Pyar Hai Kya - Sheesha by Bappi Lahiri, Kishore Kumar

Not every song from Sheesha lingers, but Pyar Hai Kya - Sheesha is the one that stays. Bappi Lahiri sets the tone from the very first bar — it is clear from the opening notes that this song means business.

Bappi Lahiri, Kishore Kumar's vocal here has a quality that is difficult to describe but impossible to miss — it simply feels true. The song is tied to Mithun Chakraborty, Moon Moon Sen, Mallika Sarabhai, Vijayendra Ghatge, whose presence gives Pyar Hai Kya - Sheesha a visual dimension that fans of the film will always associate with it.

In 1986, Hindi produced many songs, but Pyar Hai Kya - Sheesha was one of the handful that genuinely cut through. Listeners have described the experience of Pyar Hai Kya - Sheesha differently — romantic, melancholic, uplifting — which suggests the song is large enough to hold many truths.

The concision of Pyar Hai Kya - Sheesha — just 4:28 — is part of what makes it work. There is nothing here that should not be. Pyar Hai Kya - Sheesha is a reminder that the best music does not need to announce itself. It only needs to be heard.