Sharab Ka Sahara - Dil Ki Rahen by Madan Mohan, Manna Dey

Not every song from Dil Ki Rahen lingers, but Sharab Ka Sahara - Dil Ki Rahen is the one that stays. Credit goes to Madan Mohan for a score that understands exactly what the song needs and nothing more.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Sharab Ka Sahara - Dil Ki Rahen, Madan Mohan, Manna Dey clearly belongs in the second group. The chemistry of Rakesh Pandey, Rehana Sultan, Sulochana is embedded in every moment of Sharab Ka Sahara - Dil Ki Rahen, making it as much a performance as a song.

In 1973, Hindi produced many songs, but Sharab Ka Sahara - Dil Ki Rahen was one of the handful that genuinely cut through. Listeners have described the experience of Sharab Ka Sahara - Dil Ki Rahen differently — romantic, melancholic, uplifting — which suggests the song is large enough to hold many truths.

The concision of Sharab Ka Sahara - Dil Ki Rahen — just 5:43 — is part of what makes it work. There is nothing here that should not be. The song continues to find new listeners, which is the surest sign that it was made with something genuine at its core.