Snehathin Nirakudamam by Roy Puthur

Roy Puthur has delivered memorable performances before, but Snehathin Nirakudamam sits comfortably among the very best. The production by Aneesh K Simon is understated in the best way — supportive without overshadowing the vocal.

Roy Puthur's vocal here has a quality that is difficult to describe but impossible to miss — it simply feels true. Hearing Snehathin Nirakudamam without thinking of a talented ensemble cast is almost impossible for anyone who has seen Snehathin Nirakudamam.

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

Running to 5:31, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. Years from now, Snehathin Nirakudamam will still be the track that plays at the right moment and lands exactly as it did the first time.