Mannum Mazhayum by Shafi Kollam

The Mannum Mazhayum album has several strong tracks, but Mannum Mazhayum is the one most listeners come back to first. Shafi Kollam sets the tone from the very first bar — it is clear from the opening notes that this song means business.

Shafi Kollam brings a warmth to Mannum Mazhayum that no production choice could manufacture — it has to be felt, and here it is. a talented ensemble cast are at the heart of Mannum Mazhayum, and Mannum Mazhayum captures their dynamic at its most compelling.

In 2020, Malayalam produced many songs, but Mannum Mazhayum was one of the handful that genuinely cut through. Listeners have described the experience of Mannum Mazhayum differently — romantic, melancholic, uplifting — which suggests the song is large enough to hold many truths.

In 5:23 minutes, Mannum Mazhayum builds, opens up, and resolves in a way that feels complete rather than truncated. It is, simply, one of the better songs to come from Malayalam in recent memory — and the numbers agree.