From the buzz surrounding it, on 08-08-08 Singh is Kinng will set the box office on fire. The film stars Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif and is set in Punjab, Egypt and Australia. The music for the film has a strong Punjabi influence but there is also a mix of bhangra and R&B on some of the tracks. Though the music has been out for a few weeks now, we really wanted to take time and do a special review for the soundtrack. We asked two of our music reviewers, Sara and Stacey, to take a listen, and here is what they think about this soundtrack.

With Pritam at the helm one would expect a mind blowing album… so is it? Well, mind blowing, no. However, we do think it is a 3 star album with some jammin’ tracks that will get your feet a tappin’, your shoulders a dancin’ and will get you groovin’ to the bhangra beat!

First we have the highly anticipated title track, Singh is Kinng:

International rap artist, Snoop Dogg, makes his entry into Bollywood by lending his vocals for the title track of the album and accompanying him is the UK group RDB and Akshay Kumar. The song has been composed to be an anthem of sorts and in many parts it is effective. Snoop D-O-doubleG starts off the track with his rap bit introducing all the artists. Soon after RDB’s Labh Janjua follows with a musical note, and I feel it is the best part of the song. Akshay Kumar enters next, and I don’t know if we can call it singing because it is more like a dialogue verse in the song. The main problem with this song is that all three artists’ vocals do not run together smoothly and with the sudden interruptions between rap, singing and dialogues, the track turns out to be one random mess.

For me, Sara, this track had a big flaw and it disappointed me. Snoop D-O doubleG’s rap is just bad, and I mean in the complimentary sense of that word. I just wish the music of the refrain stood up to his rhyme. The refrain and the music that goes with it is just bad, in the uncomplimentary sense of the word. That section did not mix with Snoop’s rap or the other parts of the song. It would have been tolerable if it was at least one octave lower and also musically taken down a notch so it was not so mismatched. The repeating of ‘Singh is Kinng’ in that monotone was really quite annoying. Labh Janjua was good and Akshay did well in his rap/dialogue section. But again, Akshay was lost to the music and no match for Snoop Dogg. The weird transfer to bhangra beats near the end was annoying and again mismatched. I give it props for Snoop Dogg, he was real cool like, but the rest of the song did not fit and it is shame.

On the small screen, Akshay ‘Khiladi’ Kumar may be seen encouraging 13 beautiful ladies to do some daredevil stunts in his new reality show Fear Factor- Khatron Ke Khiladi. However, when it comes to the big screen, Akki himself would be seen doing some really brave stunts and action scenes in his forthcoming release Singh Is Kinng.

Bollywood’s favorite action hero would be seen fighting with eight WWE wrestlers from Australia in an action sequence in Vipul Shah’s Singh Is Kinng.

Says director Anees Bazmee,” We had called some eight wrestlers who all are from WWE. They were all very excited to be a part of Singh Is Kinng. Apart from shooting with Akshay, they all spoke to him at length about his films. I was surprised that few of them had even seen his films. They all shared a very good rapport with Akshay and there was this very famous wrestler called Chris who even taught him some tricks in arm-wrestling.”

Akshay sure has a special interest in WWE. A few years back, he had fought against famous the WWE wrestler ‘The Undertaker’ for a fight sequence in Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi. Now in Singh Is Kinng, he is seen fighting eight WWE wrestlers from Australia. One can’t wait to see when Akshay will take on our very own- The Great Khali - (on screen of course). That would be one fight we can’t wait to watch.

Amusingly enough, Vipul Shah’s keenly awaited mega release found its title from the back of a truck!

Laughs Akshay Kumar, “When I was driving back from Jaipur there was a Sardarji’s truck in front of our car. At the back of the truck were the words, Singh is King. I absolutely loved the phrase and it went well with the theme of our film. I rang Vipul immediately and told him that I’d found him a brilliant title!”

In the same breath, Kumar adds, “Despite the title, the film is not about any specific community. Through the Sikh character I play in the film (Happy Singh) we’re trying to convey that anyone with a positive attitude in life can be a king. It’s all about attitude, spirit and self-esteem!”

But how did the ‘King’ become ‘Kinng’? Laughs the man behind Aankhen, Waqt and Namastey London, Vipul Shah, “As a Producer I have my film’s interest to caretake. We need success at any cost. My view has always been that whatever can be done to better the vibes of the film or add to the ‘luck’ factor should be done. So very simply, the extra N is only to bring it numerologically to an auspicious number.”

Commenting on Bollywood’s belief in numerology, he adds, “As Indians, don’t we do this all the time? Whether it’s while buying a car, striking a deal or Grihapravesh, we always look for auspicious dates or lucky charms, don’t we? So as a Producer I’m looking for auspicious signs for my film!”

Singh Is Kinng is out worldwide on August 8 with previews in select locations on August 7. It is an Indian Films - Studio 18 release.

Singh is Kinng is touted to be Akshay Kumar’s biggest film till date. With music by Pritam and title track of the film rendered by Neeraj Shridhar, Singh is Kinng is a multi starrer which also includes Neha Dhupia, Ranvir Shorey, Javed Jaffrey, Sonu Sood, Om Puri, Sudhanshu Pandey and Kirron Kher in its cast. Shot in Punjab, Australia and Egypt, Singh is Kinng marks superstar Akshay Kumar’s re-entry into the action-comedy minefield. With plenty of romance, glamour, laugh-aloud moments and chartbusting music, it promises to be one of the most appealing and entertaining motion pictures of 2008. The surprising element Snoop Dogg-RDB number for Singh is Kinng has been recorded at last and will form a part of the film’s soundtrack when it releases.

It comes from Producer Vipul Shah and Director Anees Bazmee, the master-makers of blockbusters like Aankhen, Waqt, Namastey London, no entry and Welcome.

A Studio 18 release Singh is Kinng will hit the theatres on 8th August worldwide.

Synopsis

Singh is Kinng, the most keenly awaited romantic comedy of 2008, revolves around a gang of crooks transformed by a good man and his selfless love for a pretty girl…

Lakhan Singh aka Lucky (Sonu Sood) is the ‘king’ of the Australian underworld accompanied by his associates (played by Javed Jaffrey, Neha Dhupia, Manoj Pahwa, Yashpal Sharma, Kamal Chopra and Sudhanshu Pande.) Far away, in a small village in Punjab, where Lucky was born, there exists someone more notorious than him - Happy Singh (Akshay Kumar). The village is fed up of his magnanimity, which has resulted in a number of hilariously disastrous situations. Out of desperation, they decide to send him on a long trip (that will keep him out of the village for a while!) to bring Lucky back to Punjab, as his despicable deeds were maligning their image in Australia.

The happy-go-lucky bumpkin, taking his mission a bit too seriously, embarks on his journey accompanied by his friend, Tony Singh (Om Puri), who hates Happy for dragging him, into it.

The high point of his journey is his chance meeting with Sonia (Katrina Kaif) with whom he falls in love, but upon reaching his destination, things take a precarious turn as he runs into a series of comic misadventures, leaving him penniless. He is fortunate to find warmth and affection in an elderly lady (Kirron Kher) who helps him meet Lucky.

In a strange turn of events, an attempt on Lucky’s life is foiled by a well-intentioned Happy who fights off the attackers by risking his own life. Following the hilarious altercation, Lucky lands up in hospital paralyzed, and Happy, unexpectedly, finds the tables turned on him when he is expected to assume the role of the new ‘kinng’!

The series of chaos shocks and comic misunderstandings that ensue eventually result in redemption and an accidental wedding!