Ishara Ishara - Ab Bas by Sunidhi Chauhan

Ishara Ishara - Ab Bas works because it does not try to do too much — it finds one feeling and holds it perfectly. Daboo Malik built the instrumental foundation carefully here — every element earns its place in the mix.

The performance by Sunidhi Chauhan is the centrepiece here — controlled where it needs to be, open where it counts. a talented ensemble cast gave the film its soul, and Ishara Ishara - Ab Bas is the song that most directly channels that feeling into music.

2004 marked the release of Ab Bas, and Ishara Ishara - Ab Bas was the track that ensured the album would be remembered. It is the kind of track that works at full volume with friends and equally well in a quiet room alone — the mood adjusts without the song changing.

Running to 5:45, 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.