Thalahtha by Rahul

Thalahtha works because it does not try to do too much — it finds one feeling and holds it perfectly. Haneefa A.R.Nagar has a history of strong work, and the music on Thalahtha is among the most memorable of it.

Every line Rahul sings feels considered, as though the performance was thought through long before recording began. Hearing Thalahtha without thinking of a talented ensemble cast is almost impossible for anyone who has seen Thalahtha.

By the end of 2020, Thalahtha had moved well beyond its original audience and into everyday playlists. The emotional register of Thalahtha is wide enough to fit celebration and solitude equally well.

Running to 4:35, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. It is, simply, one of the better songs to come from Malayalam in recent memory — and the numbers agree.