Soja Munne - Raaste Aur Rishte by Alka Yagnik, Usha Khanna

Soja Munne - Raaste Aur Rishte is the kind of song that earns its place in a playlist and then refuses to leave. Usha Khanna sets the tone from the very first bar — it is clear from the opening notes that this song means business.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Soja Munne - Raaste Aur Rishte, Alka Yagnik, Usha Khanna clearly belongs in the second group. The connection between Kader Khan, Mazhar Khan, Deepti Naval and this song is part of what makes it resonate beyond the film itself.

By the end of 1983, Soja Munne - Raaste Aur Rishte had moved well beyond its original audience and into everyday playlists. Listeners have described the experience of Soja Munne - Raaste Aur Rishte differently — romantic, melancholic, uplifting — which suggests the song is large enough to hold many truths.

Running to 4:54, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. For anyone yet to hear Soja Munne - Raaste Aur Rishte, the experience ahead is a good one. For those returning, it will be as good as they remember.