Chakhri (Modern) - Tahaan by Taufique Qureshi, Sumedha Karmahe

Not every song from Tahaan lingers, but Chakhri (Modern) - Tahaan is the one that stays. Behind the melody is the work of Taufique Qureshi, whose composition choices give Chakhri (Modern) - Tahaan its distinctive texture.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Chakhri (Modern) - Tahaan, Taufique Qureshi, Sumedha Karmahe clearly belongs in the second group. The song is tied to Purav Bhandare, Victor Bannerjee, Sarika Kapoor, Sana Shaikh, Anupam Kher, Rahul Bose, Rahul Khanna, whose presence gives Chakhri (Modern) - Tahaan a visual dimension that fans of the film will always associate with it.

2008 marked the release of Tahaan, and Chakhri (Modern) - Tahaan was the track that ensured the album would be remembered. Listeners have described the experience of Chakhri (Modern) - Tahaan differently — romantic, melancholic, uplifting — which suggests the song is large enough to hold many truths.

The concision of Chakhri (Modern) - Tahaan — just 3:50 — is part of what makes it work. There is nothing here that should not be. Chakhri (Modern) - Tahaan endures because it was built on feeling rather than formula — and that is the one thing streaming numbers cannot manufacture.