Aashayein - Iqbal by KK, Salim Merchant

Aashayein - Iqbal works because it does not try to do too much — it finds one feeling and holds it perfectly. The production by KK, Salim Merchant, Salim-Sulaiman is understated in the best way — supportive without overshadowing the vocal.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Aashayein - Iqbal, KK, Salim Merchant clearly belongs in the second group. The song is tied to a talented ensemble cast, whose presence gives Aashayein - Iqbal a visual dimension that fans of the film will always associate with it.

2005 marked the release of Iqbal, and Aashayein - Iqbal was the track that ensured the album would be remembered. The song rewards full attention but also works as company in the background — a flexibility that most tracks never achieve.

Running to 4:20, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. It is, simply, one of the better songs to come from Hindi in recent memory — and the numbers agree.