With a love affair on the side, it was always likely that Kartik Aaryan's Chintu Tyagi would be forced to sing a sad song in Mudassar Aziz's Pati, Patni Aur Woh.
The inevitable comes in the form of Sachet Tandon and Parampara Thakur's duet, 'Dilbara', a pulsating number shaped as a rock/pop ballad of angst and sadness.
The song is set around the drama of Tyagi finally waking up to the reality of having lost the true love of his life, his wife played by Bhumi Pednekar. While he comes to terms with the fact, he also finds himself wandering down memory lane of his past experiences.
The visuals are highly stylized and can be compared with pop album singles that still make their way on to YouTube. The difference is in the presence of snapshots from the movie that remind you of the song's context. The only flaw is the missed cues for Aaryan's lip-synch which cannot be hidden in closeup.
Sachet Tandon and Parampara Thakur make a good combination and add their voices to their composition. While Tandon takes up the major portion of the vocals (naturally, since the song is picturized on the male lead), the credits include Thakur as a singer. Perhaps there is another version of the track filmed on the leading ladies?
The composition is primed with the use of electronic guitars and synthesizers. While it begins with a simple guitar rhythm setting the base, the song soon escalates into a rock synth ballad complete with electronic guitar solo in the middle. While it is soaring, the pauses in the middle of the song have an arrhythmic effect. It is a little off-putting at first and takes some getting used to.
The lyrics by Navi Ferozpurwala are simple, sombre and to the point. Completely in Punjabi, they feel a little difficult to understand if you are not familiar with the language. But in an age of remixes, it certainly feels like a good change.
Pati, Patni Aur Woh is directed by Mudassar Aziz and is set for release on 6 December.