Tum Mile   Producer: Mukesh Bhatt Director: Kunal Deshmukh Starring: Emraan Hashmi, Soha Ali Khan Music: Pritam Lyrics: Sayeed Quadri, Kumaar Singers: Neeraj Shridhar, K.K, Javed Ali, Mohit Chauhan, Shafqat Amanat Ali Audio On: Sony    Number of Songs: 9 Album Released on: 11 September 2009 Reviewed by: Ankit Ojha  - Rating: 9.0 / 10 More Reviews and Analysis by PB Critics:     • Feature Review by Atta Khan - Rating: 8.5 / 10   Let us know what you think about this review Movie Review

Isn’t it sheer wonder that this restless composer strives to increase the number of releases with each year? He’s always on the run, composing every new soundtrack with each passing amount of time. Which is why, as of now in this year, he has had as many as six big releases so far; Billu, New York, Love Aaj Kal, Life Partner, Dil Bole Hadippa!, All The Best, and now, Tum Mile. And did I forget that he composed two songs for the now forgotten movie Aa Dekhen Zara, out of which 'Gazab' continues to get extensive radio airplay? My Dad tells me that I’ve forgotten one more thing; Ek – The Power of One (every reason of forgetting that movie, as also its songs). So that makes for nine in just nine months? It seems Pritam wants more than just his own share of attention, which he is attempting to capture with every next soundtrack every next month.

And this month’s Pritam-ised dish being served is Tum Mile, this one without doubt being one of Pritam’s most awaited soundtracks after Love Aaj Kal this year, considering his collaboration with the director Kunal Deshmukh and Vishesh Films comes back after the (musically and movie wise) immensely successful Jannat last year. So does Pritam deliver another Jannat? Or does he fail to live up? Read on to know more.

The opening song Tum Mile starts in reverse – literally, though only for a few seconds, after which you hear a proper male vox manipulated by a range of effects to make it sound cool, after which the title track’s first version makes a shining entry into the album (and our ears). The moment Neeraj Shridhar comes behind the mike for this, you know that his singing is no longer the dĂ©jĂ  vu you tend to hear in many of Neeraj Shridhar’s collaborations with Pritam. In fact, you get to reminisce a lot about the songs that Neeraj Shridhar used to compose and sing for as Bombay Vikings in his early career – those upbeat Hinglish rehashes of old classics that usually kept the soul of the original, while never missing out on the music quotient.

Nostalgic feelings aside, this is a really well composed, peppy track which probably has Neeraj Shridhar at his best with his most soulful track with Pritam so far. The only down point of this song would actually be its strange link to Pritam’s own ‘Dooriyan’ from the recent Love Aaj Kal; the melody sounds strikingly similar to the original from the soundtrack of the Imtiaz Ali film, though Pritam has played around with it (possibly in hopes that fewer people recognize the original source of this track’s melody). Nevertheless, this track makes an instant impression on the ears, and turns out to be successful for what the whole group wanted to achieve – a light-hearted, urban, peppy and upbeat title track with a slightly intense romantic outing, which the lyrics and (partly) Neeraj Shridhar’s vocals provide for. This song is exactly the opener one was looking for in this Bhatt’s soundtrack.

The title track comes back in sometime as a Tum Mile (Love Reprise), which cuts out on the upbeat and peppy feel, and instead, adds a bit – a very slight bit – of rock somewhere around, and more of those addictive bagpipes, the thematic tune of which instantly makes us fall in love with the song. The beats are simple and easy on the ears, and the arrangements are really something to look out for. It has been given the correct mixing to give it that extra dreamy and romantic feel. Javed Ali’s dipped-in-honey vocals give that overall effect of love-in-the-air, making us listeners fall in love with the title track yet again. The lyrics are slightly different, as is the tune in some places, but almost everywhere else, the melody sounds the same, though when accompanied by a different set of beats, and an overall different feel, gives something strikingly beautiful that can be listened to on repeat!

The title track makes a third and final appearance with the Shafaqat Amanat Ali sung Tum Mile (Rock) version, which has its own different charm. The ex-vocalist of Pakistani band Fuzon creates a huge impact in this soft rock version of the title track with his fluid, semi-classical vocals, which hit the right notes in our ears to make it sound amazingly breathtaking to the listeners. The lyrics in this one are exactly the same as the Love Reprise, but who cares? This one has a particular uniqueness to the song, as also its uplifting feel. While the ‘Love Reprise’ was for one with your date, this one is for yourself – all you’re required to do is to close your eyes, and feel the intensity of the overall track.

And if three versions of the title track weren’t enough, we have with us two versions of Dil Ibadat, featuring one of the most prolific singers right now in Bollywood, Krishna Kumar Kunnath. Didn’t ring a bell? Well, I guess the short form of K.K will. Anyway, getting back to the song, the original version turns out to be the ‘Haan Tu Hain’ of Tum Mile, with even the feel of the song somewhat similar in nature to the one from Jannat. Not that the song is a copy as such, but the intensity captured in this song gives the listener a strange dĂ©jĂ  vu to the song from Jannat. Nevertheless, K.K’s irresistible vocals that do the trick and make this song a complete winner, and what with Pritam’s killer music at hand (the haunting feel that will reel through your mind for a long time, even after the listen). And coupled with the music, the intense lyrics enhance the already intense feel present in the song, which the listeners are able to capture and savor. Yet another winner in Pritam’s hand; this one is a beautiful song that makes the listener feel complete after a few consequent hearings.

And for the lovers of soft rock, Dil Ibadat (Rock) version also doesn’t disappoint. In fact, this particular version blows listeners off their feet, as is very reminiscent of the musical success of Pritam that was Life In A
Metro. Though the lyrics in this one do not change, there is an overall “added intensity” to the already overpowering intense feel in the original – which makes for yet another hauntingly beautiful version of ‘Dil Ibadat’; a soft rock track for the music lovers and another beautiful listen for the lovers of soft rock. Pritam has composed yet another stunning song which will surely generate a lot of listens!

With the album already reaching its crescendo point, one becomes greedier and greedier. But worry not, as one finds the best track of the enterprise so far – Tu Hi Haqeeqat. With Javed Ali’s soulful vocals and the lyrics that make you feel for your loved one like never before, you already have a chartbuster. The music of Pritam, in this one as well, comes out to make one of his finest compositions (and it could well be for the fact that this track’s stunning introductory music has been used as part of the theatrical trailer for aggressive promotion). The slight oriental touch, and the very slight rock feel give this romantic track a completely new avatar. The lyrics (intense again!) give new meaning to the conventional romantic track, as also makes the listener want to sing it to his/her loved one. This one is for closing the lights, closing your eyes, and pressing PLAY on your iPod. This is one track that will make you go back to it again and again. At the risk of repeating myself, it is surely the best track of the enterprise so far. A must-hear and must-repeat!

From Silk Route’s ‘Dooba Dooba’ to ‘Yeh Dooriyan’ and now Is Jahaan Mein, there is something about Mohit Chauhan that really charms his listeners to hear his songs again and again! Pritam’s music composition is worth mentioning, as it is the essence of this music that reminds us of the Mohit Chauhan of Silk Route. The charm is such that even if this track would have been in a non-film album, it would really do wonders, as there is this distinct ‘flavor’ and ‘appeal’ that the non-film album listeners would really connect to. Another song that makes you reminisce about the ‘good-old-days-in-the-nineties-era-of-non-film’, where such songs used to come out every now and then, which always ended up giving a smile on your face due to its upbeat and light-hearted feel. And this one succeeds to do so too! And beware, as you may end up whistling the song anywhere without a care in this world!

K.K comes back for his final round, which is O Meri Jaan, another song with the finest arrangements and mixing (yet again coming into the genre of soft rock, which, again, makes us reminisce the musical genius that was Life In A
Metro), which really finds, yet again, a place in your heart. And even after the hurricane of good songs heard so far in this album, you won’t be disappointed, as this song, like every other song in the album, has its own charm, which will take some time to settle on you. It is K.K’s emoting here that makes the song a winner – you feel for the protagonist he’s singing for (Emraan Hashmi) here solely due to his vocals, which stir your heart and feelings. And it’s not just K.K’s vocals that win you over, it those heart-rending lyrics (Hairan Hain Hum Hue kyun Tum Gairon Se
 Kaisa Hai Gham Bolo Na Tum Hothon Se
) which really make you ‘feel’ the act of separation, as also imagine it. Pritam clearly knows what he’s doing here, as he always does when he collaborates with Vishesh Films mostly.

The album ends with the most hauntingly beautiful theme piece of 2009 so far – The Soul of Tum Mile (Instrumental), which really takes your breath away. Starting with a thunderstorm, which really sets the edgy mood of the track, this one turns out to be a completely fantastic instrumental outing, as well as a fantabulous theme piece. This one can easily be regarded as one of the better theme pieces in this year, with the amazing orchestration and the mixing. Special mention goes to the reverb used at the right places to give that faraway feel before the song builds up, thereby building the tension in our heart, all the way till the song makes the most amazing crescendo. This actually will set the heartbeat of the listener faster – given with the utmost precision to set exactly the right mood for the movie, which is supposed to be one of the first disaster theme flicks in Bollywood – or is it the first?

Pritam has, unbelievably, scored a ‘sixer’ (or in football-fan lingo, ‘goal’) with each track, and with this, he ends the album with something the listener will remember for a long time after he has already heard it. This might not be meant for repeat hearings, but people who want to have a ‘feel’ of the track and ultimately get an ‘audible’ glimpse of the movie will surely get back to this very theme piece to listen to it again. This one is meant for the fans of perfect orchestration.

The Bhatt’s have always come out with some really fantastic musical outings, and this one should be one of Vishesh Films’ top soundtracks so far. With Jashnn already making a musical impression in the charts, Tum Mile becomes Mahesh Bhatt and Mukesh Bhatt’s icing-on-the-cake. As far as the inclusion of Emraan Hashmi is concerned, it was evident, as Hashmi always manages to star only in those movies which have a fantastic musical outing.

Coming back to Pritam, well done! Post Life In A
Metro, the ardent listener was always waiting for that big album he would next release. But unfortunately, due to Pritam’s commercial status and his workload, his next few soundtracks got affected very badly. And considering Pritam had a hurricane of releases in this year so far (and more coming up in the form of Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani – he won’t stop it seems!), this one has the potential to break the records of whatever success he has had in the past few albums, whether it is New York, Love Aaj Kal or Dil Bole Hadippa! Supporting Pritam in this venture, the two lyricists - Kumaar and Sayeed Quadri – have generated an extra punch to a soundtrack that already has the best vocalists and the best music by Pritam this year (at the risk of repeating myself).

And as of now, all I can say is that Life In A
Metro is back, and this time in a new avatar, and without remixes – which is rarely or little seen these days. All we can see is two to three versions of the same song, but these versions actually stand out on their own, making the album work like never before! In the end, all I can do is rephrase the very first sentence of this review; Pritam is back – YET again!