Here's JP Dutta with the last film in his war trilogy titled LoC Kargil starring, hold your breath, Nagarjuna, Ajay Devgan, Abhishek Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Manoj Bajpai, Akshaye Khanna, Saif Ali Khan, Karan Nath, Himanshu Malik, Sanjay Kapoor, Sunil Shetty, Bikram Saluja, Ashish Vidyarthi, Amar Upadhyay, Karan Nath, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukherji, Raveena Tandon, Eesha Deol, Namrata Shirodkar, Mahima Choudhary, Preeti Jhangiani, Divya Dutta and others. It's reported that LoC features 26 heroes and 11 heroines. Now that's what we call a mammoth star cast which makes this a magnum opus in the true sense of the word.

LoC sees the successful team of JP Dutta, Anu Malik and Javed Akthar come together again to send some scintillating sparks as they did in the past with the music of Border and Refugee. They not only live up to the expectations one has from the music of this movie but also churn out some everlasting melodies that boast of brilliant lyrics, soulful renditions and earthy tunes. Anu Malik has always surprised one and all with the musical score he delivers for JP Dutta's movies. In keeping up with that tradition, he lets Javed Akthar's lyrics and the singers cast a spell on us with this simple yet refined tunes and orchestration.

1. Seemayen Bulayen Tujhe (Suno Jaane Waale)
A simple melody where Javed Akthar beautifully conveys the girls' pain of bidding good bye to their guys, who are going on a mission to save the motherland. While the girls are grieving their guys going to war, they assure them (and their own selves in turn) that their love is with them always which will make them come back safe and sound. Alka Yagnik displays her unparalleled prowess in this song proving why she is still the best in the field. Anu Malik's music is captivating.

2. Pyar Bhara Geet
Simple yet soothing orchestration, excellent rendition, very subtle words and effective chorus make this one a truly haunting number. The girl is unable to let go her guy and the guy tries his best to convince her by promising that this separation will soon be followed by an eternal unification. Javed Akthar's words are simple 'n' superb. This 'melody bhara geet' has Sonu Nigam singing in a high pitch with a lot of ease [you might also want to try Sonu's other high pitch song 'Waqt Ka Saaya' from Meghna Gulzar's Filhaal which has music by Anu Malik]. Shreya Ghoshal, with her heavenly rendition, shows us why she is slowly usurping Alka Yagnik's position as the numero uno singer. [Try her songs in Rajkumar Santoshi's Khakee. New music director Ram Sampath came up with a fabulous score there, catering to the tastes of every section]

3. Main Kahi Bhi Rahoon
This is one number which involves you deeply as it unfolds slowly with the voices of Sonu Nigam, Roop Kumar Rathod, Hariharan, Sukhwinder Singh and Udit Narayan. Not often do we get to hear such mountains of talent mesmerize us in one song. Not often do we come across such lengthy songs which leave us asking for more. Not often do we get to listen such melodies from Anu Malik. So just sit back and devour this one. There's no point in debating who has come up with the best rendition of the five singers 'coz their renditions are flawless. Javed Akthar's lyrics depict the earnest feelings of the soldiers/army men for their loved ones. This could be another 'Sandesein Aate Hain', though it lacks the same tempo.

4. Khush Rehna
Roop Kumar Rathod excels in singing this number which talks about an army man assuring his loved ones that he is perfectly fine and asking them to stay happy even if he returns or not. Javed Akthar's lyrics are touching and poignant. Unlike the previous numbers, this is not an instant winner but will grow on you more for its lyrics and rendition than its music/tune.

5. Ek Saathi Aur Bhi Tha
The war was fought. Victory was tasted. Celebrations where made. We forgave the culprits and forgot the injuries. But what about that friend, who gave his life so that we could live our life? What about that true hero whom we never met and whom we cannot meet now? Should we not remember such friends, such heroes who gave their lives protecting our motherland and people like you and me? Javed Akthar's lyrics and Sonu Nigam's excellent rendition move you and make you pay homage to all the 600+ army men who sacrificed their lives in the fateful Kargil war.

Apart from the above songs, there are 2 instrumental pieces titled Pyar Bhara Geet instrumental and Before We Forget which is mainly based on the tune of Seemayen Bulayen Tujhe.

Overall, this album has melodies galore. Rich lyrics, which are a trademark of Javed Akthar; brilliant renditions, which come naturally to all the singers in this album; and simple and earthy music, which is not heard often from Anu Malik; make this album worth owning. Though the music may not be as catchy as Border's music, given little promotion coupled with arresting visuals, it will catch the fancy of music lovers in a big way.

Sreya's Picks: Main Kahi Bhi Rahoon, Pyaar Bhare Geet, Seemayen Bulayen

Sreya Recollects: My personal favorites of JP Dutta - Anu Malik - Javed Akthar combination

• Border - Sandesein Aate Hain (Sonu Nigam, Roop Kumar Rathod), Humein Jabse Mohabbat (Sonu Nigam, Alka Yagnik), Mere Dushman (Hariharan), To Chalun (Roop Kumar Rathod).
• Refugee - Panchi Nadiyan, Aisa Lagta Hain, Mere Humsafar (all of them are sung by Sonu Nigam and Alka Yagnik).

Tailpiece:

• Hariharan won a National award for his poignant rendition of Mere Dushman in Border. Anu Malik won a National Award for his melodious score for Refugee. Javed Akthar won two National Awards for the lyrics of Border and for Panchi Nadiyan in Refugee. Don't be surprised if LoC's musical team wins top honors at the next National Awards.
• Here's some interesting information I found about LoC and the roles of various heroes in the film. Avid movie buffs like me, might want to check this out. http://www.chalomumbai.com/entertainment/movies/2003/november/68465.htm

Click here to read the other articles by Sreya Sunil

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