Himesh Reshammiya sets the tone for the Rajshri family film – Beyond Bollywood

A song launch before the teaser and trailer, Rajshri Productions turns back the clock, reminding us what Bollywood has been missing all these years.

By Mayur Lookhar

Rajshri Productions is as old as India. Launched on 15 August 1947 by Tarachand Barjatya, his sons – Rajkumar, Kamal Kumar, and Ajit Kumar – carried the legacy forward. Over the last 40 years, Rajkumar’s filmmaker son, Sooraj Barjatya, has primarily preserved that legacy. Sooraj’s son Avnish stepped into direction with Dono (2023), marking the 4th generation of the Barjatya family into films. Sooraj Barjatya has made seven films in about 40 years; in its nearly 80-year history, Rajshri has made about 60 films so far. Clearly, this is a production house that has always prioritized quality over quantity.

The world will welcome Sooraj Barjatya’s 8th directorial, Yeh Prem Mol Liya, which is set to release on 27 November 2026. At the title song launch, Sooraj recalled a famous anecdote about his grandfather. He used to observe many writers come to the family home and pitch ideas – ideas his grandfather thought had the potential to be superhits – but the family rejected most of them. One day, Sooraj asked his grandfather, “If you think they’ll be superhits, why aren’t we producing them?” A calm Tarachand simply replied, “These are potentially superhit stories, but at Rajshri, we only make those films that have the blessings of Goddess Saraswati.” If you are a writer or any artiste, then that’s what it takes to break into Rajshri Productions.

Ayushmann Khurrana and Sharvari will consider themselves blessed to be part of a Rajshri film. Working with Rajshri isn’t just about a film – they perhaps make you part of the family. Here, it’s never about stars, but simply about storytelling. And that was evident at the first promotional event, where Rajshri rolled back the years, reminding Bollywood how music is the essence of Hindi films. Back in the good old days, promotions often began with a song launch or mahurat. The quality song would instantly build intrigue around the film’s world, which perhaps would take months to arrive, but having established an audience through its music, these family dramas were most likely to be well received by audiences.

While some films have begun promotions with a song launch, very few have offered quality music. Rajshri didn’t just launch the title song – they performed it live via an orchestra, which naturally made it a lived-in experience for the media and everyone else present.

Save for Uunchai (2022), all male protagonists in Sooraj Barjatya’s films are named Prem. Salman Khan made it most popular through Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), Hum Aapke Hain Koun…! (1994), Hum Saath-Saath Hain (1999), and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015). Now, it’s Ayushmann Khurrana who gets to play Prem, a musician, in Yeh Prem Mol Liya. The title means adding a price or value to love. We will know more about the film in due course, but this fine title track sets the tone, both in terms of music and the film as a whole.

Himesh Reshammiya reunites with Rajshri for only the second time since Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. And he serves up a soft, fine, delightful melody steeped in traditional tunes – don’t miss the Rajshri alap. Kumaar’s lyrics are simple but rhythmic, making the song so hummable. Shreya Ghoshal does Shreya Ghoshal things, but it’s Nihal Tauro who is the more soothing voice here.  He seems like a natural voice for an actor like Ayushmann.

The visuals give a subtle insight into the family drama, celebrating wedding, different cultures – garba, Durga Puja, Chhath, including a Qawwali-style act – thus promising a truly inclusive film. Well, there’s a death, too, thus bringing in all the emotions. The most important detail: Rajshri has launched the whole song, resisting the reel temptation. That’s not to say Reels/Shorts makers won’t get their share of content – the ethnic designer wear, bridal wear (gorgeous Sharvari), and groom outfits will give wedding goals, while the title track will be used for personal wedding reels/shorts. Gen Z can’t be ignored, but Rajshri has rightly stuck to tradition.

Barjatya has stated that this will be his most progressive film. That’s surprising, because Rajshri has never really made regressive content. Maybe this song gives some peek into this promise. First, it appears that the girl comes from a humble family, maybe where there are no other males. The groom, though, is lucky to have his father, mother, uncle, and perhaps a little brother around. Then the eye-catching thing here is that this story isn’t going to be much about sasural-maayka, but a ghar (one happy family). The film also perhaps does away with the prestige associated with being a son-in-law, instead calling it a responsibility, while the bahu (daughter-in-law) is a privilege. Well, if all is hunky-dory, where will the conflict come from? Well, we’ll have to wait to watch the film

The title track is far from perfect, but in times when the Indian audience is flooded with music of all kinds, Yeh Prem Mol Liya reminds us that, in the end, the Indian audience loves a traditional Bollywood song – one meant for the entire family.

Watch Yeh Mol Liya Title Track below.