The year 2023 was indeed a year of rebirth for music in Bollywood. We saw groovy dance numbers like ‘Pyaar Hota Kayi Baar Hai’ and ‘Challeya’ and mellow songs like ‘Kudmayi’ and ‘Chal Ve Watna’. The year was clad in some of the finest albums we have seen from the Hindi film industry in quite a long time. Still, amidst the allure of the constant Arijit Singh buffet and a few sides of the regular music producers, there was one album that truly caught our attention: Kho Gaye Hum Kahan.

Bollywood has forever relied on music to make the stories more accessible. But seldom do some albums do that. 9/10 times we see a video orchestrated for the very song, just to sell the product to the audiences. But then comes films like Qala, which used music to tell a story, and Kho Gaye Hum Kahan; these movies don’t use their songs as some support to fall on but sew the music so gracefully into themselves that you cannot see one without the other.

Kho Gaye Hum Kahan’s music packs a sense of nostalgia in a modern wrap to end the year with

One of the primary things that beautifully stands out for us is the sheer exploration the music of this film is willing to do. There are no real barriers We could point at. You don’t see the shackles of genres, forms, and types of music that you are listening to. Instead, every song on the album is a breath of fresh air. And a lot of its credit goes to the multiple composers who came together to create this bundle of songs.

You have a legendary composer duo Sachin-Jigar, who just did what they do best: Create a melody so infectious that you cannot help but groove to the tunes of ‘I Wanna See You Dance’. And then you also have someone like OAFF-Savera who brings their share of lush Hindi pop music that gives the necessary new-age touch that a movie about three 20-something friends will need. Both ‘Hone Do Jo Hota Hai’ and ‘Teri Yeh Baatein’ oddly remind of their first bug number from ‘Gehraaiyan’, but are equally beautiful if not more.

The production for the album is impeccable, but just as intriguing is the writing of these songs. Be it Javed Akhtar’s signature style of writing about feelings effortlessly, or someone like Ankur Tewari, who brings a newfangled perspective to the songs. Tewari has a striking resemblance to the music that Prateek Kuhad does; where words are filled with raw feelings, but sound like kindergarten poetry.

The Ananya Pandey and Siddhant Chaturvedi flick’s odd resemblance to Dil Chahta Hai

Now, maybe we are going a little overboard with this comparison. But the album and the movie itself have an odd similarity to Bollywood’s greatest friendship movie, Dil Chahta Hai. Three friends who are facing their struggles against the whole world and themselves. Both movies have beautifully tackled the issues faced by young adults, set in different times. And the same translates to their music as well.

Every singer on the album brings a special spice to the mix. Be it the Lothika’s distinctive notes, or Saba Azad’s synth-like voice. And of course, Rashmeet Kaur and Yashraj’s alluring melody marrying Punjabi verse with an equally powerful rap.

You have groovy numbers, heartfelt songs to maybe weep to, and then songs that will build you up again. We hope the music of this film gets the due credit and appreciation from the fans and so does the movie. Netflix’s Kho Gaye Hum Kahan is going down as one of the finest Hindi films of the year for us.

Let us know what you think about this film and its music in the comments below.