Mandharam by Fayas Cherukulambu, Irfan Cherukulambu, Midlaj Cherukulambu

Few songs from 2020 have held their ground as well as Mandharam, a track that keeps finding new audiences. Nisar Mavara, Rasheed Thavanur has a history of strong work, and the music on Mandharam is among the most memorable of it.

Every line Fayas Cherukulambu, Irfan Cherukulambu, Midlaj Cherukulambu sings feels considered, as though the performance was thought through long before recording began. a talented ensemble cast gave the film its soul, and Mandharam is the song that most directly channels that feeling into music.

2020 was a strong year for Malayalam music, and Mandharam was among the reasons why. There is a quality to Mandharam that makes it feel like company — the kind of song you put on when words feel insufficient.

The concision of Mandharam — just 5:41 — is part of what makes it work. There is nothing here that should not be. It is, at the end of it, a very good song — and sometimes that is the only explanation that matters.