Aashiyan - Barfi by Pritam, Shreya Ghoshal, Nikhil Paul George

Not every song from Barfi lingers, but Aashiyan - Barfi is the one that stays. Credit goes to Pritam for a score that understands exactly what the song needs and nothing more.

Pritam, Shreya Ghoshal, Nikhil Paul George brings a warmth to Aashiyan - Barfi that no production choice could manufacture — it has to be felt, and here it is. The story told by Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Ileana D'Cruz in Barfi finds its musical expression here — Aashiyan - Barfi is where the film's heart beats loudest.

Released in 2012, it arrived at a time when Hindi music needed exactly this kind of sincerity. There is no right time to listen to Aashiyan - Barfi. There is only the moment you press play and realise it was the right choice.

The concision of Aashiyan - Barfi — just 3:56 — is part of what makes it work. There is nothing here that should not be. Aashiyan - Barfi has earned its place in the catalogue of Hindi music that genuinely matters. The listeners who found it early already knew.