Koto Koto Eka Eka by Anjan Dutt

There is an honesty to Koto Koto Eka Eka that separates it from most Bengali songs released around the same time. The production by Neel Dutt is understated in the best way — supportive without overshadowing the vocal.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Koto Koto Eka Eka, Anjan Dutt clearly belongs in the second group. On screen, Anjan Dutt, Anindya Chattopadhyay, Swastika Mukherjee bring the emotional world of the song to life in a way that enhances rather than competes with the music.

2018 marked the release of Koto Koto Eka Eka, and Koto Koto Eka Eka was the track that ensured the album would be remembered. Some music is background. Koto Koto Eka Eka demands attention — not aggressively, but in the way a good conversation does.

The concision of Koto Koto Eka Eka — just 4:37 — is part of what makes it work. There is nothing here that should not be. The song continues to find new listeners, which is the surest sign that it was made with something genuine at its core.