Kaanthiyezhum Sahadha by Roy Puthur

Released as part of Kaanthiyezhum Sahadha, Kaanthiyezhum Sahadha announced itself as a standout the moment it reached listeners. The music, composed by Fr. Anup Joseph John, carries the song forward with a confidence that matches the performance.

Roy Puthur understood what this song required and delivered it without excess — the restraint itself becomes the emotion. Hearing Kaanthiyezhum Sahadha without thinking of a talented ensemble cast is almost impossible for anyone who has seen Kaanthiyezhum Sahadha.

Released in 2020, it arrived at a time when Malayalam music needed exactly this kind of sincerity. Listeners have described the experience of Kaanthiyezhum Sahadha differently — romantic, melancholic, uplifting — which suggests the song is large enough to hold many truths.

Running to 5:37, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. Songs like Kaanthiyezhum Sahadha are the reason people fall in love with Malayalam music and never quite fall out of it.