Chalakiyan by Afsana Khan, Kulshan Sandhu

The Chalakiyan album has several strong tracks, but Chalakiyan is the one most listeners come back to first. The music, composed by , carries the song forward with a confidence that matches the performance.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Chalakiyan, Afsana Khan, Kulshan Sandhu clearly belongs in the second group. Featuring a talented ensemble cast, the song carries the weight of the film's emotional arc and delivers it with conviction.

By the end of 2023, Chalakiyan had moved well beyond its original audience and into everyday playlists. It fits the playlist for almost any occasion, which is rare — most songs have a narrow emotional window. This one does not.

Running to 3:18, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. The track stands as evidence that Afsana Khan, Kulshan Sandhu and , working together, are capable of something well above the ordinary.