~*Tum Mile Music Review*~

What comes to your mind when name of Bhatt’s and Emraan Hashmi comes together?
1) Kisses

2) A real life story

3) Soulful music

4) All

Well, this combo is back with Tum Mile, the first film in the history of Hindi cinema having the backdrop of 26th July 2005, when Mumbai was hit by hurricane and pouring downpour, directed by Kunal Deshmukh (Jannat fame) and featuring Soha Ali Khan in lead role along with Emraan. Music is by Pritam and lyrics are by Sayeed Quadri and Kumaar. Year 2009 has been a mix yearfor Pritam, he gave some big hits as Love-Aajkal, New-York and Billu, some ok-ok kinda music in Aa dekhen Zara, Dil bole Hadippa, All the best and some flops as Ek-the power of one, Life partner and Love khichdi. Being a Bhatt Camp movie, expectations were high from this album (at-least mine) and here is my take of the album:

1. Tum mile: The album opening is totally different from what expected from Hashmi’s soundtrack, there was neither an intense KK crooning at his best nor a peepy beat to set up the mood. But the album starts with a beautiful rendition and then Pritam’s lucky mascot Neeraj Shridhar holds the center stage to croon this quixotic number with all his Ohhhs, huuuuhs and Yeahs. The best part of this track is absolutely soothing and classy yet simple lyrics by Kumaar that will hold your attention instantly and will be on your lips. Lyrics talks mainly about finding love in each and every aspect of life but still not able to explain it (Very mushy….haannnn)

palakein munde chaahat meri so rahi thi
khushbu hawaao mein thi maine nahi mehsus ki
jaane kahaan bahaarein meri khil rahi thi
khushbu hawaao mein thi maine nahi mehsus ki
tum mile toh mehaki baarishein, tum mile toh jaagi khwahishein
tum mile toh rangon ka hai silsila
tum mile toh jaadu chha gaya, tum mile toh jina aa gaya
tum mile toh main paaya hai khuda

Pritam tried to gave a pop touch to this quixotic track but at points music took over the words. But what enthralled me the most was the pairing between Neeraj Shridhar and Pritam, I had expected Aahun Aahun, Talli Hua, Hare-krishna, hare Raam and Aai Paapi from the combo but this was a pleasant surprise. It’s a perfect first date song.

2. Dil Ibadat: This track starts with a catchy piano-violin combination and then KK holds the center stage to croon this haunting soft-rock number and instantly hold your attention. The best part is the starting of each stanza with an up growing tuneful arrangement of soulful guitar tunes, merging piano and violin tunes along with some African vocals and above all the powerful vocals by KK just elevate this song to another level. The other key factor is Sayeed Quadri’s verse of a man head over heels in love which is totally simple yet superb.

Bahoon main de bas jaane, seene main de chhup jaane,
tujh bin main jaaun to kaha????
tujhse hai mujhe ko paane yaadon ke woh nazrane,
ek jinpe haq ho bas mera
teri yaado mein rahoo, tere khwabo mein jagun
mujhe doondhe jab koi, teri aankho main milu
jo bhi saanse main bharun, unhe tere sang bharun
chahe joho rasta use tere sang chalun

Dil Ibaadat (Rock): A pleasant surprise appears in the form of Dil Ibaadat (Rock) as track 7 but in spite of using high tempo and pitches, the tempo has been slowed down and music has been reduced to the subtle along with masterfully arranged rock instruments. Sung by KK, this track will leave you enthralled.


3. Tu Hai Haqeeqat: Next track starts with a simple guitar strumming along with a synthesizer melody that grips the attention and resonate throughout the body and then Javed Ali holds the center stage to croon this haunting track and was well supported by Irfan Ashraf and Shadab who helped him in with the chorus. The main attraction of this track is the soulful music with a sufi touch in it (full of multiple string instruments and a simple but haunting flute tune), the brilliant singing by Javed Ali (who touches different pitches to deliver this track) and soulful lyrics by Sayeed conveying the profound, passionate love of the protagonist.

Aa tujhe inn baahon mein bhar ke, Aur bhi kar loon main kareeb
Tu juda ho toh lage hai, Aata jaata har pal ajeeb
Iss jahaan mein hai aur na hoga, Mujhsa koi bhi khush naseeb
Tune mujhko dil diya hai, Main hoon tere sabse kareeb
Main hi toh tere dil mein hoon, Main hi toh saanson mein basoon
Tere dil ki dhadkanon mein, Main hi hoon main hi hoon
Tu humsafar tu humkadam tu humnawah mera
Tu humsafar tu humkadam tu humnawah mera

4. Is Jahaan Mein: After 3 passionate tracks, this rock ballad takes the album to a different up-beat mood but in the mean time reminds you of Hai Junoon (New York). This track is crooned by Mohit Chahuhan in a pretty different voice and has fast tracked music arrangement especially the use of the saxophone and Pritam brilliantly utilizes Mohit's voice intonations to give famous Kishore Kumar type Yudlei Yudlei sort of touch towards the end of the verses. But somehow this track fails to catch the attention for long!!! Blame it to previous tracks and heard-this-before-feeling.

Meri nazar mein tu, Rehguzar mein tu
Shaamosehar mein tu
Tujhe judaa bhala karoon toh kaise
Woh ho ho ohh hooo ohh…
Ho sake toh yeh bata, Lag raha hai ab kyun aise
Jo bhi ab tak hai jeeya, Bewajah sa tha woh jaise
De de dil nazaraana
Ohh ohh hoo…Meri tu ban jaana
Ohh ohh hoo… Door tu na jaana
Ohh ohh hoo… Sun le meri yeh iltejah

5. Tum Mile (Love Reprise): If you loved the first track, then you gonna love this track for sure. This track starts with a superb saxophone tune along with a trace of sitar string and then Javed Ali holds the center stage. And one more thing to remember, this is not a remix track but a new track in itself where Tum mile is taken from the title track with soothing melody and lyrics. There are minimum musical instrument used in this track (amazing saxophone and later the electric guitar) and the preference is given to the singing by Javed who awes you in this smooth ride (pssttt but it did reminded me of Bhula Tujhe (Blue) at places, Blame it to Javed’s voice and the start of the first verse). Sit back and enjoy this track

Tujh mein kinara dikhe, Dil ko sahara dikhe
Aa meri dhadkan tham le
Teri taraf hi mude, Yeh saas tujhse jude
Har pal yeh tera naam le
Tum mile to abb kya hai kami, Tum mile to duniya mil gai
Tum mile to mil gaya aasra
Tum mile to jadoo chaa gaya, Tum mile to jeena aa gaya
Tum mile to mene paya hai khuda

Tum Mile (Rock): Rock version of Tum mile appears as track 8 and is the best of all the versions where brilliant guitar play by Kalyan Baruah, Paresh Kamath, Pawan Rasaily and Krishna will hold your attention from the starting (they deserve an applause for this) and above all is the raw voice of Shafqat Ali that delivers the powerful words necessary for this rock version maintaining his classical touch. No fiery or pacey note but still this will take you with it. Listen it to feel the magic of Shafqat Ali.

6. O meri Jaan: Next track is a little slow, soft but haunting O Meri Jaan crooned in a little rough voice by KK which talks about dooriyaan, Tanhai, Judai and reasons behind that. Don’t compare it with O meri Jaan from Life in A metro then only you will appreciate this track. Pritam superbly used a haunting piano tune along with modulating KK (shifting between high and low pitches). Lyrics are heart wrenching and justify the suffering and the despair of a man in need of his loved one and KK brilliantly convey the same to its listeners. Awesome!!!

Tere bin jo din aaya, Kaate na woh kat paaya
Kami teri khal si jaati hai, Tere bin jo shaam aayi
Badi dil ki tanhai, Meri aankhen bhar si jaati hain
Kuch tum mujhse khafa, Kuch main bhi hun
Hai kya iski wajah, Main kya kahun
Na jaane waqt ki marzi hai kya, Kyun hai mili yeh dooriyan
O meri jaan…o meri jaan

7. Soul of Tum Mile: The final tracks is an instrumental Soul of Tum Mile, a entirely situational track which starts with a sound of cloudburst and have a menacing effect throughout the track in form of thunder storms, cries of torment and distressed vocals and it brilliantly portrays the pain and trauma. I never believed that Pritam could do something like this but yes he had brilliantly created a melancholy effect through this track to fill in the highly charged situations in the film. A good end.

My Take: Emraan-Bhatt collaboration has always been musically special be it Chocolate, Gangster, Awarapan, Jaanat or Raaz–The Mystery Continues and when they came with Pritam expectations are always high that was the reason that their latest offering Tum Mile, came with a expectation of good potential. The album starts with Tum mile and holds your attention instantly but that’s not all Pritam has 2 alternative versions for you and they are not remixed in current Pritam style but will remind you of his Life in a Metro days creation and are truly awesome, next he had Dil Ibadat and Tu hi Haqeeqat describing a simple situation of a man with head over heels in love but what makes it special is the music arrangement and the choice of singers varying from KK to Javed Ali and all with immense potential and Pritam Brilliantly used it. He had Is Jahaan Mein which will give you glimpse of new-age Mohit Chahuhan, then he had O meri Jaan with a elegant lingering piano tune along with modulating KK and finally he gives you Soul of Tum Mile a truly situational instrument which is truly enjoyable.

A copy cat/ Plagiarist or whatever we call Pritam, his music is always in news and general music lovers look forward for his albums and Tum Mile is a signature Pritam album with some quality music in it which needs some patience to grow on you. I will give 4 out of 5 stars.

My favorites:
1. Tum mile (Rock, Love reprise and the original one)
2. Tu hi Haqeeqat
3. The soul of Tum mile and Dil Ibadaat.