It is a smart marketing ploy by the makers of Baar Baar Dekho to release a remastered version of the Punjab song Kala Chashma from the 2000s a week before the trailer launch. The catchy track, featuring actors Siddharth Malhotra and Katrina Kaif, became an instant earworm, in part owing to the original song’s legacy. Any animosity towards the trailer’s familiarity with Hollywood movies will dissipate in the presence of Kala Chashma’s unbeatable rhythm.
Nitya Mehra’s debutant feature has six songs by five composers and six lyricists. Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, sung by Jasleen Royal and Prateek Kuhad, is a whispering ode to romance. Their breezy vocals float like butterflies dancing in the summer air as a musician gently strums a guitar, capturing the mood with a melodious whistle in the end. The music is by Royal with lyrics by Kuhad.
Composer Amaal Malik and lyricist Kumaar deliver Sau Aasmaan, which sounds like their hit number Sooraj Dooba Hai (Roy, 2015). It is sung by Malik and Neeti Mohan. Malik mixes country music with electronic dance music sounds and adds claps and finger snaps to produce a number that is pleasant on the ears and easy to groove to.
Arko writes, composes and sings the Punjabi song Dariya (River), revisiting the doomed love story of Heer-Ranjha. He makes an earnest attempt to give it a non-Punjabi makeover, without the high-decibel drums beats and chest-thumping rural vocals.
Royal’s second song, Nach De Saare, sung by Royal, Harshdeep Kaur and Siddharth Mahadevan, is the staple loud wedding song. Lyricist Aditya Sharma writes Zor zor se shor wor kar, DJ gaane bajane aa (Make a noise, come and play, deejay) and the song is pretty much just that.
Bilal Saeed composes and sings Teri Khair Mangdi. He has co-written the lyrics with Kumaar. The song was first produced for Saeed’s album Twelve (2013), with heavy EDM beats. The version in Baar Baar Dekho is turned into a slow ballad with staccato beats.
The album ends with the chartbusting sounds of Kala Chashma, recreated by Badshah, with additional lyrics by Amrik Singh and Kumaar. The original singer Amar Arshi’s voice is mixed with Badshah and the spunky Neha Kakkar’s vocals. Badshah also raps with Indeep Bakshi to give the song its Punjabi hip-hop flavour. The song shouts out for an encore, baar baar.