Chembarathi Kammalittu by M. Jayachandran, Shreya Ghoshal, Ravisankar

Chembarathi Kammalittu works because it does not try to do too much — it finds one feeling and holds it perfectly. Credit goes to M. Jayachandran for a score that understands exactly what the song needs and nothing more.

M. Jayachandran, Shreya Ghoshal, Ravisankar's vocal here has a quality that is difficult to describe but impossible to miss — it simply feels true. The connection between Prithviraj Sukumaran, Samvrutha Sunil and this song is part of what makes it resonate beyond the film itself.

By the end of 2024, Chembarathi Kammalittu had moved well beyond its original audience and into everyday playlists. There is a quality to Chembarathi Kammalittu that makes it feel like company — the kind of song you put on when words feel insufficient.

Running to 4:35, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. The staying power of Chembarathi Kammalittu is not a mystery. It is just what happens when every element of a song is exactly right.