2 States Music Review: Amongst Top-10 Of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

Sajid Nadiadwala and Karan Johar come together for the first time to produce 2 States, a romantic comedy starring Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt and is based on Chetan Bhagat’s novel of the same name. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy return to the Dharma fold after a long pause with this film and are expected to create a musical dhamaka as has always been the case whenever they have collaborated with Karan Johar. Lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya joins this filmy party which is purported to celebrate the diversity as well as the similarities among two diametrically opposite cultures albeit in a light-hearted way.

The album starts on an upbeat note with Offo, a party track which has been vocalized by Aditi Singh Sharma and Amitabh Bhattacharya. Though nothing extraordinary, this vibrant and youthful number has a feel-good youthful vibe which will surely connect with today’s audience. The credit here should mainly go to both the lead singers whose exuberance and vivaciousness is quite contagious and will indeed put a smile on your faces.

The bagpipe has been put to optimum use in Locha-e-Ulfat which also happens to be the next track in this album. In fact this one reminds us of Banjaara from Ek Tha Tiger which was yet another song where the bagpipe was used with such exceptional results. Honestly, the infectious bagpipe hook is alone worth to put this track on a loop! Add to that Benny Dayal’s captivating vocals and what we have is a recipe for a surefire chartbuster!

Mast Magan is the kind of romantic duet one expects in a romantic film like 2 states and the music composer trio do not disappoint the listeners yet again. With the sugary sweet voices of Arijit Singh and Chinmayi Sripada adding to the delectability factor, Mast Magan with its cocktail of North as well as South Indian sounds is indeed an enjoyable musical cocktail. The Mridangam interlude is a stroke of genius from the musical trio and the way it has been seamlessly blended into the melody is absolutely wonderful and is sure to be appreciated by music lovers all over.

Iski Uski is a standard Dharma techno Punjabi dance track and has a template feel to it. Though energetically rendered by Shahid Mallya and Akriti Kakar, this number does not capture your interest as the previous tracks but is nevertheless alright. Amitabh Bhattacharya’s quirky Punjabi-English lyrics is quite endearing and increases the likeability quotient of the song. But, when compared with the other tracks, this one falls way short.

K Mohan gets another chance to showcase his singing prowess with Chaandaniya, a guitar-based ditty which oozes love and romance all over. Yashita Sharma matches K Mohan in every step and together they manage to bowl the listener over with their sheer brilliance. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s composition is quite breezy and easy-on-the-ears and Amitabh’s lyrics are pure poetry. Needless to say, the trio have yet another winner on their hands.

Shankar Mahadevan takes over the mike for Hulla Re which also happens to be the final song of this album. Siddharth Mahadevan and Rasika Shekhar join Shankar in belting out this Punjabi themed number. Despite the occasional Tamil lines (rendered by Rasika Shekhar), this is essentially hardcore Punjabi and will be patronized by lovers of Punjabi music. With its addictive beats and buoyant mood, Hulla Re has in it to turn out to be yet another hit party number.

With 2 States, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have made a successful comeback to Dharma and have delivered as per expectations. But it would have indeed been nicer to hear more Tamil influence in the music especially considering the setting and the storyline of the film. Nevertheless, 2 States should prove to be among the top soundtracks of 2014. As far as SEL is concerned, one can go as far as to say that though there have been quite a few new and emerging talent that have come out in the music industry in recent times, the trio have indeed proved that old is gold! 2 States might not be their career-best but can surely be counted among SEL’s top ten soundtracks of their very successful musical career.

Our Picks: Locha-e-Ulfat, Mast Magan and Chaandaniya