Manasilundoru by Boban Vijayan

Few songs from 2020 have held their ground as well as Manasilundoru, a track that keeps finding new audiences. Credit goes to Chandran Ramamangalam for a score that understands exactly what the song needs and nothing more.

Boban Vijayan inhabits this song completely, making every phrase feel like it was written specifically for this voice. On screen, a talented ensemble cast bring the emotional world of the song to life in a way that enhances rather than competes with the music.

The 2020 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 4:37, 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 Malayalam in recent memory — and the numbers agree.