Ramgopal Varma’s latest production ‘Road’ is a gritty thriller featuring Vivek Oberoi, Antara Maali and Manoj Bajpai. Its music, by Sandesh Shandilya (of K3G fame), is in keeping with the film’s theme.

However, film’s director Rajat Mukherji roped in as many as five different songwriters – Khilesh Sharma, Jaideep Sahni, Nitin Raikwar, Makrand Deshpande and Taabish Romani – to pen the lyrics.

‘Road’ opens with the titillating number Makhmali Ye Badan, rendered zealously by Sonu Nigam and honey-voiced Sanjeevani. The song is a romantic number with sensuous lyrics from Khilesh Sharma. The same song is later repeated in the album.

This one is third in the row for Vivek Oberoi. No, not a third consecutive hit but third movie with an assistant turned director. After Rajat Mukherjee’s (Assistant of RGV) Road, then Saathiya for Mani ratnam’s Assistant Shaad Ali and now Dum for E Niwas who has assisted RGV in many a flicks now !!! Dum is produced by Morani and Soorma who have earlier given super hits like Arjun, Vardi, Damini, Raja Hindustaani amongst others. Dum is another social-action-darama produced by them which surprisingly has a VERY GOOD score for an actioner (as has been Kaante in recent months !!) Whiz kid Sandeep Chowta hits the bull’s eye for Dum that has lyrics by Abbas Tyrewala, Nitin Raikwar and Sameer. E niwas has had suiccess so far in his medium budgeted Shool that gave him critical acclaim and Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega - a moderately successful comic caper. Let’s see what heights does young Niwas reach with this big budgeted Dum whcih has Diya Mirza and two times National award winner Atul Kulkarni (Hey Ram and Chandni Bar).

Ram Gopal Varma is directing a music video featuring Usha Uthup for his forthcoming film Bhoot. The video supports an album that will feature the music inspired by the film.

Salim-Suleiman, Anand Raaj Anand and Amar Mohile composed a song each, of which two are now being made into music videos for television with Usha Uthup and Sunidhi Chauhan.

Ram Gopal Varma hopes to set the trend with film-inspired albums which he feels is beneficial not only to him, but also to the music companies.

After Shakti, another flick from the house of Boney Kapoor is about to be released - Khushi. Remake of a Tamil movie by the same name, it is directed by the same director - S.J.Suryah and stars Fardeen Khan and Kareena Kapoor (in the title role). Music is by Anu Malik and Sameer writes the lyrics.

Producer: Tinu Verma
Director: Tinu Verma
Music: Ismail Darbar
Lyrics: Mehboob
Starring: Karishma Kapoor, Sunil Shetty & Dino Morea

Karisma Kapoor is making her first big screen appearance of the year alongside the likes of Dino Morea, Jackie Shroff and Sunil Shetty in Baaz. This thriller has music by Ismail Darbar, well known for the successful music scores of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and India’s Oscar hopeful Devdas. However Ismail Darbar’s efforts in other soundtracks haven’t met with the same level of success and he hopes to break that jinx with this soundtrack.

It is music composer duo Nadeem-Shravan’s forte to churn out the romantic melodies. Their music score for Tusshar–Kareena starrer Jeena Sirf Merre Liye is medley of catchy and trite numbers.

The album opens to the romantic mood with the title song Jeena Sirf Merre Liye which bears a stark resemblance to SRK-Kajol number Tujhe Dekha To Yeh Jaana Sanam. Yet, a commendable effort is made by female singers Alka Yagnik and Kavita Krishnamurthy to bring some freshness to the track, while the vocal rendition by Babul Supriyo is plain mediocre.