Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na (Either You Know... or You Don't) - Various artists (Aamir Khan Productions)

CD review Suryatapa Bhattacharya misses in this cast recording, the usual raucousness associated with youthful Bollywood voices.

With its impressive young cast, Jaane Tu... is the kind of film AR Rahman, the music director, would want to be associated with.

With an impressive young cast, a scriptwriter-turned-director, and produced by the Bollywood star Aamir Khan, Jaane Tu... is the kind of film AR Rahman, the music director, would want to be associated with. Khan brought in Rahman to replace the previous musical director when he took over the reins of the film. Working with Abbas Tyrewala, the director who also penned the lyrics for the soundtrack, Rahman, once a prodigy of the industry, has stayed away from theatrics and introduced an array of slow, melodic songs, including elements of jazz and drum 'n' bass. The songs he has produced are more effective in conveying the emotions of a scene than standing out as an exceptional collection of songs on their own. The lyrics in turn, are witty (Pappu Can't Dance), and surprisingly streamlined and less flowery than most Bollywood compilations (Tu Bole... Main Boloon, sung by Mr Rahman). The only track that is remixed, Pappu Can't Dance, by Krishna Chetan, is bearable Rashid Ali, who sings Kabhi Kabhi Aditi, debuts as a playback singer and is missing the usual raucousness associated with youthful Bollywood voices. The point that sometimes less is more, which Bollywood mostly misses is brought home by this film's minimalist approach, both in vocals and musical arrangements.
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