2024

Excellent on all counts. Best song of 2024! -Ashwini

A song that lives upto the hype even after multiple listens. A Rahman-Arijit Singh-Irshad Kamil collaboration, for the ages. I can't get enough of the soft touches of the flutes, percussions, and piano. The ghazal-esque retro vibe of the song involves both Jagjit Singh and Mohd Rafi. -Poulomi

Everybody nailed it! -Pulkit

A confessional cry from a singer. Like a true artist, Chamkila doesn’t seek to overwhelm with harsh words. There is no anger, only the quiet ache of a man who has been misunderstood, seeking a simple, honest farewell from an audience that never truly listened. Guru Dutt would have been proud. -Anas

Only a true master can keep it this simple. Rahman really surprises with the way he embodies the spirit of Pyaasa and SD Burman here. This song will always stop me in the tracks. -Harsh

Despite the tune reminding one of some populare songs from the 40s and 50s, it manages to evoke emotions. -Anish

Some songs come and stay. They stay forever. They stay because they are as true and bare as life is. There is not one aspect of the trinity of composer, lyricist or singer that one can single out in this piece. I am certain that Rafi Sb has come from the heavens to bless Arijit! Every time I hear this song (which is atleast once a day since its release), it is always when Jonita enters the stage when the goosebumps finally come all over. Aur Irshaad ji, kitni tareef karein aapki! !! !
तुम सभी साफ सही हूं मटमैला मैं
तुम सभी पाक मगर पाप का दरिया मैं. -Akanksha

Gorgeous song that does full justice to all of its components. -Armeen

Like my favourite track from Jubilee last year, my favourite from Amar Singh Chamkila too feels like a nod to Yeh Duniya in spirit; an artist lamenting and giving up on a society that treated them unkindly. Even musically, Vida Karo is crafted as a retro Hindi melody a la the Burmans etc (shades of khamaj raaga I thought, which incidentally the Burmans have employed for some real gems), except with a mix of Punjabi words (in which Irshad Kamil appears to tip his hat to Shivkumar Batalvi, who had a poem by the same title). A R Rahman keeps the orchestration at a minimal level; the gentle use of flute, piano and strings immensely accentuate the poignancy of the track. But it is the main man behind the mic – Arijit Singh – who truly makes you feel that lump in your throat with his measured yet incredibly effective delivery, reminiscent of yesteryear legends. And just as you are soaking in Arijit’s vocals, the composer – as he has done multiple times in the past to fantastic effect – throws a second voice late into the mix, the incredible Jonita Gandhi who matches the former pound for pound. The harmonies involving both singers in the final iteration of the opening verse is truly one of the highlights of the song. -Vipin

Not a lot going on melodically or with the arrangment, but deeply felt and nice dovetailing vocals in the latter half. -Uday

This song is a cathartic experience. When everyone involved works at their highest creative powers, we get gems like this. Irshad Kamil most likely bested himself with the words he put together here - the poignancy, the pathos, the abject despair that he managed to pour into his words is testament to his ocean of talent. If Irshad bled all those emotions out, AR Rahman held back. He pulled back on all his musical embellishments and simply let a Piano, a Flute, and some Violins into the playing field. And then he let the immensely gifted Arijit Singh take center stage. Arijit is raw, he is earnest, he is simple, and says volumes with that. Notice his voice crack in a couple of instances - the unpolished texture adds to the honesty of the rendition. Jonita is the balm in this symphony of sadness and her soft yearnings resonate like the last strum string of a Sitar. And when they come together at the end to sing "mainu vidaa karo" but find themselves in two different scales, it hurts. This song was a cleanse, and it rightfully is the best musical experience of the year for me! -Apoorv

Would have preferred Sonu, Despite its lyrical and singing limitations, the song worked for me. -Pavan

Reminiscent of the S D Burman’s style of keeping the arrangement minimal to respect some melodies that need their own space and need to remain untarnished by other sounds. -Vishal

Beautifully written and sung by Arijit. -Subrat

This heartwrenching song is easily the best song of 2024. Violins, flutes, and chorus, soulful singing by Arijit and Jonita bring out all emotions put in the lyrics by Irshad Kamil. -Vaishali

Partial to this because of the way Mohit Chauhan's bassy vocals elevate the layered composition and poetic lyrics, reaching a cresendo with the Main hoon Punjab line. Again, very anthemic. -Poulomi

A sort of folk blues, stark arrangement, urgent vocal from Chauhan. -Uday

The Rockstar troupe is back and how! Mohit Chauhan excels at songs like these and his voice fits like a glove to them. Irshad Kamil's words are hard-hitting and the resounding proclamation of "main hoon Punjab" with the backing vocals superimposed on them was a classic stroke by ARR. -Apoorv

Line of the year 2024: “Mere aagge duniya ka rang saara fika, apne lahu se hi lagaaya maine tika. ”. -Vishal

Solid track. The 'Main Hoon Punjab' line gives goosebumps. -Anish

Another winner, the anthemic appeal continues to haunt with its hook "Main hoon Punjab". And the lyrics captures the essence of social & political milleau of the character & setup in its earthiness. -Pavan

Well sung, but the melody is not exceptional. -Ashwini

जीवे अग्ग मेरी सारा जल मेरा जीवे
मैं हूँ पंजाब
An ode to fire-laden stories of the land of 5 rivers! -Akanksha

Punjabi Pop done well! -Armeen

A protest anthem like Sadda Haq, brimming with contradictions and overtly political lyrics. Also, the beats are a bit like Phir Se Udd Chala in a strange sort of way. It's the kind of ishq that breaks yet builds. "Main Hoon Punjab" is a gold line. -Anas

Rahman knocks it out of the park with the punchy percussives here. Rustic yet modern. And then ofcourse, there's the 'Main Hoon Punjab' riff! -Harsh

The right way of bringing a contemporary touch to a Punjabi folk song. -Subrat

Lovely song. -Shalini

Such a beautiful folk quality to this one. Has the Ram Sampath stamp. .. and grandiose. -Harsh

I loved how Kirkire chose the word “dheeme” instead of “dheere” (e. g. , “Dhire dhire chal, chand gagan mein”) to evoke the rustic milieu of the movie. That brief violin/viola portion after the first antara by Kailash Patra — absolute goosebumps! I wish it had returned after the second antara. Shreya tops off her soulful rendition with a lovely alaap at the end! -Vishal

It really grows on you dheeme dheeme. -Anas

A beautiful melodic piece from Ram Sampath that the composer sets to the ever-appealing seven beat cycle and an understated instrumentation (which even reflects in the way Pratikhya Sharma's backing vocals are employed) with a touch of exotic in the use of harp. The star of the song though is Shreya Ghoshal who is unsurprisingly terrific, I love how the final minute is primarily an improv bit from Shreya to see out the song. -Vipin

Works well in the film. -Pavan

Ram Sampath's gorgeous, earthy tune gets wonderful support from Swanand Kirkire's lyrics and Shreya Ghoshal's voice. -Anish

Another example as to why Shreya is the most assured voice in play today. There is a thehraav in her voice that accentuates the emotion the song exudes. The restraint in not going overboard with the harkats, the clear diction, and the clarity in the voice really shines here. Ram Sampath came up with a brilliant album and this song stands strong as its incandescent beacon. Not to forget Swanand Kirkire's empowering words (कल को करके सलाम, आँचल हवाओं का थाम, देखो उड़ी एक धानी चुनरिया), that adds the heft to the composition. There is quiet strength here and it is beautiful to experience. -Apoorv

Lost count of songs in this vein that Shreya G has sung. She sings this well but the song is so unremarkable. -Subrat

One of my favorite songs of the year. Loved how Ram Sampath has used Shreya in this simple, calm song. Great melody- took me back to some songs of yore. -Vaishali

Pretty capable song. Does what it intends to. Shreya Ghoshal's vocal range adds an edge to it. Winsome melody. -Poulomi

Simple. Soft. Sublime. -Akanksha

Perfectly executed love song with a folky edge. Beautiful arrangement, vocal. -Uday

Excellent, soft song, evocatively sung. -Ashwini

The love track of the year. Ram Sampath truly knows how to manipulate emotions, making you feel so much, even when the lyrics aren’t particularly deep or hard-hitting. -Anas

Beautiful, soft, moving. -Ashwini

When you pay attention to the strings more than Arijit. Cute song! -Akanksha

Beautiful melody, beautiful acoustic guitar, strong simple vocal. -Uday

It’s a representation of the lost innocense in our cinema songs. . Feels like the earthy kulhad ki chaai instead of those paper or plastic cups. Arijit would certainely become a great singer, the day he removes the stylish singing [his selling factor ofc]. -Pavan

Sleepy Arijit is back! -Armeen

My only complaint about this song is how short it is. Beautiful wistful tune from Ram Sampath that he adorns with a very world music-y sound dominated by the kora and mandolin, both of which I am a huge fan of. The absence of percussions further drives home the tender emotions conveyed by the song. -Vipin

Nice composition, Arijit brings in the right amount of pathos. -Subrat

Excellent hook although I personally think this song is the weakest in comparison to the other Ram Sampath compositions in the same film. But it's hard not to get the charm of Arijit Singh in this. -Poulomi

As Kiran Kher in one of her interviews, Arijit beautifully brings out the “vulnerability” of the lead character with his tender and emotive rendition. I liked how he sings the word “yaad” in three (or four? ) different ways. -Vishal

A delightful Ram Sampath composition, a mellifluous Mandolin laadida-ing along, resonant lyrics by Prashant Pandey, and an involved, engrossing Arijit Singh. Everyone seems to be on the same page, nothing is overdone here, and there is an exuberant amount of innocence bursting out of seams here, This is treat and a half! -Apoorv

Ram Sampath wonderfully brings elements of world music while creating this folksy melody. -Anish

That one song everyone else gets, and you don't. -Harsh

A haunting melody that slowly grows on you. More importantly, a great film song. -Harsh

A wonderfully composed romantic numbers with multiple layers to it. -Anish

Love the poetry, the orchestra and the singing of the 80s. -Pulkit

It starts off where Raabta (Agent Vinod) left off and takes it to a new height. Loved every second of this track! -Vishal

The old world chit-chat is the highlight here! Kyun? Phir? Takes me back to Lata-Kishore-Rafi songs that used to have this.
इक-दूसरे में हम यूँ लापता
मैं धूल हूँ, तू कारवाँ. -Akanksha

A haunting melody that has Pritam rolling back the years, taking us back to his early days. Great words by Varun Grover, wonderful singing by Arijit Singh and Antara Mitra. -Vipin

Arijit and Pritam channel "Raabta" and I don't mind it. -Subrat

This one grew on me with the "main dhool hoon, tu carvan" melodic line being particularly appealing. -Shalini

Attempt at storytelling via conversation defeated by flat melody. -Uday

I used to love this one when it first came out, but it hasn’t aged well. Arijit’s voice lacks a certain devotion and fails to match the depth of Antara Mitra. And the music doesn’t do justice to the lyrics. -Anas

One of those songs that slowly creeps on you. I dig the mystery and the softness that the composition is able to convey. Very efficient. -Poulomi

Delightful song. -Ashwini

Both singers complement and support each other quite well. . A good romantic duet. -Pavan

Very atmospheric! Kept giving me the late 70s/early 80s Shalimar-esque vibe throughout. The play with scales and notes in the crossline around "main dhool hoon" comes through beautifully. Antara seems to lose her breathe on her lines, but the throaty singing seems to cover it up. Even the actual antaraa of the song does seem to add much to the song, but the mukhdaa makes up for it. -Apoorv

This is straight out of Barfi OST, and I mean it in the sincerest way possible. Interesting rendering, love the bittersweet mood and the sense of longing it evokes. -Harsh

This is not just the song of the album but also of the year. It carries a Vijay Anand-esque feel, with Papon bringing a fresh depth to Grover’s words, much like he did in Moh Moh Ke Dhaage. A romantic confession tinged with an air of sadness, as if this union is destined to be cursed. -Anas

The song the movie that actually carries a bit of that titular Christmassy vibe about it. Reminds me at times of the first song Papon sang for Pritam way back - Jiyein Kyun, and occasionally of the song that Pritam made for Sriram Raghavan in their first collab - Raabta. Two great songs to throw back to. -Vipin

Nondescript power ballad. -Uday

Possibly one of my favourite romantic tracks from last year. Pritam doing what he does best but Papon's voice does make it a more sexy affair, the song equivalent of sexual tension. -Poulomi

The ambiance is good and works well in the film. . Pappon carries the song well. -Pavan

A breezy melody that has a nice tinge of darkness to it. -Anish

I had not heard the Raghav Chaitanya version of this song and I must say I am quite taken aback. While the excessive breathing was a distraction, he took the song and flew with it. But this song was all Pritam. the orchestrarion, the arrangement, the composition that crescendoed with aplomb - it was all superbly done. There was a play with genres here, and the transitions were deftly done. -Apoorv

Varun Grover never disappoints! “Ye waqt jaise tham gaya, ye tujhme-muhjme gum gaya”. I also liked how he reused a word from a popular song from a few years ago: “bikharna”. -Vishal

Fantastic song. I love Papon's voice, the lyrics and the music. Creates the thrills that the movie plot needs. Varun's lyrics seamlessly go with the movie plot.
कि तेरे दिल में ख़ाली सी है जो जगह,
उसमें मुझे राज़ सा रह जाने दे. -Akanksha

Another gem from Grover. The words, the voices, the subtext, and the sound come together beautifully, making it the standout song of the soundtrack. -Anas

It really is the kids choir and the backing vocals that works the best in the song. Everything else either seems lazy (in the beginning) or excessive (at the end). -Apoorv

Plays out like an indie song, this one. Great use of harmonies. -Vipin

The breezy rendition suits the lullaby-like melody. -Vishal

The song didn't work for me in the music album, specially for stylized female singing but was effectively used in the film. Specially in the climax parts. Had a bit of haunting appeal. -Pavan

Another background kind of song. But works for me. -Subrat

Wonderful arrangement with sighing guitars makes up Arijit's show-offy vocal. -Uday

There is really something about achint's arrangements that take a life of its own. This song is a great example. -Poulomi

This song leaves me speechless everytime. So simple, yet so impactful. Sears through yout heart. -Harsh

Wonderful song depicting the relationship between a brother and a sister. -Anish

Hard to not have this on loop. Shalmali's voice is really something here. -Poulomi

Love Shalmali K here. Been long since I heard her. Lovely interludes too. -Subrat

The arrangement had me convinced this track was composed by Daniel B George (creator of the movie’s background score), but this is actually Pritam! A truly unique composition by him. Loved the arrangement with the piano, woodwind, backing vocals, and mild-yet-wonderful drums. -Vishal

Falls easy on the ears, great situational song. -Ashwini

Really well-done. -Anas

A slow burner that keeps growing on you. -Anish

Light jazz, pleasing though not too impactful. -Uday

A lovely smooth jazz feel to this one. Shalmali sounds much restrained and controlled here which accentuates the song. Decent lyrics, lush orchestration - a pleasurable experience while it lasted. -Apoorv

The brass is good. Yet the singing disappoints. -Pavan

Shalmali's voice is delicious! I like that in this album, Pritam has not pushed any remixes and worked with little used singers like Shalmali, Antara and even used Katrina's voice beautifully in Raat Akeli Thii! -Akanksha

Love how Pritam has decided to redefine himself. -Harsh

Lovely jazz composition. Shalmali was perfect for this song. -Vaishali

The lyrics are bland, the music is pretty much the same, there is such an impressive lack of original thoughts. -Manjiri

Amaal brings his own touch. Sonu Nigam brings out the emotions in the song very well. -Anish

Diminishes the charm of the original track and is barely able to stand on its own as a song. -Poulomi

Wonderful song but not a reinvention. Haven't rated higher because, despite new lyrics, this is a close cover of the original. Ghoshal is terrific. -Uday

I liked what Amaal Mallik has done in terms of the building over the original track - the initial melodic bit flows nicely into the Mere Dholna segment. And a Shreya Ghoshal solo track is always a delight to listen to. But we have had way too many iterations of this song by now; perhaps they should just retire it, and the franchise, for good measure. I did enjoy this one more than the variant from BB2. -Vipin

Extra half point for familiarity. Song is a mishmash of genres. -Subrat

Shreya at her "cloyingly sweet menthol jingle" best! -Armeen

A matured recreation of a contemporary classic. The Rageshree-Bhimpalasi combo of the original is very well maintained with small additions to the end sargam, and bringing back the original voice of the song - albeit a lot more matured and assured. -Apoorv

The old hook is as sweet as the original rasgullas. It's one composition that is dull & boring in Hemant Kumar's voice (Tumhe jo bhi dekh lega) but fresh & lively in Shreya's voice. This time there was an opportunity for a Shreya -Sunidhi dual, a missed opprtunity now. don't bring up 4.0 please. -Pavan

So much to say about this song. Firstly, how can the same music director keep the core of a song first released in 2007 and continue to churn out new versions in quick successions? It needs grit, and full marks to Pritam for that. As for this version, Shreya did a decent job singing for two actors and varying the harkats to make one Kathak-like and another Odisi. I wonder why wasn't a different singer used though.

That said, what Arijit has done to the song in Mere Dholna (Bhool Bhulaiyya 2) cannot be replicated. This version will always remain much paler in comparison, in my personal opinion. -Akanksha

Not a fan of this one. -Anas

Enjoyable. Good adaptation of the original tune. -Vaishali

Quite nice but expected more from Rahman. -Anas

Certain portions of the song are much more rousing than the others. -Anish

The walking bass is nice. The arrangement reminded me of Bose - The Forgotten Hero. -Vishal

Hiral Viradia is a good find. -Vaishali

Hiral's soft start is a decoy for the magnificent aural onslaught from the backing vocals. They truly bring the feels in this song. If only, ARR stopped screeches in vocal ranges that he does not reach. -Apoorv

A little too saccharine for my taste. prefered this more as the bgm than as the entire song but AR rahman's voice does bring a renewed intimacy to it. -Poulomi

So classically Rahman, how the strings soar after a serene intro. -Harsh

ARR's magical singing with the grandness in music. -Pulkit

Wanted to love the song for the chorus but failed after many attempts…. 0. 5 extra for the ARR tarana and some late surge by him. Though much weaker than his previous work in this template. -Pavan

आवाज़ों के धागे खोलो
और तराने गाने दो
मैदानों में धूप ना कम हो
जाते हैं हम जाने दो. -Akanksha

Liked this. An oasis of calm in the list this year. -Subrat

Disappointing, given Rahman. Average. -Ashwini

Effortful track that aims for epic but never takes off. -Uday

Siddharth-Garima conveys the pangs of Meera’s love and affection with such poetic finesse. -Vishal

Shreyas Puranik's compositions always seem to carry echoes of compositions by his mentor Sanjay Leela Bhansali (or perhaps I am looking at it the wrong way! ), and here he composes for a movie by a duo who incidentally also started their careers with SLB - Siddharth-Garima. Great classical-flavoured piece, and Arijit Singh delivers it with practised ease. -Vipin

Arijit Singh's rendition takes the song to another level. -Anish

What a song! 2024 gave a couple of fantastic songs very early in the year before Chamkila came and took over the space. Moh Na Laage is sure to go on the list of gems coming out of obscure movies. Super song! -Akanksha

Okayish. -Anas

Pleasant but not distinctive. -Uday

When Arijit does not sound sleepy, I actually enjoy him :). -Armeen

This one seemed to suffer from the lazy Arijit syndrome. This was right up his alley, but he just sounds disinterested. This entire singer-composer-lyricists team gave the hit "Satranga" last year, so the combination works and it does seem to have the elements in place here, but it still sounds like a random jamming session. Missed a crescendo in either departments here. -Apoorv

Stops short of being excellent. There are bright flourishes in the arrangement. -Poulomi

Has almost a spiritual feel to it. Lovely use of the indian instruments. -Harsh

Take on Meerabai's bhajans, weird. -Ashwini

Sonu Nigam can be over-emotive with his renditions some times. But that's absolutely not the case here. I doubt if anyone else could have done this song in the context of the climax scene any better. Not just the spin on the music and sargams, I feel Sonu has nailed it with emoting feelings of betrayal, revenge and sadness all at the same time. Samir's lyrics are so on point in explaning the feelings of non-binary individuals. And that flawless pronunciation of takht and khatm! Muaah! I am not even mentioning Pritam's music which for this song has proven to be a hit time and again. I recommend watching the tonnes of videos that explain how simple variations make each of these versions sound different. Btw, still on the hunt for the mantras chanted in the song. -Akanksha

Does not get any Sonuier than this! -Shalini

Hot take but Sonu Singam didn't had to do this one. -Anas

Sony Nigam could have carried the song on its own, but heavily suppressed by terrible arrangement. . Takes away whatever was good in the revenge version even the ambitious tarana at the end leaves no impact by then. -Pavan

Disappointed with Sonu's singing -- is he losing his touch? -Ashwini

Again, difficult to evaluate as these are all covers, albeit well done. -Uday

Amaal brings his own touch. Sonu Nigam brings out the emotions in the song very well. -Anish

Great recreation with amazing additional lyrics before the hook. -Pulkit

Its a Sonu Nigam masterclass, plain and simple. The lyrics too are surprisingly intense. -Harsh

The version came about as a surprise and became a phenomenon. Sonu's over-emoting worked perfectly here and added a whole another dimension to this already magnificent song. The emotions are raw here and Amaal Malik subtly but very sensitively tweaks the existing Raageshri-Bhimpalasi composition into a more emotionally charged Puriya Dhanashree and the result is an absolute explosion of musical magic. The anger, anguish, pain, betrayal of the character is expressed with such veracity by Sonu Nigam that he owns this version. It has been an aural treat and had it not been for one other song, would have had been the best for me this year. -Apoorv

Sonu Nigam over-emoting and overdoing everything he's usually good at. -Subrat

Sonu Nigam's voice is really this song's only redeeming quality. -Poulomi

Did we need another one? -Armeen

Every time I listen to this song, I have a wide smile on my face! Monali sounds very effervescent, Sohail's melody is resonant, and Kausar's play with words is enjoyable. If the mukhadaa was pleasant, the antaraa takes it a notch higher with the soft tabla addition after it glides through that swinging strings interlude. Not to miss that little giggle that Monali expresses at the very end of the song - simply delightful! -Apoorv

An impressive blend of sweet and playful. Monali Thakur always brings her own edge. -Harsh

Monali Thakur's reading of the chorus the best thing about this. -Uday

Nice alliteration ('is kisse ka sikka'), ruined by mispronunciation (uchhale instead of uchhalein). Monali had butchered pronunciations in other songs before (remember 'Savaar loon'? ), so I am not surprised. -Vishal

छत्तीसों सुन मिलाए क्यूँ गुण
क्यूँ जोड़ा बनाए जनमों का?
चल, तेरे-मेरे इस किस्से का सिक्का उछाले
हूं चित्त मैं तेरी, हैं तू पट्ट मेरे हवाले
Love v/s astrology! -Akanksha

Monali Thakur does a decent job in evoking a sense of wonderment in the song. -Poulomi

Monali Thakur is lovely for this serviceable tune. -Subrat

Pleasant melody. Instantly hummable. -Anish

Really nice song, fits well in the film too. -Ashwini

Only for Monali Thakur. -Anas

Monali brings in some punch, still remains functional. -Pavan

Good to hear Lucky Ali in a new song. -Subrat

Some voices never change! -Akanksha

Lucky Ali? Tu hai kahaan is song me? -Pavan

A pleasant, evocative meeting ground for 90s pop icon and contemporary indie soundscape. -Harsh

The Local Train write a classic Lucky Ali cut, from the humming that opens it to the picked guitar and thoughtful lyrics. -Uday

The song makes for an easy listen but could have been so much more. -Anish

Nondescript. -Ashwini

Lucky Ali is generally a hit or miss for me - and while this suited well for his vocal rang, it sadly sounded tad too processed for my liking. But, The Local Train seems like an interesting band to look out for in the indie space. -Apoorv

Underwhelming return for Lucky Ali. -Poulomi

Really moving. -Anas

Utterly forgettable. -Armeen

Ah, what a breath of fresh air! Romantic duet of the year for me! Shreya is a shoo-in at these by now and knows exactly how to sound and how to enunciate her words to create the right tone, but Armaan sounds particularly delightful here. He (mostly) manages to stay away from pronouncing the words with the little kharaash-esque drag at the beginning and it does work wonders. That Mandolin riff (by Muheet Bharti) throughout is weaved very dextrously. This Salim-Sulaiman sound is very reminisent of "Aaja Nachle", which was probably their best work so far. Very pleasing! -Apoorv

A gorgeous melody complemented by well-written lyrics and good vocals. -Anish

Expected better from Salim-Sulaiman. -Anas

Limpid love song, quite pleasant. -Uday

Gentle romantic duet. Appreciated the simple, old-fashioned Hindi lyrics. -Shalini

Ordinary as they come. -Subrat

Well sung. Armaan Malik is good. Shreya is always great. -Ashwini

Keh de to bann jaun bairaag main…. nope that's another song. Shreya's aalaap at the end is good but I expected lyrics for a song on a movie based on Atal Bihari Vajpayee. -Akanksha

Nice harmony between the composition and the vocals. -Poulomi

Somehing about this says 'SOHAIL SEN' to me. Inherently melodic and indian, very few songs you can say that about. -Harsh

I spent a lot of time dissecting the reasons behind this fairly average song's success. Beyond Vicky's dance, it probably is the quality of Karan's voice. In the world of mushy, intoxicated, barely audible, over engineered voices, Karan seems to have a great voice quality and the courage to have his voice louder than instruments. -Akanksha

The only good thing was the pictuirsation. -Anas

Bollywood earworm of the year! -Vipin

The song is driven by its hookline which, without a doubt, is catchy. -Anish

Mildly Latin-inflected club rager gets the job done. -Uday

Tauba tauba hook is okeyish, that’s it. . The Delhi-Gurgoan car song template is now becoming tourtorous. -Pavan

Well, the banger song of the year that even the 91-year old doyen Asha couldn't stop from grooving to on stage. Nothing exceptional lyrically, but the central hook is catchy and impossible not to bop to. A singular Karan Aujla show in all departments. Nicely mixed, smoothly produced, groovily choreographed, and stylishly performed. Perfect recipe to satisfy the instant hunger in a world of choices. -Apoorv

Amidst the typical brand-names-laden lyrics common in Punjabi ballads praising a glam diva, I was pleasantly surprised by the lines “Tere ton ki sikhaan, Tere te ki likhaan” (What shall I learn from you, what towrite about you? ). -Vishal

A certified hindi film music banger. karan aulja really delivers and singelhandedly elevates the dynamic composition. a song that understood the assignment. -Poulomi

The hook is catchy. There's not much to the song. But then at least it has the hook. -Subrat

Super hit, more due to the hook step, great party song. -Ashwini

The consistently haunting vibe of the song makes it work. -Anish

This deserved a better singer. -Shalini

What an atmosphere this creates! -Harsh

The same background song template. -Subrat

Yashwardhan Goswami has done a good job with the lyrics. -Akanksha

Could have been better, but for insipid singing. -Pavan

It lacks the sense of existential tension needed for this one. -Anas

Very atmospheric, There is an eerie calmness to the composition with hardly any rush which allows the tune simmer and settle a bit. Kanisk Seth does a decent job building it up and importantly maintaining the allure. -Apoorv

Slow burning, shadowy, intriguing. -Uday

Kanishk Seth has a unique sound and style; I hope to hear more from him in the future. -Vishal

Nondescript. -Ashwini

Kanishk Seth's composition and vocals slowly grow on you. Efficiently produced. -Poulomi

Patriotic song with qawalli elements. Instant earworm. -Anish

Shashwat Sachdev is maturing as a music director. -Vishal

Thoda shor kam hota to asar hota is geet meN. -Pavan

No emotional gravitas. -Anas

Robust arrangement enlivens generic tune. -Uday

Heard them all during the peak Sufiyana years. -Subrat

Has that "heard this before" quality to it that makes it instantly forgettable. -Poulomi

Too much, too loud, too repetative. Good to hear the Harmonium play a role, but it came in too late and did too little. -Apoorv

Fun but just that. Over-programmed and over-processed. But, it gets your feet moving, so unsurprising has been a staple in the clubs. Simran Choudhary was actually a nice surprise for her short part. -Apoorv

No comments. Songs like these have an audience but that is not me. -Akanksha

Catchy. -Armeen

Gaana bahut bura tha isiliye nahi aayi. -Manjiri

Not sure if this is going to be the next big trend in Bollywood, but this year there were a few bhojpuri style songs that made their way into Hindi movies. This one was my favourite among the lot. Very catchy. -Vipin

Amitabh Bhattacharya is a disappointment here. I am told this template works quite well in UP-Bihar. -Pavan

Catchy tune by Sachin-Jigar. Smart wordplay by Amitabh Bhattacharya. -Anish

Fun, energetic, and vibey — everything you want from a track like this. -Anas

Very rooted and great repeat value. -Pulkit

Really? Kaati raat maine khet mein tu aayi nahin. -Subrat

Not egregiously bad, just thoroughly unmemorable. -Uday

Fun song, cute lyrics, competent singing. -Ashwini

Really fun Amitabh Bhattacharya lyrical wordplay. -Poulomi

Despite being another Punjabi flavoured song in a year that had many of its ilk, this holds better than others. -Subrat

Such a sweet warm melody, Arijit is lovely as always, but it's the arrangement that takes the cake here. -Harsh

Goes to show more than anything, what makes arijit singh's vocal endure, despite that complaint of sameness. -Poulomi

Very average lyrics, lifted at best by Sachin-Jigar's composition and Arijit's usual style. -Akanksha

A highly infectious love song that one wants to hum as soon as one hears it for the first time. -Anish

Expected more from Sachin-Jigar. They usually get these ones right. -Anas

We have heard this before from Sachin-Jigar, from Amitabh Bhattacharya, and most certainly from Arijit Singh. Viral on Reels, but not much feels. -Apoorv

Nondescript, if pleasant. -Uday

Weird lyrics. -Ashwini

It's so generic, I want to give it a negative rating. -Manjiri

Tanishk's reworking of Raghav's iconic track works very well. -Anish

Say what you may, but Tanishk Bagchi just knows how to create chartbusters that storm the airwaves. The mixing and mastering of his dance numbers are absolutely spoton (kudos to Eric Pillai as well for that). A stylish hook step and a suave musical hook here is just unignorable. I will likely forget this when the next foot-tapping number rolls in (likely by Tanishk himself), but in the interim this did make me groove. -Apoorv

The tune is good. Everthing else is underwhelming. -Anas

Beginning reminded me of Sunita Rao's Pari hoon main. -Vaishali

Fun song with catchy beat. -Shalini

Catchy is all there is all there is to it. The end of antaras give a feel of yester year songs, particularly in Asees's voice. -Akanksha

Very catchy, busy production. -Uday

Not a big fan of recreations still, but this was a nice repackaging of the Raghav song. -Vipin

Half decent composition. -Subrat

Nothing exceptional. -Pavan

A remake/remix we could have done without. -Poulomi

Nice, hit song. -Ashwini

Shilpa is great, but song is average. -Ashwini

A confused song. Surprising, considering it comes from Sid Anand and Vishal-Shekhar, who have truly mastered this genre in the past. -Anas

Some funky bass, and electric, guitar by Rhythm Shaw! -Vishal

Shilpa Rao is easy on ears like always. -Subrat

Bang Bang, War, and now Fighter - these Hritik-Vishal Shekhar dance tracks are becoming a genre in and of themselves. And they are mighty cool and irresistable enough not to swerve to. Vishal quite simply knows how to sound in songs like these with the tease of a rock grunge in his voice and he has met a perfect foil in the sedate yet sexy sound of Shilpa. Fun, frolicking, and foot-tapping! -Apoorv

I can't repeat this enough but this is possibly the worst Vishal-Shekhar Hindi film album in a long time. This song, in particular, is so derivative of their earlier work. -Poulomi

I am very bored of Vishal-Shekhar's music now. No innovation off late. -Akanksha

Nice to hear Shilpa Rao but wish it was in a better song. -Shalini

Shilpa Rao is capable of uplifting any song, period. But a let down from V-S honestly. -Harsh

Upbeat song. -Anish

Ishq jaisa kuchh bhi nahin. -Pavan

Disco groove is catchy, otherwise not outstanding. -Uday

Catchy dance number, exuberantly sung. -Uday

Pleasant but overcrowded. The composition doesn't come together cohesively. -Poulomi

A typical Tanishk Bagchi musical mashup - exciting hook and then nothing really to write home about. -Apoorv

Lovely song. Western fusion does not add to or feel necessary. -Vaishali

Mame Khan was good in the original one. They should have retained that version. Songs with old popular hooks, should have a separate category. Oh! That will leave only 5-6 songs in main category it seems. -Pavan

One of the better dance numbers this year. -Akanksha

The party anthem of the year. -Anas

No, thank you. -Subrat

This one surprised me, how well the two sounds merge into a catchy dance number. -Harsh

Tanishk reimagines the popular folk number in a very interesting way. -Anish

A dash of nostalgia, with that 90s feel. Good for one-time listening. -Pavan

Pleasant enough 90s throwback, can imagine Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik singing it. -Uday

Decently sung, but a bit generic, not sufficiently novel. -Ashwini

The north-eastern folk flavour in the melodious song makes it interesting. -Anish

The lyrics and composition both feel very repetitive to me. Seems more like a work in progess song than a fully realized one. -Poulomi

A decent album by Joi Barua. Good to hear Zubeen after some time, who still manages to have the vocal charm he had in the mid 2000s, but why break the word as roo and Thoo. N? Monali is severly underused here. -Apoorv

Easy on ears but not memorable. -Subrat

My least favourite song in the album. No surprises, a very familiar template. -Harsh

Exciting to hear Zubeen after so long. Musu Musu Haasi feels! -Akanksha

Fun, bouncy number. -Anish

Funky groove wasted. -Uday

Why is Vishal Mishra so good when he is good and just outright terrible when bad? -Apoorv

Again, quite lazy. -Anas

Love how the groove evolves here. Brilliantly catchy. -Harsh

The chorus comes together really nicely. -Poulomi

Crew had a fun soundtrack, as much as I scoff at remixes, even those kind of worked in this movie. This has been my favourite song from the movie though, absolutely infectious disco-style piece from Vishal Mishra and Raj Shekhar. -Vipin

Oh look, another song with Punjabi lyrics. Over it. -Shalini

naa ji naa. -Subrat

Tu sach me hai dhokha koi, jaise hawaa ka jhonka koi / Tu khwaab si hai, tu roshani hai deserved another song and is wasted here. -Pavan

Dated composition. Not much to take away from here. -Poulomi

Yet another Punjabi loaded generic track. -Subrat

While Tanishk composes a beautiful melody, the lyrics are mediocre. -Anish

Simple track builds a powerful finish. Raghav's vocal is the standout. -Uday

For some reason the two lead voices do not jive well when they sing together. Rather the whole song, while well-intentioned melodically, never really seems to settle. Even the Raghav's two-pitch overlay at the end just seems to be doing too much for the purpose of the song. -Apoorv

Feels like a drivel spoof. Really. -Anas

Standard Punjabi rhythms and lyrics. -Akanksha

A big Vishal-Shekhar letdown for me. Heads in no rewarding directions. -Poulomi

Even if you ignore the debt to Staying Alive, this is an undercooked dance song. -Uday

Average. -Ashwini

A main riff is absolute blockbuster! The programming and arrangement of a track like this is almost like bread and butter for Vishal-Sheykhar, and yet they manage to keep it from being banal. The antaraas are a bit weak, but everytime Vishal brings the song back to the mukhadaa with that grungy "abhi to hum" is chef's kiss! Excellent use of the claps as well. -Apoorv

So ordinary. -Harsh

Dude, Where is my fast forward button? -Pavan

Vishal & Sheykhar create a very catchy tune that also has a striking hookline. -Anish

Lukewarm. -Anas

Wish the sheer had remained caged. -Subrat

Very conventional. -Anas

Again, seems like a background song indistinguishable from the film and therefore follows a template. -Subrat

A decent song with nothing to write home about. -Anish

Jubin does it for me in this song. He sounds very fresh, very bouyant, and very charming. Pretty much what the song demands and that puts a smile on my face. Tanishk's composition exudes romance and it remains light and simple. -Apoorv

Another unmemorable tanishk bagchi composition. -Poulomi

A different set of singers would have made this song a bit more listenable. -Pavan

Annoying floaty vocal by Jubin, nondescript melody. -Uday

Pritam had already squeezed all the juice out of this orange, making this track sound like a last-ditch attempt to extract a few more drops. -Vishal

Tanishk Bagchi adds interesting elements to the original composition by Pritam. -Anish

Overproduced to a point of no return. The disparate elements barely blend together. -Poulomi

Hey Raam! Not again. Neeraj Shridhar's old vibes are much better than Diljit or Pitbull. -Pavan

Ruined the original. Shoddy. -Anas

That old hook is catchy, everything else is instantly forgettable. -Subrat

Same old song, still catchy but familiar. -Uday

There wasn't much of a point in doing this yet again. -Akanksha

Never thought I would see Sameer and Pitbull credited in the same song. And what whatever reason, it works! After Akon, Kylie, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, why should Pitbutt be left behind? Call it is nostalgia, but through all that razzmatazz, somehow Neeraj Shridhar's original lines work the best for me. -Apoorv

Very popular, fun song. -Ashwini