This Soundtrack Rocks!
By Renu Kansal

Typically I’ll play a new CD several times over the course of a week, but by the end of the week I find I am a bit tired of the songs, and take the CD out for a little break to my ears. Not true with Dus;I haven’t been able to stop playing this CD all month. I haven’t seen much on the movie, as far as previews or video trailors, but the music was a real shock to my jaded system; I’m dying to see the movie, and all because of this blindingly hot soundtrack.

Releasing July 8th, Dus looks to be a dangerous, mysterious film, full of action and passion, excuses and truths; the soundtrack is faithful to the emotional landscape which director Anubhav Sinha has worked so hard to create. All of the tracks have a haunting, shadowy feel that translates as eerie, dark, or sexy, depending on the song.

	Dus Website
	Dus Songs on Raaga.com

From the opening track, “Dus Bahane,” you will be in-your-face confronted with the powerful energy of the movie. Undoubtedly, this song is the runaway hit single, on its way to becoming this year’s “Dhoom Machale.” Spiced with Caribbean rhythms and hot drum programming, this song will surely steal the show, long after the movie is out of theatres. Perhaps knowing this, music directors Vishal & Shekhar have included an extended version, later on the soundtrack CD. I suspect that this song will drive the initial push at the box office, just from audience excitement to see this song picturisation; sung by KK and Shaan, the song is set on doubly sexy, handsome cool-guys Abhishek Bachchan and Zayed Khan.

Another stand-out track is “Zalzala,” featuring the vocal acrobatics of Sukhwinder Singh. Charged by a classic Sukhwinder desi-scat and sweeping guitar track, the driving pulse of this song will leave you unable to sit still. Sukhwinder Singh’s vocal power lies in his mid- and upper vocal ranges; he’s made his career from his unmistakable strong piercing voice. However, during the verses of this song, Sukhiwinder drops into his rarely showcased lower vocal register, and the tease in his assured growly tone is incredibly captivating.

“Deedar De” also makes a double appearance on the soundtrack, with two distinct remixes, by Nikhil & Naved Z and Ranjit Barot. Both versions are compelling in their own right, for entirely different reasons. The former, featuring a more Arabian instrumentation, is a clean dance mix with heavy focus on Sunidhi Chauhan’s confident, sexy vocal. The Ranjit Barot mix is a more aggressive, fiery dance mix, sure to get non-stop play in clubs for months to come.

A chilling ballad, “Jaaniya Ve,” evokes the tense electricity and powerful beauty of a thunderstorm. Eerie and haunting verses lead to a graceful, climactic chorus. Hearing this song, you can feel the temperature drop as the wind picks up. But always you sense the shadows of a secret untold, an obsession, or danger. Truly a beautiful composition, I am sad this song will probably not be a chartbuster, but it is truly one of the underappreciated treasures of the CD.

“Saamne Aati Ho” and “Unse Poochen” are both pleasant and satisfying, with sweetly coy male vocals by Sonu Nigam and Udit Narayan, respectively. “Chaam Se,” I can already assume, is the great big family grandiose number, in the style of “Bole Chudiyan,” as it sweeps through Hindi, Punjabi & English. The remainder of the album is unique and enjoyable if you forgive some awkward moments or stunted transitions. From trance to electronica, to a couple of really bizarre tracks that sound like Nine Inch Nails got held hostage in “The Matrix”… well, it’s different.

If the soundtrack is at all indicative of the movie’s fire and ability to captivate, audiences are in for a treat this summer. And honestly, even if Dus the film is a super-flop, the soundtrack compositions need no movie or song picturisations to support them; the CD is rock solid. As one of the best soundtracks to come out in several years, the music of Dus is not to be missed!