Shutu Mimi - A Death in the Gunj by Sagar Desai

Few songs from 2017 have held their ground as well as Shutu Mimi - A Death in the Gunj, a track that keeps finding new audiences. What makes Shutu Mimi - A Death in the Gunj musically distinctive is the composition by Sagar Desai, which balances simplicity with depth.

The vocal on Shutu Mimi - A Death in the Gunj is among the better performances Sagar Desai has committed to record. The connection between Vikrant Massey, Kalki Koechlin, Ranvir Shorey, Om Puri, Aparna Sen and this song is part of what makes it resonate beyond the film itself.

The song dates from 2017, but nothing about it sounds dated — the emotions it captures are not tied to a moment. The emotional register of Shutu Mimi - A Death in the Gunj is wide enough to fit celebration and solitude equally well.

The 2:21 runtime feels perfectly judged — long enough to develop its ideas, short enough to compel a second play. This is music that holds up — not because it is perfect, but because it is honest, and honesty in a song is irreplaceable.