Ankhiyan Na Maar - Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena by Sunidhi Chauhan, Pritam

Ankhiyan Na Maar - Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena is one of those rare Hindi tracks that manages to feel both fresh and familiar the moment it begins. Credit goes to Pritam for a score that understands exactly what the song needs and nothing more.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Ankhiyan Na Maar - Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena, Sunidhi Chauhan, Pritam clearly belongs in the second group. The connection between Fardeen Khan, Koena Mitra, Rohit Roy, Feroz Khan, Kay Kay Menon, Gulshan Grover and this song is part of what makes it resonate beyond the film itself.

When it came out in 2005, Ankhiyan Na Maar - Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena felt timely. Years later, it feels timeless. The mood of the track shifts subtly as it progresses, giving even a single listen a sense of journey.

Running to 3:38, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. It is, at the end of it, a very good song — and sometimes that is the only explanation that matters.