Aaj Ke Naam - Haider by Rekha Bhardwaj, Vishal Bhardwaj

Aaj Ke Naam - Haider arrived from the Haider album and quickly became one of the most replayed tracks of 2014. Behind the melody is the work of Vishal Bhardwaj, whose composition choices give Aaj Ke Naam - Haider its distinctive texture.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Aaj Ke Naam - Haider, Rekha Bhardwaj, Vishal Bhardwaj clearly belongs in the second group. The chemistry of Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Tabu, Narendra Jha, Kay Kay Menon, Irrfan Khan is embedded in every moment of Aaj Ke Naam - Haider, making it as much a performance as a song.

When it came out in 2014, Aaj Ke Naam - Haider felt timely. Years later, it feels timeless. The mood of the track shifts subtly as it progresses, giving even a single listen a sense of journey.

Running to 4:14, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. The song continues to find new listeners, which is the surest sign that it was made with something genuine at its core.