Review
Revisiting Shree 420

Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai . . .
Universal
Rs 55

Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hain, a reworking of the innocence versus cynicism story, gives Aadesh Shrivastav a chance to break out of his blaring ways

Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai is directed by Goldie Behl and stars Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukherjee, Jackie Shroff and Sushmita Sen. Goldie Behl is a childhood buddy of Abhishek, and makes his directorial debut with this film. In an interview, Rani Mukherjee compared the movie to Shree 420, Raj Kapoor's celluloid translation of K A Abbas's socialist dream. That film has already been reworked into Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman starring Shah Rukh Khan. The commercial failure of the Shah Rukh film and the change in the nation's ideological mood haven't deterred a second revisiting!

Aadesh Shrivastava has no record of a notable score. He did  Govinda-style comedies like Rajaji and Kunwara, where he just got to meddle around with techno and pop beats. This movie offers him another chance and he does some acoustic instrumentation, and music that's closer home.

The highlights of Yeh hawaaein are the guitar and the piano. There is some conventional, soft orchestra, and the beat doesn't drown anything. The dholak intervenes, as in Jatin-Lalit songs. Some flute melodies chirp in here and there. The words are by Goldie Behl and Shyam Raj.

Shaan is a fresh voice and proves he can sing well. This probably is his break as a solo playback singer, though A R Rahman earlier gave him Allay allay in One Two Ka Four and Ghanan ghanan in Lagaan. He gets a bigger role on this song, which he sings with Alka Yagnik. This number puts Shaan in the same league as other rising stars, like Babul Supriyo.

Kuchh aisa jahan also teams up Shaan and Alka Yagnik, and they sing of first love. The tabla shows up instead of the dholak (which comes in here and there on this song too). The title song Bas itna sa khwaab hai serves as a musical interlude and is played on the piano.

Dil nasheen begins with an Arab-style intro and the style seeps into the interludes too. Sukhwinder Singh's singing style seems to have the same tone, and he's always called in for Middle East-leaning numbers like this one. Shaan matches his skills with Sukhwinder Singh. Hema Sardesai's singing is as usual full of life and cheer. Compared to the acoustic sound of the first two songs, this song has a lot of electronic sounds, but thankfully they are not allowed to go out of control. The number is shot on Sushmita Sen, who represents the ambitious, career-oriented woman in the film. The words are by Dev Kohli.

Chhota sa mann hai features Alka Yagnik, Roop Kumar Rathod, and Kay Kay in a qawwali-style song that describes the pain of love. The synth in the background sounds out of place. The beginning is soft and pleasant but the song doesn't live up this promise. One of the interludes is the main melody from Yeh hawaaein and the title line from Bas itna sa khwaab hai... Such repetitions within songs of the same film is reminiscent of Raam Laxman, who, in films like Maine Pyaar Kiya , used melodies from their own earlier songs.

Ganga maiya , written by Nida Fazli, is sung by the ever versatile Sonu Nigam. According to director Goldie Behl, this song is "rustic", which may explain why he has put in the harmonium and a beat that reminds you of the ever popular Jai jai Shivahankar from the Rajesh Khanna-Mumtaz starrer Aap Ki Kasam.

One doesn't hear much of Roop Kumar Rathod. After his hit Sandese aate hain from Border, which he sang with Sonu Nigam, he did a private album called Vaada with Sadhna Sargam, which had music by Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. In Jhoomen yeh zameen, he sings to an extremely loud electronic background. Can't make out where it's going -- it's a mix of an Indian classical style and electronic beats.

To the composer's credit, it must be said that all songs don't sound the same, like they do in Jatin-Lalit albums.

Abhisek Bachchan films, for the most part, pick up new generation singers for his playback. In Refugee and Tera Jadoo Chal Gaya, it was Sonu Nigam, and in Dhai Akshar Prem Ka it was Babul Supriyo, and on this album the star is Shaan.


Divya Minisandram


Posted on 12 July 2001

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