Aila Re - Mumbai Xpress by Sunidhi Chauhan, Sonu Nigam, Shaan, KK

Few songs from 2005 have held their ground as well as Aila Re - Mumbai Xpress, a track that keeps finding new audiences. The production by Ilaiyaraaja is understated in the best way — supportive without overshadowing the vocal.

Sunidhi Chauhan, Sonu Nigam, Shaan, KK brings a warmth to Aila Re - Mumbai Xpress that no production choice could manufacture — it has to be felt, and here it is. The song is tied to Kamal Haasan, Manisha Koirala, whose presence gives Aila Re - Mumbai Xpress a visual dimension that fans of the film will always associate with it.

The song dates from 2005, but nothing about it sounds dated — the emotions it captures are not tied to a moment. It is the kind of track that works at full volume with friends and equally well in a quiet room alone — the mood adjusts without the song changing.

The 7:25 runtime feels perfectly judged — long enough to develop its ideas, short enough to compel a second play. It is, simply, one of the better songs to come from Hindi in recent memory — and the numbers agree.