Bombay Blues - Bombay Boys by Ashutosh Phatak, Dhruv Ghanekar, Bashir Sheikh

Bombay Blues - Bombay Boys is one of those rare Hindi tracks that manages to feel both fresh and familiar the moment it begins. Ashutosh Phatak, Dhruv Ghanekar built the instrumental foundation carefully here — every element earns its place in the mix.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Bombay Blues - Bombay Boys, Ashutosh Phatak, Dhruv Ghanekar, Bashir Sheikh clearly belongs in the second group. The song is tied to Rahul Bose, Naseeruddin Shah, Naveen Andrews, Tara Deshpande, whose presence gives Bombay Blues - Bombay Boys a visual dimension that fans of the film will always associate with it.

1998 was a strong year for Hindi music, and Bombay Blues - Bombay Boys was among the reasons why. Listeners have described the experience of Bombay Blues - Bombay Boys differently — romantic, melancholic, uplifting — which suggests the song is large enough to hold many truths.

The concision of Bombay Blues - Bombay Boys — just 5:00 — is part of what makes it work. There is nothing here that should not be. It is, simply, one of the better songs to come from Hindi in recent memory — and the numbers agree.