightened by the way Kher renders the phrase, before finally telling you what the heck he means by "Bade Bade." "O Sapney Dekhe Bade Bade," Kher continues, and you can almost see the wicked glint in his eyes. Slapstick songwriting I guess, but it works. Especially when you visualise a completely OTT Akshay Kumar prancing around to the tune.

The song is well arranged, with only Indian instruments - dholak, harmonium, sitar (and not the electronic sitar/zitar as seems the trend these days) and bulbul tara - played by some obviously competent musicians. That coupled with Kher's earnest singing introduces you to Sidhu, the protagonist. And one could not perhaps have asked for a more fun and musically robust introduction.

Up next is the title track: Chandni Chowk to China, (Shankar Ehsaan Loy) performed by Neeraj Sridhar of Bombay Vikings, Anushka Manchanda and Shankar Mahadevan. In food parlance, this song could be best described as Chilli Paneer or Schezwan Paratha. SEL, mix tangy Chinese folk riffs and vocal samples with crunchy Indian folk, adding a dash of pop for a super fusion dish. A word here for Anushka Manchanda, whose voice lends itself beautifully to breezy, funky, jazzy and dance numbers. A domain strictly monopolised by Sunidhi Chauhan all this while. Once again, the lyrics shine in all their nonsensical glory, making it a complete value for money composition.

India Se Aya Mera Dost has a surprise by way of famous percussionist Taufiq Qureshi (wonder why is his name spelt so strangely on the CD sleeve), who lets go on the drums and vocals. A powerful drum intro flows into the opening bars of the old hit, Bombay Se Aya Mera Dost. Originally composed by Bappi Lahiri for the film Aap Ki Khatir, this was for a long time THE song at drunken revelries . The new version features Bappi and his son Bappa, Bombay becomes India, while Qureshi's electrifying body and vocal percussions give it an interesting Afro-Indian feel. Bappida is no singer, but an entertainer. And you will easily forgive his singing or his unapologetic Bengali accent and tend to go with his passion. This song is indeed a crazy mix of styles and genres that makes it a great party number.

Next Page: Akshay sings, and raps