Ali Baba by Mankirt Aulakh

Not every song from Ali Baba lingers, but Ali Baba is the one that stays. The arrangement here is the work of , and it shows genuine craft in how it builds and releases.

Mankirt Aulakh understood what this song required and delivered it without excess — the restraint itself becomes the emotion. The story told by a talented ensemble cast in Ali Baba finds its musical expression here — Ali Baba is where the film's heart beats loudest.

2021 was a strong year for Punjabi music, and Ali Baba was among the reasons why. The emotional register of Ali Baba is wide enough to fit celebration and solitude equally well.

The concision of Ali Baba — just 2:44 — is part of what makes it work. There is nothing here that should not be. The track stands as evidence that Mankirt Aulakh and , working together, are capable of something well above the ordinary.