99 Songs Story:

Jay(Ehan) aspires to become a well-renowned musician but he receives very little support from his father who is against his career choice. While studying in college, Jay meets Sophia (Edlisy), a mute and he falls for her almost immediately. Here comes a cliched conflict in the story. Sophia’s father, a multimillionaire sets a seemingly impossible challenge to Jay if the latter is to marry his daughter. What is the challenge? Can Jay achieve it? If yes, then how? The answers to these questions form the remaining plot.

99 Songs Performances:

Ehan Bhat is making his debut as an actor with this film. He looks settled in what could be considered a challenging role. He plays an aspiring musician with a troubled past and uncertain future. The budding actor makes an impact with his matured performance. Edilsy Vargas looks beautiful on the screen but there is a lot of scope to improve her acting skills. Tenzin bags a meaty role and he looks sharp. The rest of the support cast ably support the narrative.

99 Songs Analysis:

Music maestro Rahman’s story of a young middle-class lad and the daughter of a business tycoon is cliched. But it has certain elements which, with a better screenplay and narrative, could have made a compelling watch. Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy’s screenplay is lethargic and bland. The cliched story is narrated in an even more sluggish and outdated manner.

The love track between an aspiring musician and a mute needed sensible writing but Vishweshwar fails in doing the same. Rahman excels when it comes to music composition. The audio album packs a punch Rahman’s background score perfectly elevates the mood and the vibe of the proceedings. A chunk of Jay’s journey is narrated through montage songs and this part is handled very well. This portion has freshness and intriguing elements. But that is just about it. The rest of Jay’s journey lacks desired impact as related subplots are not engaging enough. The cinematographers Tanay Satam and James Cowley add a whole new layer with their aesthetic visual presentation. Their brilliant work behind the lens deserves appreciation.

99 Songs Verdict:

99 Songs is powered by brilliant cinematography and equally good music composition. But the cliched story and lackluster narrative play spoilsport. The film ends up as a substandard musical drama.