Rating – 8
Music Director – Mithoon
Lyrics – Mithoon, Karan Malhotra, Piyush Mishra
Film Director – Karan Malhotra
Film Release – 22 July 2022

Ji Huzoor (Aditya Narayan) – 8
Fitoor (Arijit Singh, Neeti Mohan) – 8
Kaale Naina (Shadaab Faridi, Neeti Mohan, Sudesh Bhosle) – 8
Shamshera (Sukhwinder Singh, Abhishek Nailwal) – 8
Hunkara (Sukhwinder Singh, Richa Sharma, Mithoon) – 7
Parinda (Sukhwinder Singh, Abhishek Nailwal) – 7

Shamshera, produced by Yash Raj Films, is the third period film for the production house following Thugs of Hindostan and Samrat Prithviraj. Overall, this soundtrack feels more complete and enjoyable.

That may be due to the director’s, Karan Malhotra, history of strong music through his first two films- Agneepath and Brothers. In those film, he worked with music director, Ajay-Atul and lyricist, Amitabh Bhattacharya to create memorable and soulful songs like Chikni Chameli (Agneepath), Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin (Agneepath), and Sapna Jahan (Brothers). For Shamshera he’s working with Mithoon and Piyush Mishra.

Mithoon has had a handful of films which he’s done the full album, the last being 2020’s Khuda Haafiz. His best work are in the multi-composer albums which include Tum Hi Ho (Aashiqui 2), Woh Lamhe Woh Baatein (Zeher), and Tujhe Kitna Chahne Lage (Kabir Singh)- all slower paced romantic tracks. It’s interesting that Yash Raj and Karan Malhotra went with Mithoon for the Shamshera soundtrack given his limited solo album experience and range in music style but Mithoon does delivers a solid album.

Ji Huzoor sung by Aditya Narayan starts the album with a strong hero introduction with much fanfare for Ranbir Kapoor. Aditya Narayan previously did the hero-entry song for Ranveer Singh, Tattad Tattad from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Ram-Leela. Ji Huzoor is written by Mithoon previously used a similar phrase written by Sayeed Quadri in 2016’s Ji Huzoori (Ki & Ka). The context of the phrase and the pacing of the songs are very different and both are throughly enjoyable.

Fitoor follows the slower pace which I’m used to from Mithoon romantic songs. There’s shades of Mithoon’s previous works Ji Huzoori (Ki & Ka) and Phir Mohabbat (Murder 2). Arijit Singh and Neeti Mohan are both good vocally but their range falls short of their prior work together in Mera Yaara (Sooryavanshi). 

Kaale Naina is the qawalli dance song for Vaani Kapoor who plays a dancer. It’s playful banter about her dark eyes with back-forth by Shadaab Faridi and Neeti Mohan. I haven’t heard either of them together or doing a song like this before so very much appreciated the fresh sound. There’s a portion of Tere Naina Naina which reminded me of Kajra Re (Bunty Aur Babli), another Yash Raj film.  

The title song is fittingly grand with Sukhwinder Singh and Abhishek Nailwal. Mithoon nails it by building intensity through the different energetic horns and powerful drums. The lyrics also by Mithoon creates this larger than life persona for Shamshera, as a man who defies death.

Hunkara feels lost amongst the other songs in the album. Sukhwinder Singh and Richa Sharma are good but the composition sounds dated and lyrics are average. The intro reminded me of Himesh Reshammiya’s Go Balle Balle (Dil Ne Jise Apna Kahan).

Parinda wraps up the album with Sukhwinder Singh and Abhishek Nailwal again. It feels like a climatic, slower, and minimal version of the title song. The horn solo here, I think it’s a trumpet, is really crisp and lingers in your mind after the album stops playing.

Overall, a solid and complete album by Mithoon that I recommend listening to from start to finish.