Tere Liye Mere Liye - Raksha by Kishore Kumar, R.D. Burman

Not every song from Raksha lingers, but Tere Liye Mere Liye - Raksha is the one that stays. R.D. Burman sets the tone from the very first bar — it is clear from the opening notes that this song means business.

The voice of Kishore Kumar, R.D. Burman carries Tere Liye Mere Liye - Raksha effortlessly, which is the highest compliment a song can give its singer. On screen, Jeetendra, Moushumi Chatterjee bring the emotional world of the song to life in a way that enhances rather than competes with the music.

1982 was a strong year for Hindi music, and Tere Liye Mere Liye - Raksha was among the reasons why. The emotional register of Tere Liye Mere Liye - Raksha is wide enough to fit celebration and solitude equally well.

The concision of Tere Liye Mere Liye - Raksha — just 4:10 — is part of what makes it work. There is nothing here that should not be. It is, simply, one of the better songs to come from Hindi in recent memory — and the numbers agree.