'Ek Chalis Ki Last Local' - a good effort

Film: "Ek Chalis Ki Last Local"; Music Directors: Sandesh Shandilya, Amar Mohile, DJ Aqueel, Sanjeev and Ankur Tiwari; Singers: Alisha Chinoy, Sonu Nigam, Sandesh Shandilya, Rashni, Anoushka, Ankur Tiwari; Rating: **1/2

Abhay Deol and Neha Dhupia team up for the first time in "Ek Chalis Ki Last Local", which is already doing the rounds on the music channels on television. With an array of composers, the soundtrack does have variety but not every number turns out a winner.

The best of the lot is "Laree choote", a track that totally captures you and makes you want to hear it again and again. Abhay begins it with a prose couplet and returns occasionally to rap in the song, which doesn't sound bad at all. Harmony makes the track sound even better while the orchestra goes full boom. With a whole lot of musicians on board, this number also includes Pakistani band, Call.

Another good number is "Bheegi seeli si". Typically a romantic song, it is interspersed with jazz and is likely to find a huge audience. Its USP: the entire song is a one man's show. Ankur Tiwari has not only penned the lyrics but also composed and sung the track himself.

Then comes "Akh". Unlike the first two, the song is lacklustre and dreary. It opens in two versions - "Akh" (Film) and "Akh" (Dance) and both are equally bad.

Alisha Chinoy and Sandesh Shandilya croon to "Ekka chauka", a song that makes for good listening as it is different in its appeal and doesn't sound like a typical Bollywood number.

"Panga" follows next with Alisha and Sonu Nigam doing the vocals, so it's obviously shot on the lead pair. Quite an okay number when you compare it with the rest but as an individual track it doesn't really excite. Composed by DJ Aqueel and Sanjeev and written by Mehboob, it is the kind that sounds good during the course of the movie but not on one's i-pod.

The album "Ek Chalis Ki Last Local" offers a mixed bag for listeners.