Radha Kaise Na Jale - Lagaan by A.R. Rahman, Asha Bhosle, Udit Narayan, Vaishali Samant

When A.R. Rahman, Asha Bhosle, Udit Narayan, Vaishali Samant recorded Radha Kaise Na Jale - Lagaan, something special happened in the studio — and listeners have felt it ever since. A.R. Rahman has a history of strong work, and the music on Radha Kaise Na Jale - Lagaan is among the most memorable of it.

The performance by A.R. Rahman, Asha Bhosle, Udit Narayan, Vaishali Samant is the centrepiece here — controlled where it needs to be, open where it counts. Featuring Aamir Khan, Gracy Singh, the song carries the weight of the film's emotional arc and delivers it with conviction.

2001 marked the release of Lagaan, and Radha Kaise Na Jale - Lagaan was the track that ensured the album would be remembered. The emotional register of Radha Kaise Na Jale - Lagaan is wide enough to fit celebration and solitude equally well.

Running to 5:34, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. It is, at the end of it, a very good song — and sometimes that is the only explanation that matters.