Meherbaan - Ada - A Way Of Life by A.R. Rahman

The Ada - A Way Of Life album has several strong tracks, but Meherbaan - Ada - A Way Of Life is the one most listeners come back to first. A.R. Rahman's arrangement gives the track a layered quality that rewards repeated listening.

The vocal on Meherbaan - Ada - A Way Of Life is among the better performances A.R. Rahman has committed to record. The song is tied to a talented ensemble cast, whose presence gives Meherbaan - Ada - A Way Of Life a visual dimension that fans of the film will always associate with it.

Released in 2010, it arrived at a time when Hindi music needed exactly this kind of sincerity. The song rewards full attention but also works as company in the background — a flexibility that most tracks never achieve.

Running to 3:46, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. The song continues to find new listeners, which is the surest sign that it was made with something genuine at its core.