The promos of Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai have caught everyone’s attention. Whether the eclectic cast, content, styling or look – everything about this film is generating a buzz. But what is exciting for music fans is the coming together of Pritam and Emraan Hashmi. After all, this is the pair that gave us hit songs in films like Awaarapan, Jannat and Tum Mile. Will the magic work this time too?

For a film set in the 1970s, the tune of I am in love is fairly contemporary. And a tad similar to a few songs Pritam has composed earlier in films like Gangster and Life In A Metro. Apart from that, this soothing romantic number does work its magic, at least in two of the three versions.

In the first one, the track kicks off softly with Dominique Cerejo’s backing vocals before KK takes over and both the singers do a good job. Karthik’s version is equally charming. But the dance version offers nothing new and ends up being just another remix.

Pee loon is a spellbinding melody. Pritam combines two contrasting styles beautifully – Mohit Chauhan’s modern vocals with an old-world qawwaliesque chorus. And the union is a heady cocktail. Mohit mesmerises with his rendition and the song is sure to get plenty of air time on radio stations. This romantic ballad also reaffirms the fact that Emraan Hashmi gets the best songs in Bollywood.

In spite of Irshad Kamil’s expressive words and some inspired singing by Tulsi Kumar and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Tum jo aaye doesn’t fully meet its potential. The number seems cluttered due to its heavy orchestration and a chorus that’s totally overdone. On the other hand, the reprise version by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is mellow and hence more appealing.

It is evident that Mika Singh’s Babu Rao has been designed as the highlight track of the album. Mika uses his voice well and gives the song the desired attitude. Amitabh Bhattacharya’s lyrics are fairly catchy and reflective of the dangerous lives smugglers led in the ‘70s. Though not exactly chartbuster material, Babu Rao is a fun song that’s quite hummable too.

Parda (Sunidhi Chauhan, Anupam and Rana) is a rehash of the classic cabaret song Monica o my darling from Apna Desh but without the spirit and vigour of the original.

Verdict: Give it a try