Mere Khuda - Youngistaan by Shiraz Uppal

Shiraz Uppal has delivered memorable performances before, but Mere Khuda - Youngistaan sits comfortably among the very best. Shiraz Uppal's arrangement gives the track a layered quality that rewards repeated listening.

Shiraz Uppal brings a warmth to Mere Khuda - Youngistaan that no production choice could manufacture — it has to be felt, and here it is. The story told by Jackky Bhagnani, Neha Sharma in Youngistaan finds its musical expression here — Mere Khuda - Youngistaan is where the film's heart beats loudest.

The 2014 release gave fans something to hold onto — a track built for repeated listening rather than a single play. It is the kind of track that works at full volume with friends and equally well in a quiet room alone — the mood adjusts without the song changing.

The concision of Mere Khuda - Youngistaan — just 4:08 — 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 Hindi in recent memory — and the numbers agree.