Salaam - Umrao Jaan by Alka Yagnik

Some songs are made for a single moment. Salaam - Umrao Jaan is made for all of them. Credit goes to Anu Malik for a score that understands exactly what the song needs and nothing more.

The voice of Alka Yagnik carries Salaam - Umrao Jaan effortlessly, which is the highest compliment a song can give its singer. The chemistry of Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan, Shabana Azmi, Suniel Shetty is embedded in every moment of Salaam - Umrao Jaan, making it as much a performance as a song.

When it came out in 2006, Salaam - Umrao Jaan felt timely. Years later, it feels timeless. The emotional register of Salaam - Umrao Jaan is wide enough to fit celebration and solitude equally well.

Running to 5:36, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. The track stands as evidence that Alka Yagnik and Anu Malik, working together, are capable of something well above the ordinary.