Leader(Telugu,Mickey J Meyer)

Maa Telugu Thalliki is highly unconventional-It has some awe-inspiring backgrounds and using Late Sri Tanguturi Surya Kumari's original in the background is a complete knockout!..Naresh Iyer and Shwetha Pandit are at their best in crooning Aunana Kadana,a typical Mickey'ish heartwarming tune that impresses immediately.Vandemataram is Rahman-Whether it comes to the tune(which is reminiscent of One Love) or the backgrounds and it is needless to say,the song is awesome and immediately strikes a chord.Shwetha Pandit's vocals is the highlight of Rajashekara,which is interestingly arranged with brilliant changes in tempo at different intervals of the song!Hey CM is another gem of a song-With very imaginative interludes,this track exposes Mickey's creativity to the fullest and Sunitha Sarathy,as usual impresses with her dreamy vocals.Sreelu Pongina's prayer like sound is absolutely mesmerizing,to say the least!..The final instrumental invoking Maa Telugu Thalliki is nothing short of stunning-It is just too good for words!..Trust Shekhar Kammula to come out with Mickey J Meyer's best-And he does!Leader's soundtrack is a stirring triumph of Mickey's composing skills!

Kurbaan(Movie Review-Rensil D'Silva and Karan Johar)

I know its been ages since i reviewed movies,but i wanted to give my 2 cents on Kurbaan.The theme of the film for sure assimilates that of New York,but it just ends there.It is a sensitive take on terrorism,but in an altogether different dimension.The breathtaking 40 minute climax is the highlight of the film and it has been filmed in an impeccable manner.Saif Ali Khan lives the role of Ehsaan Khan,so does Vivek Oberoi in his role!..And the fact that Vivek gets almost equal footage with Saif is a masterstroke.Kareena has played her part well without going overboard while Kirron Kher just looks blank in most of the scenes and is a misfit!..The much hyped sensual scene between the lead pair was as it intended to be-sensual,but fitted in the scheme of things,which is surprising and convincing!..When it comes to music and background score,both are top-notch and Salim-Sulaiman deserve plaudits.And with that,Kurbaan joins the list of favourite movies this year,along with 99 and Kaminey!

Paiya(Tamil,Yuvan Shankar Raja)

En Kaadhal Solla is vintage Yuvan-the suddenly rousing chorus is the highlight of the song,even as the tune sounds pleasant and has good vocals by Yuvan!..Karthik's Sutthude Sutthude is shockingly routine-Though Yuvan does a damn good job in the backgrounds,the tune is at best,hackneyed!..Benny's Poongatre Poongatre has surprisingly less inventive backgrounds,but it has a sprightly tune which is perhaps more enjoyable in the paragraphs.The overall sound of Adada Mazhaida sounds genuine but the song per se has a rather patchy tune and falls flat.The best of this soundtrack is Thuli Thuli-Supported by an incredible tune,Haricharan completely steals the show with his vocals! Yuvan definitely stutters a bit in Paiya,but delivers..yet again!

Bindaas(Telugu,Bobo Shashi)

Karthik's vocals and the infectious orchestration make Girija Girija a clear winner while even Ranjith's vocals doesnt help the routine and noisy title track.Beyond Bobo Shashi's frivolousness in Entamma,the song actually has a good tune and is sung beautifully by Karthik and Anuradha Shriram while Jassie Gift's Suraangani is annoying in every department,even the lyrics.Coco Nanda and MC Bullet's version of Suraangani is bearable,only because of the orchestration.Jum Gara Gara is yet another messy attempt by the composer and only manages to annoy while Character of Ajay has an assortment of catchy sounds bordering a rather patchy tune.Last track,Hemachandra's Spirit of Bindaas also falls flat.After an impressive debut in Kulir 100,Bobo falters big time in Bindaas.

Paa(Hindi,Ilaiyaraja)

With shades of his 80's ingenuity in every part of the track,and with some cool backgrounds,Ilaiyaraja is at his phenomenal best in Mudhi Mudhi-Shilpa Rao is simply amazing,in both the versions.Iam glad she's getting into the bigger league now.In my opinion,she's even better than Shreya Ghoshal!..However,Shaan's slower version in Gali Mudhi falls way short of Shilpa's version.Bhavatharini's childlike rendition in Gumm Summ is awesome and the tune itself is still as lovely as it can get.But the disparate pauses in the middle is a sore point though!..Halke Se Bole doesnt make any impact while Sunidhi Chauhan's vocals is the only thing that works in an otherwise middling Hichki Hichki.With no offense to Amitabh Bachchan's effort in Mere Paa,the song is strictly situational barring the short and lovely interlude in the middle,which is used more often in the remix.Paa's soundtrack makes the cut for the first 2 tracks!

Saleem(Telugu,Sandeep Chowta)

The spunky arrangements in Mama Mia and Baby Baby remind of the composers work in Super and Bujjigadu but it has now become a trademark Sandeep's style and the tracks, needless to say work very well.The haunting backgrounds in I Wanna talk to you work in its favour and Neekitha Nigam's vocals is another highpoint.The overall sound in Kalti Kalti evokes interest but it gets boring pretty soon while Lite Le Lo is loaded with familiar sounds along with a mundane tune.Freak Out is frivolous Sandeep Chowta in action and the song simply falls flat.Swargam Narakam also sounds good but is very short while Poolu Gusa Gusa has a very familiar tune used in a very interesting way-The assortment of catchy sounds does the trick in this song!..After a dud in Josh,Sandeep Chowta bounces back strongly with Saleem!

3 Idiots(Hindi,Shantanu Moitra)

Beyond its catchy exterior,Aal izz Well is very routine and gets boring pretty quickly while Zoobi Doobi is a strong leftover from Lage Raho Munnabhai and the desperate attempts by Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal to infuse life into a bleak tune ultimately goes in vain.Give Me Some Sunshine,with all the familiar and age-old hooks also falls flat and the bad rendition is another huge let down.Jaane Nahin is shockingly embarrasing-No,the tune is decent enough but Sonu Nigam overplays his emotions which plays complete spoilsport.Shaan's vocals blend well with the ambient tune in Behti Hawa and this track is perhaps the only solace in this soundtrack.Amidst Huge expectations,Shantanu messes up big time in 3 Idiots soundtrack!

Naanayam(Tamil,James Vasanthan)

Ranjith is at his usual best in the moody title track and it has a soaring chorus which is the highlight of the song,apart from the excellent arrangements.Aasa Aasa's tune structure is out of the box;ditto for the orchestration,which overall makes for a compelling listen while the sprightly Ka Ka,sung enthusiastically by Devi Sri Prasad and Simbhu is one highly enjoyable track!..Sunitha Sarathy adds the extra oomph to the unconventional Kooda Kooda even as the dazzling backgrounds takes the song to a completely different level.The chorus in this song which comes out of nowhere is very catchy!..The mellifluous Naan Pogiren is straight out of James Vasanthan's book and SPB and Chitra do their stuff yet again.James Vasanthan extends his range very well with Naanayam's soundtrack.Stylish(Definitely not stylized!)soundtrack.

Kavalar Kudiyiruppu(Tamil,James Vasanthan)

The Happy-go-lucky hero's intro song(most likely!)Appan Policeda is a patchy effort with all the routine elements thrown in to annoy the listeners while the Rahman-styled friendship track in Gangai Nathi is breezy and instantly likeable.Sharreth and Priya's Kodi Kodi Asaigal is very listenable,thanks to the creative 'take-notice' kind of orchestration which overshadows the tune while Thaaye Thaaye,with minimal backgrounds sustains interest mainly due to Srinivasan's vocals.The last track,Uyirodu Uyiril has nothing to rave about,but makes for a very good listen and is ably supported by Chinmayi's excellent vocals.James Vasanthan comes up with a promising soundtrack in Kavalar Kudiyiruppu!

De Dhana Dhan(Hindi,Pritam,RDB,Adboys)

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's Rishte Naate sounds like a strong leftover from Billu's soundtrack while RDB's Paisa is dreadful-These guys never looked like they're even close to being competent and they're back doing the worst again!..Baamulaiza's frivolous tune is a complete let down and gets boring real quick while Javed Ali's Gale Lag Ja,thankfully is a relief-Even though the tune is a tad routine,Pritam makes up for it with some cool arrangements.Pritam toys with a messy(big time!) tune in Hotty Naughty and the end product is predictably disastrous.The title song,by Ad Boys with a promising start goes awry in the middle.Pritam's excellent streak this year comes to an end with this soundtrack!

Aval Peyar Thamizharasi(Tamil,Vijay Antony)

Ranjith is completely adorable in Nee Otha Sollu Sollu even as the tune churned out by Vijay Antony is pretty good with rustic arrangements.Guju Guju Goods Vandi has a very enjoyable tune and Nancy and Silviya are one of the reasons why this track sustains interest.Vineeth Sreenivasan sings in a bizarre fashion in Vadaka Therka,which completely falls flat while Vijay Antony's ebullient vocals considerably help a weak tune in Palayan Kottai.Everything about Malgudi Subha's Kol Tanaa Rangubhai is outlandish and doesnt register at all.Yethanayo Katha Undu also falls under the same category,but the funny lyrics do help a bit.Veera Shankar's three tracks are soporific and doesnt deserve a mention.Even as Vijay Antony shows some promise in a rustic theme like this,this soundtrack fails to work as a whole.

Arya 2(Telugu,Devi Sri Prasad)

Mr.Perfect is typical Devi-Has all the enjoyable elements including good lyrics and very good rendition by Baba Sehgal.But Devi's frivolousness completely spoils the song,in the remix version!..Even K.K's vocals doesnt help the meandering Uppenantha which has an oh-so-routine chorus,but Devi does show his creativity,to an extent in the interludes.Baby He Loves You is tacky and doesnt make any impact whatsoever while Karige Loga is an uninspiring pathos song with Kunal Ganjawala and Meghad towering over a trite tune.Ringa Ringa is pure manic fun,true to Devi Sri Prasad's style.The techno sound in My Love is Gone works in its favour with excellent vocals by Ranjith,but it is foolish to even make a comparison with You Rock My World from Arya.After an incredible soundtrack in Arya,Devi follows it up with a downright uninspiring soundtrack for its sequel!

Siddhu +2 First Attempt(Tamil,Dharan,Babu Shankar,SS Thaman)

Yuvan's predominantly non-nasal vocals is a surprise package in Poove Poove-An instantly addictive melody which is very much Yuvan'ish and Dharan does an excellent job,more so in the remix version!..Dharan's two other tracks however fall flat!..Money Money is predictable right from the start and is forgotten quickly while Naan Alagana Thamarai's remix by Suchitra,Madhumitha and Venkat Prabhu is massively cringe worthy.Thaman props up an enjoyable tune Gundu Chattikulle and Ranjith's fantastic vocals is perhaps the life of this track.Babu Shankar rounds off the soundtrack with an insipid composition in Kelu Kelu-And Haricharan is a complete misfit in this track!..Multiple composers on almost all occasions is a bad idea.This soundtrack is no different!..