Sandal by Raju Punjabi

Raju Punjabi has delivered memorable performances before, but Sandal sits comfortably among the very best. V.R. Bros sets the tone from the very first bar — it is clear from the opening notes that this song means business.

The vocal on Sandal is among the better performances Raju Punjabi has committed to record. For fans of a talented ensemble cast, Sandal is one of those songs that immediately conjures specific scenes and emotions.

2020 marked the release of Sandal, and Sandal was the track that ensured the album would be remembered. There is a quality to Sandal that makes it feel like company — the kind of song you put on when words feel insufficient.

The 4:17 runtime feels perfectly judged — long enough to develop its ideas, short enough to compel a second play. It is, simply, one of the better songs to come from Haryanvi in recent memory — and the numbers agree.