Romeo Akbar Walter song: 'Allah Hoo Allah' is soothing, but hardly captivating

In the latest song of Romeo Akbar Walter, 'Allah Hoo Allah' is a qawwali is the backdrop for a 'coincidental' meeting between the characters of John Abraham and Mouni Roy.

The actor, as Akbar Malik, is undercover as a spy and trying to bring down a Pakistani arms dealer. He notices a meeting between a general and the arms dealer and gathers intel for India. He also meets up with his love interest, played by Roy.

The qawwali is sung by a group of people, including Sameer Khan, Maneesh Singh, Shreyas Puranik, Jay Mehta, Mayur Sakhare and Tejas Mahure. The memorable composition is scored and written by Shabbir Ahmed and amps up the tension and stakes for John's character. As the guests gather around the qawwali group, shots of John in danger (and on the run) are interspersed.

However, the melodic qawwali seems a bit misplaced in the espionage thriller set in the 1970s as the action is diverted in between an awkward lover's reunion and a spy trying to gain information that help India gain the edge over her neighbour.

It has been a while since the qawwali has made a comeback in Hindi films. Today's films can't seem to find the correct use for one. Perhaps the last Hindi film to cleverly integrate one was Main Hoon Ha (2004) with 'Tumse Milke Dilka Hai Jo Haal', and that was a long time ago.

Romeo Akbar Walter, written and directed by Robbie Grewal, is due to be released on 5 April.

Watch the song below: