John Abraham's next, Romeo Akbar Walter (2019), puts him in the 1970s, when India and Pakistan were on the verge of war. His character Rehmatulla Ali is an ordinary banker and theatre artiste who is asked to transform himself into a spy for the nation.
The first song from the film, 'Bulleya' show us Rehmatulla aka Romeo's life as he attends a party on the occasion of Indian National Bank Founder's Day. He arrives with his love interest, played by Mouni Roy, who also seems to be a co-worker. John's character is keen to show his admiration for her.
Singer Rabbi Shergill who duets on 'Bulleya' with Shahid Mallya also makes an appearance in the song written by Ashok Punjabi. The Sufi-inspired number is right up Shergill's alley. Sen's music has a mixture of Indian and Western instruments, keeping the melody of the song appropriate for the film's time period.
Shergill last sang for composer AR Rahman on Raanjhanaa (2013) and it’s good to see his one-of-a-kind vocals on a film soundtrack again. Shahid Mallya sings John’s portion in the song ably. Sen and Punjabi succeed in making the Punjabi number upbeat, with a good hook.
The song likely depicts a section of Rehmatulla’s before he turned into spy and shows him undertaking the simple pleasures of life like attending a party. Romeo Akbar Walter, directed by Robby Grewal, is due to be released in theatres on 5 April.
Watch the song below: