Chelanjum Punchiri by Suhail

Suhail has delivered memorable performances before, but Chelanjum Punchiri sits comfortably among the very best. Haneefa A. R.Nagar sets the tone from the very first bar — it is clear from the opening notes that this song means business.

Suhail delivers the lyrics with a nuance that turns an already strong song into something genuinely moving. The connection between a talented ensemble cast and this song is part of what makes it resonate beyond the film itself.

By the end of 2020, Chelanjum Punchiri had moved well beyond its original audience and into everyday playlists. The emotional register of Chelanjum Punchiri is wide enough to fit celebration and solitude equally well.

The concision of Chelanjum Punchiri — just 3:29 — is part of what makes it work. There is nothing here that should not be. It is, at the end of it, a very good song — and sometimes that is the only explanation that matters.