Ashwini Chaudhary brings together the unusual pairing of Bipasha Basu and Madhavan for the first time in Jodi Breakers. This romantic comedy features five original compositions by music directors Salim & Sulaiman. The brothers are in urgent need of a superhit soundtrack, given that their last few albums didn’t generate much buzz.

Kunwara (Salim Merchant), which is getting plenty of airplay on TV channels, tries to be a fun take on the joys of being single but ends up a hugely predictable, lacklustre number. Salim’s rendition is unsatisfactory and the English lyrics are cringe-worthy. The only interesting element here is the shehnai riff. Bipasha (Shraddha Pandit, Shadab Faridi) is an ode to the leading lady. Though there are similarities with Shakira and Beyonce’s Beautiful Liar, the composers manage to create a fairly engaging filmy dance number with Middle-Eastern influences. And Shraddha Pandit’s is the main reason for it – she sounds both stylish and sensuous. Shadab Faridi’s brief appearance in the qawwali portions also impresses.

Darmiyaan (Shafqat Amanat Ali, Clinton Cerejo) is the most listener-friendly track in this album. This gentle ballad sung soulfully could have done without the cheesy English chorus, but is charming nevertheless. The reprisal by Shreya Ghosal is short and sweet.

Mujhko teri zaroorat hain is a breezy, candyfloss number that grows on you. Though one wonders why Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s voice was not used in the original track and restricted only to the remix. Clearly he would have lifted this song to another level with his breathtaking vocals. If you ignore the annoying English chorus by Salim Merchant, Jab main tumhara saath hun makes for decent listening. The singers express themselves beautifully, especially Shilpa Rao.

Verdict: Decent fare