Murder 2   Producer: Mukesh Bhatt Director: Mohit Suri Starring: Emraan Hashmi, Jacqueline Fernandez, Prashant Narayanan, Sudhanshu Pandey, Sandeep Sikand Music: Harshit Saxena, Mithooon, Sangeet Haldipur, Siddharth Haldipur Lyrics: Sayeed Quadri, Mithoon, Kumaar Singers: Harshit Saxena, Sunidhi Chauhan,Kshitij Tarey, Salim Bhat, Mithoon, Mohd Irfan, Arjit, Sangeet Haldipur, Roshni Baptist Audio On: T Series    Number of Songs: 8 Album Released on: 30 May 2011 Reviewed by: Atta Khan  - Rating: 6.5 / 10 More Reviews and Analysis by PB Critics:     • Review by Ankit Ojha - Rating: 5.0 / 10     • Feature Review by Gianysh Toolsee - Rating: 6.5 / 10   Let us know what you think about this review Movie Review

Well no surprises for guessing how the album starts. In customary Bhatt fashion, it is of course with a romantic song called “Hale Dil” (Track 1). Newcomer Harshit Saxena is the composer as well as the singer and he does a reasonable job here particularly behind the mic, rendering Sayeed Quadri’s exquisite lines extremely soulfully and giving the song that all important “Bhatt feel”. Not as convincing is the music though which is trying ends up sounding like a Pritam rip off! Put it this way, it’s certainly no competition for his alternative version later on. Of course it will rock on screen and will no doubt satisfy Bhatt fans – everyone else might get bored quickly! To give him some credit Harshit does improve on the music front with the lovely “Hale Dil (Acoustic)” version at Track 7. Whereas the original’s composition was a bit of a mish mash of rock and pop, this version is pure and raw…the acoustic guitar is terrific but I love the way Harshit adds a reverbing bass guitar for added umph! He also ups the ante behind the mic rendering softer than in the original and the results speak for themselves. Well redeemed my man…kudos earned!

“Aa Zara” (Track 2) has been an undoubted hit in the promos featuring a sexy Jacqueline Fernandez. It might pick up further interest once we see the unique item number featuring Yana Gupta! However, onscreen impact aside, the only thing going for this song are the sensual vocals of Sunidhi Chauhan that are at times seductive! Composed by Sangeet and Siddarth Haldipur, the music contains some very addictive guitar riffs that get you in the groove but otherwise don't expect anything spectacular. Lyrics by Kumaar are ok…"Aa Zara Reloaded" (Track 6) is a very neat peppy mix so fans of the original will enjoy this.

Let’s now jump a few tracks to “Tujhko Bhulaana” (Track 5) which is another peppy love ballad for the big screen. However this type of composition should never have made a Mukesh Bhatt film because it has been heard many times before and soon your interest fizzles out. The string melody utilized here might sound lively but is so yesterday’s style- Sangeet and Siddarth Haldipur aren’t going anywhere with this type of music. At least there is energy in the singing department by Sangeeth Haldipur and Roshni Baptist. Even lyrics by Sayeed Quadri aren’t up to his usual standards. Disappointing effort.

At this point the music is going in the wrong direction…lacking the heart and soul expected from a Mukesh Bhatt album let alone a follow up to Murder and you sense Mr. Bhatt himself getting a little fidgety and irksome. But like an experienced pro he takes a deep breath, puts down his golden ticket on the table and rolls the dice…it lands on a wee composer by the name of Mithoon Sharma and then…JACKPOT!!! Yes Mithoon is Mr Bhatt’s saviour again because his two contributions to this soundtrack leave a lasting impression on the listener and bring the soundtrack up to respectable levels…

Firstly, Track 3 is the incredibly moving “Aye Khuda” . Written and composed by Mithoon himself, this is a soul stirring plea to the heavens like no other…if you are already aware of Mithoon’s gifted talents then chances are you are fond of his soulful composing style? If that is the case then the power of this composition will blow you away and stir emotions in you not felt since his last soundtrack (Lamhaa). For those interested, a detailed review of this song is provided below. Suffice to say this is a special song indeed and Mr Bhatt is very lucky to have it on this album. Mithoon fans on the other hand will devour in its beauty and its ability to cleanse the soul. There is a “Aye Khuda Remix” at Track 8 for those needing a bit more pace and action but it's only for those to try that can't handle the original.

Mithoon shows the other composers on this album how to produce a hardcore love song that Mukesh Bhatt will be proud of with the utterly poignant “Phir Mohabbat” (Track 4). He proves that a song doesn’t have to be “all singing all dancing” to make an impact, sometimes it’s just as effective to use the softly softly approach. Here the track starts with his trademark strings but after that it’s a haunting romantic ride from start to finish. In fact the composition is the exact opposite of “Aye Khuda”, very slow with haunting strings repeatedly played in the background that have the effect of hypnotising you. This approach also allows the singers to add pathos through their vocals and the three chosen here (Mohd. Irfan, Arijit and Saim Bhat) render emotionally giving maximum impact. Sayeed Quadri always writes his best work for Mithoon and here is no exception, just sit back folks and enjoy an element of his touching poetry:

Except for Mithoon’s haunting double act, the music of Murder 2 is a let down and undoubtedly a step down from the original Murder soundtrack. Only Harshit Saxena does a reasonably good job with “Hale Dil” - the rest will be enjoyed on the screen for a short while and then quickly forgotten. Mukesh Bhatt needs to plug the gap left by Pritam and he cannot continue to rely on Mithoon to bail him out!

“Aye Khuda” – Background and detailed analysis

The fact that Mithoon is a devout Christian explains in some part why he prefers these soul stirring, spiritual ballads but very few like this one go to extreme, almost devotional levels. This is probably why he has come on record to say how much this song means to him. To portray these extreme emotions, Mithoon uses a powerful orchestration with a haunting surface aided by melodious strings and an eerie drum pad throughout. This latter drum effect switches to a harsher three part beat at 2:48 min. Keep a close ear on things and slowly new instruments emerge during the interludes of the 6:53 min encore as the orchestration grows in power with each new stanza..and as each new plea is delivered (with each new stanza), it carries a heightened level of emotions that Mithoon supports with an upsurge in the orchestral level...but notice how the music comes to an eerie silence just before the start (of each stanza) and then BANG, it explodes into life again. This extenuates the effect of power and emotions! Anyway, those soul stirring pleas are rendered by a different voice since there are three performers here dovetailing beautifully between each stanza...

Aided by the support of his favourite singer, the amazing Kshitij Tarey and newcomer Saim Bhat, Mithoon himself croons to this song and whilst he undoubtedly struggles (he is not a trained singer) no one was going to stop him rendering this because this was another opportunity for him to connect with his God! Also due to his brittle voice, it actually makes the song more believable, that of a man lost in his way, realizing his frailties as a human being and pleading forgiveness to his Almighty… That said the contribution of his chieftains is nothing short of sensational because they evoke their verses full of gusto and passion and then in the background, they perform like a choir with some powerful alaaps including the haunting and varied overlaps of “Aye khuda………a…..” that leave a chill down your spine…checkout Kshitij's sufi-esque vocals which are spellbinding.

The final catalyst of this song are the lyrics themselves and here is a rarity, Mithoon writes these himself! Normally it’s Sayeed Quadri who is always alongside Mithoon’s compositions and for good reason but on this occasion the composer pens some intricate poetry that is clearly a connection between him and God but this will also hit home with many other believers:

Well these words have the potential to bring you down to your knees and have you bury your head in shame…

“Aye Khuda” may take over your mind body and soul but that’s a knack that Mithoon fans have become used to. Other music fans in search of soul and spirituality in their music will also welcome this song. Critics may argue again that Mithoon is recreating his old music but since I’ve personally been one of those critics (read my Lamhaa music review) I can honestly say that it’s time to accept his style and just enjoy his music for what it is. Let’s face it there are very few musicians on the scene that excite you and move you like he can. The only downside to this song is that it is unique and doesn't easily fit in with the other songs on the album so it will be interesting to see how it's played in the film.