Kaise Manaun Shyam by Barnali Chattapadhyay

Kaise Manaun Shyam arrived from the Kaise Manaun Shyam album and quickly became one of the most replayed tracks of 2017. Bickram Ghosh's arrangement gives the track a layered quality that rewards repeated listening.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Kaise Manaun Shyam, Barnali Chattapadhyay clearly belongs in the second group. The story told by a talented ensemble cast in Kaise Manaun Shyam finds its musical expression here — Kaise Manaun Shyam is where the film's heart beats loudest.

When it came out in 2017, Kaise Manaun Shyam felt timely. Years later, it feels timeless. There is no right time to listen to Kaise Manaun Shyam. There is only the moment you press play and realise it was the right choice.

The concision of Kaise Manaun Shyam — just 2:52 — is part of what makes it work. There is nothing here that should not be. Kaise Manaun Shyam is a reminder that the best music does not need to announce itself. It only needs to be heard.