Nalppatham by K.S.Rahna, Suresh Babu

There is an honesty to Nalppatham that separates it from most Malayalam songs released around the same time. Behind the melody is the work of Muhasin Kurikkal, whose composition choices give Nalppatham its distinctive texture.

The performance by K.S.Rahna, Suresh Babu is the centrepiece here — controlled where it needs to be, open where it counts. a talented ensemble cast gave the film its soul, and Nalppatham is the song that most directly channels that feeling into music.

2020 was a strong year for Malayalam music, and Nalppatham was among the reasons why. The emotional register of Nalppatham is wide enough to fit celebration and solitude equally well.

The 2:18 runtime feels perfectly judged — long enough to develop its ideas, short enough to compel a second play. The song continues to find new listeners, which is the surest sign that it was made with something genuine at its core.