RMIM Puraskaar

2018

शीर्ष गीत | Top Songs

क्रम
Rank
गीत
Song
संगीतकार, गीतकार, गायक
Music Director, Lyricist, Singer(s)
अंक
Score (5)
ज्यूरी की राय
Jury's say (Expand or Collpase all)
1

बोल कि लब आज़ाद हैं तेरे  (मंटो)

bol ki lab aazaad hai.n tere (Manto)

Tags: clarinet, classic, classical, dark, earworm, fusion, inspirational, intense, old-style, inspirational, poetry, protest, soul stirring, vociferous, अभिव्यक्ति

स्नेहा खानवलकर
Sneha Khanwalkar

फ़ैज़
Faiz

राशिद ख़ान, विद्या शाह
Rashid Khan, Vidhya Shah

3.41

Toggle Jury's comments

Song of the year for me. It transports us to the bygone eras, credits largely to the glorious lead voices. Sneha Khanwalkar ups the ante with every movie. Sans loud trumpets or heavy brass, the rousing feeling is intact, thanks to an arresting bassline, Cello/Viola layer, a restrained percussive section and a brief Clarinet. -Nagarajan

Excellent Yaman composition and the usage of a female voice that sounds very much like Shamshad Begum is very apt, given the time period in which this film is based on. Great lyrics. Ustad Rashid Khan might not be the best suited for this but does a good job nevertheless. Orchestration is good with a nice touch of harmonium, bulbul tarang and violin. -Ketan

Song of the year for me. -Nishant

This is a beautiful yaman based song, but disappointed to see others (ban titli etc.) didn't make the cut. -Sowmya

Interesting approach to orchestration (restless strings throughout); Clarinet is well-played, but doesn't gel with the rest somehow...Singing is good, but Yaman-based tune overall is more soothing than stirring as a "call to action". -Sanjeev

Cannot listen to this song without being stirred. I am not worthy enough to judge Faiz's poetry but the music and singers do absolute justice, IMHO. -Meera

Faiz Ahmed Faiz's poetry! Wow! -Megha

खड़ी रीढ़ की कविता है यह। हमारे दौर का सबसे ज़रूरी सबक़। इतना ज़रूरी, कि जितनी बार दोहराया जाए कम है। इतना ज़रूरी, कि मैंने फ़ैज़ साहब की इन अमर पंक्तियों को 2014 में अपने घर के बैठकखाने में फ्रेम में मढ़वाकर लगवा लिया, कि याद रहे। देखें कैसे स्नेहा ने एक ओर से मार्चिंग बीट और दूसरी ओर से घड़ी की भागती सुइयों की आवाज़ को संगीत में पिरो दिया है। जिस जगह विद्या शाह ठहरकर अंतरे की पंक्तियाँ "देख के आहन-गर की दुकाँ में, तुंद है शोले सुर्ख़ हैं आहन" गाती हैं, उस पल की ज़िन्दादिली को अपने भीतर उतरने दीजिए। पाश को याद कीजिए। भगत सिंह को याद कीजिए। मंटो को याद कीजिए। -मिहिर

Notice how the song begins after 7 seconds of silence. Very deliberately done - 1) to let the music kick in gradually and 2) makes sense for a song that is about freedom of expression. -Sankhayan

The legendary Faiz poem used well in a bit underwhelming film. -Pavan

Gave it an extra point for music and overall rating for the experimentation. The rhythm arrangement is quite intriguing. -Pranav

Rashid khan is amazing but never heard of Vidya shah before, she has done a great job too. Lyrics by Faiz are a classic. -Arun

Faiz's words adorn Sneha's non electronic music. I just didn't like the stop start feel of the song as much. -Hemendra

Arshad Mehmood's composition will remain the definitive version of this Faiz nazm, which does not survive this convoluted treatment by Sneha Khanvalkar. The soundtrack did have a nice song in form of Ab Kya Bataaon by Shubha Joshi which did not find its way into this shortlist. -Vibhendu

With veteran Ustad Rashid Khan one cannot go wrong. I heard Vidya Shah for the first time- liked her voice. Pleasing composition. Somehow for me each song that Sneha Khanwalkar composes, has a cut paste or assembled quality- it sounds beautiful almost as if it were a like a well crafted acoustic quilt, but it does have the synergy of a song performed live. They do provide a good atmospheric ambience. -Sunil

Sneha Khanwalkar hits the sweet spot between the edginess of experimental music and the comfort of the conventional in this song. The arrangement consisting of an addictive riff on strings, harmonium and clarinet is brilliant. Ustad Rashid Khan is wonderful as always and Vidya Shah is a revelation. And the song is set to a poem by Faiz, so there's that. -Param

Orchestration is mixed up; does't give a coherent identity to what could have been a very good song. Different female singer might have been better. -Ashok
2

आहिस्ता  (लैला मजनू)

aahistaa (Laila Majnu)

Tags: contemporary, dreamy, fusion, ghazal, melodic, romantic, semiclassical, soft rock, इश्क़, हिज्र

नीलाद्रि कुमार
Niladri Kumar

इरशाद कामिल
Irshad Kamil

अरिजित सिंह, जोनिता गाँधी
Arijit Singh, Jonita Gandhi

3.22

Toggle Jury's comments

After last year's wow song from Jab Harry Met Sejal, I was looking forward to see if Jonita Gandhi would have something on this year's list and yay, she does! Arijit has reigned himself in considerably, but his voice strains in the high notes, which is surprising. But all through the song it feels like Jonita is showing him how it ought to be done. The thing about her that I always love, is how her vocals shine beyond the music. She has the perfect voice for unplugged singing. -Megha

Lilting melody and beautiful instrumentaion. One can hear Niladri Kunar's zitar at the end. -Sunil

Amazing song that is masterfully held together by the subtle background arpeggio. -DM

Production, arrangement - the soundscape is the mainstay of the song. -Sankhayan

The song is just the warm blanket one needs in the snowy and looming landscape the story is set in. The melody construction, progression, orchestration (Zitar towards the end?), and singing are all top notch. -Nagarajan

पुरुष स्वर सवाल करता है। स्त्री स्वर विश्वास करता है। इसी में लैला-मजनूं की सारी कहानी छिपी है।. -मिहिर

Loved the song, for a beautiful composition kind of a mix of ARR & Vishal Bhardwaj's world. Niladri has worked with both and the traces shows in his own work. The singing is beautiful in rendition as well as chemistry. Irshad brings his own value with some good poetry. -Pavan

Jonita lays out the opening beautifully but could do with little less breathing while singing. Arijit needs to realize that not all songs need to be sung in a slow drawl. Lovely tune, paced beautifully by Niladri Kumar. -Ketan

Too many loops (U2 anyone?) and overly engineered - in fact the samples used are out-of-the-box provided by one of the most commonly used software (Reason). That said, song is "listenable" so bumped up overall score by a point. -Pranav

Arijit on a roll! -Arun

The beautiful arrangements lift the song here. Jonita Gandhi is such a good and versatile singer. -Meera

A more "engaged" rendition from Arijit, female vocals good too - but more of a "landscape" or "background" song? Song feels too long...interesting effects on the sitar (I think) at the end... -Sanjeev

Fantastic tune by Niladri Kumar, who also plays the zitar in the song. Some superb lyrics by Irshad Kamil and fantastic singing by Arijit and Jonita. Arijit speciailly stands out with his tremendous range. -Param

Weak tune; tried to hide in big sound. -Ashok

Powerfully sung and stands out among all Laila Majnu #s. -Sowmya
3

दिलबरो  (राज़ी)

dilabaro (Raazi)

Tags: bidaai, bolly folk, father-daughter, folk, inspirational, kashmiri, melodious, patriotic, wedding, विदाई

शंकर-एहसान-लॉय
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

गुलज़ार
Gulzar

हर्षदीप कौर, विभा सराफ़, शंकर महादेवन
Harshdeep Kaur, Vibha Saraf, Shankar Mahadevan

3.17

Toggle Jury's comments

Great folk composition and singing. Easily one of the best of the year. -Arun

One of the best written songs of the year. -Nishant

ये इस साल के बेहतरीन गानों में से एक है। एक-इक लफ़्ज़ अपने में दो मानी लिए हुए है, घर और मुल्क़ दोनों की दहलीज़ की बात करता हुआ। गुलज़ार साहब के लफ़्ज़, शंकर-अहसान-लॉय का संगीत और विभा, हर्षदीप की आवाज़ ने एक यादगार गाने को रचा है। -अंकित

Fine. Chorus also works. -Ashok

Nice soothng song. Loved the lyrics. Tugs at your heart strings, however, the music reminds me of SEL's old tunes. -Hemendra

Anything in Pahadi is bound to be melodious. -Meera

What is it with S-E-L and the Kashmiri connection? Once again, enjoying good voices (though Shankar M. sports a strikingly nasal twang in spots) and re-emergence of acoustic instruments. -Sanjeev

SEL deliver one of the best wholesome compositions of this year. Lovely use of the rabab, percussion, santoor, sarangi. SEL is one of the most dependable and talented who have only improved over time. Gulzar truly excels here. The word 'dehleez' is so effective used to convey the threshold of a father's home and one's motherland, just phenomenal. -Sunil

This song embodies "Generic Sufi". -DM

Love the part where Shankar enters the song…. -Sankhayan

यह इस साल के गुलदस्ते का गुलाब है। मेरा पर्सनल फेवरिट। एक बेटी के स्वर में, पिता को संबोधित। सदा से माँ-बेटे के मोह भरे रिश्ते को सेलिब्रेट करते आये बॉलीवुड में एक बेटी का अपने पिता से रिश्ता कुछ ओझल रह जाता है। इंसानियत का सबसे निस्वार्थ रिश्ता। गुलज़ार यहाँ साल की सबसे मानीखेज़ पंक्तियों "फ़सलें जो काटी जायें, उगती नहीं हैं, बेटियाँ जो ब्याही जायें, मुड़ती नहीं हैं" के साथ इशारे में इस सामंती व्यवस्था की भीतरी किरचों को आपके सामने रख देते हैं। इसे पढ़ते हुए याद रखेंगे कि दरअसल इसे एक बाप की ओर से एक बेटी के लिए लिखा गया है, तो गहरे पैठेंगे। -मिहिर

The song is effectively a duet between Harshdeep Kaur's brilliant vocals and strings Esraj/Rabab. Multiple awards may be due. -Nagarajan

Solid melody, singing and orchestration. Good song but one expects something better from S-E-L when the tune is set up so nicely. -Ketan
4

बहुत दुखा मन  (मुक्काबाज़)

bahut dukhaa man (Mukkabaaz)

Tags: angsty, classical, dark, faux classical, fear, fusion, haunting, helpless, melancholy, painful, raagbased, sad song, semi classical, semi-classical, soulful, stirring, traditional, उदासी, हिज्र

रचिता अरोड़ा
Rachita Arora

हुसैन हैदरी
Hussain Haidry

रचिता अरोड़ा, देव अरिजित
Rachita Arora, Dev Arijit

3.16

Toggle Jury's comments

So many things work for me here. One -- Puriya Dhanashri influences. Two -- a female music director. Three -- Minimal use of music. Four -- Rachita Arora's raw husky voice. Whole definitely greater than the sum of its parts! -Megha

I have a special affinity towards the classical fusion genre so I'd definitely have this song on my playlist. Certain aspects of rhythm section and the use of flute are the interesting highlights of this song for me. -Pranav

Another rare beauty - lovey singing and lyrics. I hope these new classically trained singers get more opportunities. -Arun

What a surprise of a song this turned out to be. Great use of different voice qualities and eclectic music. Minimal and sweet! -Hemendra

The song reminds me of "Sanjh Dhale" from 'Utsav'. Beautiful arrangement. Lovely balance between the vocals and instruments- both complement each other very well. Rachita Arora is a welcome addition to the rareified sphere of female music directors. Here she scores by singing as well. Looking forward to more of her work. -Sunil

Rachita Arora hits this out of the ball park and then along comes Dev Arijit, spoiling the effect a bit in this exquisite composition. -Ketan

Well-conceived and well-put-across. I prefer this Arijit! -Ashok

Fantastic semi-classical track with a haunting background arpeggio. -DM

Such a lovely combination of words, singers, music, choice of raag. Stirs you. -Meera

Puriya Dhanashree at its magical pinnacle. Rachita as a singer and composer has delivered a very pleasing number. -Sowmya

Pooriya-Marwa-Sohni territory is a great backdrop for haunting songs of despair. Sparse orchestration adds to the effect. Words are thrown a little awkwardly in the second verse (for that matter I find "bahut dukha" a bit forced in this meter. Vocals are quite good. -Sanjeev
5

ऐ वतन (सुनिधि)  (राज़ी)

ai watan (Sunidhi) (Raazi)

Tags: doordarshan, inspirational, patriotic, rabab, very feel good, well wishing, देशप्रेम

शंकर-एहसान-लॉय
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

गुलज़ार, अल्लामा इक़बाल
Gulzar, Allama Iqbal

सुनिधि चौहान, सत्यजीत जेना
Sunidhi Chauhan, Satyajeet Jena

3.14

Toggle Jury's comments

इस गाने की टेक बहुत अपनी लगती है। स्कूली प्रार्थना की शक्ल में लिखे गए इस देशभक्ति गीत को गाने के लिए सुनिधि चौहान अपनी वही मासूमियत भरी आवाज़ ढूंढकर लायी हैं, जिसके साथ उन्होंने तेरह साल की उम्र में 'मेरी आवाज़ सुनो' में डेब्यू किया था और हम सबके दिलों में घर कर गई थीं, हमेशा के लिए। गुलज़ार साब ने इक़बाल की लिखी प्रार्थना में अपना स्वर मिलाते हुए हमें याद दिलाया है कि दो 'दुश्मन' देश के लोग अपने मुल्क की सलामती की दुआ साथ खड़े होकर भी कर सकते हैं। कि देशभक्तियाँ आपस में नहीं टकरातीं। अंधभक्तियाँ टकराती हैं। -मिहिर

Nice touch of Kedar at the start. -Nishant

Feels like its been ages since I've heard Sunidhi in glimpses of really "native" musical phrasing (pointing to raags) - enjoying it. Voice ever-so-slightly strained up top? But actually might go with the "fervor" of the song. -Sanjeev

The Arijit version is better. This version starts with a Kalavati-ish bit but somehow lacks the energy that the male version has. -Megha

And then you have Sunidhi who brings out the Kedar in the melody which Arijit completely fails to do. Gets higher marks only because of Sunidhi. -Ketan

Didn't manage to put a finger on why I liked this one more than the male version. May be the Kedar beginning and ending(?). -Meera

More melodic than male version. -DM

Smart way of making this sung by Pakistani school children. -Sankhayan

Tribute to Allama Iqbal by Gulzar saab. Arijit version worked better for me. -Arun

Strictly outdoes the other version - Tapas Roy, Sunidhi Chauhan, 'Lab Pe Aati..' all coming together so beautifully. -Nagarajan

Similar to the male version but I find Sunidhi a notch lower than Arijit. -Hemendra

A bit better. Less mannered. Sunidhi not at her best, though. -Ashok
6

मेरे नाम तू  (ज़ीरो)

mere naam tuu (Zero)

Tags: ballad, love song, operatic, romantic, taarif, theatrical, waltz, इश्क़

अजय-अतुल
Ajay-Atul

इरशाद कामिल
Irshad Kamil

अभय जोधपुरकर
Abhay Jodhpurkar

3.08

Toggle Jury's comments

This is such a gorgeous number and given the premise and reviews of the film, I am almost afraid of what they will do to it on screen. Beautifully arranged, lovely piano pieces with an operatic flavor to it. I also quite like the fact that Ajay Atul have started to develop a unique and identifiable sound of their own. -Megha

Ajay-Atul have a great melody and then they over orchestrate, especially the percussion section which plays a spoiler. Abhay Jodhpurkar tries to soar above the orchestration which doesn't quite work. -Ketan

Ajay-Atul's best this year. Abhay Jodhpurkar's Hindi debut comes admittedly late but it is grabbing all ears now. -Nagarajan

One hell of a crescendo. Builds up to it and delivers. -Sankhayan

Ajay-Atul have perfected the formula for love ballads - an excellent melody often delivered by a male voice, soaring strings and an arrangement that alternates between light/mellow and dense/stirring. You get the feeling you have heard Mere Naam Tu before but it's so good that you don't mind the air of familiarity. -Param

In the Sairat mould, with Western symphony orchestra and I guess this is what is becoming the Ajay Atul sound. -Vibhendu

Inspiring orchestral interludes and light backgrounds on the vocal sections are melded quite well. -DM

Seemed to go on forever. -Nishant

A clean, pleasant listen. Abhay Jodhpurkar clearly Sonu-inspired, but a bit different. Could somehow guess it was Ajay-Atul before actually seeing it. -Sanjeev

Abhay Jodhpurkar is a wonderful singer who covers both low and high notes wonderfully. He needs more exposure. Great symphonic score. Superb interludes. Lovely use of chorus. -Sunil

Nothing special. -Pranav

So much of 'Sairat' feel, for the array of Violins and Flute, becoming a stamp of Ajay-Atul, Ajay-Atul creates a grand canvas and presents it quite well to live up to the billing loved the song for Abhay Jodhpurkar's refreshing rendition.. Only the bridge line 'Ailaan hai' doesnt work well. -Pavan

इस गीत के चंद हिस्से 'वादा' में गुलज़ार साब के लिखे विस्मयकारी गीत 'रोज़-ए-अव्वल ही से आवारा' की याद दिलाते हैं। यही इस उत्सवकारी गीत की सबसे बड़ी तारीफ़ है।. -मिहिर

Beautiful. Though slightly repetitive Ajay-Atul style. The lyrics are beautiful. Also I'm just happy that Ajay decided to NOT sing this song himself. -Meera

Sounds like a song from Om Shanti Om. Singing is the only saving grace. Lyrics are ordinary. Music arrangement loud. -Hemendra

अजय-अतुल के संगीत संयोजन और इरशाद क़ामिल के मख़मली बोलों को सहेजे ये गाना एहसास की नई ज़मीनों को छूता है।. -अंकित

Composition is beautiful but orchestration overpowers the song overall. -Arun
7

चाव लागा  (सुई धागा)

chaav laagaa (Sui Dhaaga)

Tags: addictive, earworm, love duet, melodic, old fashioned, retro, romantic, sentimental, साथ

अनु मलिक
Anu Malik

वरुण ग्रोवर
Varun Grover

पापोन, रोंकिनी गुप्ता
Papon, Ronkini Gupta

3.07

Toggle Jury's comments

Anu Malik tries to cash on the stupendous success of Moh Moh ke dhaage and churns a tune that's very similar. There're shades of Border too. Low marks for rehashing earlier stuff. Singing and Varun's lyrics are top notch. -Hemendra

Song of the year for me! Ronkini and Papon's voice are like honey and sugar. I get goosebumps listening to this. Lovely music with great interludes and minimal orchestration. Varun Grover shines: a curse like " tera saath ka hai to shap laaga" never sounded more romantic :-). -Arun

इस गीत में एक शास्त्रीय किस्म की पवित्रता है। बेशक 'मोह मोह के धागे' याद आता है क्योंकि टीम वही है, शायद कोशिश भी वही। गित के मध्य बाँसुरी का प्रयोग इस पवित्रता को द्विगुणित कर देता है। वरुण यहाँ बहुत दिनों बाद खड़ी बोली हिन्दी के कुछ ऐसे शब्द (शीत, ताप, लोभ, चाव, प्रीत) गीत में लौटाकर लाये हैं, जिन्हें हमारे सिनेमाई गीतकारों ने 'कठोर' मानकर त्यागा हुआ था। जहाँ 'देख लिहाज की चारदीवारी, फाँद ली तेरे एक इशारे' में 'क़यामत से क़यामत तक' के जवाँ प्यार की अनुगूँज है, वहीं 'प्रीत की चादर, छोटी मैली, हमने उसमें पैर पसारे' सुनकर 'साथ-साथ' के फ़क्कड़ दीप्ति और फ़ारुख़ याद आते हैं.. 'ये तेरा घर, ये मेरा घर' गाते हुए।. -मिहिर

Ronkini Gupta is magical - this album and Rafuu last year. -Nagarajan

In 2017 one song, in 2018 2 songs - keep at it, Ronkini. More songs/ more variety to you! -Meera

Good to hear Ronkini and she does a great job after a while but this song unfortunately is an uninspired composition. The main refrain of the lyrics (chaav laagaa) is completely off the melody meter. -Pranav

Beautiful compostion except that it sounds familiar- otherwise I might have scored it higher. Ronkini shines like she did in 'Tumhari Sulu'. Lovely arrangement. -Sunil

Pure melody. great use of tabla dholak rhythms. -Sankhayan

The song itself harmonizes very well with the lyrics and vocals and has a ring of simplicity to it. -Sowmya

Excellent singing, like the warmth on the dip down for "ghaav laagaa"; not sure I'm convinced by the tune; here "Moh Moh Ke Dhaage" mixed with stuff from "Refugee", i.e. Sonu-Alka's "Aisa Lagta Hai" is the beginning of the antara. -Sanjeev

Words back up the lovely chemistry of voices. -Nishant

Puriya Dhanashri again?! The start of this song is reminiscent of 'barfaani' from the previous year's list. And then it sounds like four other songs in between. -Megha

Imaginative lyrics, lovely melody and some great singing. -Param

Lyrics imaginative, melodious tune, reasonably wel-sung. Should be shorter. -Ashok

Papon--what is 'bore aaya'? Think you mean 'bhor aaya'. Your mispronuciations are like a sharp 'Sui' to Ronkini's sweet dhaaga. -Ketan

A soothing romantic track with Anu Malik keeping his recent winning formula of DLKH (Moh moh) intact. The template reuse was so evident in arrangement, yet Varun Grover made good use of lyrics to give it a color of its own. -Pavan
8

ऐ वतन (अरिजित)  (राज़ी)

ai watan (Arijit) (Raazi)

Tags: doordarshan, inspirational, moving, patriotic, vir ras, well wishing, देशप्रेम

शंकर-एहसान-लॉय
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

गुलज़ार
Gulzar

अरिजित सिंह
Arijit Singh

3.02

Toggle Jury's comments

This is one of the most unapologetically patriotic songs of Gulzar I can think of and it works specially well in the context of movie. This song is sure to melt the hearts even the most dispassionate amongst us. -Param

देशप्रेम से जोड़ता ऐसा गीत जिसका संगीत और बोल अंदर तक छू जाते हैं।. -अंकित

It's amazing that just by using certain notes a mood can be conveyed so successfully. -Meera

The better of the two versions, which I don't usually say about Arijit songs. But in this his voice, the lyrics and the music all work together. The result has good melody and is full of spirit! -Megha

Beautiful song with Gulzar's lyrics elevating it to new heights. Arijit belts out in his charchterisitc style. Music is a tad loud but that could be to heighten the nationalitic feelings. Main Jahaan rahoon Jahaan mein yaad rahe - Gullu using two meanings of Jahaan deftly. -Hemendra

Pleasant melody, even though on percussive beat. -DM

S-E-L re-uses that octave jump from the title song; Arijit good, but liked him a bit better in the title song; male chorus is good. Tune is catchy and endearing. -Sanjeev

Arijit is decent but a bit more robustness in his voice and less crooning would have helped. -Ketan

अरिजित वाला वर्ज़न फीका है, क्योंकि यहाँ वो मासूमियत नहीं। गौर करें, धुन में भी यहाँ खनक नहीं, धमक है। -मिहिर

Love that it is calm, aggression-free. IMPORTANT in today’s environment. -Sankhayan
9

नैना बंजारे  (पटाखा)

nainaa ba.njaare (Pataakha)

Tags: dance, folk, gloomy, mellow, nomadic, riffy, romantic, soothing, इश्क़

विशाल भारद्वाज
Vishal Bhardwaj

गुलज़ार
Gulzar

अरिजित सिंह
Arijit Singh

3.00

Toggle Jury's comments

The minor guitar chords and prominent rock percussion elevate this from a languorous emo song into a very engaging listen! -DM

Solid! Even with Arijit sounding a lot like his typical stuff, this song still works. After Rangoon and this, I have come to the conclusion that Vishal Bhardwaj is the right match for Arijit to keep him in check. -Megha

There is something about this song that fixates you. Soulful music with lovely interludes and vocals. Very engaging. -Sowmya

Arijit sounds as if he is on medication. Gulzar's lyrics are unimpressive. -Ketan

Arijit in good form - not as straight and simple as song # 50 but also not too over-the-top. -Sanjeev

The simplicity of the guitar-led arrangement works just right with Gulzar's metaphorical lines. -Nagarajan

VB signature style. -Meera

Typical vishal B composition. was looking for siganture Gulzar touch - didn't find much but good lyrics anyhow. -Arun

I tend to prefer Vishal Bhardwaj's and Gulzar's mellower songs over their faster-paced/louder ones and this is true in Pataakha as well A hauntingly good tune, simple but tasteful arrangements, excellent lyrics by Gulzar and a superb rendition by Arijit Singh make this song an earworm. -Param

For me there seems to be mismatch between the rustic flavor of the lyrics and the modern sounds of the music. It is pleasing to hear though but the music does not seem to match the character of the film. -Sunil

Vishal/Gulzar/Arijit makes a classic. Bhide re bhide… only gulzar :). -Hemendra
10

तू ही अहम  (सुई धागा)

tuu hii aham (Sui Dhaaga)

Tags: bhajan-ish, classical, healing, melodic, retro, soulful, भक्ति

अनु मलिक
Anu Malik

वरुण ग्रोवर
Varun Grover

रोंकिनी गुप्ता
Ronkini Gupta

2.99

Toggle Jury's comments

"तन ये भोग का आदी, मन ये कीट-पतंगा, झूठ के दीवे नाचे, झूठा बने मलंगा, मुक्ति जो ये चाहे, तो मारे मोह अड़ंगा" वरुण की इन पंक्तियों में कबीर की बोली सुनायी देती है। कबीर, जिन्होंने लिखा, 'साधौ घर है प्रेम का, खाला का घर नाहिं, सीस उतारे भुई धरे, तो पैठे घर माहिं'। कबीर, जिन्होंने इस तन को 'विष की बेलरी' लिखा। ये हर नास्तिक का भक्तिगीत है। -मिहिर

A beautiful soulful prayer with the element of mystique. -Pavan

Ronkini Gupta is a star. She rose above the clutter last year with the lovely Raffu and she does it again with this song. Varun Grover's brilliants lyrics are just as good as her singing. While the lovely tune might lull you into thinking that this song is a bhajan, its lyrics are a lot more complex/philosophical than the average bhajan's - Grover's lyrics talk about a faith challenged by doubt. -Param

Ronkini Gupta is a find. Would like to see her doing more variety of songs. -Sankhayan

The singing is very good but the music fails to impress. -Megha

Predictable notes but the words hold your attention. -Meera

Singing is gorgeous - again, composition is not quite brilliant, parts of the antara sound.a little forced (tune, not singing); Bit of "Moh-Moh Ke Dhaage" hangover, slipping that komal dhaivat in partway.. -Sanjeev

I like the texture of Ronkini's voice which explains the rating for singing. The song, however, is quite avoidable. -Pranav

Just a notch below the "chaav laaga" from the same film. Exquisitie song and some great lyrics by Varun Grover: "Jhootha bane malanga, mukti jo yeh chaahe, to maare moh adanga". -Arun

Flute provides the flight. -Nishant

Tune is ordinary. Lyrics elevate the song. -Hemendra

Ronkini has a refreshingly very different tonal quality. Her voice brought back memories of Chayya ganguli in 'Thodasa Roomani Ho Jaayen'. -Sunil

Lovely tune and understated singing. Refreshing to see Anu Malik get back to basics. -Ketan
11

चोंच लड़ियाँ  (मनमर्ज़ियाँ)

cho.nch la.Diyaa.N (Manmarziyaan)

Tags: blissful, bolly folk, esraj, folk, folk/romantic, love song, punjabi, punjabi waltz, romantic, इश्क़

अमित त्रिवेदी
Amit Trivedi

शेल्ली
Shellee

हर्षदीप कौर, जाज़िम शर्मा
Harshdeep Kaur, Jazim Sharma

2.98

Toggle Jury's comments

“सतलुज में इक समंदर नाचे
अम्बरसर और जलंधर नाचे
पोरस दे विच सिकंदर नाचे
अप्रिल मई विच दिसम्बर नाचे
जिस वल देखां कलंदर नाचे
बन्दे अंदर पैगम्बर नाचे”
शैली साब की लिखी ये पंक्तियाँ ही मेरा हासिल हैं। बस, मुझे और कुछ नहीं चाहिए।. -मिहिर

Nice voices, but nothing more than that. -Megha

Cute lyrics, decent singing but insipid music that does not move the melody muscle in the brain. -Ketan

Nice, surprisingly! -Ashok

Great harmony between melody and lyrics. -Sankhayan

Contender for top song this year. Definitely the best duet. Top notch singing. Jazim and Harshdeep just nail the punjabi lyrics, that occassional Sarangi topped off with very contemporary lyrics. Lilting music and an unmistakable bass guitar. -Hemendra

Amit Trivedi picks his singers very carefully. He uses a very broad array of singers. Both Harshdeep Kaur and Jazim Sharma are very good singers. There is a lovely use of sarangi in this song. -Sunil

So much of 'maanjha' feel here. -Nishant

The song's a lesson in Upma Alankaar :) Beautiful imagery (I hope I'm doing my Hindi teacher proud here (?). -Meera

The refrain ("Naache") is catchy; the male high register juxtaposed with the low female register has by now become a tested formula, and works nicely here. Always a soft corner for the sarangi. -Sanjeev

Cant get enough of the song, one of the favs for its ambiance & poetry and the interesting hook of 'Naache' with a beautiful mix of esraj strings & percussions all over the song. Amit shows how Punjabi music is done with just a few instruments & without creating much noise. -Pavan

Great example of how a simple arrangement with original musical instruments, coupled with inspired chord backing and strong singing is all you need for an excellent song. -Pranav

The way Sharma & Kaur sing 'Rangraliyaan…' is bonkers. 'Kai Po Che' hangover notwithstanding, the song is a winner. -Nagarajan

Beautiful composition & singing! -Arun
11

धड़क  (धड़क)

dha.Dak (Dhadak)

Tags: dreamy, harmonic, melancholic, romantic, rustic, swooning romantic, title song, प्यार

अजय-अतुल
Ajay-Atul

अमिताभ भट्टाचार्य
Amitabh Bhattacharya

अजय गोगावले, श्रेया घोषाल
Ajay Gogavale, Shreya Ghoshal

2.98

Toggle Jury's comments

Vaguely reminiscent of "Suraj Hua Maddham" from K3G? Very nice male vocals - sensitive but with body/weight, and nice light touch on the harmony at the end. A more "typical" song for Shreya G.? Rich orchestration. -Sanjeev

Aah! The violins and the factored progressions.. Ajay-Atul create a fresh song for the soundtrack, at par with the class of original Sairaat. Ajay & Shreya give the song a beautiful character. -Pavan

Shreya sounds like one of those rubber toys--squeaky! Dhadak-Sadak and that whole my heart beats on the street you live has been done many times before. -Ketan

What I like a lot about Ajay Atul duets is the way the male & female vocals actually work like a team and compliment each other. Seamlessly woven. -Meera

Very imaginative of Ajay-Atul to make a new song while evoking spirit of the original. -Sankhayan

Ajay-Atul's over the top instrumentation is killing their music. Just too heavy. -Hemendra

Could have used a better male voice. -Nishant

Clearly a song with one of the best preludes and interludes of the year/ lovely arrangement; carries the exuberant symphonic style of Shankar Jaikishan and over-the-top arrangement in the style of Laxmikant Pyarelal. Ajay-Atul are clearly very good in this style. Not every film situation suits this style though. I found the vocals by Ajay to be on the weaker side. -Sunil

अमिताभ के लफ़्ज़ों ने अजय-अतुल के संगीत से अच्छा तारतम्य बैठाया है।. -अंकित

Ajay-Atul are masters of slowburn melodies. Dhadak title track matches up in every department - excellent singing, rich orchestration, lovely tune and rhyme. -Nagarajan

Strings, chords singing - all are barely average. At around 3:05 the male singer is overlapping the female singer voice which feels like an oversight in the recording. -Pranav

Lyrics are interesting, esp. sa.Dak-dha.Dak. Singing not bad. -Ashok

Dhadak tops my list of some spellbinding compositions, rich vocals, and music. -Sowmya

Strong instrumental background and Ajay's passionate singing make a fantastic combination. -DM

saat janmon ki yeh pehli tareekh hai - Amitabh is every so dependable for contexually relevant lyrics. -Arun

If one is in the market for a Hindi film song that is full of innocence, sweetness and romance, one needs to look no further. But this song does more than that. Ajay-Atul strike again with their larger than life sweeping sound, giving it an 'epic' feel. It starts out all gooey and chocolatey, but surprisingly stays with you long after it is over! -Megha
13

हल्ला  (मनमर्ज़ियाँ)

hallaa (Manmarziyaan)

Tags: atmospheric, electronic, fusion, haunting, intense, punjabi, trance, उल्फ़त

अमित त्रिवेदी
Amit Trivedi

शेल्ली
Shellee

ज्योति नूराँ, रोमी
Jyoti Nooran, Romi

2.96

Toggle Jury's comments

This was my most favorite song of the year. It became an earworm instantly.The use of percussion instruments was brilliant. The song accurately depicts the sense of anger, betrayal, turbulence and despondency felt by the character. It creates a trance like effect. Shellee excels here. The cherry-on-the-cake was Jyoti Nooran's piercing voice- very appropriate for the song. The emotions explode here like a volcano full of molten lava. Jyoti does complete justice to it. Phenomenal! -Sunil

A very good melody where Amit Trivedi and Shellee recapture their DevD magic. A very nice twist on a Sufi qawalli but could have used a better sounding voice which still had that edge. -Ketan

Interesting rhythmic play on the first "Ishqe Lafz Da..." passage - wonder what's the inspiration? Powerful vocals by Jyoti Nooran. -Sanjeev

Anurag kashyap does have a great ear for music. Picturizes them well and and this composition is a little funky too! -Arun

Shellee and AT, quite the winning Punjabi jodi. I like Jyoti Nooran's controlled singing here. -Meera

Allah Allah Allaah Hoo.. Nooran caries well. -Pavan

Finally a song that does something truly interesting and hatke! The combination of Jyoti Nooran with Amit Trivedi made me sit up with anticipation, and thank heavens I was right! Psychedelic funk, EDM and trance mixed with a Sufi voice has produced a sound that's completely unlike anything we have heard in a while! Simply mesmerizing! This is definitely the best song of this list for me! -Megha

"hallaa" is appropriate name! -Ashok

अरदास की शक्ल में विरह श्रृंगार का बियाबान है यहाँ। अमित त्रिवेदी 'मनमर्ज़ियाँ' में पँजाब में खुलते सूफ़ी दरवाज़े के भीतर प्रवेश करते हैं और 'इश्क हक़ीक़ी' से 'इश्क मजाज़ी' तक की उल्टी राह तय करते हैं। जो डूबा सो पार।. -मिहिर

Another unusual number from a stupendous album. This sounds a very coke-studioesque song to me. I like the singing and the grandiose musical arrangement. -Hemendra

The most inventive song by Trivedi in the recent times. The song progression is stormy, and the arrangement pulsating. Giving this song to Jyoti Nooran is masterstroke. -Nagarajan

Very interesting synth pattern to outline an otherwise atmospheric track. -DM

Top notch production. -Sankhayan
14

ओ मेरी लैला  (लैला मजनू)

o merii lailaa (Laila Majnu)

Tags: bollywood folk, folk, foot tapping, kashmiri, love song, pastoral, peppy, playful, pop, rabab, sufi, इश्क़, ऐलान

जोई बरुआ
Joi Barua

इरशाद कामिल
Irshad Kamil

आतिफ़ असलम, ज्योतिका टँगरी
Atif Aslam, Jyotica Tangri

2.88

Toggle Jury's comments

इरशाद क़ामिल के लिखे बोलों में शायरी निहाँ होती ही है। आतिफ़ का भी गायकी में एक अलग रंग निखर के आया है, कुल मिलाकर एक अच्छा गाना हुआ है। -अंकित

Irshad Kamil's words and the catchy tune. Also arranged very well, I thought. -Meera

Hook of the year! -Sankhayan

The radio version sung by the MD isn't bad. Main version is weaker: too long; the female singer is unsatisfactory. -Ashok

This is an insanely catchy song! The chorus-hook draws you in but even the antaras are so good that you can't help but sing along. Despite its more or less contemporary arrange, the rabab and the rhythm gives the song a delectable folk flavour. -Param

Timepass song! -Megha

Lovely ditty! The chorus portion sounds great. -Arun

Beautiful music and a wonderful arrangement. The rabab and the chorus are lovely touches. Jyotica Tangri has a wonderful voice. -Sunil

Opening is promising...Bhatakta" sounds like 'b", not "bh", "Meethi" becomes "meeti"?; not really getting into male vocals or the chorus, particularly the drum pattern; however, female vocals are very engaging;. -Sanjeev

Joi Barua takes romantic lyrics, puts it on a Sufi-Qawalli type melody and gives it a modern twist with rabab and bagpipes(?) Jyotica sings better than Atif who drops the 'h' sound in 'Bhatakta', 'Khwaab' and 'Meethi'. -Ketan

The kick off is pretty good, so is arrangement. Yet loses steam after a time. -Pavan
15

एक दिल एक जान  (पद्मावत)

ek dil ek jaan (Padmaavat)

Tags: adulation, classical, qawwali, qawwali-esque, raagbased, romantic, semi classical, इश्क़-इबादत, राग

संजय लीला भंसाली
Sanjay Leela Bhansali

ए एम तूराज़
A M Turaz

शिवम पाठक
Shivam Pathak

2.87

Toggle Jury's comments

Another great composition. Superb singing by Shivam Pathak. I hope he gets more singing opportunities. -Param

मद्धम और मुलायम सा ये नग़्मा, अंतरों के बीच में आई क़व्वाली से एक अलग ही सुरूर पैदा करता है। संगीत, गायकी और बोल सभी उम्दा हैं।. -अंकित

Textbook yaman. -Nishant

Well-sung; conspicuous Yaman base. -Sanjeev

Can't do much wrong with a good Yaman composition. Unfair to compare it to another Yaman romantic-qawalli given that it had Roshan-Sahir-Asha involved. I still wish Shivam Pathak's voice was smoother and not strained in the higher ranges which takes away the impact of the music. -Ketan

Slow Mithoon-ish track, that drags slightly. -DM

I'd asked SLB why a lot of his songs are in Yaman Kalyan. He said, it wasnt Yaman Kalyan for him. It was his childhood radio at play here. He grew up listening to mann rey tu kaahe na dheer dharey. Explains... -Meera

High scores to Shivam Pathak's excellent rendition, range, and powerful voice. -Sowmya

All songs of Padmaavat can be summerized in two words - 1) Predictable 2) Boring. Here's the formula that SLB uses in all his movies - one song that's overly sweetened love song (typically Yaman raga based), a couple that are based on an existing folk tune or theme, and rest with a lot of chorus (typically male). -Pranav

Typical Bhansali treatment, but Arijit singing has haunting value and stays with us even after the song gets over. -Pavan

Lazily tuned. Qawwali interlude works; could have used more of it. -Ashok

Promising composition but a bit monotonous. -Arun
16

मनवा  (अक्टूबर)

manawaa (October)

Tags: amorphous, cathartic, classical, fusion, lounge, melodic, reflective, semi classical, soulful, इंतज़ार

शांतनु मोइत्रा
Shantanu Moitra

स्वानंद किरकिरे
Swanand Kirkire

सुनिधि चौहान
Sunidhi Chauhan

2.86

Toggle Jury's comments

A little long and unstructured, not sure where it's going, but "Naina Ro-Ro Thake" works as a hook for me. Sunidhi delivers. Didn't really need the sargams and alaap. -Sanjeev

Very Western instrumental background surprisingly melds well with Sunidhi singing a subcontinental melody. -DM

Love the gimmicky percussion that kicks in around the 2nd minute mark. To me, this is also Sunidhi Chauhan's best in 2018. -Nagarajan

Sunidhi is back! -Arun

Nice tune. Well sung. -Ashok

A challenging and unconventional song to sing and done brilliantly by Sunidhi. Beautifully worded as well. Haven't seen Shantanu Moitra on the scene for a while, so 2018 seems to be a year for returns! -Megha

Lovely composition and Sunidhi sounds right in her zone. -Sowmya

इस गाने में 'पिया बसन्ती' की गूँज है। मनवा 'रुआँसा' तो है, लेकिन उम्मीद का धागा अभी टूटा नहीं है। स्वानंद के बोलों की बिम्ब प्रधानता इसकी यूएसपी है।. -मिहिर

Sunidhi's voice adds what the music misses in some places. -Meera

Lacks desired intensity. -Pavan

This had missed my radar. Very nice. -Sankhayan

Top song with Sunidhi delivering all the feels. Swanand and Shantanu are at their vintage best. -Hemendra

Haunting melody. Evocative voice showcases Sunidhi's versatility. Lovely lyrics. -Sunil

It could have been a good song if the orchestration had been left simple. The techno percussion ruins it and Sunidhi who is good falters a bit at the end. -Ketan
17

अगर दिल राज़ी  (राज़ी)

agar dil raazii (Raazi)

Tags: anthemic, arabic, energetic, folk, folksy, existential, inspirational, middle eastern, patriotic, thematic, title song, जज़्बा

शंकर-एहसान-लॉय
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

गुलज़ार
Gulzar

अरिजित सिंह
Arijit Singh

2.85

Toggle Jury's comments

The music, singing and lyrics create a mood and take you along. Something's that missing in a lot of songs this year. -Meera

The build up to 'Agar Dil Raazi Hai' is hypnotic, as is the fade-out in the end. -Nagarajan

Arijit *really* singing, great energy here, seems to be released from the box he seems to be stuck in for many songs...Shankar-esque singing? A somewhat typical "inspirational" song but still an very enjoyable listen. -Sanjeev

Arijit's singing elevates this song a notch higher. Lyrics are uff - kahaan le jaayein dil jo hadd hai behad hai. -Hemendra

Good music and lyrics. If Arijit had been a tad more restrained this would have been a great song. -Ketan

Good words by Gulzar saab: Hawayein dekh kar chalna
Na mitti par qadam rakhna
Nishan reh jayenge niche
Khud apni aag mein jalna. -Arun

Generic Chale Chalo type beat, repetitive. -DM

Nothing there except lyrics. Long and boring. -Ashok

With him singing, good luck getting raazi. -Nishant

Beautiful build-up, resounding vocals. -Sowmya
18

दरया  (मनमर्ज़ियाँ)

darayaa (Manmarziyaan)

Tags: fusion, passionate, punjabi, rock, rock ballad/romantic, sentimental, soft rock, रुँआसा

अमित त्रिवेदी
Amit Trivedi

शेल्ली
Shellee

ऐमी विर्क, शाहिद माल्या
Ammy Virk, Shahid Mallya

2.81

Toggle Jury's comments

One of the favorites of the year, despite overloaded with Punjabi lyrics & poetry. A nuanced dual paced composition by Amit Trivedi with a good mix of melody & rock anthemic feel, backedup with some real good orchestration. -Pavan

Passionate singing by Shahid Malya. He's a find when it comes to Punjabi songs like this. -Meera

Amit Trivedi excels in such compositions where he mixes folk with contemporary style. Amazing how he manages to still keep it stuck to basics with each instrument playing exactly the role it is designed to play, drums, distortion guitar, strings…all coming together wonderfully. Don't miss the flute pieces throughout the song which elevate this song to a new level. -Pranav

ये मीठे उलाहने वाला गाना है। 'आत्मपीड़न रति' से भरा।. -मिहिर

As someone with just a little understanding of Punjabi, Manmarziyaan, with fourteen Punjabi songs, was not an easy listen for me. However, Daryaa, rose above the sameness, thanks to the well-executed pop/folk fusion, some very good singing by Ammy Virk and the catchy tune. The short flute solo by Paras Nath towards the end is masterful. -Param

I like the hook line of this song a lot. It just hits you in the gut. -Hemendra

Substandard music and that too from Amit Trivedi throughout this album. Nothing is worth recommending here. -Ketan

Many of Amit's songs in the album begin very simply but he builds them layer by layer for a wonderful impact. Beautiful use of the flute. -Sunil

It is hard to imagine the song without Paras Nath's flute segment. Terrific production. The song is up there in Trivedi's repertoire. -Nagarajan

Too good! The raw emotions portrayed so well by lyrics and singing. -Arun

Nice beginning, but the loud chorus is a little distracting. Not getting into the thumping drum beats here...perhaps the song works better with the on-screen visuals. -Sanjeev
19

नैनों वाले ने  (पद्मावत)

naino.n waale ne (Padmaavat)

Tags: classical base, romantic, semi-classical, sitar, traditional, wordplay, रूमानी

संजय लीला भंसाली
Sanjay Leela Bhansali

सिद्धार्थ-गरिमा
Siddharth-Garima

नीति मोहन
Neeti Mohan

2.80

Toggle Jury's comments

Does Neeti Mohan strictly do retro sounding songs now? -Arun

ये बहुत ही प्यारा गाना है। ओल्ड वर्ल्ड चार्म। इसका कुछ श्रेय सिद्धार्थ-गरिमा के भोले-भाले लिरिक्स को जाता है, और बहुत सारा श्रेय नीति मोहन की प्यारी आवाज़ को जाता है। उन्हें सुनना नटखट नादानी को बोलते सुनना है। गीत के दूसरे हिस्से में जहाँ वे चहककर 'अहा' करती हैं, लगता है जैसे दुनिया की सारी पिंजरे में कैद चिड़ियाएँ आज़ाद हो गईं।. -मिहिर

Great fusion of sitar mixed with sounds of birds, water etc to come up with a lovely melody. Interesting that a female talks about a man's eyes whereas the earlier Mera Saya version had Lata singing about a woman's eyes. -Ketan

One can imagine all of Sanjay Leela Bhansali visual splendour through this song, with its expansive sound, use of sitars and chorus and Neeti Mohan wonderful evocative voice. One of the best compositions of this movie. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's composing skills and arrangments are getting better with each movie, despite the fact that he is not a trained musician. -Sunil

Opening word reminds me of the Mera Saya song. Good that it is not too long. -Ashok

DejaVu feel for the old melodies. But well done here. -Pavan

Varied and very melodic track, the semi-classical touches accentuate the track in a great way. -DM

Again, why was this made so short? -Nagarajan

Kanada elements brought out nicely. -Nishant

Neeti Mohan has largely passed under my radar, but she delivers the goods. Smartly this song is short. Explicit pointers to Darbari in the instruments, but defused in the singing...One gripe - can't put my finger on it, but for some reason the song feels out of character with the rest of the soundtrack - the "aha" is supposed to be endearing but it's not working for me here... -Sanjeev

Interesting progression of notes. Sounds like a mix of Darbari/ Sarang. What's beautiful is that it doesnt bear any resemblance to SLB's earlier songs. -Meera

Neeti Mohan is excellent, the song’s got a lovely, almost extinct old fashioned ness. -Sankhayan
20

सरफिरी  (लैला मजनू)

saraphirii (Laila Majnu)

Tags: classical, longing, romantic, sarod, हाल-ए-इश्क़, palliative

नीलाद्रि कुमार
Niladri Kumar

इरशाद कामिल
Irshad Kamil

श्रेया घोषाल, बाबुल सुप्रियो
Shreya Ghoshal, Babul Supriyo

2.77

Toggle Jury's comments

The song has some terrific strings at play, beautifully supporting the cadence in Ghoshal's rendition. -Nagarajan

Crystal clear vocals by Shreya, she makes the song extra ordinaire. -Meera

"Jo na thhe hum, Jo honge nahi, Aaja dono wo ho lein..." - ??? Shreya is solid, and Babul S. sounds decent too (though voice seems more conspicuously processed). -Sanjeev

Unnecessary 'big-sound' passages. -Ashok

Lovely singing by Shreya with nice subtle nuances that render beautifully to her voice. Like the female slant and emphasis throughout. -Sowmya

A superbly arranged contemporary ghazal. The highlight of the song for me is Shreya Ghoshal's singing. It's a travesty we don't hear more of her in Hindi films. -Param

Lovely to hear the sound of sarod. -Sunil

Great to hear Shreya. -Arun

I didn’t realize that Babul Supriyo still sang! -Megha

Shreya in form after a long time. Loved her singing in this song. -Hemendra

Nothing special in the song. Predictable at every turn. -Pranav

Finally Shreya making it to my playlist. She sounds a bit different from her usual sweetness thanks to a beautiful composition by Niladri Kumar (and excellent play too) and interesting lyrics by Irshad Kamil. Babul Supriyo makes an ok cameo, but reduces the impact. I would have loved if Shreya carried the entire song on her own. -Pavan

Pleasant tune + Shreya's singing + Sarod make for a good song. Babul Supriyo seems unnecessary. -Ketan
21

नैणा दा क्या क़सूर  (अंधाधुन)

naiNaa daa kyaa qasoor (Andhadhun)

Tags: catchy, club/dance, earworm, groovy, hipun, piano, piano-based, retroish romantic, upbeat, मेलोडी

अमित त्रिवेदी
Amit Trivedi

जयदीप साहनी
Jaideep Sahni

अमित त्रिवेदी
Amit Trivedi

2.73

Toggle Jury's comments

गाने के शुरु में पियानो के साथ बहुत दिलचस्प ओपनिंग पीस है। जो अनिल धवन साहब की पसन्द, वही हमारी पसन्द! -मिहिर

Does a very interesting thing. Pays a subtle tribute to O Mere Sona re without explicitly saying so. -Sankhayan

एक मेलोडियस गाना जो पियानो के बेहद मद्धम और ख़ूबसूरत मुखड़े से शुरु हो कर रिदम पकड़ता है। -अंकित

Refrain is like that "Hawaaen, Hawaaen" song from last year... -Sanjeev

Really catchy song, especially the chorus line. Once again, Amit Trivedi delivers a peppy number with relatively simple arrangements, drums, and uncomplicated beat patterns. -Pranav

Kasoor (as in Kasoori methi) is a cooking ingredient. I believe the word Amit Trivedi is looking for is Qasoor. Jarring to say the least. -Ketan

The structure of this song isn't very different from the one Amit Trivedi uses in Laila but the two songs are different enough to stand on their own. -Param

Very catchy but that's all of Amit T's music anyway. -Meera

The piano is back…killing you with every keystroke.This one sounds a bit more in Amit Trivedi mould of music but still delivers. The rhythm is super catchy. -Hemendra

Amit Trivedi can sing too! Beautiful prelude by the way. -Arun

Lovely piano start and the melody by itself is nice. Nice foot-tapping number! But when it meets the lyrics, there's something lacking. The song grew on me with time, largely because of the music, but the music-lyric disconnect remains. -Megha

Interesting Kick-off with some lovely Piano riffs. But beyond Piano, carries the flavors of Amit's previous works.. A good functional song with limited shelf life. -Pavan
22

हाफ़िज़ हाफ़िज़  (लैला मजनू)

haafiz haafiz (Laila Majnu)

Tags: bolly folk, folky, fusion, kashmiri, peppy, racy, semiclassical, sufi, urdu rock, zitar, आशिक़ी, पागलपन

नीलाद्रि कुमार
Niladri Kumar

इरशाद कामिल
Irshad Kamil

मोहित चौहान
Mohit Chauhan

2.72

Toggle Jury's comments

Irshad Kamil's lyrics are brilliant. The prelude to this song is like the main 'pakad' of this album. All the songs seem to borrow from it. I liked that about the whole album. -Meera

I had been wondering where Mohit Chauhan went but it's good to see him back! And what a song he chose to come back with! Tough to sing and well written too! -Megha

Mohit Chauhan singing evokes memories of his last big Imtiaz Ali film. -Param

Prelude needs a special mention and also the way the song kind of gradually picks up. -Nishant

Good interludes. I don't know if the mismatch between the meter of the lyrics and the rhythm was intentional, but I found it distracting. -Sunil

Sung in typical Mohit chauhan style. -Arun

Creative use of a popular Kashmiri children's song which then morphs into a whole different song. Mohit Chauhan is an improvement on his former self and the opening prelude is very good. The orchestration gets too busy as the song progresses, which overshadows the melody. -Ketan

Good to hear Mohit C. after a long time but the song leaves a lot to be desired. -Pranav

Another favorite song of the year that starts with Kashmiri verse. -Nagarajan

A song that is a crescendo in itself from the chill beginning to the percussive end. -DM

इश्क़ का पहले जुनून और फिर पागलपन की हद छू लेना, इस गाने के शब्दों और संगीत दोनों में झलकते हैं। इस गाने का सुरूर धीमे-धीमे अपनी गिरफ़्त में लेता है।. -अंकित

A good intense song with mix of genres, Kashmiri Folk, Ballad, Concert, Chorus…. A bit of Bismil dejavu.. Avinash sounds a lot like Mohit Chauhan yet makes good use of his baritone. Still misses the mark by a bit in terms of a long memorable stint. -Pavan

Everything except main song is fine! -Ashok

Great build up, the end of the song feels so climactic and well-earned. -Sankhayan

Pleasing music and very lilting. Contemplative and reminiscent of rock-on. -Sowmya

Return of Mohit Chauhan. -Vibhendu
23

इक तेरो बलमा  (पटाखा)

ik tero balamaa (Pataakha)

Tags: bolly folk, chhed-chhad, comic, dance, earthy, folk, folksy, fun, item song, rustic, signature vb-gulzar, चुहल

विशाल भारद्वाज
Vishal Bhardwaj

गुलज़ार
Gulzar

रेखा भारद्वाज, सुनिधि चौहान
Rekha Bhardwaj, Sunidhi Chauhan

2.68

Toggle Jury's comments

Beautiful folk song. Sunidhi and Rekha B is a unsual pairing but works here! -Arun

येे ठेठ राजस्थान का duel है। ये गाना और ये फ़िल्म दोनों मेरे दिल के बहुत क़रीब हैं। रेखा जी ने कितने मन से गाया है। सुनिधि भी बराबर की चोट्टी हैं यहाँ! ये गीत मेरे बचपन के घर के पीछे मिलने वाले झाड़ी बेर जैसी खट्टी, देसी मिठास लिए है।. -मिहिर

The tune is so lilting and Rekha/Sunidhi + Gulzar make it a delicious song. I loved it from my very first listen. The rhythm is infectious. Has a bit of Beedi hangover…. -Hemendra

Sunidhi is the one adding air to the tires even as Rekha is the needle trying to deflate it (metaphorically speaking). The song gets a high rating entirely due to the lovely music and Sunidhi. -Ketan

The lyrics make it for such a fun listen. -Meera

एक अरसे बाद इक चुहल करता हुआ, लोकरंगों से सजा गाना सुनने को मिला। गुलज़ार साहब ने लफ़्ज़ों के ज़रिये क्या ख़ूब बिम्ब निकालें हैं।. -अंकित

I had high expectations given Rekha B./Sunidhi C. combo. I can't say I was disappointed but not exactly ecstatic either. The song builds up nicely and the juxtaposition of different characteristics and styles of both singers was interesting to observe. -Pranav

Some 'namak isk ka' hangover in the interludes and singing style too. The addition of Sunidhi actually sets it apart, else it might not have offered anything fresh. -Megha

Vishal has this ability to pepper things in interesting ways. -Nishant

Words interesting. Music not catchy. -Ashok

Rekha-Sunidhi has been an interesting pairing on my mind for a while...at first, thought it would be a Sunidhi beatdown, but Rekha B. holds her own and the result is a good one. -Sanjeev
24

बिन्त-ए-दिल  (पद्मावत)

bint-e-dil (Padmaavat)

Tags: arabic, headache-causing, indulgent, loud, middle eastern, middle eastern flavored, middle-eastern, passionate, romantic, sensuous, हाल-ए-दिल

संजय लीला भंसाली
Sanjay Leela Bhansali

ए एम तूराज़
A M Turaz

अरिजित सिंह
Arijit Singh

2.64

Toggle Jury's comments

This is one of *the* songs of the year for me. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's composition is wonderfully complex and couldn't have been easy to sing but Arijit does full justice to it. I'm not sure if the middle-eastern singing style he adopts in this song is authentic but boy does it sound good! -Param

A nice twist to Arijit's musical abilities and SLB as a composer. While the rest of the songs are resoundingly SLB flavored, bint-e-dil is atypical and while may not sit well with everyone in terms of what the movie setting offers, is a great attempt to showcase the extent of SLB as a composer and AS as a singer. -Sowmya

Arijit is outstanding. It’s almost like inhabiting a character through singing, voice modulation. Crazy inflections. -Sankhayan

Not much there except some Arabic. -Ashok

Pathetic attempt at singing the non-hindi parts. -Nishant

Economic, measured beauty. -Nagarajan

Exotic Central Asian and Middle Eastern elements add interest to the track. -DM

Arijit at times sounds as if he is straining. -Sunil

Arijit gives the song its unique character. Lyrics by Amir Khusro :). -Pavan

Is there anything Arijit can't sing? -Arun

Every once in a while, Arijit makes the effort to tell us why he is The Arijit Singh. -Meera

Why SLB believes he ought to be a composer continues to baffle me. There are probably a hundred good examples of Arabic/Persian influenced Hindi film songs, but this is definitely nowhere on that list. -Megha

I don't want to get into debates on "authenticity" - but this song has a distinctly different flavor that I think Arijit has pulled off well; both melodic and lyrical intricacies... -Sanjeev

Standard SLB album. He needs to try and do something different. Same chorals/heavy percussion that is becoming very repetitive. -Hemendra

All songs of Padmaavat can be summerized in two words - 1) Predictable 2) Boring. Here's the formula that SLB uses in all his movies - one song that's overly sweetened love song (typically Yaman raga based), a couple that are based on an existing folk tune or theme, and rest with a lot of chorus (typically male). -Pranav

One has to give credit to Arijit for trying something new and putting in his heart and soul into getting a more Middle-eastern feel to his singing. I wish the orchestration had followed a similar route. -Ketan

Arijit not in his soporific self, for a change. -Vibhendu
25

पहली बार  (धड़क)

pahalii baar (Dhadak)

Tags: adapted, ballet score, classical, orchestral, playful, raw, romantic, rural, symphony, इज़हार

अजय-अतुल
Ajay-Atul

अमिताभ भट्टाचार्य
Amitabh Bhattacharya

अजय गोगावले
Ajay Gogavale

2.63

Toggle Jury's comments

Nice upbeat springing tune, almost like a Viennese Waltz. Good use of violins. -Ketan

My favorite song from the Sairat soundtrack, and used here as is. After all, why would you mess with a good thing! -Megha

Western classical treatment is commendable. Melody (composition) also has a few surprises and you cannot miss the south indian touch (flute and female chorus). -Pranav

अजय-अतुल का हिन्दी फ़िल्म संगीत में पहचाना जाना मेरे लिए रहमान के हिन्दी सिनेमायी संगीत में आगमन के बाद की सबसे बड़ी घटना है। वे अपने साथ नयी अभिव्यक्ति, नयी ध्वनि, नयी कहन और सोचने का नया तरीका लेकर आए हैं। इस गीत में मुझे शुरुआती 'रुक्मणि रुक्मणि' वाले रहमान की भीनी खुशबू आती है।. -मिहिर

It’s just a straightforward remake. No credit there. -Sankhayan

पहले इश्क़ की बयानी कहता एक मेलोडियस गाना।. -अंकित

Average in everything. -Ashok

Exquisite music. Remarkable use of strings, piano, combined with a wonderful blend of flute and highs and lows in tempo. Brilliant! Ajay's voice is raw and extremely pastoral. Pleasant deviation from Arijit like voices. -Sowmya

Lost in translation. -Nishant

Haven't listened much to Ajay the vocalist, but liking what I hear - excellent head voice and light touch. Catchy tune, beautiful orchestration - if not played live, then very good samples? ARR-esque female chorus? -Sanjeev

Was in a fix if should I rate it for the music track, which is same as Sairaat. Unfortunately the words restricts it to become "Yaad Lagla".. The original Sairat arrangement was fantastic which is recreated here too. -Pavan

Some lovely music with western classical touch! -Arun

Superb prelude and interludes; very melodious number; the classical symphonic elements don’t match well with rustic words like “Hadbadi mein har ghadi hai”. -Sunil

The staccato background and the mix of staccato and legato singing in different segments is unique. -DM

I'dve liked to hear the song in a different, more bass voice. The music is lovely. -Meera
25

घूमर  (पद्मावत)

ghoomar (Padmaavat)

Tags: bolly folk, catchy, celebratory, folk, folk-based, folky, grandeur, lilting, rajasthani, traditional, उल्लास, नाच

संजय लीला भंसाली
Sanjay Leela Bhansali

ए एम तूराज़
A M Turaz

श्रेया घोषाल, स्वरूप ख़ान
Shreya Ghoshal, Swaroop Khan

2.63

Toggle Jury's comments

A good rework on the traditional folk. -Pavan

Parts aare nice, incluidng chorus. -Ashok

Definitely has a swingy lilt to it. -Nishant

First case of actually having performed the song before finding it in the Puraskaar list; Sarang's energy is infectious and it has found fresh ground here...the opening "Ghoo~~oo~~oo~~mar" sparkles - of course Shreya sounds (and Deepika looks) rather polished, not at all "rough around the edges"...which would you prefer? -Sanjeev

Overplayed song has lost its charm for me. -Arun

Sanjay Leela Bhansali in a fine form. -Nagarajan

In folk songs the melody and lyrics are pretty much set, if you want to keep it authentic. So the only things you have left to play with are the voice and the orchestration. SLB does a great job with the orchestration and the pacing. Shreya is very good but not excellent, drifting to the shrill at times. -Ketan

Incredibly generic Rajasthani-style song, made good only by Shreya vocals. -DM

The Shreya-SLB collab. never disappoints. -Meera
27

तुम (आतिफ़)  (लैला मजनू)

tum (Atif) (Laila Majnu)

Tags: melancholic, melancholy, offbeat, rabab, romantic, serene, slow burn, हाल-ए-इश्क़

नीलाद्रि कुमार
Niladri Kumar

इरशाद कामिल
Irshad Kamil

आतिफ़ असलम
Atif Aslam

2.60

Toggle Jury's comments

I like the percussion in this one, above everything. Atif Aslam, who usually bothers me at higher pitches, has, for once, been given a song that starts low and uses his voice well. -Megha

Beautiful singing by Aatif. Lyrics are interesting too. -Hemendra

Interested 7-beat flavor; male vocals are unexpectedly good, like the low note on "khamoshi"; tune is a little strange in the antara... -Sanjeev

Bore. Some parts of the Javed Ali version are better, although that's not saying much. -Ashok

Interesting use of rhythm. -Nishant

Atif is not very good! Spoils the song. -Arun

I prefer Javed Ali's version to this one. The end clap in the taal gives simple rupak a nice bounce - great arrangements again. -Meera

Beautiful melody and refreshing arrangement. -Sunil

A brooding tune arranged superblyl. One doesn't get to hear Atif Aslam singing more than one song in an album very often but in Laila Majnu he delivers two very different songs very effectively. -Param

Hides a lovely nod to Aahista. -Nagarajan

A good followup to Aahista. Atif is good here specially when he goes Khule mausam. Enjoyed listening it in the calm of the mid night. -Pavan

Atif Aslam springs a surprise by not only managing the high/low notes well but bringing the right amount of gravitas to the song which enhances the melody. -Ketan

Almost a minute long prelude music with not much happening. Barely above average but still bumped up the rating by a point for the interesting beat patterns. Good effort there. -Pranav
27

इश्क़ दी बाज़ियाँ  (सूरमा)

ishq dii baaziyaa.N (Soorma)

Tags: bolly folk, folk, hipun, punjabi love song, qawwali-esque, rabab, romantic, thoughtful, मख़मली, रूमानी

शंकर-एहसान-लॉय
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

गुलज़ार
Gulzar

दिलजीत दोसाँझ, शंकर महादेवन
Diljit Dosanjh, Shankar Mahadevan

2.60

Toggle Jury's comments

Found the song repetitive of SEL style except the repetition of the aankon aankon mein bit. Nice touch. -Meera

The "Ankhon - Ankhon - Men Hi - Rehna" line isn't hooking me...male vocals are good. -Sanjeev

Diljit does his best but he can't do much with an overdone Sufi genre where all songs start sounding the same. Good use of tabla and pakhawaj. -Ketan

Excellent tabla tukdas and superb melody. Daljit's rawness stands out. -Sowmya

SEL deliver another phenomenal score. Both Gulzar's lyrics and Diljit's voice are quite good. Beautiful arrangemenmt. -Sunil

The melody, rhyme, chorus and strings all tug at the heart taking turns. -Nagarajan

Quite ok. Singing isn't bad either. -Ashok

Decent number! SEL are every dependable. -Arun

Nice traditional song. -Pranav

Best song of the movie. Daljit has sung it very soulfully. -Hemendra
29

जाँ निसार (असीस)  (केदारनाथ)

jaa.N nisaar (Asees) (Kedarnath)

Tags: breezy, coffee house/lounge music, easy listen, forgettable, friendship, melancholic, romantic number, sad, sentimental, soft rock, रूमानी

अमित त्रिवेदी
Amit Trivedi

अमिताभ भट्टाचार्य
Amitabh Bhattacharya

असीस कौर
Asees Kaur

2.58

Toggle Jury's comments

Classic Amit Trivedi - "angular" (not curved) rendition of notes in vocals, starting mellow in the verse and then not so explosive build up in the chorus. Use of tremolo pads is the surprise element. -Pranav

Blah! But pleasant. -Arun

One of my favorite songs of the year. Melody, arrangement, singing. The sweeping violins with lead guitar in the interludes stay with you. -Hemendra

Does not hold my interest. -Nagarajan

Amit Trivedi has had a wonderful year. Short effective soundtrack. -Sunil

Fine; singer and music good; lyrics has flashes. -Ashok

Evocative and touches your core. Asees is spectacular. The arrangement is simple and yet provocative. -Sowmya

The song has its shortcomings, but Asees Kaur's voice makes up for a lot of them. Beautiful! -Megha

A very relaxed song and strong variation across sections. -DM

Enjoy the song while it plays, that's it. -Meera
30

वो लड़की  (अंधाधुन)

wo la.Dakii (Andhadhun)

Tags: dramatic, emotional, fantasy, jazz, mysterious, piano, retro-ish, romantic, theatrical, ख़याल

अमित त्रिवेदी
Amit Trivedi

जयदीप साहनी
Jaideep Sahni

अरिजित सिंह
Arijit Singh

2.56

Toggle Jury's comments

"Bridge" is kinda interesting, and antaras open up unexpectedly...but what's with the flat, "nonchalant" vocals on the descending "mil jaaye to kehna"? Never got the appeal of this sort of "emoting". -Sanjeev

One of the top songs for me this year. I love everything about it, but Andhadhun as a track has blown me away by the use of Piano. Amit Trivedi has put it at the center of every track and it gels so well with themovie narrative where Ayushmann is a piano player. Every songs brings you right back into that movie. For this movie, the ups and down in the music, the singing, lyrics - can't ever listen to it once. -Hemendra

Some spirited singing from Arijit - lovely interludes, cute lyrics ! -Arun

The piano takes the forefront in this one as well, but the operatic influences are what eventually sell it. Makes one want to break out into a tango! But lyrically weak. -Megha

Arijit Singh is in top form, pushing and restraining his voice keeping up with the beautiful operatic progression. The initial almost-one-minute build up to the actual melody is brilliant. -Nagarajan

I wish they had eased up a bit on autotune. The arrangement has a distinct SJ flavor, especially the piano and strings. -Pranav

Forced words and tune and singing. -Ashok

A fantastic tribute to the Hindi film piano songs of yore. The piano, accordion and castanet evoke the Hindi film melodies of the 50s and 60s, and the otherwise contemporary arrangement keeps it fresh. Killer piano by Jarvis Menezes. -Param

Best composition and vocally intriguing among all the Andhadhun songs. Loved the eeriness and haunting ethos. -Sowmya

Strong emotional landscape, even though the song has a prominent percussion line. -DM

Despite the retro feel, the song sounds fresh. Arijit ki khuli aawaaz, nic. -Meera

Arijit ends up being sloppy in his pronunciations. -Ketan
31

लै डूबा  (ऐयारी)

lai Doobaa (Aiyaary)

Tags: breezy, catchy, hipun, love song, punjabi, romantic, unplugged, रूमानी

रोचक कोहली
Rochal Kohli

मनोज मुंतशिर
Manoj Muntashir

सुनिधि चौहान
Sunidhi Chauhan

2.55

Toggle Jury's comments

Nice to see Sunidhi doing a soft husky number after a while. Very reminiscent of Chameli, but Sunidhi is the biggest reason for that. I like that the music is simple and unintrusive. -Megha

Sunidhi adds a lot of value to the song with her rendition and focus on Lai Dooba and makes it beautiful. This year the #HiPun recipe of a Punjabi Mukhda with Hindi stanzas worked well. Rochak did well to keep minimum orchestration for Sunidhi's voice to own the song. -Pavan

A departure from the usual from Sunidhi but executed very well and brings out her bass texture very well. Music is passé. -Sowmya

Soft breezy melody and Sunidhi vocals soothing here. -DM

This song puts me to sleep, good to see sunidhi back though. -Arun

सुनिधि चौहान ने इसे पूरे मन से, गहरे डूबकर गाया है। उनकी आवाज़ की चाशनी उभरकर आती है। -मिहिर

इस गीत की मेलोडी और सुनिधि की रूमानी आवाज़ ही इस की ख़ासियत है। -अंकित

Extremely catchy melody but that'll be all. -Meera

Sunidhi Chauhan owns the beautiful melody by Rochak Kohli. -Nagarajan

Oh dear! Sunidhi is gasping for air while singing. Disappointing to see a nice tune spoilt by what is a rookie error. -Ketan

Sunidhi elevates this sweet melody. -Hemendra

Quality of Sunidhi's voice is still so crisp and I just love that texture. Use of just guitars and shakers for most part as base rhythm is not unique but is quite well done. -Pranav

Female solos are few and far between these days, specially by singers as competent as Sunidhi Chauhan. So a song like this is a breath of fresh air. -Param

Sunidhi delivers yet another solid rendition - enjoying her in "low voltage" mode with simple instrumentation. -Sanjeev

The sound is a bit tiring. -Sankhayan

Standard-issue husky-voiced number. -Ashok
32

क़ाफ़िराना  (केदारनाथ)

qaafiraanaa (Kedarnath)

Tags: arijit, coffee house/lounge music, love song, melodic, melodious, romantic, soft rock, रूमानी

अमित त्रिवेदी
Amit Trivedi

अमिताभ भट्टाचार्य
Amitabh Bhattacharya

अरिजित सिंह, निखिता गाँधी
Arijit Singh, Nikhita Gandhi

2.52

Toggle Jury's comments

Lovely interludes. -Sunil

Instrumental arrangement is charming.. and flat male vocals are supposed to be...female vocals are better. -Sanjeev

Good, but I have problem with phrasing (qaafiraanaa .. Saa). -Ashok

The female voice is unusual! -Arun

Simple and beautiful. Nikhita steals the show swooping in with that 'la la la' interlude. Arijit Singh has that offhand excellence - no wonder why he is best in the business today. -Nagarajan

One ibuprofen relieves pain for 24 hours compared to other leading brands. Oh wait..you mean they aren't in pain when singing this? Could have fooled me. -Ketan

An extremely feel good song with an engaging organization of instruments and apt vocals. -Sowmya

Another soporific effort by Arijit. -Vibhendu

The stylized singing actually works well. -Pavan

Amazed by the sound of the guitar in the intro, especially given that it's played live - lots of surprise factors too - santoor, ukelele, steel flute…but the biggest one is just the vocals with no background music at 4:31 or so. Brilliant. -Pranav

Loved the arrangement of the song. Especially the use of santoor. -Hemendra

I don't know if music directors and film directors realise, Arijit is sleepwalking his way through some of their songs :|. -Meera
33

पैंतरा  (मुक्काबाज़)

pai.ntaraa (Mukkabaaz)

Tags: club/dance, dark, electronic music, energetic, experimental, inspirational, inspiring, motivating, motivational song, provocative, rap, फलसफ़ा

न्यूक्लिया
Nucleya

विनीत कुमार सिंह
Vineet Kumar Singh

डिवाइन
Divine

2.51

Toggle Jury's comments

Explosive track. Also, I think first Hindi film song with the rap portion as its mainstay (and not a filler). -Sankhayan

The two songs of Mukkabaaz on this list couldn't be more different from each other in terms of genre, but they both works so awesomely in their respective worlds! This song was actually my intro to Divine and now I'm looking forward to exploring more! -Megha

Interesting but a bit cacophonic in orchestration. -Arun

Interesting use of percussion. -Nishant

Use of south indian percussions along with rock and hip hop gives an outstanding effect. Not unique but catchy nevertheless. -Pranav

Paintaraa works very well in context of the film and specially for the boxing ring choregraphy. The unconventional treatment is good but restricts repeat value. -Pavan

The rap singer might be called Divine. The song is not. I did not divine anything from it. -Ketan

Anurag Kashyap has a good sense of whom to pick as a music composer. He has had a great track record. Here for this defining track he uses Nucleya. The edited video of this song is one of the best music videos of this year. One can sense the adrenaline of the boxer in the arrangement of this song. Brilliant composition. Wonderful use of percussion too. -Sunil

इस गीत की ऊर्जा हिप्नॉटिक है। बोल सुनें तो हमारे देश में जो कुछ गलत है, उसे एक गीत में समेट दिया गया है। ये गीत अनुराग की फ़िल्म में ही हो सकता था।. -मिहिर

Situational - may serve intended purpose, but stuff like this can't be a serious contender for SONG of the year. -Sanjeev

Makes me want to get up and RUN. Go get it! -Meera

Traces of tamil koothu combined with rap. Great attempt. -Sowmya

Interesting variation on rap style delivery. The so-called "extended" version has something to recommend it, esp. the "svagat bhaashhaN" passage. -Ashok
34

रूबी रूबी  (संजू)

Ruby Ruby (Sanju)

Tags: dreamy, fusion, guitar, haunting, moody, psychedelic, retro, rock, नशा

ए आर रहमान
A R Rahman

इरशाद कामिल
Irshad Kamil

शाश्वत सिंह, पूर्वी कूटिश
Shashwat Singh, Poorvi Koutish

2.48

Toggle Jury's comments

The psychedelic sound with a retro-feel hits all the right notes! An apt nod to the era that the song is set in, ARR gets it right in all departments! -Megha

That is some killer bassline. -Nagarajan

Outstanding portrayal of retro 80's and the 007 appeal. Has spots of ARR embedded. -Sowmya

Percussion track is the only interesting part. -Ashok

Nice riff to start off with, and "folk" treatment of vocals mixed with rock gives wonderfully rounds off the fusion. BTW did anyone else get the James Bond theme feel when the slow strings move in? :). -Pranav

Well arranged. Nice guitar riff, bassline and percussions. -Param

An interesting composition. Particularly enjoyed the bass guitar here. -Meera

Has some catchy guitar pieces in there but that's about it. -Nishant

Rahman has a bit of a Bond theme flowing in the background but overall it's a peppy catchy tune. Shashwat Singh will hopefully develop his own singing style and not try to sound like Rahman which would be the worst thing he could do. -Ketan

The melody is lovely. -Sunil

Forgettable song. -Arun

Great production. Love the retro-tinged guitars. -Sankhayan

Typical ARR - powerful on screen, conveys "drugged out" well, fit-to-purpose...but in the end, not a repeat listen for me. -Sanjeev
35

सच्ची मोहब्बत  (मनमर्ज़ियाँ)

sachchii mohabbat (Manmarziyaan)

Tags: bolly folk, esraj, falling short, punjabi, romantic, sentimental, इश्क़, वफ़ा

अमित त्रिवेदी
Amit Trivedi

शेल्ली
Shellee

शाहिद माल्या, जोनिता गाँधी
Shahid Mallya, Jonita Gandhi

2.47

Toggle Jury's comments

Shehnai pieces stand out and are lovely. Overall song is average. -Sowmya

I feel Trivedi reimagined the overlooked Guddu Rangeela song and produced something so endearing. -Nagarajan

Amit Trivedi knows how to use the israj and while Arshad Khan's israj doesn't quite reach the levels of "Manja", it's still the highlight of this song for me. -Param

Every song in the soundtrack is emotionally & cotextually spot on. The vocals, the music and lyrics though not deep or philosophical work so perfectly in the context. -Arun

Manmarziyaan is a complete album, and a good declaration that concept of Film Albums is not out-dated in the age of singles release. I heard the album as a full album, much after the film's release and fading out of the buzz. And enjoyed the "Album" for many good songs.. -Pavan

The use of sarangi and shehnai here is beautiful. Both Shahid Mallya and Jonita Gandhi are wonderful emotive singers that match the expressiveness of this beautiful melody with their soulful singing. -Sunil

Male vocals move freely up high to begin Verse 2 - nicely sung all around... -Sanjeev

I'm blown away by the variety of this album. Just brilliant. Shahid Mallaya weakens the singing while Jonita is top class. -Hemendra

The traces of damadam mast kalandar's melody in the interludes threw me off. First it took me a few to figure it out but then it left me thinking why? Jonita Gandhi and Shahid Mallya's voice save the song, but only to an extent. Average on the whole. -Megha

I will give some points for the use of a shehnai but other than that this song is forgettable. -Ketan

The music is nothing novel but the song is a winner for its lyrics. Resonate strongly. -Meera

Good use of that bow. -Nishant
36

मुझे चाँद पर ले चलो  (संजू)

mujhe chaa.Nd par le chalo (Sanju)

Tags: dreamy, fusion, intoxicating, jazz, retro, seduction, sensuous, sultry, trippy, whimsical, ख़ुमार

ए आर रहमान
A R Rahman

इरशाद कामिल
Irshad Kamil

निखिता गाँधी
Nikhita Gandhi

2.46

Toggle Jury's comments

Aha, the Raabta voice! I love Nikhita Gandhi's voice for its unique raspy texture and it has been put to use very effectively here! Musically, this was a fresh too -- doesn't sound like typical ARR at all! -Megha

Enjoyed Nikita Gandhi's husky texture and how she uses it. -Meera

ARR is not the only MD for the film, but no points for guessing that this is his...throaty for effect, but to the point of being distracting? Situational song... -Sanjeev

Eerie and oozes with bond like nostalgia. Nikita has brought the absolute right feel, with spot on emotions. -Sowmya

Almost cabaret-like song with the old school Hindi film violins in the background adding a little spice. -DM

Smoking hot! -Param

A R Rahman is trying to channel Geeta Dutt thru Nikitha Gandhi. #fail. The music is decent enough but spoilt by the over-emoting. -Ketan

Great arrangement and absolutely brilliant singing. -Pranav

OK. Husky rendition, consistently carried through. -Ashok
37

चल  (अक्टूबर)

chal (October)

Tags: 70s throwback, bubbly, club/dance, free spirited, inspirational, peppy, pop, ज़िंदगानी

शांतनु मोइत्रा
Shantanu Moitra

तनवीर ग़ाज़ी
Tanveer Ghazi

मोनाली ठाकुर
Monali Thakur

2.44

Toggle Jury's comments

Reminds of Nazia & Zoheb songs from the 80s. -Vibhendu

I like how Shantanu Moitra is trying to sound Daft Punkish. -Sankhayan

Works well. -Ashok

Vocals are a but drowned and monali could have done better! Breezy composition though. -Arun

This song takes me back to ABBA days. This is one of those I can listen to on repeat. The vocal power of Monali Thakur is evident when she starts off subdued in the verses and then pushes it through in the chorus section. -Pranav

The melody harks back to a Biddu-Nazia Hassan song. Kudos to Monali Thakur for pulling a disco song in this day and age. -Ketan

खुशमिजाज़ गीत। यूँ तो ये डिस्को सॉंग भी हो सकता है, पर इसका असल अर्थ फ़िल्म के कॉन्टेक्स्ट में खुलता है। -मिहिर

Monali Thakur seems to have returned to singing in 2018. Here she seems to be channeling her inner Nazia Hasan and the music director his inner Biddu. Specifically this track strongly reminds me a lot of Jaana from Star (1982) in melody. But in the absence of both of the original names from today's music scene, I will take this gladly. Fun, peppy and quite enjoyable! -Megha

Breezy. -Meera

Sounds very 80ish. Passable but lacks a punch. -Sowmya

Picturized at a disco? Well-sung, but no Indian connection besides the Hindi lyrics. -Sanjeev

Disco rhythm in the background, with a very Western sound but Desi melody, makes for a cool combination. -DM
38

जैसी तेरी मर्ज़ी  (मनमर्ज़ियाँ)

jaisii terii marzii (Manmarziyaan)

Tags: nostalgic, percussive, romantic, sentimental, title song, प्यार

अमित त्रिवेदी
Amit Trivedi

शेल्ली
Shellee

हर्षदीप कौर, भानु प्रताप सिंह
Harshdeep Kaur, Bhanu Pratap Singh

2.38

Toggle Jury's comments

Bhanu Pratap Singh's entry creates a lasting ripple in the banal feel-goodness of the proceedings. -Nagarajan

The first couple of notes of intro guitar took me to Ikk Kudi from Udta Punjab. -Pranav

Such a sweet song. Harshdeep nails the unusual phrasing and the way the music crescendos, just blows your mind. The song changes to become super earthy. -Hemendra

Good vocals, again leveraging the male high/female low but only in spots. -Sanjeev

Nothing worth here---average on all counts. -Ketan

I find this song annoying. -Sankhayan

Nothing novel but definitely better than a lot of other songs this year. -Meera

Music + Vocals = Overall spellbinding. -Sowmya

Harshdeep owns the song for her sweet rendition with the presence of Punjabi Dhols to a good effect. -Pavan

I like Harshdeep Kaur's voice but this sountrack is ruining it for me :|. -Megha

Harshdeep has got such a heart warming voice! Lovely song yet again that that Amit Trivedi can compose in his sleep now (big hangover from Love shuv te chicken Khurana)! Bhanu pratap singh was a revelation! -Arun

Amit has some qualities of OP Nayyar. His rhythms are somewhat predictable, but he makes up for it with his choice of instruments and the hummability of his songs. They have quite an emotional impact. -Sunil

This was the most filmi of Manmarziyaan songs. An easy listen. -Param
39

परदेसिया  (सूरमा)

paradesiyaa (Soorma)

Tags: acoustic, devotional, folk, hipun, melancholic, prayer, punjabi, qawwali/sufi, sarangi, sentimental, हिज्र

शंकर-एहसान-लॉय
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

गुलज़ार
Gulzar

एहसान नूरानी, शंकर महादेवन, शहनाज़ अख़्तर, हेमंत ब्रजवासी, साहिल अख़्तर
Ehsaan Noorani, Shankar Mahadevan, Shehnaz Akhtar, Hemant Brijwasi, Sahil Akhtar

2.37

Toggle Jury's comments

Just overall solid song. Very SEL. -Hemendra

Interesting how male singers singing Shankar M.'s compositions sound just like him, not in voice texture but rendition :). -Pranav

Disappointing is an understatement for what I feel about this song. Coming from S-E-L, this is like seeing the new ball thru and then getting out to a stupid shot. Sets it up beautifully and then the melody disappears and bad singing takes over. -Ketan

Another favorite with Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy mixing genres well keeping the sweetness of Punjabi music at the core. Another song which had Punjabi mukhda with Hindi stanzas. Just the singing lacked a bit of intensity. -Pavan

The gurbani/devotional bit is quite amazing. -Sankhayan

Lovely composition by SEL. -Arun

First voice is not Shankar, which of the other two male voices is it? Pleasant MIshra Pahadi tune, nice acoustic instruments some conspicuous use of pitch correction later on. -Sanjeev

The song moves in an interesting way, I like that it's not a std chorus and verse song. -Meera

It's a stew, but ok enough. -Ashok

The song begins with the soulful sound of the sarangi. Good ensemble singing. Beautiful arrangement. Very satisfying song. -Sunil

Melodious and typical SEL orchestration. Overall pretty captivating. -Sowmya
39

होळी  (पद्मावत)

hoLii (Padmaavat)

Tags: bolly folk, classical, folk, fusion, holi, semiclassical, traditional, उत्सव

संजय लीला भंसाली
Sanjay Leela Bhansali

(पारंपरिक)
(Traditional)

रिचा शर्मा, शैल हाड़ा
Richa Sharma, Shail Hada

2.37

Toggle Jury's comments

Nice interpretation of a folk tune. -Ketan

Pleasant enough. Mercifully short. Singer too amateurish. -Ashok

Underrated Richa Sharma. Somebody make her more songs, yaar. -Meera

Rhythm and the melody in the song gives this one a repeat value. -Nishant

Richa bringing in the "rough around the edges" - another attractive song bringing elements of "traditional" music. Question with this, as with all the songs of the movie - how much does SLB really get credit for? -Sanjeev

Pleasant folk, but suffers from sounding generic. -DM

I miss Richa Sharma's voice, We don't hear her often often enough. One can see shades of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's life long quest to recreat another Mughal-e-azam take shape in this song. Manganiyars and Langas add depth, texture and character to this compostion. -Sunil
41

आज से तेरी  (पैडमैन)

aaj se terii (Padman)

Tags: cheesy, corny, folk, qawwali-esque, romantic, shehnai, मिलन

अमित त्रिवेदी
Amit Trivedi

कौसर मुनीर
Kausar Munir

अरिजित सिंह
Arijit Singh

2.35

Toggle Jury's comments

A delectable and nostalgic folk from Trivedi. -Nagarajan

मुखड़े की हर तीसरी लाइन की बदमाशी पर दिल दिया जा सकता है। कौसर मुनीर की मालपुए वाली ख्वाहिश में मुझे भी शामिल माना जाये! -मिहिर

Very subtle modifications by Arijit in his singing (almost sounds like Udit Narayan in parts). -Sankhayan

Sincere tune/lyrics, with some witty quips thrown in...Arijit can do clean and simple singing (not just the exhibitionist throaty stuff that's so common these days), though software tools can make them sound a little too clean? -Sanjeev

Simple and beautiful, especially for Kausar Munir's interesting metaphors of day to day life, providing a good mix of classic poetry with modern elements. Arijit carries it really well. -Pavan

Couldn't take it seriously; couldn't be sure it's meant to be funny either. -Ashok

This song has a very 90s feel to it. And that's not always a bad thing, but not necessarily a good thing either. Reminiscent of an L-P song, I was waiting for it to take off, but instead it stubbornly insisted on staying put in the mediocre territory. If I am pushed to give credit, I will say that its nice to see Arijit not sounding typical of himself. Wait, I think I spoke too soon. -Megha

Kausar Munir's tuk baazi :) But the song has a slight jaded/ 90's feel to it which didnt work for me. -Meera

If Arijit had put in some more life into this, it could have been better. Cute lyrics about entering into holy matrimony. -Ketan

Arijit can simply sing *anything* in *his sleep* but in this song he is literally sounding like he is singing in his cleep. -Arun

Such a sweet song. Amit Trivedi all the way. The melody is so endearing. -Hemendra
42

तेरे जैसा तू है  (फ़न्ने ख़ान)

tere jaisaa tuu hai (Fanney Khan)

Tags: blaring, bolly rock, dramatic, inspirational, inspiring; uplifting, jazz, loud, philosophical, pop-rock, sentimental, shouting, slightly existential anthem, पहचान

अमित त्रिवेदी
Amit Trivedi

इरशाद कामिल
Irshad Kamil

मोनाली ठाकुर
Monali Thakur

2.29

Toggle Jury's comments

Irshad Kamil pens some nice lyrics. -Arun

Interesting use of trumpet to shadow the vocals early on and then throughout. Nothing particularly natively Indian about the melody, but vocals are good and overall package is interesting (though I'm not quite on board with the high-pitched ending). Pitch correction tools being used like an instrument for effect. -Sanjeev

Interesting interplay of strings, horns, and piano in this track. -DM

Reminiscent of Secret Superstar. I'm not particularly fond of high pitched shrill vocals. -Meera

Overall music is bland but Monali's singing is fabulous. -Sowmya

Secret Superstar had better similar songs. The sax in the middle is sex though. -Sankhayan

Monali Thakur must think we all have hearing difficulies the way she screams this song. She manages the falsetto at the end welll but the pitch she sings in is totally destroying the song. -Ketan

The song unfortunately sounds so derivative - this is Amit Trivedi mimicking his own work, in a very similar setting, in Secret Superstar. -Nagarajan

par gaane jaisa gaana nahi hai. pointless earblasting hai. -Nishant

Irshad Kamil's superb lyrics convey the need to respect oneself and appreciate everyone’s uniqueness. Brilliant singing in this song by Monali thakur who conveys both tenderness and power as her operatic voice soars over the high notes. The trumpet accompaniment is also a great asset of this song. -Sunil

It's a lovely classic rock style song, but why the need to use the trumpets :( -1 for that! Powerful vocal performance although at times it is overbearing because the composition doesn't spend too much time on the lower notes to allow for a build up. -Pranav

Interesting enough words, but why get the singer to shout -- and she can't even shout well! -Ashok

Monali Thakul sounds a little uncomfortable at some points but still manages to put in a praiseworthy effort. The high notes at the end are particularly awe-inspiring. -Param

I haven't notice Monali Thakur singing in a while, but it is lovely to hear her again. Her voice has matured from her Lootera days and the minimal music supports the song well too. -Megha

Loved the use of the trumpet. -Hemendra
43

वारा रे  (धड़क)

vaaraa re (Dhadak)

Tags: earthy, hope, romantic, sitar-ful, surrender, upbeat, रूमानी

अजय-अतुल
Ajay-Atul

अमिताभ भट्टाचार्य
Amitabh Bhattacharya

अजय गोगावले
Ajay Gogavale

2.28

Toggle Jury's comments

The hook-line is very very good. -Sankhayan

Loved all songs from Dhadak (more from Sairat). This one is slightly rated below the others but scores on the music which is overall very captivating. -Sowmya

Good song. Gave an extra point in the overall rating for some interesting chords and bass line. -Pranav

Soothing. -Meera

The weakest song of the Dhadak soundtrack. -Megha

Begins to sound the same. -Ashok

Kudos for a nice sitar prelude and endlude. Not much happening otherwise. -Ketan

Orchestral background and a driving arpeggio are juxtraposed quite well here. -DM

Ajay Atul music soars as usual. -Arun

Arrangement is the only high point of the song..and Shreya cameo.. Otherwise just functional. -Pavan

Ajay’s enunciation does not come across clearly here. -Sunil
43

ध्यान चन्द  (मनमर्ज़ियाँ)

dhyaan chand (Manmarziyaan)

Tags: club, club/dance, dance, dj, folk, fun, groovy, masti, playful, punjabi, rap, staccato, upbeat, बिंदास

अमित त्रिवेदी
Amit Trivedi

शेल्ली
Shellee

विजय यमला, निखिता गाँधी, अमित त्रिवेदी, सुहास सावंत
Vijay Yamla, Nikhita Gandhi, Amit Trivedi, Suhas Sawant

2.28

Toggle Jury's comments

Interesting number. Just underscores the variety of the album. -Hemendra

Seeks attention with Dhyan kitthe hook and some interesting instruments.. -Pavan

This sountrack has too much of repetitiveness to ignore. Good percussion in this one. -Megha

Haha. What fun lyrics. But this is very repetitive AT. Kikalekalerdi AT. -Meera

Noisy, messy. -Ashok

Situational song... -Sanjeev

Musically a typical AT composition and perhaps high points on that account but heavy dosage of Punjabi is boring. -Sowmya

Even though Amit Trivedi has done similar songs, this song has its own set of surprises. For instance, notice how subtly the dhol comes in and out. Did you hear the duggi piece? Special effects on vocals are also worth a special mention. -Pranav

Lovely situational song. It’s a riot! -Arun

The song really suits the character and has the energy of Vicki Kaushal's charater. Matches the film wonderfully on the big screen. -Sunil
45

मिर्ज़ा वे (सोनू)  (मरुधर एक्सप्रेस)

mirzaa ve (Sonu) (Marudhar Express)

Tags: forgettable, groovy, romantic, रूमानी

जीत गांगुली
Jeet Gannguli

मनोज मुंतशिर
Manoj Muntashir

सोनू निगम
Sonu Nigam

2.27

Toggle Jury's comments

I wish Sonu Nigam and the compostion would slow down for this song. It would have been a much more pleasing compostion. I like the Asees kaur version of the song which is slower in the film. In that song one can feel the romance in the song and the joy in the composition. -Sunil

Jeet Ganguly creates a populistic tune, with Sonu Nigam's voice to drive the song and Sonu does well with his assured & expressive rendition. Not sure of the context of the film but the song surely has generated my interest in the film. -Pavan

Some flashes of old time flamboyance from Sonu Nigam, great hook too. -Sankhayan

Old-fashioned and noisy orchestration . Sonu oversings as usual -- when will he get rid of this habit? -Arun

Nice melody and percussion work and good to hear Sonu Nigam after ages. He scales the high notes with ease but that's never been a big deal for him. Didn't realize that Jeet Ganguli still composes, but I like what he does here. -Megha

Sonu's renditions is the only thing that's worth remembering. -Hemendra

I don't think they're making nuff challenging songs for Sonu Nigam. -Meera

Why does Sonu sing as if he is calling home cows grazing in the next county? Does he not have an inside voice? A good high energy tune does not mean you have to shout. -Ketan

I completely missed this song when it came out - Sonu Nigam's version is good old rollicking fun! -Nagarajan

Sonu remains one of the most skilled singers in the industry, hands-down...would the rendition have been less if he had toned down the "emoting" aspect? Distracts from an otherwise powerful rendition. -Sanjeev

The Asees Kaur version isn't inferior. -Ashok
45

सूरमा एंथम  (सूरमा)

sooramaa anthem (Soorma)

Tags: anthem, anthemic, doordarshan, inspirational, intense, motivating, motivational, rousing, throbbing, जोश

शंकर-एहसान-लॉय
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

गुलज़ार
Gulzar

शंकर महादेवन
Shankar Mahadevan

2.27

Toggle Jury's comments

Shankar vaguely doing a Sukhwinder? What's become a fairly typical "inspirational" song, but nicely done, nothing to complain about as such. -Sanjeev

SEL and Gulzar together, I expected much more. Not stirring enough, IMHO. -Meera

The only interesting part in the song is the little piece with a distinct country influence. -Pranav

Writing and singing are both top-notch! -Megha

The melody teases you with so many promises to come, only to disappoint when one realizes it is just another run-of-the-mill Punjabi rab song. -Ketan

A rousing anthem by SEL befitting the theme of the film. Makes you want to get up and move. One of the best songs of the year for me,. -Sunil

Great anthem song by SEL. -Arun

Another stew, but inferior, despite the pretentious designation of being the anthem. -Ashok
47

बाइस्कोप वाला  (बाइस्कोपवाला)

Bioscope waalaa (Bioscopewala)

Tags: afghani, bolly folk, folk, folkish, hopeful, moodchanger, nostalgic, pastoral, rabab, situational, title song, जादुई, बचपन

संदेश शांडिल्य
Sandesh Shandilya

गुलज़ार
Gulzar

के मोहन
K Mohan

2.23

Toggle Jury's comments

गुलज़ार साहब ने इस गाने में नास्टैल्जिया को पिरोया है जिसे मोहन कण्णन की आवाज़ ने बाख़ूबी पकड़ा है।. -अंकित

Only for Nostalgia & Danny. -Pavan

Mohan Kannan has a unique voice and it is best used in off-beat songs like this. Gulzar's lyrics, music and singing come together to create a song for a very particular milieu and it works! -Megha

Pleasant situational song - if this is the "Panchhi Ud Gaya" dude, I like his singing better here. Why does he say "takhdeer"? -Sanjeev

Very melodious song- really hummable. It really pulls you in and makes you want to see more of the film. Mohan Kannan does full justice to this signature song of the bioscopewala. -Sunil

The song doesn't really progress, but K. Mohan's singing is quite spirited. -DM

Mohan needs to sing more. -Meera

Wonderful use of string and percussion. Clever use of lyrics to create a fun kindergarten cum Bollywood effect. -Sowmya

Nice song, Everything you'd expect from a song for the given situation in the movie and genre. -Pranav

Creative lyrics and fits the idea of a bioscopewala. The tune doesn't strike at first but becomes an earworm on 2-3 listenings. Almost sounds like a Bhatiyali composition. -Ketan

Throwback, nostalgia evoking - Gulzar packs a punch. -Arun

I think it gets a little more credit than it deserves (within our niche HFM circle), but it is a good attempt. -Sankhayan

Fun enough. -Ashok

Sandesh Shandilya has been very selective (and rarely heard) in Hindi films today - this title song speaks for his judiciousness again. -Nagarajan
47

आप से मिलकर (रिप्राइज़)  (अंधाधुन)

aap se milakar (Reprise) (Andhadhun)

Tags: boy-meets-girl, breezy, catchy, club/dance, filmy, lively, peppy, piano, retro-ish, romantic, संगीतमय

अमित त्रिवेदी
Amit Trivedi

जयदीप साहनी
Jaideep Sahni

आयुष्मान खुराना
Ayushmann Khurrana

2.23

Toggle Jury's comments

The melody of this reminds me of the line 'in bhool bhoolaiyyan galiyon mein' from Gharonda. This song has an immediate cute appeal, but on repeat listens start to lose its charm. It un-grew on me. -Megha

Ayushmann manages to have music directors make songs just for him. And then despite being simple and breezy, he owns them and charms you. -Meera

Lovely tune and love the breezy way Ayushmaan sings. Nice way to put meeting your soulmate as equivalent to hitting a six. Credit must be given to Amit Trivedi for not singing this one. -Ketan

Another run of the mill song, yet Amit Trivedi's simplistic treatment worked well for the song.. -Pavan

This song is pleasant but sounds like something from the 90s with current audio engineering - dated sound. -DM

accha laga.. lekin utna hi. -Nishant

Ayushmann Khurana is a better singer than I knew...but how much of it is Melodyne? Refrain is supposed to be catchy, but not really feeling it. -Sanjeev

Cute song, music, lyrics and singing are all cute. Reminded me of some songs from Hawaizada a few years back. Ayushman version isn't compelling so lower on singing. -Arun

All possible quick and cheap tricks in arrangement are used to put this song together quickly (loops, counters, instrument arrangements…). -Pranav

इसे पढ़िये, अपने जयदीप साहनी.. "टुक-टुक लगाकर, सिंगल बनाकर, जवानी का ओवर गुज़रता रहा। आप मिले तो छक्का लगा! आपसे मिलकर अच्छा लगा।" हीही!! -मिहिर

Fun song. Splendid music reminiscent of RDB and catches the listener's ear more than the vocals. -Sowmya

Bore. "achchhaa nahii.n lagaa". -Ashok

The hookline is a little too repititive for my taste. A very catchy song nevertheless. -Param
49

तुम्बाड़  (तुम्बाड़)

tumbaa.D (Tumbbad)

Tags: bolly folk, exhilerating, folk, haunting, intense, noisy, reckoning, suspenseful, title song, भय

अजय-अतुल
Ajay-Atul

राज शेखर
Raj Shekhar

अतुल गोगावले
Atul Gogavale

2.21

Toggle Jury's comments

Should have just stuck to the percussions. -Nishant

Very powerful singing by Atul Gogavale coupled with bold music. -Sowmya

hmm…didn't work for me at all. Love Ajay-Atul's work overall so a major disappointment. -Arun

I found the arrangement too loud. -Sunil

How do you make a song for a film as strange as Tumbbad? Very interesting. -Sankhayan

What an eerie concoction this song is - Atul Gogavale's vocals is as chill-inducing as the grand orchestration. A fitting precis of the movie itself. -Nagarajan

Seems to be the only song of the film. Why not make the film songless?! -Ashok

A good theme song for one of the visual delights of the year. Raj Shekhar uses some good imageries to draw the dark world of Tumbbad. -Pavan

यह बहरूपिया गीत है। डराता है, पास बुलाता है। इस गीत में 'वीर भोग्या वसुंधरा' का दंभयुक्त गौरव है। अजय-अतुल ने यहाँ गज़ब का मायाजाल रचा है। राज शेखर के बोल यहाँ पीयुष मिश्रा की 'गुलाल' वाली ऊँचाई को छूकर आते हैं।. -मिहिर

Ajay-Atul borrow a page from Rahman and 'Rukmini, rukmini' (Roja) in the way percussions are used. Trouble is they overdo it at which point it's just noise intruding on a nice melody. Singing is patchy too. -Ketan

Wow! A title song that actually narrates the story of the movie without giving it away! Having heard Ajay's more polished vocals more often, it is good to hear Atul's raw voice this time. Lyrically well written too, with some clever wordplay thrown in. -Megha

Singing is peppy, haunting effect. -Sanjeev

Plainly unenjoyable. -Meera
50

क़सम खा ली  (भावेश जोशी सुपरहीरो)

qasam khaa lii (Bhavesh Joshi Superhero)

Tags: catchy, fusion, melancholic, on a mission, pop-rock ballad, rock, signature amit trivedi, soft rock, इरादा

अमित त्रिवेदी
Amit Trivedi

अमिताभ भट्टाचार्य
Amitabh Bhattacharya

पापोन
Papon

2.20

Toggle Jury's comments

Okay, no electronic for me any more, please. The interludes make me feel I'm sitting in a nursery school. -Meera

The driving bassline leads to a light song which is unconventional; meanwhile Papon sounds great. -DM

Effective lyrics from Amitabh bhattacharya. -Arun

This song works more on lyrics than anything else, but I will admit that Papon's voice has grown in appeal since I last heard it. -Megha

Very Amit Trivediesque song. Pleasing to ears but could be any of his songs. -Hemendra

Papon sounds like he is auditoning for a laxative jingle. -Ketan

A decent theme song, yet missing the desired Anthemic feel to grow admiation for. -Pavan

A bit of a bore; neither the tune nor the singer bring out the virtuosity of the lyrics. -Ashok

Brownie points for use of 'ravaiyya'. -Nishant

I don't like the chorus echoes in the mukhda ("main to chalaa...")...singing sounds too casual and "angular", especially if this is anything but a background song. Is it just me or have a bunch of "q"s been replaced with "k"s? -Sanjeev

Not a favorite on absolute terms, but definitely a saving grace amidst a middling series of albums in the first half of this year from the composer Trivedi. -Nagarajan

Anthem songs are Amit Trivedi's specialty and he records another memorable one with this song. -Param

With a hint of classical touch in the vocals gives the song a nice fusion feel. Love the build up in the music arrangement. It's a great song to listen to but I am not sure if I'd keep it permanently on my playlist. -Pranav
50

लैला  (अंधाधुन)

lailaa (Andhadhun)

Tags: club/dance, electronic, happy, jazz, piano, piano-based, retroish romantic, title song, upbeat, zingy, थिरकन

अमित त्रिवेदी
Amit Trivedi

जयदीप साहनी
Jaideep Sahni

अमित त्रिवेदी
Amit Trivedi

2.20

Toggle Jury's comments

I'm a little done with AT and the electronic synth feel. Becoming more repetitive than 'signature style'. -Meera

Amit Trivedi has the unique ability to make catchy songs without using overly engineered rhythms, beats etc. especially using the four-on-the-floor beat patterns. -Pranav

पियानो के साथ एक और दिलचस्प ओपनिंग पीस। जयदीप साहनी के बदमाशी भरे बेपरवाह बोल अमित त्रिवेदी के चकमा देनेवाले संगीत के लिए ही बने हैं। -मिहिर

Dear Majnu (aka Amit Trivedi): The only way any Laila could be in your dil would be if she were tone deaf, given the way you sing. -Ketan

Maybe can get some points for the way its recorded. -Nishant

The song works better in the context of the film; not quite as a stand alone song. Lovely beginning on the piano. It is a pity that the 2 instrumental tracks of the soundtrack are not up for judgment. -Sunil

A peppy tune that lends itself very well to singing along. -Param

That piano just elevates every Andhadhun song to a new high. -Hemendra

Funny, I guess? Dil ke dil ke dil ke bhi dil men...any other examples of such nested constructions? -Sanjeev

Generic four-on-the-floor Bollywoodized House song with pleasant piano interludes. -DM

Despite the familiarity of arrangment, right in the sweet zone of Trivedi, the song works wonders - the composer is terrific behind the mic, and the movie's talismanic Piano is adequately impressive. -Nagarajan

Breezy! -Arun

Feet-tapping and a cheery composition. -Sowmya

Other than orchestration, not much of interest. -Ashok
52

पिया समाए  (मुल्क)

piyaa samaae (Mulk)

Tags: devotional, folk, healing, ibaadat, qawaali, qawwali, qawwali/sufi, secular, sufi, sufi/qawwali, traditional, क़व्वाली, रूहानी

अनुराग सैकिया
Anurag Saikia

शकील आज़मी
Shakeel Azmi

शफ़क़त अमानत अली, अर्शद हुसैन
Shafqat Amanat Ali, Arshad Hussain

2.18

Toggle Jury's comments

Shafqat's soothing vocals are welcome. Refreshing to hear a lovely semi-classical and qawaali genre after a long time. -Sowmya

Generic sufi song with Qawwali elements. -DM

It's not a good sign when the chorus sounds better than one of the lead singers. Never heard the word jhajhat' in a Sufi qawalli before this. -Ketan

Wish we had more of these than an occasional number sometimes. -Nishant

I have a special affection for songs in Roopak taal. -Meera

There's a limit to the supposed appeal of the "raw, untrained" voice, the first voice is just grating - Shafqat is a breath of fresh air; Something "been there, done that" about the song and idiom...in fact it reminds me a lot of "Bismillah" featured in Coke Studio - 7-beat rhythm, Des/Tilak-Kamod influence, even the key of G. -Sanjeev

A decent listen, yet lacks intensity and innovation in treatment, fails to reach a high. -Pavan

Haven't heard Shafqat Amanat Ali sing in a very long time, and I am glad to see him return to Bollywood playback. (Is it a return or have I just not noticed his songs?) Reminiscent of Piya haji ali at times, not just because of the genre but also in melody. Sufi/ qawwali songs in Hindi films are starting to get pretty formulaic, aaj kal. -Megha

Sounds like a song composed for Shafaqat to show his singing prowess. Unmemorable. -Hemendra

Great to see such compositions being made in this era. -Arun

Soulful singing by both vocalists. Beautiful lyrics-"koi hara koi gerua baataye"! -Sunil

OK, but too long. -Ashok
53

तब भी तू  (अक्टूबर)

tab bhii tuu (October)

Tags: fusion, gloomy, longing, melancholic, pop-rock, sad, supportive, togetherness, गुज़ारिश

अनुुपम रॉय
Anupam Roy

तनवीर ग़ाज़ी
Tanveer Ghazi

राहत फ़तेह अली ख़ान
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

2.17

Toggle Jury's comments

Raahat is haunting in this song. The melody reminds me of some old song. However, overall feels a good situational song for the movie. -Hemendra

Rahat is a very dependable singer. He can carry the melody without much backing instrumentation. The song depicts longing very well. Lovely moving lyrics. -Sunil

What powerful singing by Rahat!! And Shantanu Moitra is back! Only drawback is that its a bit monotonous but lovely lyrics make up for that. -Arun

Sad is beautiful and some times sad is cranky. 'Sadly' this is the latter. -Meera

The classic rock influences in this song work in its favor. RFAK is reliable, but formulaic, so the music is the only selling point for me. -Megha

MIshra Bhairavi, a la "Ae Mohabbat Tere.." - RFAK's vocals have the intended effect. -Sanjeev

I can't believe RFAK has sung this song--this poorly. He is singing like I do--when I stub my toe. -Ketan

Raahat after a long time.. Did we miss him? -Pavan

Too slow for my liking but excellent rendition by Rahat. -Sowmya

Lyrics ok, rest flat. -Ashok

This song had potential but suffers from lyrics that don't fit well with the meter of the melody, or perhaps vice versa :(. -Pranav

औसत गीत। लगता है जैसे राहत फ़तेह अली ख़ान सदियों से यही गा रहे हैं।. -मिहिर
53

नैन न जोड़ीं  (बधाई हो)

nain na jo.Dii.n (Badhai Ho)

Tags: bolly folk, heartbreak, melancholic, moping, punjabi, punjabi romantic, rabab, romantic, sarangi, slightly on the sadder side, नाराज़ी

रोचक कोहली
Rochal Kohli

कुमार
Kumaar

आयुष्मान खुराना, नेहा कक्कड़
Ayushmann Khurrana, Neha Kakkar

2.17

Toggle Jury's comments

Love this song. So earthy with Ayushman singing with such sweetness. -Hemendra

Very generic Pakistani film-song feel. -DM

I found the lyrics, melody and singing all very stale and dated. -Meera

Average song in the trope of the genre. -Arun

Why choose an overly nasal female singer? -Ashok

Any chance to enjoy good vocals on acoustic instruments can't be passed up. Male vocals at the tail end a bit more conspicuously pitch-corrected? -Sanjeev

Rochak does a decent job, somehow Ayushman lacks intensity of a good singer.. He is just functional and always creates a negtive impact on a long run.. -Pavan

Beautiful piano accompaniment all throughout the film including this song. -Sunil

Appreciate the effort using Rabab, Sarangi etc. but the overall song is what you would expect - good song. Singing leaves a lot to be desired. In spite of autotune Ayushman falls short on hitting the notes on many occasions. -Pranav

Good to see some strings set the mood of the song. -Nishant

Simple tune, lyrics and singing, not overly done. I don't hear Ayyushman Khurana in this song so I am guessing he is 'Behradhun'. -Ketan
55

ज़िंगात  (धड़क)

zi.ngaat (Dhadak)

Tags: adapted, atrocity, bolly folk, celebratory, dance, dance number, folk adaptation, fun, horrendous, ipc 302 worthy, marriage, murder, party, peppy, sadakchhap, tapori song, youthful, मस्ती

अजय-अतुल
Ajay-Atul

अमिताभ भट्टाचार्य
Amitabh Bhattacharya

अजय गोगावले, अतुल गोगावले
Ajay Gogavale, Atul Gogavale

2.12

Toggle Jury's comments

The song is absolute fun and frolic - nothing to take away from this Hindi version of the Marathi original. -Nagarajan

इस गाने की मस्ती को अमिताभ ने लफ़्ज़ों में ख़ूबी से पिरोया है, अजय-अतुल का संगीत और आवाज़ सैराट में धमाल मचा ही चुके है हालाँकि यहाँ पे उसके मुक़ाबिल असर थोड़ा कम है।. -अंकित

Surprisingly well-fitting lyrics. Difficult thing to pull off when you have a giant, already established hit like Zingaat. -Sankhayan

Energetic with that lovely marathi flavor - but that’s about it! -Arun

So fun. To knit pick, maybe another younger voice instead of Ajay's. -Meera

Some energetic singing and fresh fun lyrics keep this from being just another rehash of the Marathi original. Nicely done! -Megha

The original "Zingaat" magic is missing.. A good pointer to uselessness of lyrics in some of the songs. -Pavan

अनुवाद में इत्र की खुशबू उड़ गई।. -मिहिर

Really foot-tapping beat- clearly rouses one to get up and dance. Poor vocals hold the song back. -Sunil

Unfortunately this version pales to the Marathi version. -DM

This is a dish with too many bad ingredients. Over orchestrated percussions, bad lyrics, below par singing. No wonder this souffle doesn't rise. -Ketan

A simple tune, a fantastic beat and fantastic arrangements make Zingaat one of the most dance-worthy songs of the year. Those of us who were worried that the original Marathi hit would lose its edge in its Bollywood crossover were pleasantly surprised. -Param

This should be the posterboy for "How to kill the soul of a song". -Nishant

Why is this spelled with a "z" when they mean "jh"? Atul's voice is a nice contrast to Ajay here, and good energy from both. Folk adaptation - likely quite popular. Words seem catchy too. -Sanjeev
56

साँसें  (कारवाँ)

saa.Nse.n (Karwaan)

Tags: ballad, coffee house/lounge music, easy listen, guitar-based, meditative, mellow, reflective, rock, unplugged, यात्रा

प्रतीक कुहाड़
Prateek Kuhad

प्रतीक कुहाड़
Prateek Kuhad

प्रतीक कुहाड़
Prateek Kuhad

2.10

Toggle Jury's comments

Simply loved the arrangement starting off with piano, bass, drums and organ moving in halfway through the song in the bridge. A song has so much character when it uses live instruments instead of the loops. -Pranav

This also sounds like American alternative pop which works with the combination of strong bass and Prateek's vocals. -DM

Interesting song with a lovely arrangment. -Nagarajan

How is this singing? All he is doing is reciting words. Even Trump has more 'sur' when reading of a teleprompter. -Ketan

Soothing and very pleasing song by Prateek Kuhad. -Sunil

Similar to previous song...careless "Urdu" consonants - e.g. no specific reason to say "khafaa" instead of "KHafaa" here (pardon my ITRANS limitations). -Sanjeev

Has a very indie feel to it. Kuhad's singing is still maturing but overall effort is catchy. -Hemendra

Words are just placeholders. -Ashok

Another catchy song by Prateek. There is a certain degree of novelty to all his songs. -Sowmya

Nice song - lovely to play on repeat! -Arun

He lost me at Khafaa! If you're aint pronouncing it right, it ain't meaning anything. Also very nursery rhyme-ish. -Meera
57

हार्टक्वेक हुआ  (कारवाँ)

Heartquake huaa (Karwaan)

Tags: comic, contemporary, doggerel, funny, hinglish, humour, mashup, quirky, romantic, tongue-in-cheek, whimsical, मुहब्बत, हिंगलिश

अनुराग सैकिया
Anurag Saikia

आकर्ष खुराना
Akarsh Khurana

पापोन
Papon

2.05

Toggle Jury's comments

Cool guitar backgrounds. -DM

Rhyming creep with deep is the new normal for Hindi film lyrics. Lyrics aside, the tune is passable enhanced by a mix of harmonium with drums. -Ketan

Slightly inventive lyrics, probably situational. Nothing remarkable. -Vibhendu

Not something I will want to play or recall. -Nagarajan

Papon can really sing with a lot of feel and could be utilized some more. -Sunil

Lyrics made me smile - shayari bhi deep nahin. Papon's voice is just so soothing. -Hemendra

Papon's singing is so heart warming & lyrics are so cute. -Arun

Lyrics are corny, but still elicit a chuckle and have a drop of artful; great texture to the voice. -Sanjeev

Sweet lyrics which force a smile occasionally Papon with his rustiness makes the song sound uplifting. -Sowmya

The song had a lot of potential with intersting instrument arrangements, use of tablas, and chord changes. Alas I think they got lazy in the sound mixing with all the loops (e.g. @1:40). -Pranav

ये मज़ेदार गाना है।. -मिहिर

Music ok, singing ok; lyrics being relentlessly full of English words seems to be the idea. -Ashok
57

स्वीटहार्ट  (केदारनाथ)

Sweetheart (Kedarnath)

Tags: bolly folk, breezy, celebratory, chhed chaad, dance number, festive, foot-tapping, light-hearted, peppy, shaadi, wedding, तारीफ़, नाच

अमित त्रिवेदी
Amit Trivedi

अमिताभ भट्टाचार्य
Amitabh Bhattacharya

देव नेगी
Dev Negi

2.05

Toggle Jury's comments

लिरिक्स में 'नाज़नीन' और 'आफ़रीन' जैसे शब्दों के साथ 'स्वीटहार्ट' को मिलाया गया है। हालांकि प्रयोग कुछ ऊबड़खाबड़ सुनाई देता है, लेकिन मुझे भाषा के साथ ऐसे प्रयोग पसन्द आते हैं।. -मिहिर

Dev Negi's voice really suits Sushant Singh Rajput. -Sunil

Strings & Shenai, I like the combination. -Meera

Very good, the hookline, and the antara. The sound is cliched. -Sankhayan

Like Dev Negi's voice. -Arun

Once again Amit Trivedi delivers a catchy, dancable number by staying largely true to the folk rhythms and instruments. -Pranav

Singer isn't bad; rest forgettable. -Ashok

Simplistic treatment works well for the song. -Pavan

I have trouble hearing whether it is Sweetheart, or Suite-hart or Sui-thaat. I was so fascinated by those choices that the rest of the song did not matter. -Ketan

Catchy and feet-tapping song. Point of inflection is Dev's voice. -Sowmya

Energetic and capable vocals - the "Sweetheart" word is intended to be light-hearted, but it's grating for some reason. -Sanjeev
59

सुरैया  (ठग्स ऑफ़ हिंदोस्तान)

suraiyaa (Thugs of Hindostan)

Tags: catchy, club/dance, dance number, foot-tapping, fun, fusion, item number, nautch party, qawali, retro, rock, western, नाच

अजय-अतुल
Ajay-Atul

अमिताभ भट्टाचार्य
Amitabh Bhattacharya

विशाल दादलानी, श्रेया घोषाल
Vishal Dadlani, Shreya Ghoshal

2.01

Toggle Jury's comments

I get it Vishal is not a singer by training but what's Shreya's excuse from sounding shrill. This has a peppy beat and could have been a good song if the singers were replaced. -Ketan

Clever playful lyrics which avoid objectification of the woman. Can't say the same about the picturization of the song. -Sunil

Period piece - throwback to Naiyyar? Chin Chin Chu meets ??? Good vocals - Vishal D. is impressive. Ajay-Atul seems to have a bunch this year. -Sanjeev

Vishal Dadlani & Shreya seem to be having too much Fun! -Arun

Shreya Ghoshal doesn't get many "item" songs (although this isn't a typical item song) and listening to her sing Suraiyya makes you wonder why. She's a bundle of energy here! -Param

Amitabh Bhattacharya's gimmick works again, but shortlived like his earlier sparkling work. -Pavan

Lyrics stand out. Other than that, song is a good listen and is rapturous. -Sowmya

Messy. -Ashok

At least they have the taal right. -Nishant

इत्ते खूबसूरत, मज़ेदार गाने को मेरे लिए परदे पर उस भद्दी विग पहने आमिर ख़ान ने हमेशा के लिए बरबाद कर दिया। -मिहिर

Did Vishal have a sore throat or is there a problem with the mixing? -Meera

A whole song later, I still cannot believe this is the voice of Vishal Dadlani. Musically it is interesting, alternating between the desi and jazz influences, but a tad bit scattered, on the whole. -Megha

Starts of pretty ordinary (did they really try to get inspired by numbers like Aaja aaja?), but builds up quite well. Good effort in giving the song an old bollywood classic flavor in the chorus piece. -Pranav
60

क़दम  (कारवाँ)

qadam (Karwaan)

Tags: acoustic, ballad, breezy, coffee house/lounge music, easy listen, forgettable, guitar, guitar-based, meditative, mellow, musing, random, unplugged, ज़िंदगानी

प्रतीक कुहाड़
Prateek Kuhad

प्रतीक कुहाड़
Prateek Kuhad

प्रतीक कुहाड़
Prateek Kuhad

2.00

Toggle Jury's comments

Lovely use of the acoustic guitar here specially the beginning strains. I felt like I was listening to a Simon & Garfunkel composition. Prateek Kuhad is one of the year’s finds for me. Conveys a lot of feel without too much hoopla. His singing is emotive and he makes up for his limits as a singer with his soulful compositions. -Sunil

Amazing finger-style guitar. So refreshing to hear a different voice texture. Upright bass adds the perfect color. Lovely build up starting with guitar, then rhythms, followed by vibraphones and so on. Definitely the surprise of the year for me. -Pranav

Another singer singing as if he is 4 years old. If you whisper and recite while singing it only sounds good if you have the voice for it, which Prateek clearly doesn’t. -Ketan

Prateek Kuhad is an unusual & exceptional voice. The music is so soothing too! -Arun

Absolutely stunner of a song. Beautifully sung and exceptionally emoted. Prateek seems to be the MD of the year with brilliant compositions to boot. Raw and dreamy voice is very enrapturing adding to the mood. Lyrics are super apt as well. -Sowmya

This sounds like American alternative music with a grainy lo-fi video. -DM

Got monotonous. -Ashok

"He" instead of "Hai"..."E" instead of "Ye"? Some of my pet peeves. Lazy, careless singing supposed to pass for "expressive." The rest of the package isn't bad, better singing would have elevated it. -Sanjeev

Pleasantness for 3 mins and 34 secs. After that I wouldnt remember a thing about this song, sadly. Small Joy: The singer pronounced Kadam correctly. -Meera

Despite Prateek Kuhad being repetitive in style, the tune, the words and the simplicity of orchestration work very well. His boyish rendition, though, not as much. -Nagarajan
61

डूबा डूबा  (हेलिकॉप्टर ईला)

Doobaa Doobaa (Helicopter Eela)

Tags: 7-beat, easy listen, fantasy, love song, melodic, reflective, romantic, serene, whimsical, रिश्ता, साथ

अमित त्रिवेदी
Amit Trivedi

स्वानंद किरकिरे
Swanand Kirkire

अरिजित सिंह, सुनिधि चौहान
Arijit Singh, Sunidhi Chauhan

1.99

Toggle Jury's comments

The song never really takes off. -Pranav

doob jaata gaana but for the 7 beat composition. -Nishant

First 7-beat-based song in the lineup...I like the octaved Sunidhi in the antara. -Sanjeev

Sounds like a 90s poem turned into a song. -Pavan

I like the subdued Arijit here, particularly. It was strangely refreshing. -Meera

Sunidhi is uncharacteristically uneven, starts off well, then goes shrill in the high notes. Surprisingly it is Arijit who comes out better here-- a rare occurrence. -Ketan

Surprisingly high-energy melody. -DM

Standard-issue mellow duet. Could be better in all respects with care. -Ashok

Doesn't Arijit sound effortless compared to Sunidhi? -Arun

The singing is decent, but it is the kind of song that both Arijit and Sunidhi could sing in their sleep, so it feels like a waste of good talent. -Megha
62

छोटा सा फ़साना  (कारवाँ)

chhoTaa saa fasaanaa (Karwaan)

Tags: background, catchy, club/dance, driving, feel good, happy, highway, on-the-road, pensive, road, rock, travel song, upbeat, मुसाफ़िर, dreamy, journey

अनुराग सैकिया
Anurag Saikia

आकर्ष खुराना
Akarsh Khurana

अरिजित सिंह
Arijit Singh

1.94

Toggle Jury's comments

I believe another of those road songs, strictly 'pedestrian'. -Vibhendu

Prelude very similar to "Aap Jaisa koi". Arijit sounds better than he normally does which is about the only saving grace for this song. -Ketan

Lovely road song! Can't get enough of Arijit. -Arun

Sounds like a decent follow up to Piku (as the film carried a lot fo ambiance too). -Pavan

OK. Typical. -Ashok

The blend of lyrics, music and vocals arrests the listener. -Sowmya

Between unoriginal loops, synths and uninspired singing, this song is totally avoidable and forgettable. -Pranav

Heavily westernized song, with very prominent background pads. -DM

Bouncy beat makes for good driving music. Apparently film is about a road trip as well. -Sanjeev

The song is dreamy, an instant addition to highway playlists. -Nagarajan

I hate doing this to Arijit but then again he keeps doing this to me! This is so boring and bland. -Megha

Nice. That'll be all. -Meera

I had a deja vu by feeling with this song- sounded like I had similar composition in prior years. -Sunil
62

आज़ादियाँ  (3 स्टोरीज़)

aazaadiyaa.N (3 Storeys)

Tags: background, breezy, coffee house/lounge music, easy listen, indie, pop-rock, rock, ruminative, serene, soft rock, ज़िन्दगानी, मद्धम

क्लिंटन सेरेजो
Clinton Cerejo

शेल्ली
Shellee

क्लिंटन सेरेजो, बियंका गोम्स
Clinton Cerejo, Bianca Gomes

1.94

Toggle Jury's comments

You could hear this at an American supermarket. -DM

Pleasing music and very lilting. Contemplative and reminiscent of rock-on. -Sowmya

Blah - a bit boring. Wish singers sang with some energy! -Arun

Clinton Cerejo produces a winsome melody, that falls squarely in his forte. His restrained, delicate singing is immensely aided by Bianca's contrasting vocals. -Nagarajan

Breezy. -Meera

Very good arrangement, and the synth riff is catchy. Lyrics for most parts are off the meter of the song. Words feel like haphazardly fit into the tune, especially in later verses (e.g. "kuchh naye andaaz hai.."). Added an extra point in Overall rating because of high quality sound engineering and mixing. -Pranav

Run of the mill as draws so much from the old international template without having a soul of its own.. Also singing core hook as aazaadiyaa is a bit irritating. -Pavan

It's rendition, rather than singing, but effective. -Ashok

A pleasant enough listen, singing and harmonies are nice, throatiness maybe a little overdone on the female vocals. -Sanjeev

Nice melody. It has a feel of "Yeh tumhari meri baatein" from Rock On (Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy) which was sung by Dominique Cerejo. I am wondering if her husband Clinton internalized that tune while composing this one and making Bianca sing in a similar style. -Ketan

एक सामान्य सा गाना है। -अंकित

Nice song sitting prettily between hope and melancholia. -Param
64

मैं बढ़िया  (संजू)

mai.n ba.Dhiyaa (Sanju)

Tags: bolly folk, cheesy, comic, dramatic, retro, retro bollywood, spoof, super-throwback, मस्ती

रोहन-रोहन
Rohan-Rohan

पुनीत शर्मा
Puneet Sharma

सोनू निगम, सुनिधि चौहान
Sonu Nigam, Sunidhi Chauhan

1.80

Toggle Jury's comments

इस मज़ेदार पैरोडी को सोनू निगम, सुनिधि चौहान जैसे खेले-खाये खिलाड़ी ही गा सकते थे। "मैं बढ़िया तू भी बढ़िया, पर पहले ढूंढो नौकरिया" पुनीत शर्मा के बोल कितने समीचीन हैं :). -मिहिर

So much fun comes! -Megha

Loved loved Sunidhi's rendition. -Sowmya

एक बेहद औसत गाना। -अंकित

The nasal Bollywood spoof thing didn’t quite work for me. It’s done, and done better in the past. -Sankhayan

Overdone caricature - but torn between annoyed and laughing...Sonu's fake voices are occasionally cooler than the real one. Sunidhi almost - but not quite - unrecognizable. -Sanjeev

Sunidhi and Sonu Nigam show their performing talent here. -Sunil

I understand there being parody songs but not sure why this made it to a short list of top songs for 2018? Even Sonu-Sunidhi who are clearly in their element can't save this abomination. -Ketan

Ugh. I'm surprised this song found its way into the shortlist. -Param

Intonation used for Sunidhi Chauhan is thoroughly irritating. -Ashok

Unbelievable singing by Sunidhi! Sonu we know can do mimicy very well already. -Arun

Catchy song and great singing by Sunidhi. Sonu falls miserably short. -Pranav

I've nothing very badhiya to say about this song. -Meera
64

चोगाड़ा  (लवयात्री)

chogaa.Daa (Loveyatri)

Tags: bolly folk, catchy, dance, dandia, dandiya beats, folk, foot-tapping, fusion, garba, gujarati, modern garba, navratri song, zealous, गरबा

लीजो जॉर्ज, डीजे चेतस
Lijo George, DJ Chetas

दर्शन रावल, शब्बीर अहमद
Darshan Raval, Shabbir Ahmed

दर्शन रावल, असीस कौर
Darshan Raval, Asees Kaur

1.80

Toggle Jury's comments

All points for just being a catchy song. -Meera

I don't get what's the allure of this song. -Hemendra

The USP was fast paced Gujarati folk with a good recall value which was cashed well in the song. The weddings-favorite of the year. -Pavan

नवरात्र पे नाचने को गाना बनाना था तो ऐसे ही बना लेते, उसके लिये पूरी फ़िल्म बनाने की क्या ज़रूरत थी? -मिहिर

This is a fairly faithful replica of an old Gujarati song (composed by Avinash Vyas for a 1976 film as far as I can tell). The song lacks originality but the composers do a pretty good job of transporting it to a contemporary arrangement. -Param

Adaptation of the old standard...one more for the DJs. -Sanjeev

I never quite got what the big deal about this song was. Within its genre, it is well sung and high in energy. But its serves a very specific purpose and outside of it, is not likely to be remembered. -Megha

I found the version called "unplugged" to be less noisy. -Ashok

Flavor of the season (year!). -Arun

Neither singer nor the music are pathbreaking. Can't blame them since the song title forces them to do traditional music. -Ketan

This song has everything - lazy sound mixing, heavy use of autotune, noisy arrangement, synthetic sound, missing beats, singers losing the tempo of the song…I guess that's what makes a hit? -Pranav

At some point last year, I starting humming this song. And with a hook like this, it was bound to happen. -Nagarajan
66

नैनों ने बाँधी  (गोल्ड)

naino.n ne baa.Ndhii (Gold)

Tags: breezy, forgettable, love song, romantic, रूमानी

आरको
Arko

आरको
Arko

यासर देसाई
Yasser Desai

1.78

Toggle Jury's comments

Nice tune, decent lyrics, substandard singing. -Ketan

Very generic Pakistani film-song feel. -DM

Lilting hummable melody. It too has a familiar feeling. -Sunil

Arijit-influenced vocals? Lots of throaty, breathy stuff...but still a sincere effort in the end. -Sanjeev

Sorry, I can't get Teri Ore from Singh is King out of my head. -Pranav

It’s the sub genre of song I would hate, but it has a winsome melody, and I am a slut for melody. -Sankhayan

A perfect example of a song that sounds like every other song and will be forgotten the moment I stop playing it. -Megha

Typical Arko composition (this one is quite cliched). Singer should sing with more full throated voice. -Arun

Good lyrics; rest ok only; tune doesn't bring out lyrics. -Ashok

Breezy and forgettable. -Meera
67

तेरी दास्तान  (हेिचकी)

terii daastaan (Hichki)

Tags: inspiring, uplifting, light rock, melancholic, motivational, दास्तां

जसलीन रोयल
Jasleen Royal

नीरज राजावत
Neeraj Rajawat

जसलीन रोयल
Jasleen Royal

1.68

Toggle Jury's comments

Jasleen Royal's voice is infantile, she had previously killed Meera in the song from Khoobsoorat and is still on a killing spree here. -Vibhendu

Not sure why Jasleen Royal needs to sing as if she is 4 years old. Her voice actually ruins a very sweet picturization. -Ketan

Jasleen disappoints. -Arun

"इतनी सुहानी बना, हो न पुरानी तेरी दास्तां".... बेहद ख़ूबसूरत लिखा है, एक अच्छा गाना।. -अंकित

I'm biased towards Jasleen's raw, overly simplistic approach to singing. It gives a beautifully innocent flavor to the song. -Pranav

Jasleen Royal has a lovely voice quality that lifts this song. Wish the music did more to support her though. -Megha

Too discursive; no anchor to the song, but pulled off competently. -Ashok

Khwaab, Khaamiyaan, Khud, Kissa, Galti, Kadam, Khaas - are just few of the words that have been wrongly pronounced. I couldnt get past these to rate the song any further. Cringeworthy! -Meera

Kiddish singing...on purpose? Pronunciations slightly less refined as a result (less picky about "Urdu" consonants)? -Sanjeev
गानों को अंक केवल श्रेष्ठता के लिए दिए गए हैं. केवल औसत से बेहतर प्रदर्शन के लिए अंक हैं. अधिकतम अंक 5.
The ratings/scores are on a positive-only scale. This means that an average or ok song gets a zero and the ratings go up from there. Maximum 5 marks.

शीर्ष एल्बम - Top Albums

अन्य नामांकित गीत - Other nominated songs

2018 पुरस्कार मुखपृष्ठ पर वापस - Back to 2018 Puraskaar home

विनय प्र जैन. प्रतिक्रियाएँ giitaayan at gmail dot com पर भेजें. फरवरी 2019.