Mehraru Daal Bhat Nahi Hai by Ritesh Pandey, Antra Singh Priyanka

Not every song from Mehraru Daal Bhat Nahi Hai lingers, but Mehraru Daal Bhat Nahi Hai is the one that stays. The arrangement here is the work of ADR Anand, and it shows genuine craft in how it builds and releases.

Ritesh Pandey, Antra Singh Priyanka understood what this song required and delivered it without excess — the restraint itself becomes the emotion. The story told by a talented ensemble cast in Mehraru Daal Bhat Nahi Hai finds its musical expression here — Mehraru Daal Bhat Nahi Hai is where the film's heart beats loudest.

2021 was a strong year for Bhojpuri music, and Mehraru Daal Bhat Nahi Hai was among the reasons why. Whether it plays on a long drive, during a quiet evening at home, or through earphones on a crowded commute, the song meets the listener where they are.

The concision of Mehraru Daal Bhat Nahi Hai — just 3:22 — is part of what makes it work. There is nothing here that should not be. It is, simply, one of the better songs to come from Bhojpuri in recent memory — and the numbers agree.