M.M. Kreem returns for the forthcoming “Special 26” directed by Neeraj Pandey. Can he make an impact?

The opening lines of “Tujh Sang Lagee” are evoked by M.M. Kreem himself marking his return to Bollywood in a very touching way. The song itself is a breezy romantic with music based on the classic dholak / harmonium melody that gives the song a catchy feel. M.M. Kreem adds further traditional instruments in the interludes but doesn’t experiment too much so it feels quite old school but somehow it doesn’t grate which is a good sign.   Lyrics by Irshad Kamil are also decent. 

A guest composition by  Himesh Reshammiya called “Gore Mukhda Pe Zulf Di Chaava” came next . A wonderful piano commences the slow but superbly composed “Kaun Mera” which has a nostalgic feel of yesteryear. What follows are various orchestral instruments dovetailing (with the piano) beautifully one after the other including a flute, viola and others. Chitra’s voice is so powerful . There are two alternative versions of the song later in the album, one is sung by Papon where M.M. Kreem gives it a modern feel by adding strings and beats at the core. We have a ‘strings only’ version sung by Sunidhi Chauhan who just melts your heart with her sublime voice. The music is serene and you are left wanting more. .

The maestro continues to impress with “Mujh Mein Tu” which follows on nicely from the previous song and while it’s definitely livelier the composer breaks away from traditional music for this one and adds a modern vibe including electric guitars. Keerthi Sagathia is a superb choice here because he makes you feel every emotion from Irshad Kamil’s heart-breaking lines.  . M.M. Kreem sings a reprise version of this song later utilizing just strings and of course it sounds absolutely stunning.

The final song, “Dharpakad” is an unusual one for a M.M. Kreem song. 

The music is powerful yet old school and while the composer has tried to modernize elements of it, the whole album just feels like it belongs to a previous era.. Sure to be a hit album

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