Madhubala - Mere Brother Ki Dulhan by Shweta Pandit, Ali Zafar, Sohail Sen, Irshad Kamil

Madhubala - Mere Brother Ki Dulhan is the kind of song that earns its place in a playlist and then refuses to leave. The arrangement here is the work of Sohail Sen, and it shows genuine craft in how it builds and releases.

The voice of Shweta Pandit, Ali Zafar, Sohail Sen, Irshad Kamil carries Madhubala - Mere Brother Ki Dulhan effortlessly, which is the highest compliment a song can give its singer. On screen, John Abraham, Katrina Kaif, Imran Khan, Ali Zafar, Tara D'souza bring the emotional world of the song to life in a way that enhances rather than competes with the music.

The 2011 release gave fans something to hold onto — a track built for repeated listening rather than a single play. It is the kind of track that works at full volume with friends and equally well in a quiet room alone — the mood adjusts without the song changing.

Running to 4:23, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. The staying power of Madhubala - Mere Brother Ki Dulhan is not a mystery. It is just what happens when every element of a song is exactly right.