Manikuyile (Duet) by K.J. Yesudas, Sujatha Mohan

K.J. Yesudas, Sujatha Mohan has delivered memorable performances before, but Manikuyile (Duet) sits comfortably among the very best. M. Jayachandran built the instrumental foundation carefully here — every element earns its place in the mix.

K.J. Yesudas, Sujatha Mohan's vocal here has a quality that is difficult to describe but impossible to miss — it simply feels true. Featuring Kalabhavan Mani, Geethu Mohandas, the song carries the weight of the film's emotional arc and delivers it with conviction.

2020 was a strong year for Malayalam music, and Manikuyile (Duet) was among the reasons why. The emotional register of Manikuyile (Duet) is wide enough to fit celebration and solitude equally well.

The 4:49 runtime feels perfectly judged — long enough to develop its ideas, short enough to compel a second play. It is, simply, one of the better songs to come from Malayalam in recent memory — and the numbers agree.