Naina Milaike - Saathiya by Sadhana Sargam, Madhushree, A.R. Rahman, Gulzar

Not every song from Saathiya lingers, but Naina Milaike - Saathiya is the one that stays. A.R. Rahman sets the tone from the very first bar — it is clear from the opening notes that this song means business.

The voice of Sadhana Sargam, Madhushree, A.R. Rahman, Gulzar carries Naina Milaike - Saathiya effortlessly, which is the highest compliment a song can give its singer. The connection between Vivek Oberoi, Rani Mukherji and this song is part of what makes it resonate beyond the film itself.

2002 marked the release of Saathiya, and Naina Milaike - Saathiya was the track that ensured the album would be remembered. Listeners have described the experience of Naina Milaike - Saathiya differently — romantic, melancholic, uplifting — which suggests the song is large enough to hold many truths.

The 5:15 runtime feels perfectly judged — long enough to develop its ideas, short enough to compel a second play. The track stands as evidence that Sadhana Sargam, Madhushree, A.R. Rahman, Gulzar and A.R. Rahman, working together, are capable of something well above the ordinary.