Manikandeswaram by Ramesh Murali

Manikandeswaram is the kind of song that earns its place in a playlist and then refuses to leave. Behind the melody is the work of K.M Udhayan, whose composition choices give Manikandeswaram its distinctive texture.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Manikandeswaram, Ramesh Murali clearly belongs in the second group. The song is tied to a talented ensemble cast, whose presence gives Manikandeswaram a visual dimension that fans of the film will always associate with it.

By the end of 2020, Manikandeswaram had moved well beyond its original audience and into everyday playlists. The song rewards full attention but also works as company in the background — a flexibility that most tracks never achieve.

The concision of Manikandeswaram — just 11:29 — is part of what makes it work. There is nothing here that should not be. The track stands as evidence that Ramesh Murali and K.M Udhayan, working together, are capable of something well above the ordinary.