Fukrey Returns song: This 'Mehbooba' is a pale reprise of original

Remakes are all the rage in Hindi cinema music today, and Fukrey Returns seems to be right in step with the times. The sequel to the 2014 comedy released its first song, Mehbooba, on Wednesday, and it is a remix of the classic Mohammed Rafi number from Dharam Veer (1977). 

The song features the four 'fukreys' Hunny, Lali, Choocha and Zafar getting into party mode. Seeing how the pub looks a little too posh for their taste, the quartet decide to change the mixtape to the more popular number they can think of. While the visuals capture the eccentricities of Choocha in the posh atmosphere, there is little eye-catching in the choreography. 

The music, however, is another matter. Composed by Prem & Hardeep, the song has Neha Kakkar accompanying the late Mohammed Rafi on vocals. The only thing the composers have retained from the original composition is the catchphrase of 'Oh Meri Mehbooba' in Rafi's voice. While it is still as refreshing to hear the great man sing, it seems like a jarring note in a composition that is otherwise filled with EDM beats, rap verses in a very upscale environment. The composition is catchy, and Kakkar does a good job. However, the rap by Raftaar fails to light up the composition. 

Fukrey Returns stars Pulkit Samrat, Varun Sharma, Ali Fazal and Manjot Singh. The film is set to be released on 15 December.