Producer: Ritesh Sidhwani
Director: Farhan Akhtar
Cast: Aamir Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Sonali Kulkarni, Dimple Kapadia
Music: Shankar-Ehsan-Loy
Singers: Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan, Shankar Mahadevan, Srinivas, Shaan, Sonu Nigam,

With this trendy and youthful film Farhan Akhthar, son of Javed Akhthar and Honey Irani makes his foray into film direction. Hailed as a new age movie it has a nice combination of talented actors like Aamir, Saif, Akshay, Dimple and Preeti Zinta. The most exciting part of the movie is its music. Composed by the blossoming composer trio Shankar-Ehsan -Loy and set to verse by Javed Akhthar its music overpowers you with its rhythmic beats and vibrant energy.

Set to tune in American style the title track ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ voices the dreams and aspirations of the new yuppie generation. This one has two versions. In the first one the music plays down a bit to accommodate the voice of Shankar Mahadevan. Its zestful Yankee chorus sounds very catchy and exciting. The same holds true of the enchanting guitar piece in the middle. All these make for a nice Indian and American fusion music. Javed Akhthar’s lyrics are beyond words. They add meaning to this hippie number.

The second version of the track sounds more peppy and zingy. The music is in full blast here. With the addition of more beats and rhythm this version definitely differs from its predecessor. This is the trendiest track of all.

Next on offer is an unusual musical breed. Contemporary in feel ‘Jaane Kyon’ makes for a pleasant hearing. Moreover the catchy tune and simple lyrics make it an easily hummable number. With its nice blend of beats, music instruments (especially flute) and lyrics this song really stands out from the rest of the contemporary tracks. Once again Shankar- Ehsan- Loy reverts back to contemporary American styled chorus to give the song a nice Yankee feel. But this in no way mars the beauty of this traditional Indian music based composition. Everything, including the voice of the singers Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik, flows in harmony and that is the beauty of this track. 

Starting off with a nice Celtic beat ‘Woh Ladki Hai Kahan’ makes for a good hear. Even though the basic feel is the same, its music arrangement slightly differs from the rest. And this kills the boredom of repetitively listening to the same kind of tracks. The excellent rendition of the singers, Shaan and Kavita, adds to the popularity of the track. Contrary to singing and musical arrangement its musical intervals look a bit dull and average. 

‘Kaise Hai Yeh Rut’ is another wonderful composition from the kitty of the noted music director trio Shankar- Ehsan- Loy. A nice and soft composition this song opens up with the sound of the flute. Famous Southern singer Srinivas holds the mike for this good flavored track. The flute piece that runs through the track certainly enhances the effectiveness of the song.

‘Koi Kahe’ perfectly sweeps off the carefree and vibrant mood of the modern generation. Set to tune in Hindi-Pop mode this song has three modern icons of Hindi- Pop music Shankar Mahadevan, KK and Shaan, behind the mike. With its fervent rhythm and beat this song catches hold of your heart at the first listening itself.  It may sound familiar in some places, but even then it makes for a good hear. KK with his mellow voice sounds altogether different here.

‘Akash’s Love Theme’ by Micheal Harvey is an excellent instrumental piece. It comes on par with the A.R.Rehman compositions in Aamir Khan movie ‘Lagaan’. Inspired by the instrumental piece from the classical Hollywood movie ‘Gone With The Wind’ it may not sound as catchy as the rest of the numbers. But it may go well with the movie sequence. The other instrumental ‘Rocking Goa’ utterly fails to enthuse you.

A stark melody ‘Tanhayee’ wraps up this wonderful album. Crooned by Sonu Nigam it exudes with loneliness and pain. Sonu sings beautifully in the right note. His voice never gets shrill or shrieks during the rendition of this high-pitched melancholic number. Opening up with rhythmic beats this song effectively captures your heart. The masterly blend of tune and beats certainly adds to the feel of the track.  The flute piece that runs through the track is the most enchanting part of the music.
 
Overall, the music of ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ stands above the rest of the so-called contemporary tracks that pops in an out of the music world. It stands alone as an effective composition and also enhances the mood and theme of the movie. Shankar- Ehsan –Loy and Javed Akhthar needs a pat on their back for offering us with such a mind blowing album. Its music may sell like a hot cake. So get going and grab your copy soon.