Naad Khula - Malaal by Shreyas Puranik

Released as part of Malaal, Naad Khula - Malaal announced itself as a standout the moment it reached listeners. Credit goes to Shreyas Puranik for a score that understands exactly what the song needs and nothing more.

The performance by Shreyas Puranik is the centrepiece here — controlled where it needs to be, open where it counts. The song is tied to a talented ensemble cast, whose presence gives Naad Khula - Malaal a visual dimension that fans of the film will always associate with it.

The song dates from 2019, but nothing about it sounds dated — the emotions it captures are not tied to a moment. 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 Naad Khula - Malaal — just 3:18 — is part of what makes it work. There is nothing here that should not be. The track stands as evidence that Shreyas Puranik and Shreyas Puranik, working together, are capable of something well above the ordinary.