Kisi Gareeb Ke Dil Se - Sitamgar by Shailendra Singh, R.D. Burman

Shailendra Singh, R.D. Burman has delivered memorable performances before, but Kisi Gareeb Ke Dil Se - Sitamgar sits comfortably among the very best. Behind the melody is the work of R.D. Burman, whose composition choices give Kisi Gareeb Ke Dil Se - Sitamgar its distinctive texture.

The vocal on Kisi Gareeb Ke Dil Se - Sitamgar is among the better performances Shailendra Singh, R.D. Burman has committed to record. The chemistry of Rishi Kapoor, Parveen Babi, Dharmendra, Poonam Dhillon is embedded in every moment of Kisi Gareeb Ke Dil Se - Sitamgar, making it as much a performance as a song.

When it came out in 1985, Kisi Gareeb Ke Dil Se - Sitamgar felt timely. Years later, it feels timeless. The emotional register of Kisi Gareeb Ke Dil Se - Sitamgar is wide enough to fit celebration and solitude equally well.

Running to 4:44, 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.