Irada - Irada by Nikhil Uzgare

Some songs are made for a single moment. Irada - Irada is made for all of them. Neeraj Shridhar sets the tone from the very first bar — it is clear from the opening notes that this song means business.

The performance by Nikhil Uzgare is the centrepiece here — controlled where it needs to be, open where it counts. The connection between Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi, Divya Dutta, Sharad Kelkar, Sagarika Ghatge, Rajesh Sharma and this song is part of what makes it resonate beyond the film itself.

2017 was a strong year for Hindi music, and Irada - Irada was among the reasons why. It fits the playlist for almost any occasion, which is rare — most songs have a narrow emotional window. This one does not.

In 5:31 minutes, Irada - Irada builds, opens up, and resolves in a way that feels complete rather than truncated. Irada - Irada has earned its place in the catalogue of Hindi music that genuinely matters. The listeners who found it early already knew.