Dosti might not be the most unique of song titles but Harish Budhwani‘s Dosti is quite something in its own right. 
It picks off with an ambient fingerstyle strumming pattern while Budhwani’s smooth vocals lay the premise. Contrary to its name, Dosti is more of a love ballad than than a friendship anthem. 

The lyrics touch upon that state when one falls for a friend and wants their bond to be way more than a friendship. While Budhwani intended the song to be dedicated to a first crush, it can be applied to any context that harpers between friendship and romance. 

The acoustic guitaring could have been a buzzkill given the over-supply of acoustic indie pop numbers in the scene right now. But there’s something about Budhwani’s guitaring arrangements (be it in Dosti or his older discography) that makes his songs catchy and soothing enough to listen to. 

In fact, the song would sound perfect if you are a fan of indie heartthrob Ankur Tewari and his musical outfit Ghalat Family. Just like their wholesome vibes and acoustic instrumental arrangements, Dosti finds Budhwani channeling an Ankur Tewari-like sound. 

This holds true in terms of both vocals and the instrumentation. Interestingly, one of Tewari’s most popular tracks was an ode to friendship called Yaaron. Of course, this doesn’t imply that Dosti is derivative.
Budhwani’s lyrical concepts are fresh, production is calming enough, and he has been more than consistent with his releases. All of this makes him and Dosti stand out on their own. 

Verdict: Relive moments of naivety and ‘first crashes’ with Dosti.