Fareeda - Shaitan by Prashant Pillai, Suraj Jagan

Fareeda - Shaitan arrived from the Shaitan album and quickly became one of the most replayed tracks of 2011. Credit goes to Prashant Pillai for a score that understands exactly what the song needs and nothing more.

Every line Prashant Pillai, Suraj Jagan sings feels considered, as though the performance was thought through long before recording began. The connection between Rajeev Khandelwal, Rajit Kapoor, Kalki Koechlin, Shiv Pandit, Neil Bhoopalam, Gulshan Devaiah, Kirti Kulhari and this song is part of what makes it resonate beyond the film itself.

In 2011, Hindi produced many songs, but Fareeda - Shaitan was one of the handful that genuinely cut through. Some music is background. Fareeda - Shaitan demands attention — not aggressively, but in the way a good conversation does.

At 3:18, the track does not overstay its welcome — it says what it needs to say and leaves the listener wanting more. It is, at the end of it, a very good song — and sometimes that is the only explanation that matters.