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Critically acclaimed director Madhur Bhanderkar is back again with his new presentation about city centric theme in his new offering 'Traffic Signal'. The tremendous success of 'Chandni Bar', 'Page 3' and 'Corporate' speaks volumes about his perception. 'Traffic Signal' is a film about the those people who live their life at the traffic signals and they comprise set of vendors, beggars, eunuchs, lepers, prostitutes, drug addicts and street kids. Kunal Khemu, the upcoming actor who made promising debut in Mahesh Bhatt's 'Kalyug' , plays the lead . Neetu Chandra, Ranvir Shorey, Upendra Limaye and Kon Kona Sen Sharma are the other actors who play significant roles. Shamir Tandon, the prolific music director who has composed music for Bhanderkar's earlier films like 'Page 3' and 'Corporate' has rendered musical soundtracks. The album also offers bonus tracks from Kailash Kher ("Dilruba", "Albela Sajan"), Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan ("Tere Bin Nahin Lagda") and Jagjit Singh ("Din Kuch Aise Guzarta Hain", "Haath Chuthe Bhi to Rishtey Nahin Chhua Karte"). The original soundtracks of 'Traffic Signal' metaphor with the sentiments of the film and can be heard on Sony BMG cassettes and CD's.

THE SPIRIT OF SIGNAL: The album kick starts with instrumental work "The Spirit of Signal", a westernized musical work depicting the spirit and feel of people residing at "traffic signal". Guest composer Raju Singh pumps up the tempo with energetically paced musical beats finely matched with enthusiastic chorus roars. It has some shades from Rehman's composition "The Spirit of Rangeela" ('Rangeela') and has worked well in the promos and teasers of the film.

YEH ZINDAGI HAI TO KYA ZINDAGI HAI: Madhur Bhanderkar's fascination towards the concept and word "Zindagi" makes another soulful presence in sentimentally rendered "Yeh Zindagi Hai to Kya Zindagi Hai". Earlier there were numbers like "Kitne Ajeeb" ('Page 3') and "Lamha Lamha" ('Corporate') composed on similar tonal textures. This time Shamir Tandon prefers male voice to Asha Bhonsle, and Hariharan emotes out heartfelt experiences of life in soft n somber mode. It has pop feel with Sangeet Haldipur singing at his best as background singer. The soft and titillating stringed musical rendered connotations are finely balanced with gentle paced vocals of the singers. Hariharan's prowess in delivering "ghazal" numbers shows its vibrant colors with shades of jazz music mixed with peppy vociferous rendition by Sangeet Haldipur. The soundtrack props out as worthy composition and leaves a stamp of Madhur Bhanderkar's style of fictional work based on city centric subject.

NA TERI MERI JIS DIN BAAT HOTI HAI: Kunal Ganjawala's husky voice gripping over mushy love tracks shows its radiance in sentimentally driven soundtrack "Na Teri Meri Jis Din Baat Hoti Hai". The song introduces new singer Yogita Pathak to the marquee in this love duet. The lyrics by Shamir Tandon are meaningful and encapsulate the inhibited sentiments of the protagonists through this sentimentally enriched soundtrack. Yogita Pathak sounds similar to Sapna Mukherjee and shows promise in her soft n silken voice but it's the lethargically music that spoils the show. Shamir Tandon's music has glimpses of 80's style musical arrangements and it retards the desired gripping of the song. Kunal Ganjawala proves appreciable in his soft pitched rendition with Yogita Pathak showing signs of promise. It's an above average composition that should work positively in the narration of the film but might not prove worthy enough for the album.

The song makes its solo presence through the vocals of veteran Bhupender Singh in the second version of "Na Jis Din Teri Meri Baat Hoti Hai". This version moves at a slower pace and tempo than the first version with Bhupender Singh's voice showing gripping over emotionally sensitive numbers. The soundtrack will have major takers from class audiences and its acceptance will be reduced to few thoughtful listeners.

AAI GA: The ambience of typical Mumbai interior or slum makes its strong presence in traditional "lavani" (Maharashtrian folk dance) soundtrack "Aai Ga". It is conceived to woo conventional Maharashtrian audiences and has the tenacity to draw major appreciations from conventional Mumbaikar's. Vaishali Samant, the prolific and affluently vivacious folk singer from Maharashtrian belt sings out with full zeal well supported by Bhavika as background crooner. "Aai Ga" should work well as "item song" in the film and should work as catalyst in the promotion of the film.

DJ Amelon and Salil Amrute's render high pitched disco beats in highly energetic remix soundtrack "Aai Ga (remix)". Once again it has the spice n chilly to make things hot n spicy on dance floors for typical Maharashtrian pub youths. It works best as fine piece of fusion music comprising pub style music encapsulated in traditional beats and rhythms of folk music.

SIGNAL PE: Navin Prabhakar (stand up comedian of "The Great Indian Laughter Challenge") of the "Pehchan Kaun" fame makes his first promising attempt in Bollywood by raising his vocals in thematically composed "Signal Pe". The soundtrack is about happening on the traffic signals as the people living by sing in tandem to show their spirit. It has been voiced by Baba Sehgal, Vinod Rathod, Neerja Pandit, Raj Pandit and Navin Prabhakar as typical street side "tapori" with Navin Prabhakar adding humor in his "bar girl" comical attire. This is situational number that will have limitations to impress in the film only.

Madhur Bhanderkar plays safe by adding audible bonus tracks from Kailash Kher's album "Kailasa" ("Albela Sajan" and "Dilruba"), Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's immortal melody "Teri Bin Dil Nahin Lagda" and Jagjit Singh's soulful "ghazals" ("Din Kuch Aise Guzarta Hain", "Haath Chuthe Bhi to Rishtey Nahin Chhua Karte") to make it worth a buy album.

'Traffic Signal' comes as weak offering from the stable of Madhur Bhanderkar with a couple of meaningful and situational numbers. If "Aai Ga" has the traditional feel to draw Maharashtrian audiences then sentimentally composed "Yeh Zindagi Hai to Kya" and "Na Teri Meri Jis Din" restricts itself to niche audiences. Even the promising box office reports will hardly create any stir in its audio sales.