Khatta Meetha

Having gone on record to say Khatta Meetha is by far the funniest film he has ever made, Bollywood superstar turned producer Akshay Kumar may wish he had said something equally complimentary about its soundtrack. Despite being (mostly) created by Pritam Chakraborty, one of India's most respected composers, it's a surprisingly forgettable affair compared to the hit soundtracks Kumar has lip-synched along to in recent times.

Nowhere near as catchy or entertaining as Singh Is Kinng or De Dana Dan (soundtracks Pritam created for two of Kumar's previous films), Khatta Meetha offers a paltry four tracks and three remixes.

It begins with the headache-inducing Nana Chi Taang. Its bouncy melody and the welcomed return of vocalist Kunal Ganjawala do little to disguise the strange and somewhat childish mix of Marathi lyrics and rap. Equally juvenile is Bulls***, a track whose provocative title could come back to bite Kumar and director Priyadarshan on their behinds if the film doesn't fare well with audiences. Popular Pakistani singer Shehzad Roy makes his Bollywood debut with this track courtesy of guest composer Shani, who gives his take on Roy's controversial 2008 satire on Pakistani politics called Laga Reh. Banned on release in Pakistan, this version hasn't yet suffered the same fate in the land of Bollywood despite its cheeky comment on corrupt Indian politicians.

Shining out like a diamond amongst the dirt is Sajde, an enchanting duet by K.K. and Sunidhi Chauhan. The kind of romantic song chosen by couples for their first dance at weddings, it seems out of place amongst the other madcap songs. Nevertheless, its soft Sufi feel and hummable chorus make it likeable. Finally, there's Aila Re Aila, another foot-tapping, crazy effort sung by Daler Mehndi and Kalpana Patowary. Bursting with whistles and Marathi lyrics, it's more of a song for the Indian masses than fans of sophisticated music. The same goes for the three remixes on offer, adding nothing to the originals besides beats per minute.

Having achieved runaway success with scores for films like Dhoom, Gangster, Jab We Met and Love Aaj Kal, Pritam seems to have lost his golden touch with Khatta Meetha. Hopefully he can come back with some quality material rather than another pile of track number three.