Top Film Songs of 2021

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)

तेरे रंग (अतरंगी रे)

tere ra.ng (Atrangi Re)

Tags: calm, classical collage, colors, colourful, dance, emotional, flute, folk-ish, holi, instrumental, krishna raas, longing, love, madly in love, raag hamir-based, romantic, semi-classical, traditional

ए आर रहमान
A R Rahman

इरशाद कामिल
Irshad Kamil

हरिचरण शेषाद्रि, श्रेया घोषाल
Haricharan Seshadri, Shreya Ghoshal

3.32

Toggle Jury's comments

Spectacular, soaring, Rahman in complete element. -Sukanya

Loved the instrumentation. Rahman at his best. The finest track in the brilliant soundtrack! -Aman

Trust ARR's songs to have the most unpredictable progression despite the song using a popular hook tune. -Meera

One of my favorite songs of the year. The instrumental are wonderful, especially, the flute. The opening bits reminded me of Manmohini Teri Ada. -Pankaj

Complex and intricate classical ditty, sung really well, overall impact still remains somewhere in the middle. It remotely reminds one of Madhuban main radhika. -Suanshu

Delightful composition! Words & tune blend into the rhythm beautifully! -Arun

This energetic, semi-classical song with rich orchestra is wonderfully sung by Shreya and Haricharan. -Vaishali

A delightful, semi-classical song by Rahman that gets both the melody and singing so very right. -Karthik

marks the trademark sound ARR-ALR combo. -Anup

The tune, with a tinge of Carnatic music, doesn't break any new ground but is pleasant. -Anish

I especially loved the sudden, unexpected, and delightful burst of choir (by El Fe) after the first antara (anupallavi). -Vishal

A real charmer. The singing is amazing! -Sumi

Has a lot of colors including that of hameer. -Nishant

A nice melody based partly on Raag Hameer. The singers give the song what it needs. -UVR

Ah Hameer - hard to be inconspicuous about it. Another ARR "montage" song...nothing sounds remotely *bad* but it doesn't quite hang together as a cohesive entity. Words again clumsily fit in multiple spots. The "Tere Rang" tag happens too late in the song to mean anything to me. -Sanjeev

The song has a haunting quality, where the Longing is still joyful. Like Radhika's for Krishna. -Vaidehi

रत्ती रत्ती रेज़ा रेज़ा (मीनाक्षी सुंदरेश्वर)

rattii rattii rezaa rezaa (Meenakshi Sundareshwar)

Tags: austere, breakup, easy listening, estrangement, heartbreak, introspective, judaai, longing, love, lover’s tiff, melancholic, resignation, romantic, sad, sentimental, separation, sombre, sorrowful, soulful, thought provoking

जस्टिन प्रभाकरन
Justin Prabhakaran

राज शेखर
Raj Shekhar

अभय जोधपुरकर, श्रेया घोषाल
Abhay Jodhpurkar, Shreya Ghoshal

3.29

Toggle Jury's comments

The singers absolutely lift the song. -Suanshu

Superbly articulated. -Nishant

Shreya is painful as usual, but I liked the male voice. -Shalini

My favorite from this wonderful album. It's ironic how the song about a couple separating is filled with word pairs (couples)! -Vishal

This song slowly grew up on me. Shreya Goshal and Abhay Jodhpurkar are great. The tempo change at Ratti Ratti is wonderful. -Pankaj

Beautiful singing, beautiful music, beautiful lyrics. -Aman

Rajshekhar - giving words to the most difficult to articulate emotions & situations, since 2011. -Meera

Melodious. -Nidheesh

Two thumbs up! -Sukanya

Justin pulls off an ARR here! -Arun

Voices are really good and instrumentation is also pleasant. Somehow underwhelmed by the lyrics...last pass through, it weirdly sounds like he's saying "Muzhe Kuchh Nahin Kehna". -Sanjeev

Gorgeous one! Abhay is stellar and Shreya never misses a beat. -Sumi

Unlike most of the other songs on the album, Justin opts for a minimalistic sound in “Ratti Ratti Reza Reza”. Perhaps, he did so to highlight the sense of melancholy in the song. “Kya karein ki jaldi-jaldi tujhe bhul jaayein ab, saath waali saari shaamein yaad phir naa aayein ab….”, Raj Shekhar’s lines contribute greatly in this aspect as well. -Anish

Simple, melancholic melody with great singing by Abhay Jodhpurkar and Shreya. -Vaishali

तू यहीं है (मीनाक्षी सुंदरेश्वर)

tuu yahii.n hai (Meenakshi Sundareshwar)

Tags: calm, duet, happy, happy love, hopeful, imagination, joyous, long distance, longing, love, love song, meetha, melodious, missing, pining, romantic, semi-classical, separation, symphonic, virah

जस्टिन प्रभाकरन
Justin Prabhakaran

राज शेखर
Raj Shekhar

अभय जोधपुरकर, मधुश्री, रेशमी सतीश
Abhay Jodhpurkar, Madhushree, Resmi Sateesh

3.13

Toggle Jury's comments

Poster boy for those long distance relationships. -Nishant

The old world charm, top tier singing, and that Ajay-Atul-esque orchestral crescendo! -Anup

Madhushree and Abhay Jodhpurkar complement each other perfectly well. -Aman

What a wonderful arrangement! Although I cringe every time I hear 'yahee' (this) instead of 'yaheen' (here). That 'Hamein subah se uska intezaar hai' line makes you want to fall in love all over again. -Vishal

The prelude music itself gets you invested in this song as a listener and when Madhushree sings the first line, you know it is a saccharine romantic number that has been put together with a lot of thought and care. -Anish

Gentle and light love song. Beautifully rendered by Madhushree (good to hear her after a long time) and Abhay Jodhpurkar. This happy song is one of my favorites. -Vaishali

My favorite in this album…Madhushree is so good and the stomping and the addition of the Carnatic style alaaps are stunning. -Sumi

There is something magical about Madhushree’s voice. Great composition, great singing. -Pankaj

Sweet, simple. -Sukanya

Abhay J. is the highlight of the song, Madhushree somehow does not sound as fluid as he does. -Sanjeev

Very fresh voices! And a symphony of a composition. -Arun

Madhushree & Abhay's voices compliment each other beautifully! -Meera

तुम्हें मुहब्बत (अतरंगी रे)

tumhe.n muhabbat (Atrangi Re)

Tags: articulate, breakup, fresh, haunting, heartache, helpless, humming, longing, melancholy, mellow, pining, rivalry, romantic, sad, semi-classical, sorrow, soulful, unique, unrequited love

ए आर रहमान
A R Rahman

इरशाद कामिल
Irshad Kamil

अरिजित सिंह
Arijit Singh

3.13

Toggle Jury's comments

The most underrated track from the soundtrack. Rahman makes Arijit sounds so fresh in a freewheeling composition. -Aman

I am sick of Arijit Singh Ballads. I love Arijit Singh Ballads! -Arun

The change in scales and chords along a single guitar is Rahman’s masterstroke here, Arijit sings it to perfection. -Suanshu

Count the number of raags in this one. Literature by Kamil Saab. -Anup

A very unique song where the lover is singing about his lover’s lover. Arijit is superb. -Pankaj

Therav is the true test of one's finesse and Arijit passes with flying colours here. -Meera

The humming is nice. The melody, lyrics, and simple orchestration all lead to a lovely song. -Shalini

This raga based song gives enough opportunity to Arijit Singh to flex his vocal muscles. The song sounds a bit too depressing at times. -Anish

Interesting, engaging (though not entirely intuitive) and well-sung melody. Subtle classical influences. Like the unresolved ending. -Sanjeev

Arijit's singing in this kind of song is really rather attractive! I liked this a lot. -UVR

A winner all the way. -Sukanya

गोरी गोद भरी (99 सौंग्स)

gorii god bharii (99 Songs)

Tags: celebration, chorus, classical, classical folk, classical-based, dance, dance-worthy, decorative, festive, happiness, joyful, lilting, melodic, rich, sarod, semi-classical piece with a folk soul, semi-classical, soulful, traditional, wedding

ए आर रहमान
A R Rahman

नवनीत विर्क
Navneet Virk

अल्का याग्निक, अनुराधा श्रीराम, श्वेता मोहन
Alka Yagnik, Anuradha Sriram, Shweta Mohan

2.99

Toggle Jury's comments

Rich music layered with various classical instruments and beautiful chorus. On the whole a sweet song. -Vaishali

The use of sarod, sitar and shehnai is magnificent along with a brilliant theta on the tabla. -Suanshu

Only AR can make Alka Yagnik relevant. -Meera

The tune is good enough, the singing adequate, but the end product fails to impress. -UVR

Return of Alka Yagnik! Interesting take on Deepchandi theka. Very obviously Bageshri->Malgunji base, but sargam is "shifted". Good sarod/sitar/guitar work. Feels like a collage, but an enjoyable one... -Sanjeev

Rahman in recycle mode. -Sukanya

Can you imagine moon dipped in honey? That's how imagine Gori Godh Bhari as a song to be. The song brought back pleasant memories of so many Indian styled songs that Rahman composed back in the day. Was also wonderful to see him get singers like Alka Yagnik and Sujatha Mohan, whom he used to collaborate very often back in the day, to sing this one. -Anish

Rahman hits it on all levels…perfect choice of singers and fantastic use of the sitar! Love this song! -Sumi

Wonderful sarod and shehnai, lovely singing by all three singers, and a soothing melody. -Vishal

It's a song that evokes joy and hope from a deep place in your soul. -Vaidehi

what an ensemble of singers! -Anup

It has a nice vibe about it. -Pankaj

Song of the year for me. Right elements mixed in good proportions. Lovely Sarod pieces to go with the shehnai. -Nishant

Lovely orchestration and arrangement! -Arun

Apart from the rich instrumentation and arrangement, nothing much special about it. -Aman

Did I miss Alka Yagnik these past few years? No. Would have liked to continued not missing her. -Shalini

रेत ज़रा सी (अतरंगी रे)

ret zaraa sii (Atrangi Re)

Tags: contemplative, countryside, longing, lyrical, madly in love, pensive, philosophical, rahmanesque, romantic, semi-classical, soulful, wistful

ए आर रहमान
A R Rahman

इरशाद कामिल
Irshad Kamil

अरिजित सिंह, शाशा तिरुपति
Arijit Singh, Shashaa Tirupati

2.99

Toggle Jury's comments

Favourite song of 2021. -Sukanya

The humming by Arijit in the initial is so memorable. Beautiful and philosophical lyrics. The composition has different types of beats which are just lovely. -Pankaj

I liked the back and forth between legato ('hona tera hona' lines) and staccato ('jeena hai'). -Vishal

A delicate composition sung very well by Arijit. Throwback to old style Rahman, swelling strings and a number of instruments create a countryside universe. -Suanshu

Rahman has incorporated a number of little flourishes to the composition but they remain just that - disconnected bits that don't really add up to anything or make a better whole. -Shalini

Melodious. -Nidheesh

Voices are good, but wasted in a song with lots of words crammed in all over the place. Feels like a mashup of old ARR stuff, including interspersed Thamizh lyrics.. -Sanjeev

Irshad Kamil's lyrics are the highlight of this lovely track. -Aman

Instrumentation the high point here. -Nishant

Classic ARR! -Arun

Incredibly soulful melody by Rahman, aced by stellar singing. -Karthik

The song is reminiscent of the early 2000s Rahman but is beautful nonetheless. Nostalgia has been used for good effect here. -Anish

I'd expect more magic from Irshad Kamil & ARR but may be that's just me benchmarking them on their past collabs. -Meera

संग रहना (अजीब दास्तान्स)

sa.ng rahanaa (Ajeeb Daastaans)

Tags: affectionate, ballad, dreamy, heartfelt, hummable, loveable, melodious, peppy, prayer, romantic, sentimental, separation, soothing, soulful, togetherness, virah

आलोकानंद दासगुप्ता
Alokananda Dasgupta

वरुण ग्रोवर
Varun Grover

रोंकिनी गुप्ता
Ronkini Gupta

2.99

Toggle Jury's comments

Understated, serene, along with ambient soundscapes which are unexpected, guitar is superb. -Suanshu

There is something magnetic about this one. -Nishant

Haunting melody and nicely executed! -Sumi

I liked this composition with thoughtful lyrics sung by Ronkini Gupta in her honey-like voice. -Vaishali

Why is this song so short! Loop worthy! -Meera

Had a early 2000 Bollywood music feel to it which I loved. Very, very pleasant tune. Just wish it was longer. -Anish

Sweetness personified. -Sukanya

Beautifully sung! -Sanjeev

A beautiful song on the theme of separation. Ronkini Gupta’s voice accentuates the song beautifully. -Pankaj

Unfussy, gentle, simple yet sweet melody that knows that less means more. -Shalini

Always look forward to Ronkini Gupta's songs after the brilliant Rafu and she doesn't disappoint. -Aman

How talented is Varun Grover? :-O The only thing I "didn't like" about this song is how short it is! -UVR

परम सुंदरी (मिमी)

param su.ndarii (Mimi)

Tags: 90s, catchy, ceberating beauty, dance, dance/celebration, ensemble, folk, fun, groovy, happy, hopeful, irreverent, item number, item song, jaunty, praising, romantic, sizzling, upbeat

ए आर रहमान
A R Rahman

अमिताभ भट्टाचार्य
Amitabh Bhattacharya

श्रेया घोषाल
Shreya Ghoshal

2.93

Toggle Jury's comments

The tune is catchy but reminds one of a few other songs composed by A R Rahman in the past. No complaints with the lyrics and vocals. -Anish

Shreya emotes perfectly! -Sumi

One of the most ebullient tracks by Rahman in recent times. Has instant appeal. -Karthik

Another winner from Rahman-Shreya combo. Amitabh Bhattacharya's lyrics could have been better. -Aman

The song did not work much for me. -Pankaj

The beats forces your feet to tap with their extremely danceable tune while the song has a lovely hopeful quality. -Vaidehi

Average. -Nishant

That groovy bassline! -Anup

You can tell Shreya Ghosal had a ball crooning this one. She knows how to add oomph to words like 'pair' and 'betahasha', without overdoing it. Fantastic desi percussion by Dipesh Varma. The five-note bass guitar hook that traverses an octave is so infectious! -Vishal

Lingers. Dance number. -Nidheesh

Could have been any other forgettable song from 2012. -Meera

Figured this for a stock item song and was about to tune out...but Shreya Ghoshal...good for you!! -Sanjeev

Catchy hook and tune, beautiful singing and lyrics, wonderful instrumentation helps makethis a popular song. -Vaishali

Sassy! -Sukanya

Shreya sings this slightly complex AR Rahman ditty quite well. -Suanshu

बन्दर बाँट (शेरनी)

bandar baa.NT (Sherni)

Tags: anticful, ballad, energetic, fable, fables, folk, folk hybrid, folk-based, folksy, jungle, nautanki/folk, political, rousing, rustic, satire, storytelling, thought provoking, tribal, wild

बंदिश प्रोजॅक्ट
Bandish Projekt

हुसैन हैदरी
Hussain Haidry

ऐश्वर्या जोशी, रोशन ख़ान
Aishwarya Joshi, Roshan Khan

2.86

Toggle Jury's comments

The lyrics are a winner here, the voices are apt. They just needed more clarity. -Suanshu

Very good lyrics indeed. The singing keeps you gripped to the words. -UVR

Good energy - yet again difficult to judge the song without knowing the film context...voices are slightly less polished, but presumably for effect. -Sanjeev

Hussain Haidry's lyrics are the highlight of the track, that perfectly fits well with the theme of the excellent film Sherni. -Aman

A fable turned into a song innovatively. -Pankaj

Lyrics that attempt to tell a story are always a winner. All points for Hussain Haidry here! -Meera

When poetry and politics collide, razor-sharp final results. -Sukanya

Interesting use of instruments and tempo. -Nishant

Loved the full throated singing by Aishwarya Joshi and the beat…very enjoyable! -Sumi

Despite being a fairly offbeat song, they weaved in a catchy hookline. The lyrics are thoughtful and in sync with the theme of the film. -Anish

Fabulous raw vocals compliments this earthy, impactful song. -Vaishali

I have no idea what they're saying but it's short and catchy and that's good enough for me. -Shalini

Great adaptation of a classic fable. I wish there were more songs like this! -Vishal

मन केसर केसर (मीनाक्षी सुंदरेश्वर)

man kesar kesar (Meenakshi Sundareshwar)

Tags: calm, carnatic, carnatic classical, celebration, celebration of love, celebratory, cheerful, contemporary with elements of folk, dance, first love, fusion, happy, hopeful, love song, north meets south, romantic, semi-classical, soothing, tamil, wedding

जस्टिन प्रभाकरन
Justin Prabhakaran

राज शेखर
Raj Shekhar

शाश्वत सिंह, आनंदी जोशी, गोल्डी सोहेल
Shashwat Singh, Aanandi Joshi, Goldie Sohel

2.85

Toggle Jury's comments

Fantastic melody that is language-agnostic in its appeal. And it mixes Hindi and Tamil very adeptly. -Karthik

The most interesting thing to me in this song is Justin Prabhakaran's adaptation of Tyagaraja's "swara-raga-sudha-rasa yuta bhakti" in the raga Shankarabharanam in the nadaswaram portion. The rest of the song is fine. I was bothered by Shashwat Singh's "कन्मनी" when it is in fact "कण्मणी". Why aren't singers these days paying attention? -UVR

Justin Prabhakaran's debut in hindi is mindblowing. -Arun

Welcome Justin Prabhakaran to Hindi music! -Anup

What's with "kanmani" instead of "kaNmaNi"? Delhi boy meets Chennai girl? But then later the Thamizh suddenly gets better...and that nadaswaram excerpt of "Swara Raga Sudha" over and over just typifies what this song is...patchwork... -Sanjeev

Lovely song about new love, blended beautifully with South Indian musical influences. -Vaishali

Interesting use of naadaswaram. -Suanshu

Perfectly treated and sweetly sung. Look forward to more numbers by Aanandi Joshi. -Sumi

Flavourful but falls short of fantastic. -Sukanya

Instantly likeable! Lovely use of chorus. That sudden exuberance starting at “Khanak Khanak” spices up the song in a great way. The melody in the antara (anupallavi) has some of the softest edges I’ve heard all year. -Vishal

The impact of this song is such that it creates an array of visuals in your mind as you listen to it. Justin Prabhakaran’s composition is layered and simple at the same time. Each and every phrase written by Raj Shekhar contribute towards making it a song that remains etched in your mind long after you have finished listening to it. -Anish

Earworm. setting up the mood perfectly esp the naadaswaram. -Nishant

Sweet. -Aman

अनन्या (तूफ़ान)

ananyaa (Toofaan)

Tags: acoustic, ballad, breezy, bubbly, easy-listening, indie, light, love ballad, non film style, playful, poetry, praising, quiet romantic, romantic, soft, soulful, tareef, unplugged

शंकर-एहसान-लॉय
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

जावेद अख़्तर
Javed Akhtar

अरिजित सिंह
Arijit Singh

2.85

Toggle Jury's comments

Light song which stays with you long after you have heard it. -Anup

Loved the lyrics. And that music is minimal. -Nidheesh

Those in love with the Ananyas of the world now have a song to romance and serenade their Ananyas with. And a lovely song too! What's not to like. -UVR

Male singers, while keeping the mood intact, need to atleast pronounce the words clearly and steer away from what seems like lazy singing. -Meera

Run-of-the-mill stuff. -Nishant

Probably the best thing about the Toofaan film. -Aman

The violin plays a small but impactful role; I wish it were given a little more prominence. -Vishal

Arijit doesn’t disappoint. Lovely vocals, reminded me of Kishore. -Arun

Velvety renditon, intimate sound. -Sukanya

This song is a slow burner that keeps growing on you with time. Arijit's tender rendition and the lovely guitar pieces are the highlights of the song. -Anish

Soulful melody and lovely musical arrangements make this is the best song in the album. -Vaishali

Arijit is a good singer with natural warmth and good reach in his voice but I will never get the appeal of the "casual, flatline, expressionless" stuff MDs seem to like to make him do (e.g. the "O~~~~ Ananyaa" at the very beginning of this song). -Sanjeev

Arijit Singh sounds very different here in a good way. He has sung it beautifully. -

Understated. -Suanshu

Good lullaby. I was out 5 seconds into the song. -Shalini

थोड़े कम अजनबी (पगलेट)

tho.De kam ajanabii (Pagglait)

Tags: ambient, background, easy listening, fall in love, first love feels, getting to know, hopeful, lively, low key, philosophical, romantic, self effacing, sentimental, soulful, strangers becoming lovers, thoughtful, upbeat, uplifting

अरिजित सिंह
Arijit Singh

नीलेश मिश्रा
Neelesh Misra

हिमानी कपूर, अरिजित सिंह
Himani Kapoor, Arijit Singh

2.83

Toggle Jury's comments

One of the best songs this year. Himani Kapoor's rendition, Neelesh Misra's lyrics and Arijit Singh's composition, each aspect of the song is beautiful. -Anish

Voices are pleasant, tune feels like a nursery rhyme or TV commercial. -Sanjeev

Himani's vocals definitely elevate this song from what would otherwise destine it for oblivion. -UVR

Nice to hear the talented Himani Kapoor after a long time! And Arijit is amazing as usual. -Sumi

Himani Kapoor is so memorable here. Another gem of a song. -Pankaj

There is a sameness to the Pagglait songs, at least in theme, that led to diminishing returns in terms of my interest in any individual song. -Shalini

Like starting after hitting the reset button. -Nishant

Strong on soul. -Sukanya

Neelesh Misra pens dowm some wonderful lines and Himani Kapoor croons them really well. -Aman

Good to hear to Himani Kapoor. She had done a great job with the song. -Vaishali

Lovely back-and-forth and interspersing lines between both singers. Beautiful melody. -Vishal

पुर्वैया (तूफ़ान)

purvaiyaa (Toofaan)

Tags: appreciation, dealing with life, determination, existential, hopeful, inspiration, motivation, philosophical, reflective, rock qawwali-inspired, sentimental, sombre, soulful, sports, sufi, tender, uplifting

शंकर-एहसान-लॉय
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

जावेद अख़्तर
Javed Akhtar

शंकर महादेवन
Shankar Mahadevan

2.79

Toggle Jury's comments

It's adequately dramatic but lacks repeat value. -Sukanya

Good lyrics by Javed Akhtar. As usual, Shankar Mahadevan shines. -Aman

Again the "fans in the stadium on their feet" effect...Shankar Mahadevan in his singing element for high-pitch drama. Words are "creatively" fit into the meter, some spots work better than others... -Sanjeev

Nice chorus opening! That exploding line with a bursting electric guitar ('Tez chali re purvaiya') reminded me of Mitwa (Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham). -Vishal

Great arrangement. -Anup

Beautiful composition - both melody and rhythm. -Vaishali

The tune worked only in parts for me. The highlight of the song, undoubtedly, was Shankar Mahadevan's rendition. -Anish

Vintage Shankar! Vintage S-E-L! Some may say this is "last decade's song", but a good thing never really goes out of style. -UVR

Shankar Mahadevan is the star of the piece — composition and his singing, and that fab theta on the tabla. -Suanshu

Trust the talented trio to soak in the emotion in a pensive, highly melodic tune. Plus, wonderful singing that accentuates the feel. -Karthik

Lingers. Good build up. Clear. -Nidheesh

Singing was the only saving grace. -Nishant

तितर बितर (मीनाक्षी सुंदरेश्वर)

titar bitar (Meenakshi Sundareshwar)

Tags: comic, commentary, conversational, cool, easy listening, folk, fun, funny, heartbreak, humorous, khichdi, musical, pop, quirky, rhythmic, romantic, situational, spoofy/comic, tamil, whimsical

जस्टिन प्रभाकरन
Justin Prabhakaran

राज शेखर
Raj Shekhar

रोमी, गोल्‍डी सोहेल, प्रिंस भत्रा, मोहन भोगराजु, हेमम्बिका, स्वाति शर्मा, चित्रलेखा सेन, यजत गर्ग
Romy, Goldie Sohel, Prince Bhatra, Mohana Bhogaraju, Hemambika, Swati Sharma, Chitralekha Sen, Yajat Garg

2.79

Toggle Jury's comments

Fun song. Interesting mix of Carnatic and Jazz, Hinglish lyrics. -Vaishali

Bring the house down creativity, full-on riot. -Sukanya

The lyrics bring a smile to your face even as they speak about tragedy. It's a very different song. -Vaidehi

Too clinically produced, needed to be more titar bitar. Yet, fav song of the album. Some great singing. -Anup

Cute in places, but also feels a little long. Hard to tell since for the film, so many of these are trimmed. -Sanjeev

While this is the kind of track that could be described as a ‘situational song’, Justin peppers it up with several interesting elements to ensure it leaves a mark as a standalone audio track. One of the strengths of the film is its unpredictability. -Anish

Delectable bhelpuri of a song. -Nishant

Most fun song of the year. It's hard to pull off a heavily situational, musical-style song like this, but Justin Prabhakaran delivers a gem without a hitch! -Vishal

A beautiful song from the album. The song starts slow but grows up on you gradually. -Pankaj

Very innovative. Funny. Easy to register. Lingers. -Nidheesh

Fun! -Meera

What a fabulous ensemble of singers delivering an absolute winner! -Sumi

Lyrics are terrible, orchestration is fun, situational. -Suanshu

पीर मेरी पिया जाने ना (मेरा फ़ौजी कॉलिंग)

piir merii piyaa jaane naa (Mera Fauji Calling)

Tags: adoring, anticipation, celebration, folk, folksy, homecoming, longing, men singing for women, pining, qawwalish, romantic, sajda, semi-classical, sentimental, serene, soulful, suffering, sufi fusion, welcome, yearning

हरप्रीत सिंह विग
Harpriet Singh Vig

पूजा सैनी, पारंपरिक
Pooja Saini, Traditional

रब्बानी मुस्तफ़ा ख़ान
Rabbani Mustafa Khan

2.78

Toggle Jury's comments

Nice arrangement and a wonderful song all around; my favorite part is the female chorus followed by a beautiful harmonium solo that leads back to the next antara. -Vishal

Old song feel with good singing, lovely flute. -Vaishali

Sufi meets semi classical meets folk. -Nishant

Flutes are wonderful. A folk piece is taken as the centre refrain and used with a composition around it.. which has been done well. -Suanshu

Just the poetry of the song elevates it to a almost a prayer of love. -Vaidehi

Loved every aspect of the song. Despite being a semi-classical number in parts, it is extremely accesible. -Anish

Rabbani Mustafa is good, song is pleasant, but still feels like a "collage". -Sanjeev

Lingers with you long after you've heard it. -Sumi

Pleasant track. -Sukanya

Lovely refreshing voice. -Arun

The female chorus adds more depth to the song. -Aman

राँझा (शेेरशाह)

raa.Njhaa (Shershaah)

Tags: addictive, earworm, folksy, heer raanjha, longing, moving, punjabi, punjabi folk, romantic, sad, senti, separation, serene, soft, soulful, upbeat

जसलीन रॉयल
Jasleen Royal

अन्विता दत्त
Anvita Dutt

बी प्राक, जसलीन रॉयल
B Praak, Jasleen Royal

2.77

Toggle Jury's comments

One of the best songs of the year. The music is wonderful. Jasleen and B. Praak make a great pair. The Punjabi bits where Jasleen sings, “Kali Peedh Vich Baitihi,” lift the song beautifully. The song has a contemporary feel for a folk story. -Pankaj

Liked Jasleen Royal’s portion. -Vaishali

Heartwarming vocals, by Jasleen and B Praak. -Karthik

Magical in all respects. -Sukanya

Female vocals disappoint! -Arun

Yet another Punjabi song, which works due to Jasleep Royal's soulful, likeable, easy-on-ear tune. -Vishal

I have some major issues with the lyrics (in terms of grammer and imagery) but can't deny the fact that the song boasts of a well-designed tune and orchestral arrangements. Using singers with completely different vocal textures was interesting. -Anish

B Praak has been utilised perfectly in the track, even if it sounds autotuned. Lilting melody from Jasleen Royal. Easily the romantic track of the year. -Aman

B Praak’s voice is so so powerful here.. much more than Jasleen Royal. Best song from the film list. -Suanshu

Easy listening but very predictable progression. Nothing innovative! -Meera

Initial female voice a little raw/unpolished, presumably for effect... -Sanjeev

राताँ लम्बियाँ (शेेरशाह)

raataa.N lambiyaa.N (Shershaah)

Tags: 90s, beautiful, earworm, folk, folk feel, happy, happy sad, longing, love ballad, lovers pining, playful, punjabi, pyaar vyaar, romantic, senti

तनिष्क बागची
Tanishk Bagchi

जुबिन नौटियाल, असीस कौर
Jubin Nautiyal, Asees Kaur

2.77

Toggle Jury's comments

Melodious and pleasing. But pushing no boundaries! Couldve been any other song from 2014. -Meera

Sweet, innocent, and simple, if a little predictable. Refreshing to hear songs like these where there's actually some space for the voice and mind, what with folks bending over backward to create complicated situational stuff...Asees Kaur is easy on the ears and the "same octave" duet is nice... -Sanjeev

Most popular song of 2021. -Sukanya

A very nice tune, an extremely well-put together arrangement. Sadly, we cannot say the same for the pronunciation of the male singer. He has a very very poor showing indeed. I'm shocked that the lyricist and composer let it pass, and Asees Kaur didn't correct her co-singer! The phrase is not "raataa lambeyaa", it's "raataa.N lammiyaa.N" -- listen to how the male chorus singers are singing it! The fact that this refrain is repeated with horrible pronunciation so many times is ... thoroughly disappointing. -UVR

That mushy punjabi love song. -Nishant

Asees Kaur's voice in enthralling! -Arun

Words/phrases like 'lambeya', 'sangeya' don't exist in Punjabi. Wish Tanishk had hired a skilled lyricist for the song instead of writing it himself. As a composer, he does well in creating a simple and catchy tune. -Anish

It’s an ordinary piece but quite catchy.. female portions are better sung. -Suanshu

Smooth, love song, very well-sung by Jubin Nautiyal and Asees Kaur. -Vaishali

Lyrical. Registers well. Lingers. -Nidheesh

Tanishk Bagchi's original compositions are much much better than his remixes. Jubin Nautiyal aces the track with his soothing vocals. -Aman

Another gem from Shershaah. Asees and Jubin have sung it wonderfully. The song feels like a fresh air in the world of remixes. -Pankaj

I quite liked the female voice. -Shalini

Another likeable, hummable, Punjabi track. -Vishal

हुतुतू (मिमी)

hututuu (Mimi)

Tags: calming, cheerful, dreamy, dreamy pop, hopeful, inspirational, inspiring, lullaby, peppy, poignant, soft, soulful, sweet, swingy, wonderous

ए आर रहमान
A R Rahman

अमिताभ भट्टाचार्य
Amitabh Bhattacharya

शाशा तिरुपति
Shashaa Tirupati

2.72

Toggle Jury's comments

The song is reminiscent of Tu Bin Bata from Rang De Basanti. -Pankaj

Pickup/entry is catchy! Good if nondescript voice, love the meter, and the ending sitar piece... -Sanjeev

Extra reverb making it nearly unpalatable. -Nishant

There is something soft and peppy simultaneously in the music that is rare and refreshing. It feels like the song version of a sunrise. -Vaidehi

Lovely compositon. Wish someone with more personality had sung it. -Shalini

Shashaa Tirupati is an excellent singer! -UVR

Dreamy tune by Rahman and Shashaa Tirupati sounds amazing! -Aman

Effortlessly pleasant. -Sukanya

Unusual rhythm, uplifting sitar pieces in the background and beautiful lyrics made this an interesting song. Shasha Tripathi sounds great. -Vaishali

Feels like a recycled composition of ARR, but with fresh tadka. Nice! -Arun

Reminded me of many songs composed by Rahman in the early 2000s. Didn't work that well for me. -Anish

The somber bass opening sets a different expectation, but the melody takes on the same path that 'Tu Bin Bataye' travelled. (Specifically, the 'Naya Din Chadh Gaya' line): serene and dewy. Shasha Tirupati totally owns this song! (Coincidentally, the lyrics harken back to another track from Rang De Basanti: Suraj Naya Nikal Gaya, vis-à-vis Suraj Ko Mein Nigal Gaya. -Vishal

The only nice bit was the sitar piece and Sshasha Tirupati’s singing. She did as much as she could do with the average tune. -Suanshu

चका चक (अतरंगी रे)

chakaa chak (Atrangi Re)

Tags: 90s bollywood, dance, earworm, fliratatious, flirty, folk, fun, happy, joyful, peppy, playful, rhythmic, rustic, saucy, tapori, teasing, traditional

ए आर रहमान
A R Rahman

इरशाद कामिल
Irshad Kamil

श्रेया घोषाल
Shreya Ghoshal

2.71

Toggle Jury's comments

The opening of this track seems to be cut from the same cloth as 'Katiya Karoon' from Rockstar -- specifically, that 'ting a ling a' part. -Vishal

90s style dholak melody but smartly created for contemporary times. -Suanshu

Singing is the strong point - but this feels like an elaborate rehash of "Rukkumani" meets "Kuchchi Kuchchi Rakkamma". -Sanjeev

It's been very long since we had such a pure dance song that compels once feet to tap along. Its on the level of ek do teen and hothon pe Aisi baat for me. -Vaidehi

An infectious song - for its words, rhythm & singing style. -Meera

A. R. Rahman at his commercial best. Shreya Ghoshal nails it perfectly and Irshad Kamil's lyrics are icing on the cake. Viral sensation of the year thanks to Sara Ali Khan's reels! -Aman

Had flashbacks to "rukmini rukmini" from Roja from the lyrics. -Shalini

I love everything about the song. A beautiful composition. Shreya Ghoshal’s voice is lovely. The lyrics are playful. -Pankaj

Ordinary singing to some interesting aerophonic orchestration. -Nishant

An utterly annoying song, this is one of those earworms one hates to listen to and yet cannot tear oneself away from. If I meet Sara Ali Khan, I'll give her a piece of my mind for doing all those Instagram reels. I swear she has danced EVERY-DAMN-WHERE to this song! -UVR

Some amazing & vintage ARR rhythms on display! -Arun

Catchy as hell. -Sukanya

Unlike most of the songs in the album, this one makes an instant impression and proves to be an earworm. Loved how Irshad Kamil infused a tinge of naughtiness to the song with his lyrics while ensuring he doesn’t write anything offensive/vulgar. -Anish

Fun song, although the lyrics seem to be forced to fit. -Vaishali

लिटल लिटल (अतरंगी रे)

Little Little (Atrangi Re)

Tags: beseeching, breezy, catchy, cutesy, dance, drunk, energetic, festive, folkish pop, fun, joy, lovely, masti, mishmash, playful, quirky, rhythmic, romantic, rustic, soothing

ए आर रहमान
A R Rahman

इरशाद कामिल
Irshad Kamil

धनुष, हीरल वाडिया
Dhanush, Hiral Viradia

2.70

Toggle Jury's comments

"Why this kolaveri di" of 2021? -Arun

Glad that Rahman chose Dhanush to sing this free flowing track. -Aman

You hear it once. You'll hear it again. And again. And again. -Sukanya

The song has an innocence that feels every-person and it just speaks from the heart. -Vaidehi

Dhanush surprises with his very good singing in this song. Quite likeable. -UVR

A gem of a song. It slowly grows on you. The Little Little chorus is gorgeous. -Pankaj

The kind of 'situational' song that registers a better impact with visuals. -Anish

Senseless, offers nothing but a tune for the heck of it,. -Suanshu

Maybe in the film context I might enjoy the song more, but couldn't get beyond "silly" lyrics and drum pattern listening to it in isolation. Though I did like the antara in the lower register idea. -Sanjeev

Likeable only Little Little. -Nishant

A nice folk feel to this one and the chorus is lovely! Dhanush is awesome. -Sumi

If it weren't for the play with percussions… A pattern across ARR's Atrangi Re. -Meera

तूफ़ान सी कुड़ी (अतरंगी रे)

toofaan sii ku.Dii (Atrangi Re)

Tags: catchy, cool, dance, descriptive, easy listening, flamenco, folk, fun, fusion, girl power, intro song, latino, lively, peppy, spanish music flavoured song, western

ए आर रहमान
A R Rahman

इरशाद कामिल
Irshad Kamil

राशिद अली
Rashid Ali

2.69

Toggle Jury's comments

Foot tapping and catchy! -Meera

Latino verve meets Bollywood gusto and the upshot is totally toofani! -Sukanya

"July Maadham" (Pudhiya Mugam) meets "Jumbalika" (Thakshak). Guitar licks are cool. -Sanjeev

Varying tones of terrible, the orchestration is nice, after all it’s an AR Rahman song. Ladki ye Rambha karts hai Zumba’ has got to be the worst line ever written. -Suanshu

Liked the flamenco-ish pieces. -Nishant

Another great composition. Lyrics are so much fun, “Ladki hai yeh Rambha, karti hai Zumba.”. -Pankaj

Expected the music to be a little edgier/harsher given the lyrics but felt more festive in tone and consequently did leave much of an impact. -Shalini

Rahman brings back Rashid Ali for this lively track, the chorus is quite fun. -Aman

Vivid colours of Spanish music come to the fore well but the tune just about passes muster. Reminded me faintly of 'Main Albeli' from 'Zubeidaa'. -Anish

धीमे धीमे (हाथी मेरे साथी)

dhiime dhiime (Haathi Mere Saathi)

Tags: dramatic, earthy, emotional, lilting, motivating, motivational, pensive, reflective, romantic, soulful, thoughtful

शांतनु मोइत्रा
Shantanu Moitra

स्वानंद किरकिरे
Swanand Kirkire

जावेद अली
Javed Ali

2.68

Toggle Jury's comments

My favorite in this album! Adriz did such a great job of seamlessly wading through the highs and lows. -Sumi

Adriz Ghosh is a revelation, deep, sonorous voice. -Suanshu

A romantic number that offers one a glimpse into the kind of emotions a character in the film has for the other. The mellifluous melody by Shantanu, incredible lines by Swanand and smooth rendition by Adriz Ghosh, all contribute equally towards making it a memorable song. -Anish

Not quite. -Sukanya

Best song from the album. Lyrics have the Swanand Kirkire’s style: “Barf ka aks hai, aankon se woh naa jaaye pighal.”. -Pankaj

Interesting lyrics "sepiyaa_ii ra.ngo.n kii Ghazal" and "sa.njhaa si.nduurii hai vo". -UVR

Rhythm suggestive of an elephant's gait? Don't recognize the voice, but I like it. I guess it would be too formal to correctly pronounce "haqeeqat"? Not following the lyrics. -Sanjeev

Fresh voice but nothing else going for this song. -Arun

The rich orchestra, percussion mixed with the sweet voice of Adriz Ghosh made this a memorable song for me. -Vaishali

Melodious and pleasing. But pushing no boundaries! -Meera

लहरा दो (83)

laharaa do (83)

Tags: anthem, celebration, dhol, hopeful, inspirational, inspiring, motivation, motivational, patriotic, patriotism, qawwali-style, rousing, senti, soulful, spirited, sports, theme song, winning

प्रीतम
Pritam

कौसर मुनीर
Kausar Munir

अरिजित सिंह
Arijit Singh

2.68

Toggle Jury's comments

Pritam on autopilot and Arijit in full form in this one. -Sumi

Sounds like a mish-mash of so many of such songs one has heard in the past. -Anish

The film needed an unforgettable track like Chak De India, but still Pritam makes a decent effort to mix patriotism and sports together. -Aman

Does well as an inspirational, patriotic song. -Vaishali

Arijit Singh sings it very well, but the tune is just short of ordinary. -Suanshu

Love how the qawalli-esque theka smoothly transcends into dhol based celebration. -Anup

Crowd pleasing in the best way possible. Goosebumps guaranteed. -Sukanya

The Dhol beats and the chorus make the song more lively. -Pankaj

A good song, but sounds a bit too sappy to be a worthy successor to something like "chak de India" which is the right sentiment for this song (both given the scene in the film, as well as if it were a standalone song intended to inspire a team to do its best for the country). -UVR

Standard number of its type. -Shalini

Lingers. Emotional appeal. -Nidheesh

Would have been an interesting experiement to hear what an unconventional voice could have added to this song. -Meera

Nice "stadium full of fans" effect - did not see the qawwali twist coming, but works better than I expected. Arijit is very comfortable in the sustained high register. -Sanjeev

Loud predictable fare. -Nishant

I did like the unexpected turn to qawwali-style lines, but the hook ('lehra do') didn't quite work for me. -Vishal

कल्ले कल्ले (चंडीगढ़ करे आशिक़ी)

kalle kalle (Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui)

Tags: anguish, background, blues, breakup, contemporary pop, courting, heartbreak, longing, melancholy, punjabi, romantic, sad

सचिन-जिगर
Sachin-Jigar

प्रिया सरैया
Priya Saraiya

2.67

Toggle Jury's comments

I wish they made this song in Hindi; it could've found a wider audience. An underrated gem from this year. -Vishal

Sarangi paired with guitar and modern instrumentation is interesting, but the tune is far too ordinary. -Suanshu

A moody one..Pritam does it effortlessly. -Sumi

Slight rawness of voice for effect. Nice to listen to, but no real "aha" moment. -Sanjeev

The singing was good enough, but I was slightly dissatisfied by the overly-Hindi accent of the singer; given that it's a song virtually entirely in Punjabi, one would have preferred a closer-to-Punjabi enunciation to the words. Someone like Asees Kaur would have done such a great job with this song! -UVR

CKA is the most forgettable soundtrack among Abhishek Kapoor's films. -Aman

Some brownie points for including the bowed instrument. Nothing more. -Nishant

Beautiful. Priya Saraiya needs to sing more. Fresh voice! -Meera

Free-flowing number that grows on you with every listening. Priya Saraiya does better as a vocalist than a lyricist. -Anish

Priya. -Sukanya

Pleasant ditty! -Arun

Beautiful lyrics. A great break-up song. The Kalle Kalle bit by the singer is nicely done. -Pankaj

लम्हा (पगलेट)

lamhaa (Pagglait)

Tags: breezy, contemporary pop, easy-listening, ephemeral, free flowing, gentle, hopeful, introspection, introspective, longing, love song, reflective, regretful, romantic, sad, soothing, soulful, wistful

अरिजित सिंह
Arijit Singh

नीलेश मिश्रा
Neelesh Misra

अंतरा मित्रा
Antara Mitra

2.67

Toggle Jury's comments

Arijit should switch over to composing. He has done a good job with pretty much all the songs he was part of during the pandemic. His music is new and fresh, yet with a familiar feel, easy to like and hum. -UVR

The idyllic strumming on the nylon-string guitar, topped with accordion glazing over a leisurely rendition makes this easily one of best tracks of 2021. -Vishal

Arijit Singh's beautiful composition and Antara Mitra's soothing vocals. -Aman

Beautifully written and rendered. -Sumi

Gently flowing Latin feel, nice warmth in low register female vocals - but nothing to especially make it "stick". -Sanjeev

Fresh tune, lingers. -Nidheesh

It has an old classic vibe about it. -Pankaj

Nice try... but. -Nishant

Arijit’s composition is interesting but a bit all over the place, needs bit of semblance. -Suanshu

Nothing distinguishing about this song. -Shalini

Arijit Singh, what an all-rounder! -Sukanya

The tune has an unusual structure because of which it takes a while to grow on you but once it does it stays with you. Very well sung by Antara Mitra. -Anish

फिरे फ़क़ीरा (पगलेट)

phire faqiiraa (Pagglait)

Tags: break-away, coming-of-age, dubstep, electronic, experimental, exuberance, freedom, frentic, fusion, hip hop, joy, philosophical, poetry, rap, rock, soulful, synth, thoughtful, voices in my head, western, whimsical

अरिजित सिंह
Arijit Singh

नीलेश मिश्रा
Neelesh Misra

राजा कुमारी, अमृता सिंह, अरिजित सिंह
Raja Kumari, Amrita Singh, Arijit Singh

2.64

Toggle Jury's comments

Doesn't have the energy or edginess of the "paagal" version. -Shalini

Better version of the other song from the album, Paagal hai. -Vaishali

The psychedelic effect used in the song accentuates the emotions in the wonderful lines written by Neelesh Misra. The composition keeps surprising as you keep listening to the track. -Anish

There are many other good things to listen to. -Nishant

One of the most memorable songs from the album, combines different genres. -Pankaj

Wow! The best couplet of the year for me: "Punarjanma ki rasm karenge, rooh apni bhasm karenge; Marghat mein bhi phool khilenge, aisa koi tilasman karenge." An absolute winner all around. -Vishal

Slowed down version of Pagal. With Pagglait, the ever so reliable Arijit Singh makes a terrific debut as a music composer and this track shows his varied range. -Aman

Arijit Singh channels his inner Rahman and comes out trumps. -Sukanya

All the elements work beautifully to create a whole that is larger than the sum of its parts. -Meera

Wish it was a little less cluttered!! Lyrics are great. -Arun

दिल उड़ जा रे (पगलेट)

dil u.D jaa re (Pagglait)

Tags: acoustic, background, easy listening, freedom, gentle, independent, innovative, introspective, melancholic, philosphical, pleasant, reflective, romantic, sad, searching, sentimental, soft, sorrowful, soulful, thought-provoking, uplifting

अरिजित सिंह
Arijit Singh

नीलेश मिश्रा
Neelesh Misra

नीति मोहन, सनी एम आऱ
Neeti Mohan, Sunny M R

2.62

Toggle Jury's comments

Neeti Mohan does justice to emotions of the song. Good use of sarod. -Vaishali

That soft prelude on the sarod is mesmerising, Arijit Singh is as fabulous a singer as he is a composer, I love the fact that there is a use of traditional instruments along a very modern melody. -Suanshu

Neeti Mohan sings the song really well (hard to ignore the fact that she pronounced "ubharne" as "ubarne" though. The tune is nice but takes a while to grow. The song definitely has a calming effect on one's senses. Liked the way esraj/dilruba was used. -Anish

One of my top choice albums of 2021…Arijit knocked it out of the park! Neeti's raspy tone suits the mood. -Sumi

That humming by Neeti Mohan is so infectious! It’s reminiscent of Arijit's fantastic debut as a music director (Rihaa). -Vishal

Beginning suggestive of some Hamsadhwani elements but meanders from there. A very pleasant listen, but just can't connect tot the words, or the song as a whole. -Sanjeev

Crisp vocals and brownie points for Sarod strings. -Nishant

An easy listen. -Sukanya

The strings lift this song and set the mood! -Meera

Neeti Mohan shines in her solo outing. -Aman

पागल (पगलेट)

paagal (Pagglait)

Tags: dark, disturbing, dubstep, electronic, electronic music driven folk piece, energetic, frentic, fusion, heady, josh, love, menacing, mocking, philosophical, poetry, quirky, rap, senti, soul stirring, voices in my head, whimsical, wishwash

अरिजित सिंह
Arijit Singh

नीलेश मिश्रा
Neelesh Misra

राजा कुमारी, अमृता सिंह
Raja Kumari, Amrita Singh

2.61

Toggle Jury's comments

What an eclectic mix of sounds and arrangement! Kudos to Arijit Singh! Neelesh Misra also shines throughout the track with stimulating lyrics. -Vishal

Neelesh Misra’s lyrics are interesting but no long-lasting impact, Raja Kumari is just about okay. -Suanshu

Captures the off-kilter state of the world perfectly. -Shalini

Nice trippy take on Phire Faqira. -Sukanya

May work in the movie, but did not work as a song in itself. -Vaishali

I quite enjoyed this off-beat song. -UVR

The orchestration is too dense & noisy. Could have been better! -Arun

Some pieces of individual singing/playing skill...but in the end, clearly another situational "collage" song, created for some unsettling effect...guess if I saw the movie I'd get it. -Sanjeev

Simply excellent. Raja Kumari is such an interesting choice for the female vocalist. Lyrics add more depth to the wild composition by Arijit. Just as its name, the song is crazy! -Aman

All the elements work beautifully to create a whole that is larger than the sum of its parts. -Meera

Pure noise. -Nishant

Didn't like it as much as the other version 'Phire Faqeera' because of the slight variations but a good track nevertheless. -Anish

क़िस्तों (रूही)

qisto.n (Roohi)

Tags: calm, cautionary, circus puppet show, funny, heartfelt, hopeful, kashish, love, lovestruck, playful, romantic, soft, waltz, whimsical

सचिन-जिगर
Sachin-Jigar

अमिताभ भट्टाचार्य
Amitabh Bhattacharya

जुबिन नौटियाल
Jubin Nautiyal

2.60

Toggle Jury's comments

Old fashioned Bollywood piece, spacious and resonant. The calming flute and the atmosphere through swelling strings is gorgeous. -Suanshu

On the one hand, it's great to come across a waltz, which is rarity these days. On the other hand, the melody has a strong heard-this-before feel. It instantly reminded me of another lovely waltz from Gully Boy, 'Jeene mein aaye mazaa', and also 'Lagne laga hai mujhe aaj kal' from Chor Aur Chand. -Vishal

Endearing lyrics. -Meera

Doesn’t linger on in memory. -Sukanya

Jubin Nautiyal aces the lilting, beautiful melody by Sachin-Jigar. Amitabh Bhattacharya nails it yet again describing mohabbat as mehangi and vilayati! -Aman

The song has an old-world charm to it that works very well for it. Jubin Nautiyal sounds very different here. The tune is a slow-burner that keeps growing on you. -Anish

Lyrical. Hums you back. Slow. Registers well. -Nidheesh

Wannabe Ajay-Atul. Wannabe "old world". -Anup

Lots of folks going to the RK-style waltz these days? Like the voice and the way it floats on the top note. -Sanjeev

Not seen the movie but maybe it is picturized on a banker? -Nishant

This one gets high marks from me for the lyrics. "aasaan qisto.n pe tuu pyaar kar" -- Amitabh Bhattacharya has again come up with a pithy, catchy hook. The rest of the lyrics are also unique and grab one's attention. -UVR

रिहाई दे (मिमी)

rihaaii de (Mimi)

Tags: background, dejected, disillusioned, emotional, experimental, freedom, instropective, loneliness, lonely, longing, melancholy, peaceful, pensive, philosophical, plastic, romantic, sad, senti, slow, soft, soulful, staccato

ए आर रहमान
A R Rahman

अमिताभ भट्टाचार्य
Amitabh Bhattacharya

ए आर रहमान
A R Rahman

2.56

Toggle Jury's comments

Composition mimicks flowing water and unfolding desolation - very evocative. Wish Rahman had an actual singer sing it. -Shalini

I didn't think much of this song when I heard it for the first time but it grew on me. The lyrics are thought-provoking. -Anish

I loved the opening part that sets up a very different vibe, but as it settles into the main hook of the song, it felt a little disappointed. -Vishal

Rahman's singing is sone pe suhaga! -Sukanya

I'm giving this high marks despite of the totally subpar singing by ARR. Why did he have to sing this himself when there is such a wide choice of singers available these days? -UVR

Repetitive mood…and style. -Sumi

Words thrown around awkwardly at times. Diehard ARR fans will insist that no other voice could have the same effect in a song like this...I beg to differ. -Sanjeev

Lovely singing and lyrics. -Pankaj

New age with a traditional background. -Suanshu

Rahman saves the best song from the soundtrack for himself. Lovely and dreamy melody! -Aman

वाडा मच्चाने (मीनाक्षी सुंदरेश्वर)

vaaDaa machchaane (Meenakshi Sundareshwar)

Tags: celebration, dance, dhamaal, easy listening, fun, fun piece, funky, fusion, humorous, parody, party, party-song, philosophical, pop, quirky, raucous, tamil

जस्टिन प्रभाकरन
Justin Prabhakaran

राज शेखर
Raj Shekhar

बेनी दयाल, रोमी
Benny Dayal, Romy

2.55

Toggle Jury's comments

For a Tamilian to compose a song that looks at Tamil from the outside, and yet make a language-agnostic melody to fit it all perfectly, is an achievement :). -Karthik

According to the lyricist of this song Raj Shekhar, coding is as poetic as writing — and that inspired the opening lines here. Good party song, but I don’t think it has a long shelf life. -Vishal

"...par bhaaShaa apni binary" - LOL. Rest of the song is ho-hum... -Sanjeev

Funny song. Almost makes me want to see the movie. Almost. -Shalini

Fun and catchy! -Meera

Good dance number, Funny. -Nidheesh

What an addictive beat! -Sukanya

Not much to say about this song. Individual contributors have done a good enough job, but the combined effect is "just ok.". -UVR

The song, which is layered with electronic beats and boasts of a retro sound, is very catchy and benefits from Benny Dayal’s spirited rendition and the sound-based experiments Justin does here. The lyrics, written by Raj Shekhar, are not only quirky but also have a good ring to them. -Anish

बुलावा आया रे (रामप्रसाद की तेरहवीं)

bulaawaa aayaa re (Ram Prasad Ki Tehrvi)

Tags: ballad, change, dark, death, droning, evcative, funereal, gripping, haunting, helpless, impromptu, melancholy, mourning, nostalgic, pensive, philosophical, piano, reflective, regret, ruminative, sad, semi-classical, somber, sombre, tender

सागर देसाई
Sagar Desai

नीरज पांडे
Neeraj Pandey

के मोहन, अभिज्ञान दासगुप्ता, सागर देसाई
K Mohan, Abhigyan Dasgupta, Sagar Desai

2.53

Toggle Jury's comments

The long interlude, the beautiful poetic lyrics about death and parting and the haunting voices are exceptional. -Vaidehi

Ramprasad ki 13veen was an excellent film. This song suited the situation perfectly. -UVR

Simple yet effective piano opening that continues throughout the track providing a somber rhythmic pulse. I liked K Mohan's voice -- which has a similar voice texture as that of Papon. -Vishal

Even given the setting, impressive that the composer dared to start with an instrumental prelude longer than a minute in this ADHD world. Tune meanders a bit. Interesting key modulation, suggesting (just a teaser) of a "step-down", rather than the typical "step-up", then ending in a higher key. -Sanjeev

Simple but effective piano, chorus. -Vaishali

Classic Sagar Desai style. Moving and all encompassing. -Meera

Puriya-ish. Lovely prelude to setup the song. -Nishant

Mohan Kannan needs to sing more songs. Please! -Aman

The web of warm melancholy is haunting yet soothing mostly due to that piano riff which stays throughout the song. Lyrics are lovely. -Suanshu

Works in the movie , as a standalone melody not so much. -Sukanya

Beautifully sung, wonderful arrangements. -Sumi

Atmospheric song full of feelings, but something is missing. -Arun

I haven't seen the film but given the theme of the film, I think the song talks about death. Loved the song and the philosophical undertones to it that have been brought to the fore in a very simple and effective manner. -Anish

पगलेट (पगलेट)

pagaleT (Pagglait)

Tags: break-away, club, coming-of-age, crazy, dance, dubstep, edm, electronic, energetic, experimental, exuberance, freedom, fusion, josh, joy, motivational, party, philosophical, poetic, pritamesque, quirky, senti, soulful, techno, trippy

अरिजित सिंह
Arijit Singh

नीलेश मिश्रा
Neelesh Misra

अमृता सिंह, रफ़्तार, अरिजित सिंह
Amrita Singh, Raftaar, Arijit Singh

2.53

Toggle Jury's comments

Liked the vibe and the mood that this song creates! -Sumi

Arijit Singh as a composer is someone we need to look forward to. -Suanshu

This title track exemplifies what it means to be a 'pagglait': 'Kucch dil se lad ke liya, kucch dile ke liye hi kiya hai'. Not often does what her heart desires, she sometimes does something that she doesn't even want to do! -Vishal

Exudes some terrific energy. -Sukanya

The one song that stands out in a soundtrack full of deeply resonant melodies. And it's full of life. -Karthik

Found the title track to be completely opposite to the film which I didn't like. And this track is immensely enjoyable! -Aman

A very imaginative track that encapsulates a variety of emotions while succesfully emerging as a foot-tapping, dance number. -Anish

मेहरम (जर्सी)

meharam (Jersey)

Tags: angst-ridden crooning, determination, determined, dramatic, hopeful, indie rock, josh, motivating, motivational, noisy, philosophical/angsty rock song, remembering, rock, senti, sentimental, separation, serenade, soulful

सचेत-परम्परा
Sachet-Parampara

शेल्ली
Shellee

सचेत टंडन
Sachet Tandon

2.45

Toggle Jury's comments

Emosanal attyachar. -Nishant

Too much autotune. Nothing in the song resonated with me. -UVR

Voice an Arijit-Kailash Kher cross, sung abrasively for effect? I don't mind loud music with a purpose, but not finding it here. -Sanjeev

Sachet Tandon’s voice sounds phenomenal. -Suanshu

Sachet-Parampara hits the same high notes that worked so well in Kabir Singh! I thought the usage of the word 'mehram' was interesting here; perhaps used metaphorically to describe the lead character's relationship with cricket (something close but unattainable?). -Vishal

Very passable. -Meera

If the team wouldn't have tried to ape Bekhayali, it could have been better. -Aman

Though the lyrics are entirely in Punjabi, Shellee uses the kind of words and phrases, which apart from adding a lot of value to the song, would get on the listeners’ lips easily because of their sound. Sachet does fairly well as a singer but his stylized singing makes him mispronounce a few words (he pronounces “dhuaan-dhuaan” as “dua-dua”). -Anish

Guitar and grand declarations of love, what's not to like? -Sukanya

Good song with a bit of Bekhyali hangover. -Pankaj

लकीराँ (हसीन दिलरुबा)

lakiiraa.N (Haseen Dillruba)

Tags: ballad, break up, destiny, emotional, estrangement, gentle, longing, love ballad, melancholy, punjabi, punjabi lyrics, regret, romantic, sad, slow, wistful

अमित त्रिवेदी
Amit Trivedi

सिद्धांत मागो
Sidhant Mago

असीस कौर, देवेन्दरपाल सिंह
Asees Kaur, Devenderpal Singh

2.38

Toggle Jury's comments

Not the kind of song one would want to revisit immediately after the first hearing but makes for a fairly pleasant hearing nevertheless. -Anish

Nothing remarkable. -Meera

The sitar and guitar pieces are the best part about a regular piece. -Suanshu

Like the sitar and the female voice. -Shalini

Same-octave duet antara - very good effect, male voice is very good, easy reach up top, nice warmth in the lower register. -Sanjeev

Loved the sprinkle of sitar throughout the song! -Vishal

It's a joy to hear Devenderpal Singh, he has a voice that provides the perfect foil to Asees Kaur's in this song. The two of them show us how a Punjabi lyric song like this should be sung. -UVR

Falls short of the expectations out of an Amit Trivedi track. -Aman

Not bad. Not great. -Sukanya

A sad song but does not feel sad. Asees is very good. -Pankaj

Soulful melody! Asees Kaur and Devendrapal Singh were so much in synchrony. -Sumi

रहगुज़र (बोले चूड़ियाँ)

rahaguzar (Bole Chudiyan)

Tags: blissful, dulcet, hopeful, love, philosophical, romantic, senti, soulful, thoughtful

समीरा कोप्पिकर
Samira Koppikar

पुनीत शर्मा
Puneet Sharma

शाहिद माल्या
Shahid Mallya

2.37

Toggle Jury's comments

Shahid Mallya is another of the (good) voices pushing a redefinition of the structure of male-female duets. Female vocals are not as convincing. -Sanjeev

Sounds like so many songs Samira Koppikar has composed in the past but the inherent sweetness in the song makes you fall in love with it instantly. -Anish

Pleasure to hear Shahid Mallya's voice. -Meera

Not bad but a rather derivative melody. -Sukanya

Playful in ornamentation but without exaggeration. -Suanshu

Driven by love. -Nishant

ओ आशिक़ा (99 सौंग्स)

o aashiqaa (99 Songs)

Tags: background, ballad, calm, evocative, haunting, love, meditative, ode, peace, pensive, philosophical, poetic, pop, romantic, slow, sombre, spiritual, uplifting, whispery

ए आर रहमान
A R Rahman

नवनीत विर्क
Navneet Virk

शाश्वत सिंह
Shashwat Singh

2.36

Toggle Jury's comments

So many layers to this composition and each layer is simply beautiful. -Shalini

Though the music makes it easy on the ears, the lyrics has a philosophy for life wrapped in it that resonates with the heartbroken. -Vaidehi

Nothing memorable about the song. -Pankaj

Mechanical melody. -Suanshu

A wonderfully immersive that sounds fresh every time you listen to it. -Anish

Lacklustre. -Sukanya

The only non-monotonous thing about this song is the arrangements. -Meera

Flawless… in all aspects. -Sumi

Lyrics should have been so much better! -Aman

I thought the lyrics are kind of all over the place; it talks about the mother, and also about romantic love (ishq), and has cryptic likes like “Phoolon ki chahat mein amrit piya”… An otherwise good track ruined by its lyrics. -Vishal

"Dil Lene Ke Leeeye" - not buying it...Words feel awkward at various spots...voice is good. The high part seems to just be kinda "bolted-on"...and 5:30+ feels long for a song these days but there seem to be at least a handful of this duration... -Sanjeev

रॉक अ बाय बेबी (मिमी)

Rock a bye baby (Mimi)

Tags: care, children, emotional watercolours, family, fusion, hindi-english, hinglish, longing, lorie, lullaby, maternal, mother, motherly, new-age lullaby, philosophical, regretful, sentimental, western, wishful

ए आर रहमान
A R Rahman

अमिताभ भट्टाचार्य, जूलिया गार्टा
Amitabh Bhattacharya, Julia Gartha

जूलिया गार्टा, खातिजा रहमान
Julia Gartha, Khatija Rahman

2.28

Toggle Jury's comments

This will be filed under "underrated ARR songs" few years later. -Anup

The initial part, with six strums on the guitar for each beat (a triplet for each of the four beats in the measure) adds a little urgency or anxiety, which I found to be a little disorienting -- especially since this is a lullaby. But it grew on me over time. A great new-age lullaby! -Vishal

Really liked the way A R Rahman struck a nice balance between the English and Hindi verses and made the song so endearing. -Anish

Blending of Indian and western pieces works well. -Vaishali

Nicely sung by both Julia and Khatija. -Sumi

Situational song, well-sung on both sides, too much English to seriously consider this a contender for song of the year. -Sanjeev

Interesting to hear ARR's daughter on this track. She sang better than her dad in this film :). -UVR

Strange yet cheesy. Not a winning combo. -Shalini

Emotional watercolours. Fabulous to pair English and Hindi words.. both have their own soul yet the piece works as a whole. -Suanshu

East meets west with the Rahman touch. -Sukanya

Not out of this world but something different from most of 2021. -Meera

काहे मुस्काये रे (भवई)

kaahe muskaaye re (Bhavai)

Tags: breezy, celebration, chhed-chhaad, devotion, easy-listening, folk-inspired, garba, gujarati folk, happy, love song, playful, rasleela, romantic, semi-classical, teasing, tradiitonal

शब्बीर अहमद
Shabbir Ahmed

श्रेया घोषाल
Shreya Ghoshal

2.27

Toggle Jury's comments

Shabbir Ahmed seemed to have been inspired by SLB-Bhansali's school of music here. Didn't find the tune to be very engaging. He fares much better as a lyricist. -Anish

The Gujarati garba rhythm invokes Bhansali-esq ambiance and mood. Shreya Ghoshal sounds fantastic, as usual. -Vishal

Flute entry reminiscent of something Ilaiyaraja...Shreya delivers as expected. Instruments tasteful, sound production has come such a long way in the 21st century. -Sanjeev

Repeat of overused old metaphors in the lyrics. Shreya does a valiant job singing superbly, but cannot rescue the song. -UVR

Shreya at her precious worst. Sounds like something that escaped from a Bhansali film. -Shalini

Nice use of clapping interspersed with melody. -Sumi

Reminder of 90s style dandiya songs, but Shreya’s voice makes it sound modern. -Suanshu

Shreya Ghoshal is the only good part about this song. -Aman

Shreya Ghosal elevates the song to some extent but that's that. -Sukanya

Attn: Navratri orchestras. -Nishant

भीनी भीनी सी (मेरा फ़ौजी कॉलिंग)

bhiinii bhiinii sii (Mera Fauji Calling)

Tags: cathartic, classical, classical-based, dramatic, fusion, haunting, longing, love, mope-y, pensive, romantic, semi-classical, sentimental, soulful, stirring, viral

विजय वर्मा
Vijay Verma

राजेश मंथन
Rajesh Manthan

प्रतिभा सिंह बाघेल
Pratibha Singh Baghel

2.27

Toggle Jury's comments

Tangible Todi base, singer (PSB) amply skilled and good voice texture - but the lyrics are crammed mercilessly into the meter and the whole thing feels very forced... -Sanjeev

There is an old-fashioned, melodramatic quality to this song that I appreciated largely because it seems to be completely absent in contemporary Hindi films. -Shalini

Gurjari Todi makes a presence in a film song again after many years (the last one I remember is 'bhor bhayi' from Delhi-6! Has there been another one since then)? Alas, the chorus voices chosen were not good singers. -UVR

Both the versions have been sung fabulously well by Sonu Nigam and Praibha Singh Baghel. -Anish

Did not work much for me. -Pankaj

Besides Pratibha Singh Baghel’s flawless voice, the flute solos are superb. -Suanshu

Falls in the todi realm with its musical as well as emotional appeal. -Nishant

Is Pratibha Baghel the singer of the year? However, here she disappoints. -Arun

Not sure why 90's styled songs are still a thing in 2021. -Meera

A wonderful composition greatly supplemented by flute, tabla and great rendition by both Sonu Nigam and Pratibha Baghel. -Vishal

Ho-hum. -Sukanya

Sometimes the background music was too loud and clashed with Pratibha's voice who did a great job! -Sumi

तेरे सिवा जग में (तड़प)

tere sivaa jag me.n (Reprise - Duet) (Tadap)

Tags: club, dance, electronic dance music, fusion, heartbreak, lounge, love, madly in love, noughties, party, passion, peppy, pop, raga-based, romance/lounge, romantic, techno, yaman club mix

प्रीतम
Pritam

इरशाद कामिल, श्लोक लाल
Irshad Kamil, Shloke Lal

मोहम्मद इरफ़ान, असीस कौर
Mohammed Irfan, Asees Kaur

2.26

Toggle Jury's comments

Catchy tune! Reminiscent of the 90's - in a good way :). -Meera

Has to be Pritam’s best song this year. It’s based on Pahadi but intelligently paired with electronica. -Suanshu

Pritam seems to be trying to recreate the effect of his own Ludo song "hardam humdum", but doesn't succeed all too fully. Shilpa Rao does a good job, and Mohd. Irfan turns in a competent performance too, but something still misses the mark. -UVR

So good to hear Mohammed Irfan after so long! -Aman

You keep wishing for some pithy lines from Irshad Kamil, but he disappoints with jaded lyrics; perhaps his hands were tied. After a few listens, the song did grow on me, for which I credit Asees Kaur. -Vishal

Asees Kaur has grown on me as I progressed through the songs list. -Shalini

Delivers on mood but far from Pritam's best. -Sukanya

A lone star in Pritam's repertoire in 2021. Marvellous singing by Shilpa Rao, as always. -Karthik

Liked all the versions. This particular version had a better male vovalist in the form of Mohd. Irfan. -Anish

Singing is not bad, but the tune is not engaging enough for me to get into the dance beat. -Sanjeev

सुना है (सनक)

sunaa hai (F) (Sanak)

Tags: 90s, 90s bollywood, calm, emotions, love, lovestruck, romantic, senti, supporting

जीत गांगुली
Jeet Ganguli

रश्मि विराग
Rashmi Virag

श्रेया घोषाल
Shreya Ghoshal

2.22

Toggle Jury's comments

Harmless song but everything from the lyrics to the tune reeks of laziness/unwillingness to create something fresh and original. -Anish

A very 90's hangover. -Meera

Sounds like a Nadeem Shravan song. -Vaishali

90s all over again. -Nishant

Dulcet but no personality. Sounds like a rehash of a 90s Nadeem-Shravan song,. -Sukanya

The song’s USP is Shreya Ghoshal’s voice. Nothing more, nothing less. -Suanshu

Shreya actually takes the low notes well but she just can't help the pretentiousness the rest of the time. Pity. It's a nice melody. -Shalini

Reminiscent of the early 90's era (in a bad way!) I couldn't believe even Shreya Ghoshal mispronounced 'dengi' as 'degi'. -Vishal

A song perfectly suited to Shreya's vocals. She hits this out of the park! -UVR

Shreya, polished as ever, delivers! -Sanjeev

ऐ हवा (हाथी मेरे साथी)

ai hawaa (Haathi Mere Saathi)

Tags: arzi, ballad, breezy, calming, contemplative, dreamy, easy-listening, melancholy, melodious, melody, nature, pensive, rejection, sad, soft, sombre, soul, soulful

शांतनु मोइत्रा
Shantanu Moitra

स्वानंद किरकिरे
Swanand Kirkire

एड्रिज़ घोष
Adriz Ghosh

2.22

Toggle Jury's comments

Swanand's writing is always so moving…and the slow pace was well done by Shantanu. -Sumi

Kept getting "kahne ko jashn-e-bahara hai" vibes while listening to this. -Shalini

Soft ditty, soothing, misses an opportunity to be excellent. -Suanshu

Javed Ali is capable of much better. This one good for one time listen. -Arun

Eminently pleasant listen. Some of the words feel a little clunky (not feeling "hriday" and "praan" at the beginning, some weird pronunciation). Javed Ali's voice sails in the upper octaves, but is missing some warmth on that low Sa. -Sanjeev

Javed Ali is good. Nothing else stood out for me. -Pankaj

With long verses, interspersed by elaborate music pieces, this is a song that would take some time to grow on you. But if you give it the number of hearings it requires for you to fully envelope your heart, you will warm up to it eventually. -Anish

Nice but nothing special. -Sukanya

What a beautiful, sweet song! Everything worked - Shantanu Moitra’s music, Swanand Kirkire’s lyrics and Javed Ali’s singing. -Vaishali

Very average. -Meera

खोया पाया (धमाका)

khoyaa paayaa (Dhamaka)

Tags: carpe diem, contemplative, contemporary pop, dark, dramatic, exhorting, existential, introspective, moving ditty, not-missing-anything-in-life, philosophical, poetic, powerful, reflective, regret, soulful

विशाल खुराना
Vishal Khurana

पुनीत शर्मा
Puneet Sharma

अमित त्रिवेदी, दिलराज़ बनशाह
Amit Trivedi, Delraaz Bunshah

2.16

Toggle Jury's comments

Amit Trivedi’s voice and the fabulous lyrics create a brilliant combination. -Suanshu

The is probably the first time Amit Trivedi lent his voice to another music director. I liked the Ginti/Binti rhyme, but otherwise the lyrics are rather mundane. (It pains me to see the lyrics on the official YouTube video spelled as 'fir' instead of 'phir'.) That 'Asato ma sadgamaya' line at the end seemed to be a complete non-sequitur to me. -Vishal

Nothing remarkable except for the shlok integration in the end. -Meera

Though the song has not been composed by Amit Trivedi, it reminds one of several templatized songs composed by him. Him being the singer here adds to the familiarity. -Anish

"khhhhoya" (guttural) first time around? I know the "throw your voice at the wall and see if it sticks" approach is for "motivational" effect, but I am not sold on it. Cool vocal effects on ending is haunting, but Sanskrit lyrics are handled a little carelessly. -Sanjeev

Could go very well at school drill practice. -Nishant

This could have been like the beautiful Ek Lau from Aamir if someone else had sung it. -Pankaj

Lacklustre song, just like the film. -Aman

Interesting, contemplative song with lovely use of violins. -Vaishali

The regret filled lines speak to the listener but there's a déjà vu vibe to the tune. -Sukanya

Interesting sanskrit mantras at the end. -Shalini

है नहीं (हम भी अकेले तुम भी अकेले)

hai nahii.n (Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele)

Tags: breezy, dance, easy-listening, light, piano, playful, retro, romantic, vintage, waltz, whimsical

ओनी-आदिल
Oni-Adil

प्रत्युश प्रकाश
Pratyush Prakash

आदिल रशीद
Adil Rasheed

2.13

Toggle Jury's comments

When poetry recitation gets mistaken for a song! -Meera

Generic. -Sukanya

Throwback RK-style in a manner reminiscent of "Dil To Bachcha Hai Ji" - voice is original and engaging without being contrived or over-the-top. -Sanjeev

Waltzily done. -Nishant

Didn't impress me much. The song does have a sing-along quality to it but nothing worth writing home about. -Anish

The orchestration (the accordion) is a reminder of old Raj Kapoor ditties but the song is a bit all over the place. -Suanshu

Innovative. Lyrics are interesting. -Nidheesh

Lovely waltz! -Vishal

लव जू (बंटी और बबली 2)

lav juu (Bunty Aur Babli 2)

Tags: catchy, cool vibes, dance, earworm, fun, funky, happy, joyful, party, playful, pop, punjabi, rap, romantic, tiktok

शंकर-एहसान-लॉय
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

अमिताभ भट्टाचार्य
Amitabh Bhattacharya

अरिजित सिंह
Arijit Singh

2.11

Toggle Jury's comments

I'll take elevator music over the annoying chants of Luv Ju. -Sukanya

Addictive tune from Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, uplifted by inventive lyrics by Amitabh Bhattcahrya. Arijit, as usual, is excellent! -Aman

Again, a song "for effect" which feels like it came from a TikTok video - lyrics went over my head but they must be clever. I am aware of other ethnicities that say "ju" instead of "you" but evidently it happens in India too... -Sanjeev

Fun number! -Sumi

Bhattacharya aping Gulzar saab with "dil sarson da khet, zamindar tu". -Anup

The saving grace of the album. The unconventional tune takes some time getting used to but after a point, you do notice and appreciate some of the interesting things the trio has done here. Amitabh Bhattacharya's quirky lyrics add a lot of value to the song. -Anish

I really wanted to like this song a lot, but meh. It's catchy enough, but nothing compared to what one expects from SEL. Amitabh Bhattacharya's lyrics are a saving grace. -UVR

A happy song from Arijit. Thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a lot of fun. -Pankaj

Easily dismissible. -Suanshu

I guess the song successfully serves the purpose of providing some cool vibes to the lead characters. Bhattacharya should have gone all the way by using the more authentic 'Lub Ju' instead of 'Luv Ju'. -Vishal

Shankar Ehsaan Loy and Amitabh Bhattacharya disappoint. No Kajra re this! -Arun

Disappointing for an S-E-L song and album. -Vaishali

रम्मो रम्मो (भुज)

rammo rammo (Bhuj)

Tags: celebration, dance, dandiya, energetic, festive, folk, folksy, garba, gujarati folk, krishna, krishna and radha, peppy, playful, raas-garba, raasleela, radha

तनिष्क बागची
Tanishk Bagchi

मनोज मुंतशिर
Manjoj Muntashir

नीति मोहन, पलक मुच्छल, उदित नारायण
Neeti Mohan, Palak Muchhal, Udit Narayan

2.10

Toggle Jury's comments

Good dance number. -Nidheesh

What happened to Udit? :-(. -Shalini

Catchy! -Meera

Absolutely forgettable, just like the film. -Aman

The sound is nice. -Arun

Always good to hear Udit Narayan but such a humdrum number. -Sukanya

Something of a "stock" song, but energy is infectious...the ever-smiling Udit Narayan is back! I like the female vocals dipping down in the antara...but those high male notes immediately following *have* to be manufactured... -Sanjeev

Competent singing, but that's about all that can be said for this song. -UVR

A typical run-of-the-mill Gujarati garba track with tautological mukhda (‘ramo’ means play in Gujarati, and so does ‘khelo’ in Hindi.). -Vishal

Boring. Refurbished Garba tune. -Suanshu

The over-processed vocals of the singers annoys. The tune is moderately catchy and the lyrics are well-written. -Anish

हम दोनों यूँ मिले (14 फेरे)

ham dono.n yoo.N mile (14 Phere)

Tags: beware, breezy, bubblegum pop, cute couple, dance, easy-listening, energetic, happy, hopeful, love, love early days, pop, quirky, romantic, theme song, whimsical

राजीव भल्ला
Rajeev Bhalla

राशि हरमलकर, रिया दुग्गल
Rashi Harmalkar, Riya Duggal

2.06

Toggle Jury's comments

Good vibes. -Aman

Run-of-the-mill. -Sukanya

Average lyrics. Wonderful music composition and singing. -Pankaj

Sounds like an amaterurish song written, composed and sung by a bunch of rookies in college. -Anish

Like any other song floating around. -Suanshu

A breezy, romantic song for an idyllic afternoon. -Vishal

Stuff that makes your head blow-up. -Nishant

Nice foot-tapping number. The male singer's voice is more pleasant than the female singer's. -UVR

Arijit-influenced male singer, female vocals good too...catchy. Feels like an American sitcom theme. -Sanjeev

तेरी नज़र (99 सौंग्स)

terii nazar (99 Songs)

Tags: ballad, emotional, folkish, longing, love song, lovelorn, mood, praise, romantic, sad, semi-classical, separation, surrender

ए आर रहमान
A R Rahman

दिलशाद शब्बीर शेख, नवनीत विर्क
Dilshaad Shabbir Shaikh, Navneet Virk

शाश्वत सिंह
Shashwat Singh

1.95

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Reminiscent of Swades chords. -Sumi

Pretty average from A R Rahman standards. -Aman

Just ok. -UVR

Pleasant listen. Tune clearly has shadows of ARR the singer, but Shashwat Singh smooths out some rough edges. -Sanjeev

Staggeringly bland. -Sukanya

The piano opening got me all excited, but the song doesn't quite elevate itself to make a significant impact. The cello sounds so good, I wish it were used more often in Bollywood songs. -Vishal

Interesting bass elements. -Nishant

Brought back wonderful memories of the kind of music A R Rahman used to create back in the day. Dafli was used to good effect. -Anish

Mildly meditative, cello and piano are the stars. Orchestration is better than the actual song. -Suanshu

होये इश्क़ ना (तड़प)

hoye ishq naa (Tadap)

Tags: angst, anguished, arabic pop, bitter, dramatic, edgy, fusion, heartbreak, intense, lament, longing, musical rap, rap, romantic, sad, situational, sufi, sufi-inspired, wailing

प्रीतम
Pritam

इरशाद कामिल, डीनो जेम्स
Irshad Kamil, Dino James

बी प्राक, डीनो जेम्स, आकाशदीप सेनगुप्ता
B Praak, Dino James, Akashdeep Sengupta

1.86

Toggle Jury's comments

The "rap" portions in the midst of the song felt gratuitous and forced. The song was good enough without them. But I suppose rap is the new bhangra these days in Bollywood. -UVR

Meh (except there was some good bass). -Nishant

Some stock (albeit nicely done) Punjabi/Sufi influences, was about to call this catchy anyway, then that "rap" thing showed up...not sure how I feel about hearing it without seeing the movie... -Sanjeev

B Praak’s powerful and haunting, the rap feels out of place. -Suanshu

I liked the idea of using rap to express the pain of unrequited love, but I don't think Pritam pulled it off effectively in this song. -Vishal

Feels like two different songs; the rap part is better. -Pankaj

All points for rap - though it couldve been presented in a more contemporary way. -Meera

The tune is a little dated and gives a heard-before feel. Has its moments but could have been better. The rap portion, I thought, was unecessary. -Anish

The song has its moments but lacks that extra something. -Sukanya

The rap bit in the middle is supremely annoying. -Shalini

The Rap and Sufi-esque parts seem disconnected. -Vaidehi

हरफ़नमौला (कोई जाने ना)

har-fan-maulaa (Koi Jaane Na)

Tags: arabic, arabic pop, club, dance, dark, foot tapping, fun, mysterious, noisy, peppy, pointless, seductive, sensual, sensuous, suspense

तनिष्क बागची
Tanishk Bagchi

अमिताभ भट्टाचार्य
Amitabh Bhattacharya

विशाल दादलानी, ज़ाहरा एस ख़ान
Vishal Dadlani, Zahrah S Khan

1.83

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Forgettable, nothing worth writing home about. -Suanshu

Lazy ordinary stuff. -Nishant

The hook line is catchy. -Aman

Very forgettable! -Meera

I am tired of Vishal Dadlani's one note singing! -Arun

Restrained and punchy delivery by Zara and Vishal of Amitabh's words! -Sumi

A rollicking track! Zara Khan does a good job providing a husky rendition, but it's Vishal Dadlani who gets the best lines, and he totally nails it! -Vishal

Nice foot tapping music but nothing memorable. -Pankaj

Female vocals somewhere between Sunidhi C. and Rekha B...Vishal D. is energetic as ever. Is that rhythm pattern supposed to mimic a dholak? Reminded of "Neeyat Kharab Hai" but not quite the same impact. -Sanjeev

Everything about the song spells style. Vishal Dadlani and Zara Khan's rendition adds a lot of robustness to the song. Glad Tanishk didn't write the lyrics himself and let the expert (Amitabh Bhattacharya) handle that part. Unlike most of his recent songs, the arrangements are nice too. -Anish

A classic case of blahs. -Sukanya

मेरे यारा (सूर्यवंशी)

mere yaaraa (Sooryavanshi)

Tags: 90s style pop, cajoling, classic, easy listening, estrangement, happy, love, lovey-dovey, remembering, romantic, romantic separation

कौशिक-आकाश-गुड्डू
Kaushik-Akash-Guddu

रश्मि विराग
Rashmi Virag

अरिजित सिंह, नीति मोहन
Arijit Singh, Neeti Mohan

1.82

Toggle Jury's comments

Arijit in usual form, but the Keherwa theka gives it a "been-there-done-that" feel...having flashbacks to "Hawaayen" from "When Harry Met Sejal". -Sanjeev

Even Arijit cannot hook you to this commonplace composition. -Sukanya

Nothing new, another typical Arijit romantic track. -Aman

Arijit Singh lifts a simple synth-dholak piece, sarangi interlude is nice. -Suanshu

Good old, filmy Bollywood romantic song that works. The tune is simple and catchy. The lyrics are ordinary. -Anish

Nothing extraordinary about it, but it serves the purpose of providing a pleasing romantic track. -Vishal

Melodious but forgettable. -Meera