Krishna Gaadhakal by Madhu Balakrishnan

Krishna Gaadhakal is the kind of song that earns its place in a playlist and then refuses to leave. Credit goes to K.M. Udayan for a score that understands exactly what the song needs and nothing more.

Madhu Balakrishnan brings a warmth to Krishna Gaadhakal that no production choice could manufacture — it has to be felt, and here it is. Hearing Krishna Gaadhakal without thinking of a talented ensemble cast is almost impossible for anyone who has seen Krishna Gaadhakal.

2020 marked the release of Krishna Gaadhakal, and Krishna Gaadhakal was the track that ensured the album would be remembered. There is a quality to Krishna Gaadhakal that makes it feel like company — the kind of song you put on when words feel insufficient.

The 4:47 runtime feels perfectly judged — long enough to develop its ideas, short enough to compel a second play. Years from now, Krishna Gaadhakal will still be the track that plays at the right moment and lands exactly as it did the first time.