MUSIC REVIEW: Raaz - The Mystery Continues

Released way back in 2001, Raaz was surprise box-office hit that revived Bipasha Basu's career and the Bhatt banner's fortunes. Nadeem Shravan's conventionally melodious soundtrack played a big role in that film's success with couple of tacks becoming must haves on every Bollywood compilation.

Now more than seven years later Raaz is back with a fresh cast, new director and an entirely different theme. Basically save for the name and production house there is little in common between Raaz and Raaz-The Mystery Continues. The new edition of Raaz stars the banner's lucky mascot Emraan Hashmi along with Kangana Ranaut and Adhyayan Suman.

The Emraan-Bhatt combo has consistently delivered musical chartbusters right from Murder to the recent Jannat – which features among the year's top sellers. In an effort to create yet another smash hit album, RTMC has not one but four music directors–Raju Singh, Gourov Dasgupta, Pranay M Rijia and the reality show find Toshi. So is it a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth? Or do the Bhatts live up to their track record?

RTMC is starts with a bang. Sung and composed by Toshi, Maahi is an instantly catchy number that should climb up the charts in no time. A song about love and pain it is perfect Emraan Hahmi material. One can almost visualise a passionate Emraan – Kangana video as he lip syncs to lines such as Tujh mein hai kuch aisi subah Sa, Jiski khatir main tha jagaa sa, Aa tu mere khwaab saja ja re, Dil roya ilahi tu aaja aere aahi…. The song should soon find a place in the actor's already crowded musical hit list. From lyrics to composition to singing and now hopefully picturisation, Mahi gets it all right.

Toshi, whose early exit from a talent hunt show sparked off lot of debate few month back, lives up to all the promise he had shown. Toshi has the voice of a hero that's powerful and doesn't screech at higher notes. A couple of good songs could do wonders for this singer, who doesn't sound uncomfortable with playback unlike Abhijeet Sawant and Rahul Vaidya.