As a filmmaker, Neeraj Pandey is not known for making musicals. However, if you closely observe his filmography, you will realize Neeraj has a soft spot for and a good understanding of music. His first film \u2018A Wednesday\u2019 was largely devoid of songs but the album featured as many as seven tracks put together by composer Sanjoy Chowdhury and lyricist Irshad Kamil. For \u2018Special 26\u2019, his second film as a director, Neeraj joined hands with M. M. Kreem. Irshad Kamil, who had written songs for \u2018A Wednesday\u2019, was brought on board as well. The result was a diverse soundtrack filled with excellent songs like \u2018Tujh Sang Lagee\u2019, \u2018Kaun Mera\u2019 and \u2018Mujh Mein Tu\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If we take \u2018Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha\u2019<\/strong> into account, M. M. Kreem and Neeraj Pandey have worked together on five films till date. While some of these films have been directed (\u2018Special 26\u2019, \u2018Baby\u2019 and \u2018Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha\u2019) by Pandey, a few have only been produced (\u2018Missing\u2019 and \u2018Operation Romeo\u2019) by him. \u2018Operation Romeo\u2019, their last collaboration, had some sparkling gems in the form of \u2018Tere Bin Jeena Kya\u2019 and \u2018Abhi Abhi\u2019. Given the fact that the composer and filmmaker were coming together for an intense love story, one had great expectations from the music of \u2018Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha\u2019. What makes this album further exciting is that it has songs written by Manoj Muntashir who also has collaborated with Pandey in the past on several occasions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The album of \u2018Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha\u2019 has released more than a week after the film released in the theatres. The film, as one knows by now, has not fared very well at the box-office. The songs, that had come out prior to the release of the film, had made a strong impression. The album features seven tracks, with some of the tracks being alternate versions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAuron Mein Kahan Dum Tha\u201d<\/em><\/strong>, the title track, is not a conventional song but poetry recited by Ajay Devgn, the lead actor of the film. The verses, written by Manoj Muntashir, are dipped in romance and a sense of melancholy. The poetry comes alive well in Ajay\u2019s deep baritone voice. The music in the background (M.M. Kreem) serves as a good accompaniment to the poetry by Manoj. The female vocals (Unnati Shah) add a nice emotional layer to the track. The track has been arranged well by Aditya Dev. With a duration of 2 minutes and 34 seconds, the track is brief but effective. Given how powerful the title is, one would have also loved to see the makers putting together a proper title song for it. This one, however, sets the tone for the album and makes one look forward to the songs that will arrive next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTuu\u201d<\/em><\/strong> is a romantic number which showcases the devotion of Krishna (Shantanu Maheshwari) towards his beloved Vasudha (Saiee Manjrekar). The sense of devotion in the character is brought to the fore effectively by M. M. Kreem\u2019s music, Manoj Muntashir\u2019s lyrics and the vocals of Javed Ali and Sukhwinder Singh. M. M. Kreem has put together a masterful composition which oscillates between a peppy, contemporary love and a devotional number. Often, the violin is used as an instrument for the track to segue from one musical space into another. A special mention must be made of Siddharth S. who has arranged the song very well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After a track which packed in a lot of things, arrives a song that takes a minimalistic approach to its overall sound. \u201cAe Dil Zara\u201d comes at a juncture in the film when Krishna and Vasudha realize they have to go their separate ways. \u201cYeh aag hawaaon mein hogi kahaan, ke roz tu baahon mein hogi kahaan, Yeh soch ke jaan nikalti hai, tum aaj ke baad aad milogi kahaan<\/em>\u201d, Manoj Muntashir brings the pain and anguish of the characters alive through his poetry. M. M. Kreem\u2019s tune tugs at your heartstrings when you hear it for the first time and stays with you long after you have finished listening to the track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aditya Dev adds a good sense of drama to the track through his arrangements. Amala Chebolu and Rishabh Chaturvedi\u2019s voices have both depth and innocence in them and that works wonderfully for the song. The song has two other alternate versions, namely, ‘Jahan Se Chale The’ and ‘Dobara Humein Kya’. Since these two songs are filmed on the actors (Ajay Devgn and Tabu) playing the older version of these characters, we get to hear different voices here. Both ‘Jahan Se Chale The’ and ‘Dobara Humein Kya’ have been sung by Sunidhi Chauhan and Jubin Nautiyal. Manoj Muntashir writes fresh verses, keeping in mind the situations, for these two versions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maithili Thakur, a young singer who is known for lending her voice to bhajans <\/em>on YouTube and other digital platforms, makes her debut as a playback singer with \u201cKisi Roz\u201d<\/em><\/strong>. The song is steeped in a sense of \u2018virah<\/em>\u2019 or separation. The highly melodious number is decorated by the sound of tabla<\/em>, harmonium, sarangi<\/em>, and other string instruments. This is the kind of song one hopes the Hindi film industry comes up with more often. \u201cPatthar jag mein kaanch ke lamhe, kaise sahe jo samajh na aaye, tere mere beech mein jo hai, gyaani jag yeh jaan naa paaye<\/em>\u201d, Manoj Muntashir\u2019s lyrics do complete justice to M. M. Kreem\u2019s rich composition. Maithili does a splendid job with the vocals. The alternate, with almost the same duration as the original, has sung with a lot of heart by M. M. Kreem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha\u2019<\/strong> is one of the best Hindi film albums one has come across this year. Neeraj Pandey, yet again, proves that he has an ear for music and is somebody who makes an effort to ensure his films have a good soundtrack. Though this particular film could not match up to one\u2019s expectations, one hopes the filmmaker comes up with another romantic musical film soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If one goes through M. M. Kreem\u2019s Hindi filmography, one realizes the veteran composer has worked on a plethora of films that did not do too well at the box-office. While some of the incredible work the composer did in Hindi got its due despite the film not performing well, some did not get as much attention as they deserved. Albums like \u2018Sur\u2019 and \u2018Rog\u2019 got their due with time despite the films under-performing. Then, there were albums like \u2018Iss Raat Ki Subah Nahin\u2019, \u2018Paheli\u2019, \u2018Kasak\u2019, \u2018Lahore\u2019 which suffered greatly because of the films they were a part of sinking without a trace. One hopes \u2018Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha\u2019 get the love it deserves. Here\u2019s looking forward to the next film which brings Neeraj Pandey, M. M. Kreem and Manoj Muntashir together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n