Chugliyaan - Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai Dobara by Pritam, Javed Ali, Sahir Ali Bagga

There is an honesty to Chugliyaan - Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai Dobara that separates it from most Hindi songs released around the same time. Pritam built the instrumental foundation carefully here — every element earns its place in the mix.

The performance by Pritam, Javed Ali, Sahir Ali Bagga is the centrepiece here — controlled where it needs to be, open where it counts. Akshay Kumar, Imran Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Sonali Bendre, Sarfaraj gave the film its soul, and Chugliyaan - Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai Dobara is the song that most directly channels that feeling into music.

In 2013, Hindi produced many songs, but Chugliyaan - Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai Dobara was one of the handful that genuinely cut through. There is no right time to listen to Chugliyaan - Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai Dobara. There is only the moment you press play and realise it was the right choice.

Running to 4:59, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. It is, at the end of it, a very good song — and sometimes that is the only explanation that matters.