‘Teen Patti’ soundtrack offers dark, edgy music

Film: “Teen Patti”
Music Director: Salim Merchant-Sulaiman Merchant
Lyricist: Irfan Siddique, Asif Ali Beg and Ajinkya Iyer
Singers: Sunidhi Chauhan, Naresh Kamat, Salim Merchant, Sonia Saigal, Abhijit Vaghani, Anushka Manchanda and Joe Alvares
Rating: ***

Composer duo Salim and Sulaiman Merchant have crafted an apt soundtrack for director Leena Yadav’s suspense thriller “Teen Patti” starring Amitabh Bachchan and Hollywood veteran Ben Kingsley.It has six originals and two remixes and the music comes across as edgy, dark and truly international.The album starts with “Life is a game” that is presented in two versions – English and Hindi. The English version is crooned by Sonia Saigal that is interspersed with dialogues in Amitabh’s baritone voice.The Hindi song has another addition in the guise of Anushka Manchanda. It has a dramatic element that makes it sound truly international. It is chic and stylish.Next in line is “Summertime” by Joe Alvares. The lyrics are in English and Alvares impresses with his range.Then there is “Neeyat kharab hai”, a slow song that flows at its own leisure pace. It is sung by Sunidhi Chauhan, who has done a commendable job by modulating her voice to create a sense of mystery and thrill. The video of the song is currently on air and it is at its seductive best.The song also has a remix version, which is equally good with elements of electronica. The version has a few lines by Amitabh and also entails portions of rap. It is quite catchy and will set everyone grooving.Up next is the title track “Teen patti ke gulam” with composer Salim Merchant behind the mike. The upbeat song revolving around gambling is fast paced with psychedelic beats. However, it is average.The re-mixed version of the track has more beats attached to it.Finally, the soundtrack offers “Intezar me chupa kahin” in the voice of Naresh Kamat. The song starts off slowly but picks up pace and culminates into a rock anthem. Strong orchestration makes the song impactful.On the whole, the album is meant for a niche audience and is truly international in its approach. Salim and Sulaiman have given music that perfectly gels with the theme of the film.