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From "Daag" and "Kabhi Kabhie" to "Dil To Pagal Hai" and "Veer-Zaara", the songs from Yash Raj Films' romantic sagas always had a dreamy quality and the haunting melodies captivate listeners even today.

Film: "My Friend Ganesha"; Director: Rajiv S. Ruia; Cast: Kiran Janjani, Sheetal Shah, Upasana Singh, Ahsaas Channa and Aarya; Ratings: ** A children's film need not be illogical and dull; it can be smart, intelligent, educating and thoroughly entertaining. And if it has animated characters, it can be all the more fun. However, director Rajiv S. Ruia's offering "My Friend Ganesha" has nothing of that.

Film: "Naqaab"; Music Director: Pritam Chakraborty; Lyricist: Sameer; Singers: Sonu Nigam, Sunidhi Chauhan, Javed Ali, Alisha Chinai, Zubin Garg, Krishna; Ratings: **1/2. Abbas-Mustan, who return to the screens with thriller "Naqaab", made a safe bet with Pritam as their composer. Keeping the subject of the film in mind, the composer brings on a lot of instruments to do the talking and artistes who possess different yet likeable voices, unlike the usual 'Udits' and 'Alkas'. A fine album, "Naqaab" should do well in the markets.

Animation films may have emerged as one of Hollywood's most successful money-spinning formula the world over, but the made-in-India varieties are not exactly setting the box-office on fire as yet. Nearly two years after the Indian marquees lit up with the antics of an animated "Hanuman" - the monkey-god revered by Hindus - filmmakers have been trying to recreate the magic. While one routinely hears of megabuck tie-ups, innovative breakthroughs are hard to come by.

First it was Mallika Sherawat for "Unveiled", then Akshay Kumar was taken for "Australian Bandstand" and now Salman Khan's "Marigold" is ready for release - the West appears to be increasingly welcoming Bollywood stars. These films will not feature Indian actors in character roles or blink-and-you-miss-it-parts as in the past, but as the main protagonists.

TV tycoon Ekta Kapoor is all set for her belated birthday bash July 6 and the theme for the annual party is James Bond 007. Her rooftop has been converted into a casino like the one in "Casino Royale" and the guests have been asked to dress in black and red. Since Ekta owns the only soundproof rooftop among all her friends from the film and television fraternity, there's an extra reason for them to make a beeline for her residence on July 6.

Album: "Speed"; Music Director: Pritam Chakraborty; Lyricist: Maya Puri; Singers: Jojo, Shaan, Sunidhi Chauhan, Sonu Nigam, Antara Mitra, DJ Sachin; Ratings: ** Pritam Chakraborty's assortment of songs in "Speed" is quite forgettable. After belting out hits like "Dhoom" and "Life In A Metro", one is quite surprised that a composer of his calibre would have "Speed" among his list of works.

Sometimes it seems that nations emerge from nowhere on the global filmmaking stage. So is the case with Malaysia as a new wave of directors emerges across Southeast Asia to create their own distinctive brand of filmmaking. Often overshadowed by the giants of the Asian movie game - China, South Korea, India and Japan - Malaysia has gone over the last few years from being barely a recognisable dot on the world cinema map to gaining the increasing attention of leading international film festivals.

From Shabana Azmi to Priyanka Chopra and Anupam Kher to Hema Malini - most members of the Bollywood film fraternity feel the Taj Mahal, a symbol of true love, definitely deserves a place among the new seven wonders of the world. Stars apart, people from all sections of society are also campaigning for the Taj Mahal, which is facing tough competition to find a place in the new list of wonders. The grand monument in Agra was built in the 17th century by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.

Film: Aap Kaa Surroor; Cast: Himesh Reshammiya, Hansika Motwani, Mallika Sherawat; Director: Prashant Chadha; Ratings: * Can Himesh Reshammiya act? What a silly question! As silly as asking, can Reshammiya sing? Of course he can't! Who said he was an actor in the first place?

Film: "Apne"; Cast: Dharmendra, Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Shilpa Shetty, Katrina Kaif, Kirron Kher, Victor Banerjee; Director: Anil Sharma; Rating: *** In "Apne", heart and craft come together to create an amazing graph. It is indeed a very warm film. But the narration is lengthy, sometimes tedious. What, for example, was the need for that ridiculous 'rock' song with one of Bobby Deol's hands in his pocket?

Film: "Partner"; Music Director: Sajid-Wajid; Singers: Sonu Nigam, Labh Janjuwa, Sunidhi Chauhan, Kunal Ganjawala, Sneha Pant, Shaan, Udit Narayan, Shweta Pandit, DJ Earl; Ratings: *** Composers Sajid-Wajid team up to create peppy foot-tapping music for director David Dhawan's latest flick "Partner". The catchy lyrics and the innovative use of sounds create masala tracks that will make you sit up and listen though they may not be the ones you would want to hear after a few months.