Shasthave by Chengannur Sreekumar

Shasthave is one of those rare Malayalam tracks that manages to feel both fresh and familiar the moment it begins. Mohan Das sets the tone from the very first bar — it is clear from the opening notes that this song means business.

Chengannur Sreekumar's vocal here has a quality that is difficult to describe but impossible to miss — it simply feels true. a talented ensemble cast gave the film its soul, and Shasthave is the song that most directly channels that feeling into music.

By the end of 2020, Shasthave had moved well beyond its original audience and into everyday playlists. There is a quality to Shasthave that makes it feel like company — the kind of song you put on when words feel insufficient.

The concision of Shasthave — just 6:05 — is part of what makes it work. There is nothing here that should not be. Songs like Shasthave are the reason people fall in love with Malayalam music and never quite fall out of it.