Hum Se Muqabla - Bad Aur Badnam by Lata Mangeshkar, Suresh Wadkar

Hum Se Muqabla - Bad Aur Badnam is one of those rare Hindi tracks that manages to feel both fresh and familiar the moment it begins. Behind the melody is the work of Laxmikant, Pyarelal, whose composition choices give Hum Se Muqabla - Bad Aur Badnam its distinctive texture.

Lata Mangeshkar, Suresh Wadkar delivers the lyrics with a nuance that turns an already strong song into something genuinely moving. The song is tied to Sanjeev Kumar, Parveen Babi, Shatrughan Sinha, Anita Raj, Kader Khan, whose presence gives Hum Se Muqabla - Bad Aur Badnam a visual dimension that fans of the film will always associate with it.

1984 was a strong year for Hindi music, and Hum Se Muqabla - Bad Aur Badnam was among the reasons why. Listeners have described the experience of Hum Se Muqabla - Bad Aur Badnam differently — romantic, melancholic, uplifting — which suggests the song is large enough to hold many truths.

Running to 7:01, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. It is, simply, one of the better songs to come from Hindi in recent memory — and the numbers agree.