YouTube sensation Alexa Goddard pairs up with Himesh Reshammiya

There is a sudden vigour in the manner in which announcements are arriving from Himesh Reshammiya's stable. Just when one thought that between Damadamm and his next film as an actor, Khiladi 786 - Made In Punjab, there may just be a success party with Salman Khan and Rekha that would fill the year long void, there is a lot happening for the composer/singer in the world the music. The latest being that for his international album '@ Da Edge', he has roped in none less than YouTube sensation Alexa Goddard.

"22 year old Alexa is a rage on YouTube and is currently the hottest young celebrity in the UK. Her songs, many of them being cover versions of other famous artists, have become mighty popular and have attracted millions of hits on YouTube", informs a source, "Now with Himesh and her collaborating on a song, she can well expect to reach out to a far wider audience, what with India being a home to 120 crore strong population. The popularity that she can expect from this point on is monumental to say the least because the album would be released in 122 countries."

While the buzz has already caught on, the formal announcement would be made by Himesh at the party.

"Yes, the album is turning out to be bigger with every passing day", says a close associate of Himesh, "Each of the 15 songs that have been composed, written and sung by him would feature one international collaboration along with a music video apiece that would be directed by Roman White. Other notable international artists like Edward Maya and Lil Wayne would be heard singing 'I Have Been Waiting For You So Long' and 'Come To Me Now' respectively. On the other hand, announcement around the song in question with Alexa would be made soon as well."

This isn't all as Alexa would also be featuring in the music video along with Himesh. Boasting of a pretty face which is also one of the most downloaded images on Google, Alexa Goddard has made her name as a popular English pop and R&B singer.

About Alexa: As per Wikipedia, Goddard created a YouTube channel with the username "AlexaMusicTV" in In March 2010. She uploaded to this channel various videos of her own covers of R&B hits. She released four cover versions as singles, using social media such as Twitter to promote them. The biggest-selling of these was her version of "Turn My Swag On", which charted at Number 20 on the UK Singles Chart and Number One on the UK Indie Chart. Within a month, Goddard's videos had received over 1.5 million views and "AlexaMusicTV" had garnered over 7,000 subscribers. By April 2011, the channel had over 11 million views and 56,000 subscribers, being one of the most subscribed music channels in British YouTube history.

DAMADAMM MOVIE REVIEW

Damadamm Movie Review

Like him or not, but there’s something about Himesh Reshammiya. He may not feature on your favorite actor list, but you cannot ignore him. A braveheart in whatever he’s dabbled into — producing TV serials, composing music, singing songs or stepping in front of the camera — Reshammiya now forays into film production with DAMADAMM [his company HR Musik presents the film]. 

A rom-com that comes across as a slice of life film, DAMADAMM takes you back to the times when simple stories were the order of the day, when ordinary looking people were grappling with not too complex issues and problems, when the focus was on delicate relationships. The 70s cinema, which witnessed a number of charming films by doyens like Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterjee, comes alive as you watch DAMADAMM. Of course, DAMADAMM is not as memorable as the films made in the bygone era, but first-time director Swapna Waghmare Joshi [a reputed name in tele circles] makes a sincere attempt to tell a tale that’s not commonplace. Beneath all the song and masala that’s integrated in the story, you will find characters you can relate to.

Notwithstanding its plusses, DAMADAMM doesn’t rise to those levels for two reasons. One, too many songs in the narrative. Two, the plot gets predictable after a point and loses the steam.

Sameer’s [Himesh Reshammiya] life is perfect, but for his over-possessive and constantly nagging girl-friend [Purbi Joshi]. To add to it, he gets drawn towards his boss’ sister [Sonal Sehgal]. All hell breaks loose when the girlfriend returns from her hometown. Sameer is in a fix.

Though not a comic fare, DAMADAMM has light moments aplenty that do bring a smile on your face. When you’re in a relationship, everyone likes to feel loved and wanted by their partner. But, quite often, the love and caring tends to suffocate you as the partner gets over-possessive. This kind of extreme behavior is exactly what Swapna Waghmare Joshi tries to highlight in the movie in a light-hearted fashion and that’s what sets DAMADAMM apart from films of its ilk.

Swapna has avoided going over the top and remains faithful to the subject. I’d like to make note of at least three sequences that are strikingly filmed. One, the tiff at the interval point, when Himesh calls off the relationship. Two, Purbi explaining to Himesh why she behaves that way. Three, Himesh landing up at Purbi’s office towards the final moments of the film.

But, like I pointed out earlier, DAMADAMM should’ve avoided the been-there-seen-that kind of situations that you get to watch in love triangles. Also, the makers could’ve done without a couple of songs. ‘Madhushala’, for instance, is a good track, but wasn’t required in the first place. Also ‘Mango’. Even ‘Umrao Jaan’, the best song of the enterprise, comes too late [end credits].

Himesh’s dedication to his craft is well-known by now and the composer/singer/actor goes that extra mile to get the role right. Sonal Sehgal looks alluring and acts well. But it is Purbi Joshi who steals the show with a power-packed performance. Her confident portrayal stands out. Rajesh Khattar is impressive as Himesh’s boss. The actor enacting the role of Himesh’s friend/colleague is first-rate.

On the whole, DAMADAMM isn’t bad, but it isn’t great either. Though it has a hit score to its credit and some endearing moments, it will have to rely on a strong word of mouth to withstand a mighty opponent [RA.ONE].