Punjiri Penninte by Ravi Shangar

Punjiri Penninte is one of those rare Malayalam tracks that manages to feel both fresh and familiar the moment it begins. Behind the melody is the work of Alappy Vivekanandhan, whose composition choices give Punjiri Penninte its distinctive texture.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Punjiri Penninte, Ravi Shangar clearly belongs in the second group. The chemistry of a talented ensemble cast is embedded in every moment of Punjiri Penninte, making it as much a performance as a song.

Released in 2020, it arrived at a time when Malayalam music needed exactly this kind of sincerity. There is no right time to listen to Punjiri Penninte. There is only the moment you press play and realise it was the right choice.

In 3:35 minutes, Punjiri Penninte builds, opens up, and resolves in a way that feels complete rather than truncated. It is, at the end of it, a very good song — and sometimes that is the only explanation that matters.