Ek Ladki Ek Hai Ladka - Sun Meri Laila by Suresh Wadkar, Usha Mangeshkar

The Sun Meri Laila album has several strong tracks, but Ek Ladki Ek Hai Ladka - Sun Meri Laila is the one most listeners come back to first. Raamlaxman has a history of strong work, and the music on Ek Ladki Ek Hai Ladka - Sun Meri Laila is among the most memorable of it.

Suresh Wadkar, Usha Mangeshkar delivers the lyrics with a nuance that turns an already strong song into something genuinely moving. Hearing Ek Ladki Ek Hai Ladka - Sun Meri Laila without thinking of Rajkiran, Deepika is almost impossible for anyone who has seen Sun Meri Laila.

The song dates from 1983, but nothing about it sounds dated — the emotions it captures are not tied to a moment. It fits the playlist for almost any occasion, which is rare — most songs have a narrow emotional window. This one does not.

The concision of Ek Ladki Ek Hai Ladka - Sun Meri Laila — just 4:29 — is part of what makes it work. There is nothing here that should not be. It is, simply, one of the better songs to come from Hindi in recent memory — and the numbers agree.