Kajol and Aamir Khan in moments from Fanaa

Whenever the Yash Raj banner and the music composer duo of Jatin-Lalit have come together, it?s been music to the ears, through the years. Right from the tinkling of the cowbells that led to Kumar Sanu breaking into Tujhe dekha to yeh jaana sanam in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge to the Saif-Rani verbal volleys punctuating Ladki kyon in Hum Tum, the Pandits ? Jatin and Lalit ? have done the trick for the Chopras.

But now is the big ?un. Fanaa. An Aamir Khan film. Kajol?s comeback vehicle. Director Kunal Kohli?s next film after Hum Tum.

?Oh yes! It is a big film,? sighs Jatin on the phone from Mumbai. ?It is also a musical movie. And we have done a lot of hard work on the music. The music of Fanaa is not very conventional and is very different from the regular fare that is being dished out all around.?

Jatin-Lalit?s compositions have been woven into words by Prasoon Joshi who had penned the lyrics for Hum Tum as well. The tracks have been arranged by the techno duo of Salim-Sulaiman, another mainstay with the Yash Raj camp having helmed the score of Neal ?N? Nikki recently.

The album opens with Chand sifarish, that has Kailash Kher breaking into an infectious and chaotic qawwali hookline Subhan allah before Shaan takes over, milking the electric guitar riffs. No Udit Narayan here for Aamir Khan, having been synonymous with the superstar thanks to chartbusters in Lagaan and Dil Chahta Hai.

?The reason we have gone for voices like Shaan, Sonu Nigam, Sunidhi Chauhan and Mahalaxmi Iyer is because we wanted a certain amount of freshness in the singing,? explains Jatin. ?Also, the treatment of the music is very young even if the melodies are on the deeper side. That?s something the script demanded and also because Kunal?s become so mature from his Hum Tum days.?

Track number two is a Sonu-Sunidhi ballad, Mere haath mein, tweaked at the interludes with Aamir and Kajol?s poetry. The use of the Kashmiri instruments gives a feel of the scenic backdrop where the film has been strikingly shot by Ravi K. Chandran.

The next number, Des rangila, has an uncanny Rahman flavour replete with Carnatic instrumentation and Bhangra drums and it?s also sung by one of his favourites, Mahalaxmi Iyer. With it being picturised on Kajol, the difficult melody is expected to grow on the listeners.

Up next is the winning track of the album, Dekho na. Another duet by Sonu and Sunidhi, this one boasts of some lovely evocative poetry by Joshi. Yeh saazish hai boondon ki, Koi khwahish hai chup chup si, Dekho na, dekho na; Hawa kuch haule haule, Zubaan se kya kuch bole, Na doori hai na darmiyaan, Dekho na, dekho na?

?Prasoon understands the world of films and media so well that he is able to come up with the right words,? feels Jatin. ?Also, he is so learned that he uses very new words, not usually associated with song lyrics.?

Chanda chamke is in line with the conversational kids-and-adults song like Bum chiki chiki bum in Hum or I love you daddy in Akele Hum Akele Tum. Aamir and Kajol make a brief appearance again mouthing one tongue twister after the other.

?A majority of the music of Fanaa has been made keeping Aamir and Kajol?s presence in mind,? reveals Jatin. ?They are so big that they can carry strong melodies. You know, everyone wants rhythmic songs because they are very easy to picturise. But for melodious tracks, you need strong expressions and who better than Aamir and Kajol to pull it off.?

An instrumental lounge track titled Destroyed in love (mixed by Dhrubajyoti Phukan) sums up the mood of the album while DJ Aqeel?s remixed version of Chand sifarish in Fanaa for you makes sure that Fanaa reaches the dance floors.

With so many things riding for it, Fanaa may end up being another jewel in the musical crown of Jatin-Lalit but unfortunately it will also be the last one. The duo has parted ways and started work individually. ?Although it is a fact that whatever God does, does for the best, I feel that our splitting was not the correct thing,? Jatin admits. ?I do not feel as good composing a song as I used to, but it cannot be helped. All I can say is that our last work together, Fanaa, is one of the finest soundtracks we have ever produced.?

Fanaa CDs are available at music stores on Yash Raj Music for Rs 149