Saudagar Sauda Kar - Saudagar by Sukhwinder Singh, Manhar Udhas, Kavita Krishnamurthy

Few songs from 1991 have held their ground as well as Saudagar Sauda Kar - Saudagar, a track that keeps finding new audiences. Laxmikant, Pyarelal has a history of strong work, and the music on Saudagar Sauda Kar - Saudagar is among the most memorable of it.

The voice of Sukhwinder Singh, Manhar Udhas, Kavita Krishnamurthy carries Saudagar Sauda Kar - Saudagar effortlessly, which is the highest compliment a song can give its singer. Dilip Kumar, Raaj Kumar, Manisha Koirala, Vivek Mushran, Amrish Puri, Gulshan Grover, Anupam Kher, Jackie Shroff, Dalip Tahil, Dina Pathak gave the film its soul, and Saudagar Sauda Kar - Saudagar is the song that most directly channels that feeling into music.

1991 was a strong year for Hindi music, and Saudagar Sauda Kar - Saudagar was among the reasons why. It fits the playlist for almost any occasion, which is rare — most songs have a narrow emotional window. This one does not.

The 7:49 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 Hindi in recent memory — and the numbers agree.