Onnam Manathe by K.J. Yesudas, K. S. Chithra

Released as part of Onnam Manathe, Onnam Manathe announced itself as a standout the moment it reached listeners. Behind the melody is the work of M. Jayachandran, whose composition choices give Onnam Manathe its distinctive texture.

The performance by K.J. Yesudas, K. S. Chithra is the centrepiece here — controlled where it needs to be, open where it counts. Pasupathy, Padmapriya gave the film its soul, and Onnam Manathe is the song that most directly channels that feeling into music.

In 2020, Malayalam produced many songs, but Onnam Manathe was one of the handful that genuinely cut through. It fits the playlist for almost any occasion, which is rare — most songs have a narrow emotional window. This one does not.

The concision of Onnam Manathe — just 4:29 — 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 Malayalam in recent memory — and the numbers agree.