The statement is indeed apt for the music coming from the house of Yash Chopra productions. From Pritam [Dhoom], Jatin-Lalit [Hum Tum], Late Madan Mohan/Sanjeev Kohli [Veer Zaara] to most recently Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy [Bunty Aur Babli] - all the composers have come up popular music for the Yashraj banner and struck gold on the music stands. It won't be wrong to say that music has been one of the biggest crowd pulling factor for each of the movies mentioned above.
The case shouldn't be different for 'Salaam Namaste' directed by debutant Sidharth Raj Anand, that also boasts of top line starcast in the form of Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta and John Abaraham with the icing on the cake being Vishal-Shekhar as the composers who are already riding high on the success of blockbuster 'Dus'. For 'Salaam Namaste', a frothy entertainer, the composer duo has come up with four tunes [penned by Jaideep Sahni], a couple of which also appear in remixes and instrumentals.
1) Title song (Original and Dhol Mix) [Kunal Ganjawala, Vasundhara Das]
Beach, sun, sand, a topless Saif Ali Khan and ravishing Preity Zinta. All these factors are good enough to make the title song 'Salaam Namaste' look superb on screen. Add to this the funky 'bhangra' beats and some techno wizardry by Vishal Shekhar and you have a 'ready-to-serve' hit track ready. After a sensual 'Bheege Hoth Tere' [Murder] and zippy 'Kaal Dhamaal', Kunal Ganjawala proves his versatility once again with this peppy title track that is all set to reach the top of the charts. Ditto for Vasundhara Das who shines with her vocals second time in succession after 'Chale Jaise Hawayein' from Main Hoon Naa'. The party continues with the 'Dhol Mix' of 'Salaam Namaste' that is remixed by Nikhil Chinappa and Naved and has an added spunk to it.
2) My Dil Goes Mmmm (Original, English Club Mix and Instrumental) [Shaan, Gayatri Iyer, Caralisa Monteiro]
The next track 'My Dil Goes Mmmm' comes up in two versions - a Hindi and an English. Another rocking tune in succession by Vishal Shekhar, the Hindi version of 'My Dil' is based on rhythm and melody while the 'English Club Mix', which is fast paced and high on beats is simply mind-blowing. A conversation track between the lead couple of the movie, who are living-in the same house, it is about the cute and little fights that they have while staying [and tolerating] each other. On the screen, knowing the designer choreography of today's time, the Hindi version by Shaan and Gayatri Iyer should be quite engaging.
When the 'English Club Mix' remixed by DJ Aqueel and rendered by Shaan and Caralisa Monteiro begins, there is just no looking back as the track forces you to put on your dancing shoes and hit the floor. As is the trend today, don't be surprised if this track is used extensively for the promotion of the movie and also appears while the end credit rolls. Icing on the cake is the instrumental of this remix that makes for one more good reason to go for the album.
3) What's Going On [Kunal Ganjawala, Sunidhi Chauhan]
The first track in the album that doesn't appear in a remix, 'What's Going On' is a Hindi track with just the song's title in English. Just like the soundtrack of 'Dhoom', in 'Salaam Namaste' too the focus is on coming up with a 'package' album that is an assortment of good number of peppy tracks to maintain a consistent feel throughout. 'What's Going On' rendered by Kunal Ganjawala and Sunidhi Chauhan follows the trend of the earlier tracks and make the listener enjoy every bit of the song.
4) Tu Jahan [Sonu Nigam, Mahalaxmi Iyer]
The only track in the album that relies completely on melody without getting into a hip-hop mode, 'Tu Jahan' surprisingly has basic arrangements very similar to 'Sun Zara' [Lucky-No Time