Aarun Kothikum by Unni Menon

Unni Menon has delivered memorable performances before, but Aarun Kothikum sits comfortably among the very best. Credit goes to Peter Cheranalloor for a score that understands exactly what the song needs and nothing more.

Unni Menon's vocal here has a quality that is difficult to describe but impossible to miss — it simply feels true. The connection between a talented ensemble cast and this song is part of what makes it resonate beyond the film itself.

By the end of 2020, Aarun Kothikum had moved well beyond its original audience and into everyday playlists. Listeners have described the experience of Aarun Kothikum differently — romantic, melancholic, uplifting — which suggests the song is large enough to hold many truths.

The 5:35 runtime feels perfectly judged — long enough to develop its ideas, short enough to compel a second play. The track stands as evidence that Unni Menon and Peter Cheranalloor, working together, are capable of something well above the ordinary.