The beautiful shots of a lake house in Kashmir that doubles up as a school for children make for some serene viewing. Notebook's latest song, 'Laila', composed by Vishal Mishra, brings to the film a hopeful ode to romance in the voice of Dhvani Bhanushali.
The song has a pleasant melody and visuals going for it, but it lacks a dramatic touch.
Framed around the unrequited romance between Pranutan Bahl's Firdaus and Zaheer Iqbal's Kabir, the song captures the optimism and hope that young lovers often have.
The lyrics parallel the dreams of Firdaus as she hopes to finally meet the guy who has been sending her notes through the notebook. Kabir, too, seems to share the outlook.
The song has a pleasant feel to it. Singer Bhanushali delivers a nicely balanced song. The vocals are well supported with an orchestral backdrop that builds from a violin chorus to a crescendo as the song reaches its refrain.
However, the structure is too familiar and unconvincing in its style. The mediocre lyrics add to the equation making for a fairly forgettable track. The refrain sometimes feels too repetitive, but was perhaps unavoidable.
Notebook is directed by Nitin Kakkar, and is set to be released on 29 March. Watch the song below: